Galaxy Struggles Continue In Scoreless Draw
- Updated: April 29, 2017
After a floundering start to the 2017 MLS season the Los Angeles Galaxy hoped to get some momentum against the only team struggling worse than them so far, the Philadelphia Union.
#LAGalaxy Starting XI: Rowe; Diallo, Steres, Van Damme, Cole; João Pedro, Husidic; Alessandrini, Jones, Boateng; Giovani #LAvPHI pic.twitter.com/yiY0HxaK9e
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) April 30, 2017
Without Gyasi Zardes up at the top of the formation due to illness Los Angeles needed the team to push up the field in order to compensate for the absence and they started doing that from the opening kick.
Two early deflections in Philly’s box benefitted the Galaxy and almost led to easy goals but neither Romain Alessandrini nor Giovani Dos Santos could capitalize on their respective opportunities. Showing their willingness to attack the Galaxy clearly had fullbacks Ashely Cole and Bradley Diallo pushing high up the pitch. While that helped feed the attack, it also led to some easy counter chances for Philadelphia including one that required a diving save from Galaxy keeper Brian Rowe in the 20th minute.
But no one would get as close to goal in the first half as Galaxy midfielder Joao Pedro.
Double post! #LAvPHIhttps://t.co/bmQlePamjf
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 30, 2017
In a stroke of bad luck for both Pedro and his club, he hit one of the true unicorn shots of this game that hit everything but the back of the net.
Los Angeles needed to get something going and just before the end of the half wingers Alessandrini and Emmanuel Boateng switched sides. It had wondrous results for Boateng who continued to get behind the Union’s defense. One of those efforts led to a clean shot for Boateng but it was the 2016 MLS Goalkeeper of the year Andre Blake that made the stop for Philadelphia.
Blake keeping @LAGalaxy at bay. #LAvPHIhttps://t.co/POEMnPcteP
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 30, 2017
The second half continued to see the Galaxy hold possession but they continued to struggle in front of net. A perfectly placed header for Jermaine Jones in the 55th minute sailed over the bar and the frustration this team must be feeling showed for Jones as he angrily kicked the post afterward.
In an effort to put a score on the board Los Angeles subbed out Boateng for the newly acquired Jack McInerney who would make his Galaxy debut in the 77th minute. McInerney took over at the top of the formation while Dos Santos dropped back a bit. An interesting decision with the results Boateng had been having against one of the worst defense’s in MLS and it didn’t make the difference for the Galaxy in the end.
The team’s were held to a scoreless draw after full time was called in the 93rd minute.
A terrible result for the Galaxy who hoped to make up for some of their early season woes against one of the league’s cellar dwelling clubs. Things will not get much easier for Los Angeles next week as they take on a Chicago Fire club that has been scorching hot since acquiring Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Thanks for reading along Galaxy fans. Here’s to turning this rough start around.
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