Recap: LA Galaxy Get Lucky Against FC Dallas

Like the past four FC Dallas vs. LA Galaxy matches, the score ended 2-1 with Dallas winning. Yet, unlike previous games, the Galaxy came out victorious on August 15, 2015! Was it luck or skill?

Starting Lineups and Substitutions

At the beginning of the match, I believed FC Dallas would win a third consecutive time. The Hoops are a difficult team to beat at home, and the Galaxy needed to play well. Unfortunately, during the first half, the opposite occurred.

In the thirty-third minute, FCD’s Michael Barrios capitalized on LA’s defensive mistakes. Ryan Hollingshead intercepted a ball intended for Gyasi Zardes, and Barrios picked it up. He then sprinted down the left side of the field and easily evaded Omar Gonzalez who attempted to tackle the ball away. Barrios then outmaneuvered Donovan Ricketts and A.J. DeLaGarza for the first (and only) FC Dallas goal of the match.

Finally, in the second half, the Galaxy got on the board. Robbie Keane scored twice off of assists from Robbie Rogers and Giovani dos Santos. Like Barrios’ goal, Keane made the Dallas defense pay for leaving him wide open in front of the net when Rogers crossed in the ball. Then dos Santos and Keane played an informal game of give-and-go where the Irishman and the Mexican players schooled Dallas’s defense again!

Even though I am a major LA Galaxy fan, I agree with the FC Dallas community that the Galaxy won largely because of luck. As well as the Galaxy played in the second half, FC Dallas performed moderately well throughout the entire match. They stopped numerous LA passes in the midfield and prevented them from making much headway towards Dan Kennedy. Dallas passed better, controlled the ball much more, and took more shots. Matt Hedges almost equalized the match, but the referee called him offside.

FC Dallas is a strong contender for the playoffs as we enter the last third of the 2015 MLS Regular Season. The Galaxy cannot afford any more close calls, especially with Sporting KC and the Vancouver Whitecaps right behind them.

In the next regular season match, LA takes on the star-studded New York City FC. It will be the first meeting between the two teams. I’m not sure honestly how this game will turn out, so I will end this article right here and wait for Sunday, August 23, 2015. Be sure to tune to ESPN at 3:00 P.M. eastern time!

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