BY ADAM SERRANO
The LA Galaxy had to reach deep into its bench, but was able to continue its 11-game unbeaten streak with a 0-0 draw against the Seattle Sounders on Monday night.
Third-string goalkeeper Brian Perk performed admirably in his MLS debut, making two saves including the definitive play of the game on a Fredy Montero penalty kick in the 18th minute. It was only the second time in MLS history that an MLS goalkeeper made his first save on a penalty kick.
With the Galaxy defense doing well to limit the Sounders chances at net, Perk didn't see a great deal of action, but the youngster was immensely pleased with his debut.
"I was a little bit nervous for the first five, ten minutes and there are a lot of things that I need to work on, but for the most part I was pretty solid," said Perk. "We didn't give up a goal and that's a credit to our back line, whether it's me or Ricketts or Saunders, we don't concede many goals."
After a lethargic start to the match, Omar Gonzalez committed a hand ball in the box that forced an early penalty for the Sounders. Fredy Montero stepped up to take the penalty, but it was saved in a great effort by Perk. Several minutes later however, the Galaxy lost defender AJ DeLaGarza, who was kicked in the head by Montero earlier in the match.
The Galaxy got their best chance towards the net in the 36th minute when Juan Pablo Angel fired a shot that forced Kasey Keller to make a diving stop. However, on the night, the Sounders consistently struggled to create offense with the Galaxy controlling wide stretches of possession into the second half. In particular, Sounders DP's Fredy Montero and Alvaro Fernandez were unable to help Seattle create forays forward as both struggled to deal with the size of the Galaxy defense. Despite the result, the Sounders were not disappointed in their performance.
"I thought the first half was good for us and in the second half there was a period of time where they controlled the game," said head coach Sigi Schmid. "There was about 15 minute of the second half where we didn’;t get a hold of the ball and they kept pushing pressure on us. And then at the end of the game I thought we did all right, we got ourselves back in the game."
The injury to DeLaGarza was not the only one that the Galaxy suffered as Omar Gonzalez was an injury casualty in the 79th minute of play coming out of the game with a left hip pointer. With injuries depleting the team, Landon Donovan and David Beckham returned to action after layoffs due to international duty and injuries.
Donovan stated after the match that sharpness was lacking, but Beckham's struggles were far more apparent. Beckham went 22 minutes, but admitted that he didn't believe that he'd play in the match and needed to take a cortisone shot to deal with the pain due to the fracture in his spine that has kept him out of the last three weeks.
With the result, the Galaxy extended its unbeaten sreak to 11 games; the Sounders stretched their own to seven.The Galaxy will welcome the Fire on Saturday while the Sounders travel to JELD-WEN Field to take on the Portland Timbers in their Cascadia Cup battle on Sunday. With injuries taking their toll on the club, the Galaxy were forced to look for silver linings going forward.
"We got the shutout and we didn't give up many chances to help Perk get the shutout," said defender Gregg Berhalter. "You don't plan on going to your third goalkeeper during the season, but he stepped up. There was no doubt in my mind, he would perform well, this was his time."
+1
I say start him next week again
Arena plays for a Tie at home on the 4th of July…Ridiculous
Both kits are awesome-loking
Perk stopped a weak, weak PK. He should start for the USMNT, now!!!!
yo im a ‘Quakes fan so i can give 3 craps about the filth, but they’ve been called many other times. just surprised no one said anything, that’s all.
Bruce Arena plays the most boring soccer imaginable. It was painful to watch. It must be hard to be a Galaxy fan and have to watch that weekly. Fredy should be embarassed with that pk effort. I actually feel bad for Beckham getting run out there in obvious pain but at least Landycakes was his usual non-factor.
I hate the Galaxy with a passion but Perk looked strong. And He was definitely on his line when Montero connected with the ball. When I watched it live, I remember being surprised that he didn’t come off his line more, like most MLS keepers do.
nice mexico jerseys galaxy…haha
Perk should easily leap above Saunders from this performance alone. I have never been confident in Saunders. He always looks scared in the net and timid. Perk did well and his PK save was well done, only LA bashers or Flounder fans would say he was off his line (Go to MLSsoccer.com and watch the highlight, freeze it at 11 seconds and you will see Perks foot on his line and Montero’s connecting with the ball). He also looked confident in goal and energetic. I already like the guy better than Saunders.
You obviously don’t watch our games regularly then. This was one of the worst performances we have put in this whole season.
Hahaha
Never would I imagine a Hollywood team who opens it’s checkbooks to build an offensive arsenal be so boring. Arena’s a great guy for underdog teams who need to scrape out points and limit opponent’s chances, but not for a top-three roster in the league.
No. Montero’s PK was weak.
Lame excuse. If there was a conspiracy the PK wouldn’t have been called in the first place. Perk’s left foot was still on the line when the ball was kicked. He leaned forward a split second before Montero contacted the ball. A frame by frame check of the video will confirm this. If you consider that encroachment then probably 90 percent of all PKs need to be retaken.
was thinking the same thing. no one brought up the fact he was 3 or 4 ft. of his line.
How about teams in a 0-0 draw each get .5 points? It would make the ends of these games a little more exciting
No means no, Freddy.
yes, but we can’t talk about that unless it goes against NY or LA. If it had been NY they would have retaken the PK but nobody in MLS wants Seattle to beat LA.
Yet another tie in MLS. Time to bring back the breakaway penalty shoot-outs.
Too bad he was about 3-4 feet off his line before the ball was even struck. It was a terrible penalty take for sure, but it should have been retaken.
err I meant “usually only one”
Every game in the MLS this year has one (and usually one one) of the following:
a) catastrophic refereeing
b) a tie
c) a golazo
Way to drop the ball, Sounders. Can’t defeat the Galaxy outside of 2009. Rad.