The Los Angeles Galaxy visit Toyota Park tonight to take on the Chicago Fire in what amounts to a must-win match if LA hopes to resurrect its faint playoff hopes. The Fire will be looking to avoid a three-match losing streak, and a three-match skid against Western Conference opponents at that.
If you figure Chicago is the favorite being at home, think again. Chicago is one of just two teams (FC Dallas being the other) that doesn’t have more wins than losses at home. The Galaxy is coming off its first win in three months, but the way the offense looked against DC, coupled with how bad Chicago’s defense looked against FC Dallas, makes this one even more interesting.
If you will be watching tonight’s match (9pm, ESPN2) please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the match.
Buddle came out for Bryan Jordan in the 77th, and Vanney came out for Brandon McDonald in the 80th. Rolfe left in the 84th minute for Steven King.
I would like to see Donovan do well. All I’m saying is opportunities to put one away like that are few and far between in the top European leagues. You miss too many of those and you’re on the bench in favor of someone who will.
Brian Jordan … how more opportunities will this guy get before they send him back to Portland? I’ve seen him play in the past living here in Seattle, but since he’s been in MLS he hasn’t done a thing.
Whoever said that Donovan was a striker that was on the same level as the too tier European guys? Why not compare him to pele too?
79th minute- Justin Mapp comes out for Mike Banner.
And it’s also about Donovan. If he misses a couple of shots here he is still a lock starter. He misses shots like the ones he had and he could find himself having trouble getting minutes in europe.
Joel: Not like that. A top striker in Europe would have buried that last chance Donovan had.
I’ve been noticing Chicago getting really solid crowds this year. Even against low-profile teams
They don’t miss shots in Europe?
Donovan should have scored. This is why I worry about how he would fare in Europe.
On that cross to Landon in the 68th Landon did a great job of feeding the ball out wide then making a dummy far post run to set up his near post run.
71th minute- Donovan played in oveer the top from the right side, and Donovan tries to volley but pushes it over the bar. Twice he has had golden chances to score and wasted them in the last 4 minutes.
68th minute- Klein serves in a ball on the ground from the right for Donovan running in diagonally to the nesr post, but can only put the ball way over the bar.
My bad kebzach, you were right.
63rd minute- LA sub, Alan Gordon out for Peter Vagenas.
Segares played the thru ball to rolfe.
62nd minute- Chicago looks much more likely to score twice more before the Galaxy scores once. I might cut away from the game early if LA continues to show what it is showing right now.
59th minute- GOAL CHICAGO!!!
Rolf goes in all alone, takes a shot which Wicks saves but not completely, with the ball trickling into the net rather anticlimactically. Blanco played Rolfe in.
3-1 Fire.
56th minute- GOAL CHICAGO!!!!
Blanco ends up on a break with 2 defenders trying to close. The keeper came out and made a mess of trying to intercept Blanco, who got around and shot into an open net.
The keeper actually collided with Roberts watching the reply. Bad defending, but good hustle from Blanco.
2-1 Fire.
53rd minute- Beckham just had 3 consecutive crosses, 2 from corners. He played 3 great balls, 1 short, 1 in the center, and 1 long.
2nd half begins
—————
48th minute- a failed Clearance by the Galaxy defense leads to a cross/shot that forced Wicks into a save.
Harkes is still way better than Wynalda though!
Blanco looks sort of disinterested. I believe this is his last year in MLS.
On Harkes- at least he is critical for once.
When he does Nats games he sounds like Suni Guliti(sp?) son in law who works in the family business.
Bad news about the boards. I love those things
What happened to the Fox Soccer Channel show with Harkes and the nerdy guy a few years ago? For my tastes, that was about the best TV effort I’ve seen on American soccer. When will the day come when MLS gets extended highlights, sort of match of the dayesque?
The electronic boards are for tonight only. The fire did this one previous time as well:
I don’t mind Harkes but he has a stick up his butt about Donovan. The Galaxy can’t the ball out of their end for first twenty minutes and Harkes says that DOnovan hasn’t made an impact. What, he supposed to play Keeper, too?
Half time, 1-1 is the score.
announcer 2: blanco said it in spanish: ‘no’
announcer 1: how do you say it in spanish?
47th minute- Blanco is up and looks like he’s staying in, especially how close it is to half time.
45th minute- Blanco is down on the ground right now after challenging for a ball with Roberts, but running into the Galaxy keeper.
are those electronic boards new?
43rd minute- A sequence just ended where Chicago made a couple of nice crosses, which LA defenders did well to get in the way of.
40th minute- Beckham with a long central run with the ball from his own end, jumps over a sliding challenge at around the halfway line. He played a beautiful ball to his right to a streaking Buddle, who took a shot that missed barely to the left post! Had he put it on net, I’m not sure Busch would have stopped it.
It wasn’t a terrible shot by Buddle, but he wasn’t under much pressure so he probably should have done better with it.
37th minute- Only minutes after scoring, Blanco plays a ball from the right, it ends up right on Thorrington’s foot but Wicks makes a save! It was just about point blank too. Thorrington will be upset not to have re-taken the lead.
35th minute- GOAL GALAXY!!!!
Lewis finishes a great ball from the right flank, not from Beckham but from Klein! Good quick passing between Beckham Vanney and Donovan to give Klein that opportunity.
1-1.
The Crowd is killing.
Good crowd in Chicago.
30th minute- Beckham with a low cross to Donovan, who lays it off for Gordon who takes a shot which Busch saves easily. Still, it was a rare moment of well worked play from the Galaxy.
26th minute- Jazic takes a shot which deflects off of Conde, but Busch makes a great save!! It clearly changed directions but he stayed with it.
21st minute- Landon Donovan might as well be away on international duty for the little impact he has had tonight.
Wow. Terrible keystone cops defense by the Galaxy that lead to that goal.
I know I love the electric boards it looks classy.
What a shot! 1-0 Chicago
12th minute- GOAL CHICAGO!!!!
Rolfe took a shot which I thought was fairly innocuous but it’s in the back of the net. Rolfe nearly lost the ball, but took a shot from near the top center of the penalty area, and put it near the bottom right corner.
Chicago was knocking on the door before that with a couple of corners, and a Soumare shot that was close to being a goal. Deserved 1-0 lead for Chicago.
when did the fire get electronic message boards? From what i’ve seen this year they had the ones that turned but not electronic ones.
9th minute- Blanco played a ball back to Chris Rolfe who took a shot that forced a nice save from Wicks!!
4th minute- Free kick coming from the Fire, pretty well centered. Blanco took it, but right at the keeper. Disappointing, there.
Lets go Fire!
The last time these teams played, Donovan Beckham and Blanco all missed the game because of international duty. Needless to say, this should be a better game.
Starting Line-Ups
Chicago Fire
———————
1 Jon Busch
6 Brandon Prideaux
25 Gonzalo Segares
4 Bakary Soumare
22 Wilman Conde
11 John Thorrington
10 C. Blanco
21 Justin Mapp
7 Logan Pause
20 Brian McBride
17 Chris Rolfe
LA Galaxy
—————–
Josh Wicks 31
Chris Klein 7
Troy Roberts 12
Ante Jazic 4
Sean Franklin 28
David Beckham 23
Landon Donovan 10
Greg Vanney 3
Eddie Lewis 6
Edson Buddle 14
Alan Gordon 21