In the first MLS match of his career, LA Galaxy third-string goalkeeper Brian Perk saved a penalty and earned a shut out, as the both teams finished scoreless. The draw extended the Galaxy’s and Sounders’ unbeaten streaks to 11 and seven games respectively, but closed the gap at the top, as FC Dallas is hot on the Galaxy’s trail.
Perk, making his debut due to an injury to staring keeper Donovan Ricketts and backup Josh Saunders being shown a red card last match, was sharp early as the Sounders sent a number of crosses into the keeper’s area in an effort to test the newbie. The early balls would do little to rattle the rookie, as Perk’s first career MLS save that would be his biggest on the night.
In the 17th minute, Sounder’s forward Freddy Montero’s cheeky flick straight into a bicycle kick from the center of the area was met by Galaxy centerback Omar Gonzalez’s left arm. Match referee Ricardo Salazar immediately pointed to the spot, and Montero would step up in an attempt to finish the move he started.
Unfortunately for him, Perk was up to the challenge.
Montero struck his spot kick low and to the right, but much too close to the Galaxy keeper. Guessing correctly, Perk easily parried the attempt with is right hand, allowing the Galaxy to clear. The save would prove to be the biggest on the night by either side, earning the Galaxy goalkeeper a shutout in his debut.
Sadly, the Galaxy could not capitalize on their keeper’s stellar penalty save, or even the return of their leading scorer, Landon Donovan. Star midfielder David Beckham would also return in this match, making an appearance as a substitute after sitting out the past three games with a stress fracture in his back. But all was for naught, as the team once again struggled to find the net, and Seattle appeared content with a nil-nil draw.
The draw extends the Galaxy’s unbeaten streak to a season high 11 games, but with teams like the Sounders and FC Dallas, the league’s hottest team, making up serious ground on the Galaxy, the unbeaten streak may not be as beneficial as it seems on the surface.
With 36 points this campaign, the Galaxy continue to occupy the MLS’ top spot, and remain front runners for the Supporters’ Shield. However, teams are queuing quickly behind the Galaxy, and FC Dallas’ recent 9-1-3 run, including a comprehensive victory this past weekend, has seen them close to within two points of the Galaxy with two games in hand.
While the unbeaten run has been unprecedented in the MLS this season, and a showcase of the Galaxy’s stellar back four, it has been their inability to find consistent scoring that has allowed the rest of the league to keep pace. Of the 11 games unbeaten, the team has drawn six, with three of those draws being 0-0 affairs.
In the last match, disappointing forward Juan Pablo Angel was the most dangerous player on the pitch for the Galaxy, but still displayed the lack of sharpness in front of goal that has held him to just three goals on the season. Making matters worse, his predominant striking partner, Chad Barrett, still has not seemed to find a way to mesh with the Colombian, and their combined seven goals on season is less than Donovan’s season total on his own (8 goals, even after missing time for the Gold Cup). It would be in the Galaxy’s best interest in the open transfer window to consider their options in attack, and look for a consistent scorer able to turn their run of one point games into three-pointers as quickly as possible.
Next up for the Galaxy is another home match this coming Saturday against the Chicago Fire. With the 11 game unbeaten streak on the line, the Galaxy will need to seize a seemingly easy opportunity to snag all three points and get out of their doldrums.
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