With Donovan Ricketts in goal – the first choice Galaxy keeper sat out this one and was replaced by Josh Saunders – the Galaxy would arguably have won this game.
In fact the Galaxy came within 10 minutes of a famous away win at altitude in Mexico, but Saunders failed to hold shots that led to both goals in the last 10 minutes in Morelia’s come from behind victory.
You could quibble that Morelia’s first shouldn’t have counted because it appeared the whole of the ball failed to cross the whole of the goal line, but really the Mexicans deserved the equalizer after relentlessly attacking a bending but not breaking Galaxy back line for much of the game.
The Galaxy had an Omar Gonzalez goal disallowed for offside at the stroke of regulation time and played a controlled, well-managed game that frustrated the home side for most of the 90 minutes.
Still, the Galaxy will rue how closely they came to winning and Robbie Keane especially will regret that his brilliantly insouciant effort – he ran around a defender before his deadly finish – didn’t count for something because it was worthy of a game-winner.
Saunders actually started the move with a superbly distributed ball to Landon Donovan whose pinpoint pass found Keane and the Irishman showed exactly why he had been brought to MLS with an impudent finish few other strikers in the league could match.
The Galaxy missed regular midfield starters David Beckham and Juninho, but still came within a whisker of stealing the triumph.
More later.
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