Thursday, August 06, 2015

LA Galaxy obliterate Central FC 5-1 in Champions League action

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2015 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly
Copyright 2015 TexSport Publications

CARSON, CALIFORNIA (August 6, 2015) In a game that looked like the Pittsburgh Steelers taking on a junior college football team, the LA Galaxy scored two goals in the first half and added three more in the second to down Central FC of Trinidad and Tobago by the score of 5-1 in front of 13,625 screaming fans at the StubHub Center in Carson, California on Thursday, August 6, 2015. The game was a Group D match of the 2015-16 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.

The Galaxy wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard, when captain Alan Gordon took a pass at the top right of the box and headed it past Central goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams in the fourth minute. The Sharks came back two minutes later and scored an equalizer when Galaxy goalkeeper Brain Rowe was called for a hard takedown of Kelon Goodridge.  Central’s Ataulla Guerra took the kick and sailed it past Rowe.

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2015 All Rights Reserved
The action stayed fast and furious for the next 24 minutes, until Gyasi Zardes gets the ball on a great offensive run and feeds it to Gordon. The Captain aptly dribbled the ball past the Central defenders and passes it to Raul Mendiola, who skillfully puts the ball into the goal to again put Los Angeles up by one.

Galaxy fans were on their feet with their attention directed at the field when Williams takes out Mendiola in front of the net. No foul was given by the referees and after a few minutes of lying on the grass, Mendiola left the field with medical staff and was quickly replaced on the field by Sebastian Lletget. At the halfway mark, the Galaxy took a 2-1 lead into the locker room.

Photo by Darla Tamulitis-La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2015 All Rights Reserved
Ten minutes into the second half, Central gets called for a penalty, which allows the Galaxy a chance to go up by two. Zardes calmly and coolly strode to the ball for the penalty kick, and in true galaxy fashion, put the ball into the goal past Williams to give Los Angeles a 3-1 lead.

In the 76th minute, Galaxy newcomer Giovani DosSantos scored his first goal for Los Galácticos. Lletget took the ball and with a very nice touch, flicked it to Rafael Garcia, who in turn, squared it to Dos Santos for the simple tap-in to give the Galaxy a 4-1 lead.

Los Angeles added an insurance goal in the 85th minute when Ignacio Maganto found himself in the right place at the right time and knocked the ball into the net for the Galaxy’s fifth score of the game.

The Galaxy will next face Communicciones FC from Guatemala on August 18 at the the StubHub Center.

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