Photo by Michael Janosz/ ISIPhotos.com
BY ADAM SERRANO
"It was embarrassing."
Those were the words of Edson Buddle after the Los Angeles Galaxy suffered a stunning 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Puerto Rico Islanders in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round Series. Islanders forward Nicolas Addlery added a pair in a comprehensive victory for Puerto Rico. The US Division 2 club struck often, handing the Galaxy its worst loss since September of 2009.
"It was one of those games, I give a lot of credit to them, but our result wasn't good enough," said Defender Gregg Berhalter. "It was one of those games where you just you keep knocking your head against the wall, waiting to get a break, but then you give up some good goals. It was a nightmare."
Los Angeles dominated possession throughout the match against the second division club, but the final touch was lacking, which kept the Galaxy from putting shots on frame.
The Galaxy's inability to capitalize was punished in the 26th minute when forward David Foley capitalized on a Sean Franklin clearance to put the Islanders up 1-0. Puerto Rico struck again just seconds before halftime after a cross by Scott Jones was easily buried by Addlery past Saunders.
Down early with the Galaxy pressing, Islanders Goalkeeper Bill Gaudette made a number of vital saves to keep the Division 2 club ahead.
The rout was officially on in just 15 minutes into the second half when former Galaxy midfielder Josh Hansen fired a wonderful shot that went off Goalkeeper Josh Saunders' post and in for a third goal. Addlery would add his second of the goal and put the Islanders up by four with a weak shot that Saunders was unable to save. With the clock ticking and a four goal lead in their hands, the Islanders provided a goal for Los Angeles when a Buddle shot went off the leg of defender Richard Martinez.
"I think how we were incredibly naive with how we went about things after we went a goal down," said Landon Donovan. "Certainly our defending was not good and we need to be better in front of goal because we had 23 shots all night and we only managed an own goal which was just not good enough."
Success in the Champions League is not a new phenomenon for the Islanders, who have tallied eight victories over three years in the competition, MLS teams on a whole have 11 goals during the same period of time. Although the Islanders brought a roster made up of players with only fringe MLS experience, Puerto Rico was vastly more familiar with the Champions League play than the Galaxy who had not appeared in a Champions League match since 2006.
"We knew we needed a bit of luck against a good team and we knew to take our chances, they had a lot of good players that we needed to contain and we managed to do so," said Puerto Rico Islanders Head Coach Colin Clark. "The return leg is going to be a tough game, they won't take this laying down and will want to show they can win, it's going to be a difficult night."
Los Angeles will now need to win by a four goal differential in Puerto Rico to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League. Such a victory seems like a tall order for a club that has given up a total of 11 goals in six games in all competitions, after posting 14 shut outs in their first 17 matches in 2010.
Although the defeat will likely sound the death kneel for the club's hopes in the Champions League, the loss may have come at the right time for a club that has appeared lethargic since the end of the World Cup Break. Since the return of Donovan and Buddle from World Cup duty, the club has gone 2-3-1 in all competitions.
The Galaxy now turns its focus to a Sunday game against Chicago before the return leg in Puerto Rico on August 4th, ahead of a match with Real Madrid just three days later. As the league heads into the second half of the season, Donovan admits that results are valuable for a club in a mid-season slump.
"Its difficult going through the summer, but we're as healthy as we've been all season, but guys should know that if they don't play well then they're not going to play" said Donovan. "I think we learned a lot about our team tonight and we have to get a lot better."
Very difficult to transition to a possession style system. After the World Cup, everyone wants to play like Spain without recognizing that it has taken decades to train the players to work well in that system. MLS is stocked with athletes.
Damn, wow. Didn’t see that one coming. That wans’t a bad team LA put on the field last night. I watched the full 90 – couldn’t stop watching. They REALLY missed Gonzo in the back. Saunders sucked it up. And Gordon doesn’t do anything for me – I’d go with Bowen every time.
I don’t believe any of this ‘naive’ or ‘teams don’t take it seriously’ business. LA got beat by a better team on THAT day. LA could win 4-0 and take the series in PR.
USSF-2 is vastly UNDERRATED. Almost all of those guys on PR had MLS experience. But a team with Donovan and Buddle – to show like that – pretty embarassing. Good luck next week LA.
The difference is that Portsmouth wasn’t in the Champions League. These are supposed to be the best teams in MLS participating in this tournament and as such they are carrying the banner of the league, much the same way Manchester United and Chelsea do for the Premier League. Not Portsmouth.
I here ya, and I know it’s basically impossible for the next fifty years or so.
I’m a huge MLS fan, but I gotta say that I don’t mind seeing USL/NASL teams upset their 1st division countparts. I think it would be pretty sweet to see the Islanders or one of the 2nd division teams win it all.
And just to add to what Rob said in the first comment:
I agree. Even though I’m a Quakes fan, I was pulling for LA last night. Why? They’re our leagues best team, they have a former national team coach, two former, and two current US internationals.
The lack of effort really is almost like a slap in the face to the fans (again, excepting that I’m a Quakes fan, so seeing LA get humiliated is also quite pleasurable).
But seriously, when are these @holes going to realize they need to respect the fan base and play with everything they’ve got in order to fill stadiums? I’ve been a supporter for a while and defend the league routinely. Efforts like this make it difficult.
It’s not just about “results”; effort is what sells at least as much in American sports.
Bro, check our record. Seriously. We don’t do too well on the road in this competition but we handle business at home.
Puerto Rico Islanders FC shines its brightest in this sort of competition.
Then we struggle in our division. But maybe this is the turning point for us.
I hope so.
In the earliest posts on this topic someone commented about MLS fans getting passionate about the game and I did see that last night from the seven or eight thousand people that were in the HDC. I gotta hand it to Angel City Brigade. I could actually hear their chants last night in that LARS was unusually small and quiet. What I liked was they sang and chanted and partied the entire game like they were winning which I take to mean they stayed positive and upbeat about it all… Either that or they have no clue that their team got its asses kicked. Anyways, on our side of the stadium there was collective anger at the garbage the Galaxy put on the field. I don’t always make it a habit to scream at the team from the top of my lungs but when there was a quiet moment or two I let them know in NO uncertain terms how pissed off I was about what I was watching. LARS was right there too letting them have it. At halftime, the Galaxy goalie coach was right there taking his camera and tripod down and he acknowledged me with a nod when I suggested (Ok, SCREAMED) that he go into the locker room and let the team have it GOOD and after the game Bergoffer was CLEARLY embarassed when he came over and showed his appreciation to our presence when he tilted his head and shrugged his shoulders to mean, “I know, I don’t get it either.”
All this being said. To the “overrated” people, and the others who can’t understand how an “almost” full strength squad can play so uninspired footie…Don’t underestimate the mental side of any sport. When you don’t respect your opponent you will pay the price. I can only think of Tyson v Douglas right now as an example but I’m sure there are a lot of others too that demonstrate that ANY time you compete, you better have your A game or you will get beat.
I blame Arena for the entire thing last night. The ambiance of the stadium, the lack of passion from the team to the PA guy. A 1st class organization put on a 2nd rate show for me last night. That begins and ends with the GM and head coach of the organization.
Winning at the JRL in Bayamon is tough. Especially during the rainy season. Just look at the list of teams who haven’t been have either lost or drawn there:
Cruz Azul, Santos Laguna, Alajuelense, TFC…
I’m not saying it is impossible–it is just a tough assignment given the goal differential.
Well it was naive. LA Galaxy played this game like there was just 1 game in a series of 2 instead of 2 games. Very few MLS teams play well as the dominant attacking side. LA Galaxy plays counter attacking soccer by leaning on their defense to get take aways and then break out fast yet last night they tried to play a different style as a dominant attacking side and they found out they aren’t nearly good enough at it. Why switch styles? There are very few teams that can play more than one style at a high enough level. Reminded me of Manu vs Barca ccl final where manu all the sudden thought they were going to win by play counter attacking against barca instead of just playing the normal balanced offense and barca just played like barca and destroyed them. Landon is great at counter attacking soccer but just ok at possession soccer. LA Galaxy mirrors that and so does the national team. Perhaps this is a reason why MLS needs a dominant side so guys can get used to playing against a boxed in defense.
I am tired of people claiming that this tournament, or this one game, is somehow a reflection of the overall quality of MLS. Ridiculous. Portsmouth was awful last year — does that mean the EPL is an embarrassment?
Lalas addressed relegation and the MLS one night on Fox Football Fone In, it isn’t going to happen here. The buy into the league is too expensive for an owner to put up that much money with the prospect of not being in the MLS and being relegated to a lesser league.
If the MLS teams don’t value this trophy, why compete?
I am still buzzing about the win last night. General Clarke had the boys ready to play. They executed the game plan brilliantly and made the most of their chances.
Another great result against a club with superior talend and vastly superior resources.
I couldn’t be prouder.
Vamos Tropa Naranja!
Yes, that would put them through.
Can’t be decent paying people 40K a year, I’d imagine most leagues in the region, outside of Mexico, don’t average $40K per player. The problem is this isn’t about being a decent league when compared to Europe or South America. Its about being “decent” in CONCACAF. MLS isn’t at the level of the Mexican League, that is inarguable, but it should be the second-best league in the region and this is where that should be proven.
LA’s performance made me frustrated and angry, and I’m not a Galaxy fan.
It’s one game. This does not set American soccer back 20 years and no one’s dog died.
Without them Islanders would travelling by bus after they made it to the mainland. Our front office does a good job getting sponsors. We couldn’t survive.
Until we get a relegation system, or find some way of forcing more competitive spirit in a playoff system, MLS teams will routinely underperform in these tournaments. Simply put, during MLS regular season, teams (especially those like LA which are now essentially guaranteed a playoff berth) just don’t have the killer mentality to win EVERY game.
I think what JP said above is also part of this. MLS teams have to prove their worth on all levels, but they apparently don’t value CONCACAF.
Guess what Lando: you’re not at Everton anymore, and I’ve yet to hear of a serious offer that can pull you away from LA. If you really care about developing the league, stop competing against the European Shadow and make some shade of your own, make a comprehensive league in your own back yard. THEN worry about what Europe thinks, maybe, if you really want to.
Of course, we have to give credit to the PRI players. They played pretty well, and a 4-1 victory typically isn’t a fluke.
But part of LA’s problem in this game was clearly their own mentality. They had possession, but they were lazy with it. Their one dimensional attack was found out and smothered, while at the same time, their own defense gave acres of space to PRI. Again, some good shots and finishing from PRI, but they wouldn’t have had so much space if the Galaxy were really taking this tournament seriously.
True but it’s schedule is not conducive to the second division clubs like Puerto Rico or Montreal when they made their run.
Those teams play an even more congested fixture and they have proven that a good run is possible even with much less resources.
How do you spell overrated? LA Galaxy, maybe, no doubt about it. LA was outplayed all over the field last night.
Ha! ELAC, if you knew the sort of day that I had yesterday… massage in Pasadena, six hours at the beach in Hermosa waiting for the Galaxy game, dinner at HDC… (I live in Banning you know)… That’s a LOT of driving and waiting and anticipation growing…
Hmmm, once inside HDC we’re treated to a PA voice that is dull and uninspired obviously going through the motions. NO National Anthems, and then that GARBAGE that was on the field…There was NO energy, no effort, and no passion from my boys. PRI beat us to every KEY passing/shooting lane, out hustled us to every loose ball and out muscled us on every physical challenge. Am I supposed to believe that most of those players from the Islanders are quicker than the Galaxy players?
Whatever happened to professional pride and respect? Whatever happened to play to WIN EVERYTHING you compete in? I guarentee the Lakers would NEVER lose to a CBA team… The Yankees (god I hate the F*ing Yankees) would never lose to the Rancho CUcamonga Quakes (they WILL lose to the Angels however), and any self-respected varsity HS squad would never lose to a JV squad.
Last night was F*ing pathetic. There is an acid-reflux aftertaste in my mouth this morning ELAC, that my body is taking its ol sweet time flushing out. Think about that 97 mile ride home I had last night… The massage was ok but the overcast day on the beach left me cold and pissed off because I didn’t bring my hoodie. Then it was very cool inside HDC and because I was already chilled from the beach it was even worse. And then the poor quality of play was the icing on the crappycake. Topping it all off was my wife mocking me all evening cuz I was cold (she was getting even with me)!
Hijole de la CHING***A… What a lousy day it was.
Hope you are enjoying my rant ELAC…
See you at the HDC Sunday October 3!
That is, the Galaxy need to win by four goals? I do not think that is true?
The Galaxy needs to win by four goals. But a 4 – 1 win would get them overtime, correct? Would they win outright with a 5 – 2 result (6-6 agg, 5-4 ag) on the road?
Sounds eerily familiar to the national team…
It is an odd experience being let down by a team you don’t even like. At least PR is American.
I love it when people talk up the MLS then this happens… Nothing short of embarassing. This isn’t an abberation it’s a pattern, MLS teams just suck. How can MLS reasonably expect to have a decent league paying people 40K a year?? In essence it’s a pub league some good players
Yeah… I caught that part. I would be sarcastic about you missing my sarcasm, but since I f’ed up my original joke…
That was very disappointing. I don’t know if the Galaxy went in too confidant, or if Arena didn’t have a good game plan…but that was just ridiculous. Props to the Islanders though, they had a game plan, capitalized on their chances, and then defended well. Unless the Galaxy can really turn it on in Puerto Rico, I think you can count them out. We’ll see how they respond…
Having watched LAG vs SJ not too long ago, the way the Gals played was completely different. I don’t know how to explain it either but what a piss poor performance by supposedly our top franchise at the moment. I think the overall mindset was completely off. The players didnt show any fire. The Bruce put out a competitive squad–almost identical to that of the one that came back twice on SJ at home. Maybe the lack of crowd support? Maybe the All Star game looming ahead? No idea. That match was very uninspiring and all I hope for is that MLS teams don’t lay eggs like that across the board in the CCL.
I think they took it seriously and they lost, it happens.
Using RBNY’s 2009 season as anything other than an example of what an underachieving team that does nothing but lose is pointless.
Embarrassing.
does anyone have a real explanation of why a very good full strength Galaxy team got destroyed at home by a USSF DII team??? it seams like every year MLS get knocked out and we say lets take this seriously next year. If it was some team from Mexico or a Costa Rican league some could argue that those leagues show up better for international comp but PR is from the same league that MLS reserves end up beating in USOC.. i really don’t get it..
Where’s Dantheblue?
If we (MLS) are to prove our growth and maturity, we will need to transition from being happy about “upsetting” bigger teams to consistently winning when we play smaller ones.
We’re all too comfortable as underdogs but seem to struggle when playing as favorites. It’s a tough maturity/development step to climb…
Funny how a d2 team can have jersey adverts…
“we need to take this tournament seriously,…”
I don’t know what that means and I am little tired of hearing that every year. Last year the Red Bulls stated and it was reported here that the CCL was very important to them and it could make their season a success. They lost to a Caribbean team. TFC wanted to win last year and they played starters in both legs and they lost.
They need to get Dempsey on loan to score the golazo in a 4-0 win in PR like he did against Juve
That’s cute Landon Donovan has a new favorite word “naive” he said the same thing after the loss to Ghana in the World Cup.
The misspelling in the article of “native” sounds cool though. They went all native. The performance was like so LA and stuff which could mean many different things. You could go crazy Mel Gibson style or really laid back surfer style.
This is getting ridiculous. Regardless of the CCL’s faults, THIS is where you show how good your league is. Meaningless friendlies against European clubs during their preseason garner us no respect. You have to show up when the matches against clubs from other leagues actually MATTER. I’m sick of this kind of performance.
did you watch the game- Gordon and Buddle up top, Donovan on the left, Juniho and Birchell in the middle, Berhalter, Aj, Eddie Lewis and Leornordo- who was missing: Ricketts, Gonzalez and Stephens- I would say this was pretty close to a first team. Any team with Buddle and Donovan in the lineup cannot lose to PR Islanders.
Go Crew! The only MLS team who can actually beat the PRI.
I think the writer meant “naive” not “native”.
Lol, I spelled “incredibly” wrong. Karma’s a b*tch.
Did they use a first team lineup last night?
its funny that MLS coaches try so hard to finish in the top of the league considering 8 teams make the playoffs
LA could have definitely put their best team out there considering they are running away with the Shield
we need to take this tournament seriously, only so we can get into the Club World Cup
the CCL has it’s issues (mainly the schedule is not conducive to MLS teams), but we gotta start taking it seriously
I like how Landon felt they were “incredibaly native” in their reaction to the pressure from PRI. What could that mean?
That’s just disgraceful.
Heyat least we can take away a little positive….. The fans are showing passion for MLS, even when a certain manager and team show very little. The Galaxy players should be embarrassed to show their face at the all-star game tonight, they have lost a ton of respect. I am a NYRB fan, and I wanted to throw my remote through my TV last night….