Columnist Nick Green has written 100 Percent Soccer
since 2005. A
native of England, he began writing about soccer in
the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat
in the stands for one in
the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home
Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas
USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer.
Married to a long-suffering soccer widow, he has a cat
named Pele.Half Time: Galaxy-Toronto
A largely listless first half came alive just before half time when a long Amado Guevara ball was missed by veteran defender Greg Vanney, allowing Danny Dichio to tuck the ball past Steve Cronin.
Exactly 60 seconds later, the Galaxy equalized through Landon Donovan who was given far too much space by Toronto's Marco Velez and scored from 25 yards out.
Donovan's strike made amends for a trio of first half misses.
Three times David Beckham set up Donovan. And three times, with only the goalkeeper to beat, Donovan had uncharacteristically missed, most egregiously a 39th minute shot he put wide. The final miss prompted Galaxy Coach Ruud Gullit to leave his seat for the first time in the game, as he sensed those missed opportunities could prove costly - and almost did.
Guevara's assist was virtually his only contribution to the game that will surely slow still further in the second half in the sweltering heat.