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MOTD: Seattle Sounders 2-1 LA Galaxy

By on November 30, 2014

The LA Galaxy didn’t really care so much about insisting their dominance on old rivals Seattle Sounders and being crowned as the Western Conference Champions, only indirectly. What tonight was about for them was undoubtedly one objective – get Landon Donovan into the MLS Cup final. All the rest was surplus requirement that came along with getting the result out of Seattle. And in the end, though they lost, still extended Donovan’s career one more match. They probably deserved it, however, and certainly Donovan deserves the chance to end his career with a MLS Cup.

The Sounders’ two goals came in a six minute period that hardly defined the game, the latter of which could be largely pinned on a deflection and mistake from Galaxy goalkeeper Jaime Penedo. Bar a late onslaught from the Sounders’, the Galaxy looked the better side for much of the match and created twice as many shots on target as their hosts. It was certainly a tight match, and at times very scrappy; the first big chance of the match came a half hour in, when Brad Evans actually have the Sounders the lead. It was the first time that Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey combined well, which paid its dividends. The pair combined in and around the edge of the box, and eventually the ball bounced loose. Dempsey got on the end of it, and cut it back across goal with the help of a deflection from Omar Gonzalez, where Brad Evans was there to poke it in from point blank range.

Despite the goals scrappy nature, it energized the home side, and soon after Lamar Neagle forced Penedo into a smart stop to keep out a low sliced effort. Play was scrappy and Osvaldo Alonso looked off, misplacing multiple passes, but the Sounders almost benefitted, and took the aggregate lead with another scrappy goal. Dempsey latched onto Gonzalez’s attempted clearance from DeAndre Yedlin’s low cross on the edge of the box, before sending a low effort on goal, which took a slight deflection on the inside of Gonzalez’s leg, putting Penedo slightly off and allowing the ball to creep into the back of the net. On the whole, though, it would have been a terrible way for Donovan to go.

It would hardly be the 32-year-old and his Galaxy sides last word, however. Thirty-seven minutes Robbie Keane so nearly got one back with a brilliant curler from the edge of the area, only for Stefan Frei to make an incredible stop at full stretch to keep it out. Even one goal would put the tie back in the Galaxy’s hands, remember, and in the end the away goals rule won it for them, after Juninho scored via a cracking low volley. From twenty yards the Brazilian’s effort smacked the inside of the post and bounced in after its shooter found himself on the end of a cleared corner. The one goal would be enough in the end, though Donovan himself came close twice, first seeing his low poked shot saved by the legs of Frei once he cut out a poor square ball from Alonso and rain on goal down the left, and then flashing another shot just wide across the face of goal in stoppage time. Donovan also nearly got an assist, with Stefan Ishizaki’s header from his inch-perfect far post cross having Frei scrambling to make a brilliant save to keep his team in the match. That save would be in vain.

Seattle had come close earlier in the half, seeing a header skim inches over the crossbar, but despite piling late pressure saw two volleys from Dempsey miss the frame. Then, finally, the whistle blew. The Galaxy celebrated to Western Conference Championship all the same, but it was obviously for Donovan, and they are yet to do the hard part in the road to giving him a dream sendoff. Bruce Arena’s men still have to face New England Revolution in the final.
Man of the Match: Clint Dempsey

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.