August 8, 2009 ON A ROLL Galaxy streak at six after win over NE
Jovan Kirovski’s second-half goal was the game-winner for LA. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
FOXBOROUGH, Mass.—When you’re hot, you’re hot. And the LA Galaxy are one of the hottest teams in MLS right now. Saturday’s 2-1 win over the New England Revolution – in front of a Beckham-boosted crowd of 26,623 at Gillette Stadium – was the Galaxy’s sixth without a loss. It also was LA’s first road win over the Revolution since July 11, 1999.
Landon Donovan scored his team-leading ninth goal of the season in the 21st minute, and Jovan Kirovski slammed home the game-winner from close range in the 52nd.
Steve Ralston spoiled netminder Donovan Ricketts’ shutout bid with an 83rd-minute penalty kick.
Ricketts finished with three saves and the win, which lifted the Galaxy into second place in the MLS West with 31 points (7-3-10). Matt Reis stopped five to keep New England in the match.
The Galaxy seized the early momentum, with Donovan getting free in the box for a shot on goal in the first minute of play, but quickly ceded it to the fired-up Revolution, who held possession for much of the first half. LA dodged the first of several bullets in the fifth minute, when Steve Ralston’s long free kick to the far post bounced harmlessly over the end line after a miscommunication between New England’s Shalrie Joseph and Kenny Mansally.
Three minutes later, right back Kevin Alston challenged Ricketts from long range. In the 13th, Joseph sent a sharp pass into the box for Alston, who slipped behind Galaxy defender Todd Dunivant for a sharp shot that Ricketts blocked back into play and Omar Gonzalez cleared out of danger.
The Galaxy finally got another look at the Revolution penalty area in the 14th minute, when David Beckham got a quick pass in to Alan Gordon, but the closely-guarded Galaxy forward missed high.
The pendulum finally started to swing back LA’s way after the 15-minute mark, and Reis had to react quickly to pluck Eddie Lewis’s rising 25-yarder from under the crossbar minutes before Donovan broke through for the first goal. Defender Emmanuel Osei got a foot on Gordon’s pass across the top of the box, but deflected it straight back to Donovan, who curled a shot just inside the far post from 19 yards out.
Kirovski almost made it a 2-0 game in the 25th minute, but sent his open shot over the bar. The Revolution continued to create opportunities, but couldn’t find the target, and the 1-0 lead held through halftime.
Kirovski was back in front of the net in the 52nd, and this time didn’t miss. Eddie Lewis served the ball into the box for Gordon, who went up with his defender but couldn’t get control the header. The ball bounced in front of Kirovski, who beat Reis with a volley from inside the six-yard box.
The Revolution were lucky not to find themselves down by three within minutes of Kirovski’s goal, after Osei tried an impulsive backpass to Reis, who was well out of position. Jay Heaps prevented the own goal, but the hole was already too deep for New England to climb out of.
Things started to get chippy as the clock wound down, with Mansally and Beckham openly sniping at each other. The Ghaniain got the last laugh, however, when he was taken down just inside the box to set up Ralston’s spot kick. Although the veteran midfielder’s stutter-step approach did not fool Ricketts, the low shot passed just out of the Galaxy ‘keeper’s reach into the right side of the net.
Ricketts and the Galaxy defense held off increasingly desperate pressure from the Revoloution in the closing minutes, but, for the most part, New England were their own worst enemies. Mansally missed with a header in the 84th minute, and a volley in the 88th. Ricketts easily snuffed out New England’s last offensive gasp in the first minute of stoppage, picking off Joseph’s light header from the top of the box.
