Robbie Keane scores in return to LA, Galaxy snap 7-game winless streak

Robbie Keane celebrates a goal in the Galaxy's 5-1 win over NYCFC. Photo by Steve McCrank/Staff photographer

Robbie Keane (pictured in a match against NYCFC) scored to help the Galaxy beat Vancouver. Photo by Steve McCrank/Staff photographer

A three-game scoreless streak for Galaxy players at home is nothing Robbie Keane can’t fix. The Irish striker returned from a month of international duty and scored in the Galaxy’s 2-0 win over Vancouver on Monday at StubHub Center.

Keane has been hampered by injuries and missed five more games while with the Irish national team, but has scored in five goals in six MLS appearances. He’s one of the league’s leaders in goals per 90 minutes played, averaging 0.71 goals per 90 minutes.

His score against Vancouver was a beauty as he curled a long-distance shot into the top corner.

“Robbie’s been putting them in top corners for 20 odd years,” Vancouver head coach Carl Robinson said. “I’m sick of seeing it to be fair. He tried to smile at me and I didn’t want to give him a smile back, but he’s a top, top player.”

Steven Gerrard notched two assists in the game, serving the ball in for Keane and sending a corner kick in for Jeff Larentowicz, who headed home his first goal of the season in the 47th minute.

Larentowicz admitted that he got away with a push, but was happy to record his first goal in a Galaxy uniform.

“It’s good (to contribute),” Larentowicz said. “That’s the goal, to be in the lineup and to be with the team, to help us win games. All those things came together tonight.”

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Galaxy game day: L.A. trying to end MLS slide

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Los Angeles Galaxy forward Robbie Keane celebrates scoring against the New England Revolution during the first half of an MLS soccer game on Sunday, May 8, 2016 in Carson, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

The Galaxy haven’t won an MLS game since May 8. They’re on a seven-game winless streak, but they have a little momentum from a U.S. Open Cup win on the road now and their star strikers back.

Gyasi Zardes and Robbie Keane are back after international duty and available for the team’s 7:30 p.m. game against Vancouver on Monday.

The Galaxy have struggled to close out games this season, allowing six goals in the final 15 minutes of games.
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LA Galaxy give up late equalizer, settle for Cali Clasico tie

Giovani dos Santos, left, has scored five goals in four games heading into Wednesday's game with Philadelphia. (Thomas R. Cordova-Southern California News Group)

Giovani dos Santos, left, pictured against New England, scored the Galaxy’s only goal against San Jose. (Thomas R. Cordova-Southern California News Group)

The Galaxy snapped their scoreless streak, but couldn’t shake their other bad habit of allowing late goals.

After Giovani dos Santos ended the team’s 371-minute scoreless streak in MLS play with a goal assisted by Steven Gerrard in the 69th minute against San Jose on Saturday, Chad Barrett answered in the 90th minute with a header off a free kick to force a 1-1 draw at Stanford Stadium.

For the sixth time this year, the Galaxy allowed a goal in the last 15 minutes of the match. The Earthquakes have scored a goal in last 15 minutes against the Galaxy all three times the California rivals have played this season, with L.A. going 1-0-2 in those matches. The Galaxy have not won in MLS competition since May 8, going winless in their past seven matches.

The L.A. offense generated several chances and had six shots on goal. Gerrard missed a header just wide and had another shot in the post.

Ashley Cole was sent off for a foul and abusive language in second-half stoppage time, thus suspending him for the next MLS match. Jelle Van Damme picked up a yellow card, so he, too, will miss the next match due to yellow card accumulation.

Head coach Bruce Arena told reporters the team will likely appeal Cole’s red card.

After a U.S. Open Cup match against Portland on June 29, the Galaxy continue MLS play against Vancouver at home on July 4.

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Galaxy scoreless in last 302 MLS minutes

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Steven Gerrard returned to the lineup after missing two games due to a hamstring injury.

More than three whole games have passed since the Galaxy last scored a goal in MLS play.

Although the Galaxy have some dangerous moments, they amounted to nothing against the No. 1 team in the Western Conference in a scoreless draw against Colorado at home. The team hasn’t scored in 302 minutes of MLS play, stretching back to a goal from Mike Magee in the 58th minute against Montreal on May 28. L.A. is winless in six straight games.

“We’ve got to look dangerous, that’s not an achievement,” midfielder Steven Gerrard said. “We need to go a step further and start creating better chances and taking them chances and getting goals. … We’ve got to win ASAP.”

The Western Conference’s highest-scoring home team has two consecutive scoreless draws at StubHub Center. A Galaxy player hasn’t scored at home since May 8 as all the team could muster in that time has been an own goal against San Jose.

“They’re not terrible results, but you start sliding down the table,” defender Dave Romney said of the ties at home. “And that’s definitely not what we want to be doing going into the summer.”

 

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Galaxy game day: Pride Night, first-place Rapids come to StubHub Center

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The LA Galaxy host their third annual Pride Night on Wednesday when first-place Colorado comes to town.

Defender Robbie Rogers will miss the game after undergoing ankle surgery. He is expected to miss six weeks. Rogers had surgery in the offseason due to bone spurs, but Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said the latest operation was on the other ankle.

L.A. is on a five-game winless streak and hasn’t scored in 212 MLS minutes. The team was prepared to lose Robbie Keane and Gyasi Zardes to international duty, but was also struck by injuries to Steven Gerrard and Giovani dos Santos, further damaging the attacking unit.

“We haven’t clicked really well lately,” midfielder Baggio Husidic said. “That’s just working out and trying to improve and work at it in training and take our opportunities when we get them.”

The Galaxy did not take advantage of their chances in a 1-0 loss to Toronto FC on Saturday, including a shot that midfielder Sebastian Lletget sent wide of the net when he had the goalkeeper one-on-one. L.A. took 10 shots against Toronto, but only put two on goal.

“I don’t think (the chances) are as open as we’re used to having them, but I do think that we have chances,” Lletget said. “I don’t think we’re not creating chances.”

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LA Galaxy held scoreless for second straight game

Toronto FC teammates celebrate Drew Moor's goal against the LA Galaxy during second half MLS soccer action in Toronto on Saturday June 18, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

Toronto FC teammates celebrate Drew Moor’s goal against the LA Galaxy during second half MLS soccer action in Toronto on Saturday June 18, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

The L.A. Galaxy failed to score for a second straight MLS game as the team lost 1-0 in to Toronto FC on Saturday. It is the fifth straight winless game for the Galaxy in MLS competition and third loss of the year

Along with Robbie Keane and Gyasi Zardes, who are on international duty, L.A. (5-3-6) was also missing Steven Gerrard and Giovani dos Santos due to injury. Gerrard missed his second straight game due to a hamstring injury, while dos Santos has a quad injury. Without their offensive stars, the Galaxy mustered only two shots on goal.

Defender Robbie Rogers also missed the game due to an ankle injury.

“What are we doing in the final third, that’s not ending in a good result or whatever it may be,” defender A.J. DeLaGarza said. “Guys are moving off the ball, our passing is not very great at the moment. We haven’t won a game in quite some time so that is going to be a good test for this group on Wednesday against the best team in the league.”

Drew Moor scored the game-winning goal in the 76th minute. It’s the first time this season the Galaxy have given up a game-winner in regular time, with the team’s other two losses both coming in stoppage time.

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Galaxy offense a no-show in scoreless draw at home

L.A. Galaxy's Sebastian Lletget battles for possession against Sporting Kansas City's Benny Feilhaber. (USA TODAY Images)

L.A. Galaxy’s Sebastian Lletget battles for possession against Sporting Kansas City’s Benny Feilhaber. (USA TODAY Images)

The L.A. Galaxy mustered just one lowly shot and no goals in a scoreless draw at home against Sporting Kansas City on Thursday.

It was the second straight home game in which the offense struggled to score as the team previously needed an own goal against San Jose to salvage a draw last month. The Galaxy back into the Copa America break on a four-game winless streak, which prompted a classic Bruce Arena postgame moment.

When asked if the recent results are cause for concern, Arena said sarcastically: “Yes, we’re probably going to fold the franchise.”

Arena’s quote was probably the most interesting part of the night. The Galaxy took only one shot total during the game and it didn’t fall on goal. Sporting took 15, but most came from long range.

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Galaxy Game Day: Brian Rowe, L.A. trying to rebound stoppage-time loss

After giving up the game-winning goal against Montreal last week, goalkeeper Brian Rowe, pictured in a game against the New England Revolution, is focused on moving past his mistake. (Thomas R. Cordova-Southern California News Group)

After giving up the game-winning goal against Montreal last week, goalkeeper Brian Rowe, pictured in a game against the New England Revolution, is focused on moving past his mistake. (Thomas R. Cordova-Southern California News Group)

On a long free kick from Montreal’s Didier Drogba in the 94th minute on Saturday, Brian Rowe could either punch the ball out or catch it to preserve the 2-2 tie. He ended up doing neither.

The 27-year-old keeper “got caught between minds” at the worst possible moment when Drogba’s 28-yard free kick bounced off Rowe’s hands and into the back of the net. It snapped the Galaxy’s nine-game unbeaten streak.

Now Rowe and the Galaxy (5-2-5) are left to pick up the pieces for a 7:30 p.m. home game Thursday against Sporting Kansas City (5-8-2) after another late goal proved extremely costly.

The Galaxy have given up five goals after the 75th minute and stoppage time this year and both of their losses have been on goals scored in stoppage time. The team has given up late goals in two straight games, both of which changed the outcome of the game (turning a win against San Jose into a draw and a draw against Montreal into a win).

Read more here.

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Drogba’s free kick snaps Galaxy’s nine-game unbeaten streak

Montreal's Didier Drogba celebrates his game-winning goal against the L.A. Galaxy on Saturday. Photo courtesy @MLS Twitter

Montreal’s Didier Drogba celebrates his game-winning goal against the L.A. Galaxy on Saturday. Photo courtesy @MLS Twitter

Brian Rowe hasn’t made many mistakes in goal this year for the L.A. Galaxy, but the 27-year-old goalkeeper made a costly one at the most inopportune time on Saturday.

A long free kick from Montreal’s Didier Drogba in the fourth minute of stoppage time squirted through Rowe’s hands and into the goal for the game-winner in the Impact’s 3-2 victory over L.A. It snapped the Galaxy’s nine-game unbeaten streak and was just the team’s second loss of the season. Both of the losses have come via stoppage-time game-winners as Colorado’s Marco Pappa handed the Galaxy their first loss of the season.

“It’s definitely a frustrating one,” Rowe told LAGalaxy.com. “As a goalie, you don’t want to have that type of influence on a game one way or the other. You just want to do your job and not get any of the credit, either bad or good. It’s definitely a difficult one to swallow.”

Throughout their nine-game unbeaten streak, the Galaxy readily admitted they didn’t always play their best. Some games were ugly, but they somehow grabbed at least a point. But on Saturday, head coach Bruce Arena said the team “deserved what happened in the end. We weren’t good enough on the night.”

Said midfielder Steven Gerrard: “We got ourselves to blame for the result over the 90 minutes. We turned over possession too many times, and we made this a very difficult game. We should have won this game comfortably, so we’re disappointed in the performance as a whole.”

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Galaxy game day: L.A. tries to sustain unbeaten streak without Keane, Zardes

Mark J. Terrill/The Associated Press

Mark J. Terrill/The Associated Press

The L.A. Galaxy have only one loss on their record and own a league-leading nine-game unbeaten streak heading into Saturday’s game in Montreal at 5 p.m. The team hasn’t lost since the second game of the season, and even then, came within seconds of escaping with a draw. But when it comes to the recent undefeated results, the Galaxy aren’t completely pleased.

“To me, it’s just statistics,” defender Jelle Van Damme said.

The Galaxy have tied five of their past nine games, including a disappointing 1-1 draw against San Jose last week at home.

To continue the unbeaten streak, the team will have to do without forwards Gyasi Zardes and Robbie Keane, who have joined their respective national teams for international competition.

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