MLS Game #7
Saturday, May 14, 2011, 9:30 p.m. CT
English TV: KSMO
Spanish TV: Time Warner Cable Ch. 5
Spanish Radio: La Gran D 1340 AM
The Home Depot Center | Carson, California
Weather: Cloudy and 54 degrees
Attendance: 19,763
Video: Match Highlights
Score:12F
Sporting Kansas City (1-5-1, 4 pts)101
Los Angeles Galaxy (5-2-5, 20 pts)134
Sporting Kansas City: Eric Kronberg; Michael Harrington, Julio Cesar, Aurelien Collin, Roger Espinoza (Chance Myers 57); Stephane Auvray, Davy Arnaud ©, Milos Stojcev (Ryan Smith 65); Graham Zusi, Teal Bunbury, Kei Kamara (C.J. Sapong 67)
Subs not used: Matt Besler, Kevin Ellis, Jimmy Nielsen, Craig Rocastle
Los Angeles Galaxy: Josh Saunders; Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, A.J. DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant; Landon Donovan, Juninho (Michael Stephens 85), David Beckham, Mike Magee; Miguel Lopez (Juan Pablo Angel 61), Chad Barrett (Chris Birchall 81)
Subs not used: Gregg Berhalter, Paolo Cardozo, Frankie Hejduk, Brian Perk
Stats: SKC LAG
Shots11 13
Shots on Goal310
Saves63
Fouls1711
Offside23
Corner Kicks14
Misconduct Summary:
LA – Juninho (caution, Reckless Tackle) 80
Scoring Summary:
SKC – Omar Gonzalez (own goal) 39
LA – Landon Donovan 6 (penalty kick) 44
LA – Landon Donovan 7 (Chad Barrett 2) 46
LA – Juan Pablo Angel 2 (Chad Barrett 3) 64
LA – David Beckham 1 (unassisted) 87
The Los Angeles Galaxy topped Sporting Kansas City by a 4-1 scoreline on Saturday night at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. Sporting Kansas City enjoyed a brief lead in the first half, but two goals from captain Landon Donovan paced the Galaxy to victory and left Sporting Kansas City in last place in the Eastern Conference.
Fans at the Home Depot Center were greeted to an exciting match, with the first chance coming in just the 2nd minute. A ball into the box fell to Galaxy midfielder Juninho who let loose a drive that was straight at Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Eric Kronberg.
Kronberg, making his first start of 2011 and just the second of his career, was called into action again in the 12th minute. David Beckham played a streaking Miguel Lopez in behind the Kansas City backline, but Kronberg was quick off his line to thwart the opportunity and keep the scores level.
The Galaxy’s best chance from the run of play in the first half came again via Lopez. Some quick interplay through midfield saw Donovan in acres of space down the right channel. Donovan’s square pass for Lopez gave the forward a clear look at goal, but Sporting Kansas City centerback Aurelien Collin did just enough to track back and pressure Lopez as he put his left-footed shot over the bar.
With a bit of luck, Sporting Kansas City would take the lead in the 39th minute. Milos Stojcev, back in the starting lineup after being named as a substitute against New York, found himself on the ball along the left touchline. His curling cross intended for Kei Kamara was deflected by Galaxy centerback Omar Gonzalez inside the far post for an own goal and a 1-0 lead for Sporting Kansas City.
Teal Bunbury nearly doubled Sporting’s advantage just two minutes later. Bunbury, receiving the ball on the left, raked a right-footed effort low to the far post, but Saunders did ever so well to get down and keep the effort out.
That save would prove to be vital for the Galaxy, as they would equalize in the 44th minute from the penalty spot. A bouncing ball into the area saw Beckham and Sporting Kansas City left back Roger Espinoza collide. Despite the appeals of the Sporting Kansas City defenders, referee Baldomero Toledo awarded a penalty to the Galaxy, which was converted easily by Donovan to send the sides into the break level at 1-1.
After halftime, Donovan would strike again. Just one minute after the start of the second half, Donovan combined nicely with forward Chad Barrett at the edge of the area. Barrett’s one touch pass released Donovan in alone on Kronberg, and the Galaxy forward made no mistake, putting Los Angeles up 2-1.
Sporting Kansas City nearly answered just a minute later. Milos Stojcev found space in the Galaxy penalty area, beat his marker, but a left-footed drive rose just over the bar.
The 61st minute saw Sporting Kansas City’s best chance at an equalizer go begging. Forward Kei Kamara attacked a bouncing ball at the edge of the area, popping it over the Galaxy backline into the path of Graham Zusi, but Zusi skewed his left-footed effort agonizingly wide of the far post.
The Galaxy would make Sporting Kansas City pay for their profligacy. In the 64th minute, substitute Juan Pablo Angel won a header out of the back to Donovan and made a run beyond the Kansas City backline. Donovan, alert to the situation, headed a pass back to Angel, who was on hand to collect and tuck a low finish past an onrushing Kronberg.
Beckham would cap the scoring for Los Angeles, this time in trademark Beckham fashion. Toledo blew for a foul to the left of the Sporting Kansas City penalty area. After some conversation about who would take the ensuing free kick, it was Beckham who stepped up, curling a right-footed shot over the wall and inside Kronberg’s near post. The goal, Beckham’s first of 2011, capped a comprehensive performance from the home side and leaves Sporting Kansas City winless in the team’s last six matches.
Sporting Kansas City will continue their 10-game road trip to start the 2011 regular season next Saturday when they travel to Qwest Field to take on Seattle Sounders FC.
Fast Facts:
•With the defeat, Sporting Kansas City is 1-5-1 in 2011 and is in ninth position in the Eastern Conference.
•Sporting Kansas City is 17-22-10 all-time against the Galaxy and 5-14-6 all-time on the road in the series.
•LA defeated Kansas City for the first time in six meetings, dating back to the 2008 season. Sporting KC had three draws and two victories in the previous five meetings.
•Los Angeles is unbeaten at home in five matches in 2011, going 3-0-2. The Galaxy’s last regular season home MLS loss was October 16th, 2010.
•Sporting Kansas City conceded their third penalty kick in seven games to start the 2011 season. Opponents have converted two of the three attempts, after Nielsen made a save in Sporting Kansas City’s match at New York last month.
•Goalkeeper Eric Kronberg appeared in his first regular season match of the season, starting for only the second time in his career. He has appeared in three non-MLS matches in 2011, going 1-1-0 in the MLS Reserve League and 1-0- 0 in U.S. Open Cup qualifying action.
•The University of California alum, in his sixth season in MLS, is the second-longest tenured player on the Sporting KC roster after being drafted in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft.
•Kronberg made six saves, a career high, in the loss.
•Sporting Kansas City captain Davy Arnaud played his 225th regular season match of his KC and MLS career, breaking a tie with Nick Garcia for second on Sporting Kansas City’s all-time games played chart.
•Arnaud started his 204th regular season match, and surpassed Jimmy Conrad for third on the team’s all-time games started chart.
•Sporting Kansas City striker Kei Kamara returned to the campus of his alma mater Cal State Dominguez Hills, playing at the Home Depot Center where he once worked on the operations staff while in college.
•Striker Teal Bunbury’s sister, Kylie, attended Sporting Kansas City’s training on Friday at the Home Depot Center. Kylie is a main character in Disney’s Prom, currently in theaters.
•The Galaxy allowed their first own goal of 2011 on Saturday, while KC received an own goal for the first time in the season. Defender Omar Gonzalez was credited with the own goal in the 39th minute.
•Sporting Kansas City is 0-3-0 when tied at halftime in 2011. Sporting Kansas City suffered their first loss when scoring first in 2011 and now stand at 1-1-1 when opening the scoring.
•David Beckham’s goal in the 87th minute was the first goal directly from a free kick for LA in 2011. Beckham’s first goal of the year was his second against KC in his MLS career.
•Landon Donovan leads all Galaxy players with 12 goals against Sporting KC in 25 games played in his career, adding two goals on Saturday night.
•Juan Pablo Angel continued his strike rate against KC, scoring in the 65th minute to give him nine goals in nine career match-ups with KC.
•Sporting Kansas City was without striker Omar Bravo, MLS Player of the Week for week one, as the Designated Player is recovering from sports hernia surgery.
•FOX Soccer analyst Warren Barton joined Callum Williams on the broadcast for Saturday’s match. Barton, a former Newcastle United defender and England international, handled the color commentary.
•Single-game tickets to Sporting Kansas City home matches at state-of-the-art LIVESTRONG Sporting Park go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. CT on Monday, May 16th.
•KSMO-TV will air highlights and reaction from Saturday’s match on the station’s weekly 30-minute soccer show “Off the Pitch with Sporting Kansas City” on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. CT.