Recap of May 17, 2015 Match: LA Galaxy vs. Orlando City SC

(Photo via Twitter User @OrlandoCitySC )

I had a difficult time watching the game on May 17, 2015, between the LA Galaxy and Orlando City SC. I like both teams, and I chose Orlando to be my second favorite MLS team after seeing them play in their home opener (I don’t think of myself as a band-wagoner, but some might and that’s ok). Yet, I’m a Galaxy fan at heart and I’ll always root for them over anyone else! My passion stayed strong even as the Galaxy performed at their worst as 40,000 fans inside the Citrus Bowl and thousands more watched at home.

Starting Lineups and Substitutions

Much to my displeasure, I cannot say many good things about this match. The Galaxy played absolutely dreadfully and the team cannot give any excuses. Defending champions should not be playing in this manner.

The defense suffered tremendously. Omar Gonzalez sat on the sidelines because a knee injury kept him out of the game, so Bruce Arena put Baggio Husidic in as left defender and Tommy Meyer in as the right central defender. He had few other options—Dan Gargan received too many yellow cards and received a suspension; Robbie Rogers suffered an Achilles injury earlier, and Todd Dunivant is out with a bruised knee. Yet, Arena could have started Oscar Sorto instead of Husidic—and the game probably would not have changed.

I hate to say things like this, but Meyer (along with the rest of the team) performed dismally. He made poor decisions. Before Orlando’s second goal, Meyer slid too early in front of Kaka and Kaka passed the ball to Cyle Larin who shot it past Jaime Penedo.

Meyer also played a hand in Orlando’s third goal. He cleared the ball right to the feet of Cristian Higuita and Higuita crossed it ahead to Kaka. Penedo slide tackled Kaka and clearly reached the ball first, but the referee called a foul against Penedo and awarded Orlando a penalty kick.

This decision infuriated Penedo and everyone saw an impression display of spunk from the Panamanian goalkeeper. He stood nose-to-nose with the referee and yelled in the man’s face. For the dissent, Penedo received a yellow card. This reaction showed that out of all fourteen of the Galaxy players on the field against Orlando, Penedo wanted this to go a different route and he was determined to take the lead. Even though he yelled at the ref, I’m sure his anger was directed towards his teammates. Unfortunately, Penedo dove to soon and Kaka tapped the ball into the back of the net during the penalty kick.

Before the end of the game, Orlando scored two more goals. The Galaxy received their first shot on target in the 89^th minute when Alan Gordon attempted to score the team’s first goal of the game.

Even though earlier I stated that I could not say many good things about this match, I can discuss two. Jose Villarreal returned to the pitch after a long absence because of a hamstring injury. At the beginning of the season, Villarreal played quite well and seemed to be the strongest contender to replace Landon Donovan in the midfield. I think once Villarreal is able to play a full match, he will be able to help the team where it has suffered tremendously. Now, if we could get the entire injury list cleared, the Galaxy would be in a better place.

Fans also saw a new Galaxy player make his debut. Sebastian Lletget came on the field in the 69^th minute for Mika Vayrynen. During halftime, Dan Gargan welcomed questions from fans on Twitter and, I asked him, “What can we expect from Sebastian Lletget?” Gargan replied, “He’s dangerous and will offer a dynamic option anywhere in the attack. Good with both feet. Strong. Quick.”

In their next game, the LA Galaxy will play the Houston Dynamo on May 22, 2015. The Dynamo recently beat Toronto FC and the Portland Timbers, respectively. Maybe (and hopefully!) we will see the return of Omar Gonzalez, Robbie Keane, Robbie Rogers, Edson Buddle, Todd Dunivant, and Kenney Walker. Can and will the LA Galaxy come back from their humiliating defeat against Orlando City SC in this next match? Let’s hope they learn and make better choices for the rest of the season.

Stay with us at Calisportsnews.com as we will keep you up-to-date on all things LA Galaxy and the rest of the LA sports teams! All Cali, all the time!

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