MLS LA Galaxy

Galaxy finish in second place after 1-0 loss to Wizards

Published on October 16, 2004 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
LA Galaxy News Release


KANSAS CITY, MO (Saturday, October 16, 2004) -- The Los Angeles Galaxy suffered a disappointing finish to the regular season, falling to the Kansas City Wizards, 1-0 on Saturday night at Arrowhead Stadium. Josh Wolff's 23rd-minute goal proved to be the game-winner as the Wizards defense held strong, defeating a valiant Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 to clinch the Western Conference title and home-field advantage throughout the MLS Cup Playoffs.

The Galaxy entered the game needing to win by two goals to finish ahead of the Wizards, but Wolff's strike off a rebound from a goal line clearance midway through the first half was all the resolute Kansas City defenders needed.

The Galaxy's starting lineup was less than full strength, as neither Guatemala international forward Carlos Ruiz nor the suspended Tyrone Marshall started. Ruiz's absence was due to a hamstring strain that has bothered him for some time now, his spot up top going to the recently acquired Alan Gordon.

But the Galaxy still began quickly with two forays on the Wizards goal. On the second, Wizards keeper Bo Oshoniyi and back Jimmy Conrad failed to communicate well allowing Gordon a good look at goal, but it was sent over the bar by the Galaxy attacker.

But as the match began to take shape, it was the Wizards who held most of the possession. They then managed to take hold of the evenly played match in the 23rd minute as midfielder Jack Jewsbury was played into the Galaxy box by a flighted ball from the midfield.

The second-year player beat L.A. defender Chris Albright before unloading a shot that beat Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman to the right. Backing up his 'keeper was the ever-present Ryan Suarez who cleared the ball off the line, but only as far as Wolff, who was lurking in the heart of the goal area and sent the failed clearance into the back of the net for his tenth of the season.

The Wizards' command in attack was not without its pains as Arnaud sacrificed his body countless times throughout the initial 20 minutes of the match and was the worse for it as he repeatedly took time to gather himself. Unable to continue because of a right hip contusion, the league's leader in fouls suffered was replaced by rookie forward Matt Taylor in the 26th minute.

Although the Galaxy created five corners in the half off purposeful flanking runs, the Wizards continued to come closer with their opportunities. In the 30th minute, a high ball was played in to the left of Hartman and met by Igor Simutenkov, but he sent it just over the bar.

Perhaps realizing they were on the verge of being down by two, the Galaxy upped their urgency and nearly cashed in off a corner as Ryan Suarez rose to nod down the ball, only to see his effort cleared off the line by Kerry Zavagnin in the 33rd minute.

Ten minutes into the second half brought the expected entrance of Austrian midfielder Andreas Herzog, and his insertion nearly paid off in the 62nd minute as he stepped up to take a direct kick in front of a Wizards wall that also contained Galaxy players. Herzog saw the opening and spun a shot that forced Oshoniyi to dive and punch the ball away to his left.

As Herzog began to stamp his influence on the match with his precise passing, the chess-like substitutions continued as Galaxy coach Steve Sampson brought on Ruiz in the 68th minute. Almost immediately the Galaxy earned a corner, but Oshoniyi was up to the task and the crisis passed.

Each team had one more flurry toward the end, and each defense bent but did not break. Ruiz, now heading the Galaxy attack, fired high from outside the box in the 80th minute for L.A. The Wizards responded two minutes later through Jack Jewsbury, who hit a first time blast cross by Simutenkov from the right flank, but he couldn't get his shot past Hartman at the far post.

The Wizards will begin their chase toward a second MLS Cup with the first match of the Western Conference semifinals at defending champion San Jose Earthquakes next weekend, while the Los Angeles Galaxy will travel to Denver to face the Colorado Rapids.

MLSnet.com Man of the Match: Josh Wolff (Kansas City Wizards)

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Major League Soccer Stories from October 16, 2004


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