The Galaxy's first CONCACAF Champions League appearance almost certainly will be a short one: They face a nearly insurmountable deficit heading into the second leg of their preliminary round series with the second-tier Puerto Rico Islanders after a stunning 4-1 defeat Tuesday night at the Home Depot Center.
The Islanders, who have made a habit of knocking off bigger and seemingly better clubs in this competition, romped to a 4-0 lead through a set piece, two shots into the net off goalkeeper Josh Saunders hands and one terrific blast by former Galaxy midfielder Josh Hansen before surrendering an own goal with just a few minutes to play.
The Galaxy held possession much of the game and outshot Puerto Rico, 23-7, but former Columbus Crew goalkeeper Bill Gaudette made several superb saves and the USSF Division 2 Pro League side outhustled its host when it most mattered.
“It was one of those games,” Galaxy defender Gregg Berhalter said, “where you just keep knocking your head against the wall, waiting to get a break, and then we give up goals and they score some good goals -- it was just a nightmare. It was one of those games you can't explain, but that's how soccer goes.”
David Foley provided a 26th-minute lead, knocking home the rebound after A.J. DeLaGarza saved Real Salt Lake loaner David Horst's header from a corner kick off the goal line, and former D.C. United forward Nicolas Addlery doubled the advantage with a fine half-volley off Saunders' hands just before halftime.
Hansen, who never played a first-team game in three months with L.A., rocketed in a shot off the right post from 28 yards 10 minutes into the second, and Addlery got his second, also off Saunders' paws, in the 81st minute.
“I think (to lose 4-1) at home, it is embarrassing,” said Edson Buddle, who got the last L.A. touch on Richard Martinez's own goal. “You've got to give credit to Puerto Rico. It does happen. The game has a way of checking you sometimes and putting things in perspective.”
Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said some veteran players didn't give the effort they should have -- forward Alan Gordon and left back Eddie Lewis seem prime suspects -- and that all should “maybe rip the coach here. … Whe you get a result like that, I don't think the coach did a good job tonight either.”
The teams meet again Aug. 4 in Bayamon, and the Galaxy must score at least four goals. A 3-0 L.A. win would even aggregate at 4-4, but Puerto Rico would advance on away goals. A 4-1 win would lead to overtime and, perhaps, penalty kicks. A 4-0 win would send L.A. to the group stage.
“It's incredibly difficult to go anywhere and score four goals,” said Galaxy captain Landon Donovan. “The flipside is if they're able to score four here, we should be able to score four there. We're going to go for it and see what happens.”
ELSEWHERE: Toronto FC, the tournament's Canadian representative, became the first MLS team to win a preliminary-round game in three years since the change in formats, beating Honduras' Motagua, 1-0, on former UCLA standout Chad Barrett's first-half goal.
Both Mexican teams in action won on the road. Cruz Azul rallied from a first-half deficit to beat Panama's San Francisco FC, 3-2, as Emanuel Villa scored a hat trick, and new arrival Rodrigo Ruiz's 83rd-minute goal lifted Santos to a 1-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago's San Juan Jabloteh.
CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Preliminary round, first leg
Tuesday
Galaxy (MLS) 1 (og Martinez 83), Puerto Rico Islanders (USSF Division 2 Pro League) 4 (Foley 26, Addlery 45, 81, Hansen 55)
Toronto FC (MLS) 1 (Barrett 20), Motagua (Honduras) 0
San Juan Jabloteh (Trinidad & Tobago) 0, Santos (Mexico) 1 (Ruiz 83)
San Francisco FC (Panama) 2 (Jimenez 20, Torres 44), Cruz Azul (Mexico) 1 (Villa 3, 55, 72)
Wednesday
Marathon (Honduras) at Tauro FC (Panama), 5 p.m.
Isidro Metapan (El Salvador) at Seattle (MLS), 7 p.m.
Joe Public (Trinidad & Tobago) at Brujas (Costa Rica), 7 p.m.
Thursday
Xelaju (Guatemala) at FAS (El Salvador), 7 p.m.
The Islanders, who have made a habit of knocking off bigger and seemingly better clubs in this competition, romped to a 4-0 lead through a set piece, two shots into the net off goalkeeper Josh Saunders hands and one terrific blast by former Galaxy midfielder Josh Hansen before surrendering an own goal with just a few minutes to play.
The Galaxy held possession much of the game and outshot Puerto Rico, 23-7, but former Columbus Crew goalkeeper Bill Gaudette made several superb saves and the USSF Division 2 Pro League side outhustled its host when it most mattered.
“It was one of those games,” Galaxy defender Gregg Berhalter said, “where you just keep knocking your head against the wall, waiting to get a break, and then we give up goals and they score some good goals -- it was just a nightmare. It was one of those games you can't explain, but that's how soccer goes.”
David Foley provided a 26th-minute lead, knocking home the rebound after A.J. DeLaGarza saved Real Salt Lake loaner David Horst's header from a corner kick off the goal line, and former D.C. United forward Nicolas Addlery doubled the advantage with a fine half-volley off Saunders' hands just before halftime.
Hansen, who never played a first-team game in three months with L.A., rocketed in a shot off the right post from 28 yards 10 minutes into the second, and Addlery got his second, also off Saunders' paws, in the 81st minute.
“I think (to lose 4-1) at home, it is embarrassing,” said Edson Buddle, who got the last L.A. touch on Richard Martinez's own goal. “You've got to give credit to Puerto Rico. It does happen. The game has a way of checking you sometimes and putting things in perspective.”
Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said some veteran players didn't give the effort they should have -- forward Alan Gordon and left back Eddie Lewis seem prime suspects -- and that all should “maybe rip the coach here. … Whe you get a result like that, I don't think the coach did a good job tonight either.”
The teams meet again Aug. 4 in Bayamon, and the Galaxy must score at least four goals. A 3-0 L.A. win would even aggregate at 4-4, but Puerto Rico would advance on away goals. A 4-1 win would lead to overtime and, perhaps, penalty kicks. A 4-0 win would send L.A. to the group stage.
“It's incredibly difficult to go anywhere and score four goals,” said Galaxy captain Landon Donovan. “The flipside is if they're able to score four here, we should be able to score four there. We're going to go for it and see what happens.”
ELSEWHERE: Toronto FC, the tournament's Canadian representative, became the first MLS team to win a preliminary-round game in three years since the change in formats, beating Honduras' Motagua, 1-0, on former UCLA standout Chad Barrett's first-half goal.
Both Mexican teams in action won on the road. Cruz Azul rallied from a first-half deficit to beat Panama's San Francisco FC, 3-2, as Emanuel Villa scored a hat trick, and new arrival Rodrigo Ruiz's 83rd-minute goal lifted Santos to a 1-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago's San Juan Jabloteh.
CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Preliminary round, first leg
Tuesday
Galaxy (MLS) 1 (og Martinez 83), Puerto Rico Islanders (USSF Division 2 Pro League) 4 (Foley 26, Addlery 45, 81, Hansen 55)
Toronto FC (MLS) 1 (Barrett 20), Motagua (Honduras) 0
San Juan Jabloteh (Trinidad & Tobago) 0, Santos (Mexico) 1 (Ruiz 83)
San Francisco FC (Panama) 2 (Jimenez 20, Torres 44), Cruz Azul (Mexico) 1 (Villa 3, 55, 72)
Wednesday
Marathon (Honduras) at Tauro FC (Panama), 5 p.m.
Isidro Metapan (El Salvador) at Seattle (MLS), 7 p.m.
Joe Public (Trinidad & Tobago) at Brujas (Costa Rica), 7 p.m.
Thursday
Xelaju (Guatemala) at FAS (El Salvador), 7 p.m.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Scott French
Orange County native Scott French has been writing about soccer for more than 30 years for dozens of publications and Web sites. He was senior editor at Soccer America and was managing editor of MajorLeagueSoccer Magazine from April 2007 until summer 2009. He has covered three World Cups for the Long Beach Press-Telegram and Los Angeles Daily News, two Women's World Cups for Soccer America, the Olympic Games, European Championship, nine MLS Cups and all five professional women's championships.
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