LA Galaxy Eliminated from Playoff Contention as Chicharito Scores in Return to Action
The LA Galaxy squared off against the Seattle Sounders in their uphill quest to qualify for this year’s Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. This was Dom Kinnear’s second game managing the squad and a must-win for his team if they wanted to keep their playoff hopes alive. For this game, they would also be without Jona Dos Santos due to injury but they would have the availability of Javier Hernandez, who started the game on the bench. It should be noted as well that the Galaxy’s playoff hopes did not entirely lie with them. They still needed other results to go their way as well, mainly, they needed the San Jose Earthquakes to lose.
In regards to what actually was in Angelino’s control, they first needed a win against Seattle. They began the game looking for this very outcome. The team had nothing to lose and came trying to show just that. Their efforts were in vain for the first half, as both teams headed off to the locker room with a 0-0 tie. The second half began with the same tempo, with both teams going back and forth looking for a positive outcome. It wasn’t until the 69th minute that things began to change for the Galaxy when Chicharito would make his return to the field from injury. Of course, the Galaxy continued their back and forth game but CH14 really made the difference 10 minutes later. On a counter-attack, Chicha himself was able to receive the ball outside the box, pass it off to Efrain Alvarez so that Efra could pass it back to Chicha, leaving the Mexican scorer on a one-on-one with the goalie which he did not miss. Hernandez celebrated the goal emphatically, scoring being something that he had struggled with during his stay with the Galaxy. Fans were happy with his performance and goal, as that temporarily aided them in their aspirations to reach the playoffs. Chicharito would have another shot at goal that was similar to the one scored. Unfortunately, this one had too much strength and flew over the goalie into the stands. It would seem as if though the Galaxy was about to pull off the tough task of defeating the Sounders, but ex-Monarcas striker Raul Ruidaz had the final say. In the 93rd minute of play, the Peruvian scored the tie to the disappointment of the Galaxy team.
While the tie itself eliminated the LA Galaxy, elsewhere, the San Jose Earthquake was also winning their game against LAFC, which meant elimination for the Galaxy through those means as well. With this score, the Galaxy’s disastrous season comes to an end with one more game to be played Sunday against Vancouver.
