CARSON, CALIFORNIA (BDCi) — The Los Angeles Galaxy stuck to their winning formula and rolled into the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League with a 4-1 win over Herediano at the Home Depot Center on Wednesday night.
The game, highlighted by a header from Omar Gonzalez off a corner kick in the 18th minute and an impressive left-footed blast by Jose Villarreal that made it 2-0 in the 69th minute, featured another strong effort by a Galaxy defense that has given up just one goal in three matches. Even more impressive is the lone goal LA conceded, an 85th minute strike from a left-footed volley by Herediano’s Elias Aguilar, came with the Galaxy already up 3-0 in the game and the series on Wednesday night.
Aside from the one goal, the defense has been almost impenetrable. Todd Dunivant has been his usual steady self at left back while Omar Gonzalez has started all three games in central defense. A.J. DeLaGarza has started two of three games at right back, allowing Sean Franklin to move into midfield, with Leonardo making two starts alongside Gonzalez in the heart of LA’s defense.
“Right now, we’re doing well,” DeLaGarza said. “We’re doing the little things right… except for that one goal.”
Having a big hand in all of this has been goalkeeper Carlos Cudicini, who came over during the offseason on a free transfer from Tottenham Hotspur. It has been quite an adjustment for him as he had to get used to a new country and new teammates, not to mention facing new teams in new competitions, but he has liked what he has seen from his new Galaxy teammates.
And his teammates are very pleased with his effort.
“I think he’s just added the experience and also vocally,” Gonzalez said. ” He’s always chirping. He’s always telling us what to do and reminding us to get in the right position to put out fires before they even start.”
Cudicini says the defense is still a work in progress but he has had few complaints.
“I’ve said it before, it’s not a short process,” he said. “It takes time,games, training sessions. We’re just at the beginning and hopefully it will be even better in the future. We cannot think that because we are good team things will just come to us. We need to work hard. As you can see today, winning easily 3-0, we just switched off for a second and we concede a goal. We always want to keep 100 percent concentration.”
Source: lagalaxy.com
Photo: sbnation.com