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MOTD: LA Galaxy 2-1 New England Revolution (aet) – Donovan departs in fairy-tale fashion

By on December 7, 2014

There’s your fairy-tale storyline folks; straight out of Hollywood. Landon Donovan maximized his career to the fullest, as his LA Galaxy side took until extra-time to see off the New England Revolution – making the victory that much sweeter. Though they deserved to win after ninety minutes, why not give Donovan an extra thirty? That, however, certainly wasn’t going through his or any Galaxy supporter’s mind in the moment. It took until the hundred-and-twelfth minute for Robbie Keane, his fellow Galaxy DP, to find the winner, and New England had come far too close for comfort earlier — and later, as it would turn out.

But for a match marred by mistakes and bad touches, the end result could hardly have been any more satisfying for the Galaxy. Donovan, for one, went out with an MLS Cup. In case it hasn’t settled in yet, the bittersweet truth was that it was Donovan’s last ever match, and at least he worked himself like it was. Right until the very last minute, you couldn’t say that any player on that pitch didn’t give it their all, no matter the poor touches that could in part be attributed to the fact that the match was a Cup final.

That didn’t take away from the spectacle though. It was riddled with chances throughout the one-hundred-and-twenty minutes, the majority of which were for the LA Galaxy, who largely dominated, although it shouldn’t go without saying that the Revolution capitalized on the few chances they did fashion. In the end though, the Galaxy simply outclassed New England. On the ball, they seemed better able to fashion and capitalize on chances. For New England, Lee Nguyen, who has been so consistently brilliant for them throughout the playoffs and regular season, was largely invisible in the midfield – a missing link between their midfield and attack.

But there was hardly any doubt about why a Galaxy side with Donovan, Keane, and (earlier) David Beckham have won their third MLS Cup in four years, and become the first side to win five times (four it must be said, with Donovan). The man that has had such a lasting impact on the beautiful game in the US during his storied career also impacted the match tonight. Particularly when moved up front in the second half (of normal time, that is), he was fluid in play and most of all calm. Towards the end of the match he clearly started to tire and will have to hand it to Keane for putting his afterburners on to score the winner (though the MLS MVP award should be reward enough for the Irishman).

Keane, actually, was also the man of the match. Early on, as the Galaxy kept control of the game, he tested Bobby Shuttleworth, and in the latter stages of the half would whip a brilliant twenty-yard curler inches over the crossbar. In comparison, New England could hardly fasten a chance; Jermain Jones’ twenty-five yard shot bobbled straight into the hands of Jamie Penedo. Only on occasion could they even form a good counter-attack, though their best chance of the half came as Charlie Davis broke free into the Galaxy penalty area, only for A.J. DeLaGarza to get across and make a brilliant last ditch tackle.

On the other side of the half, any nerves were quickly settled, and just six minutes in, in fact, the Galaxy quite deservedly took the lead. Gyasi Zardes shuffled with the ball at the far post off a cross and eventually managed to slice a low volley across the goal into the bottom-right corner. It wasn’t the prettiest, but certainly a crucial goal for the Galaxy. And even then, with not much to lose, New England hardly looked threatening and the Galaxy pushed higher and higher. Donovan found the target with a low effort from the edge of the box, and in the seventy-first minute he and Keane wriggled free into the box, only for the latter caught between two minds of laying it off for his striking partner to certainly finish it or going himself. His hesitation gave Shuttleworth the time to come out and smother the ball, and just eight minutes later it seemed like a costly miss, as, out of nowhere, New England equalized. Chris Tierney found himself in on goal down the left side of the box and tucked a finish into the far corner, which Penedo got a hand on but could not keep out.

Suddenly, LA were on the back foot and as the clock ticked down New England somehow looked like they were going to steal it, for one small second, only for Teal Burnbury’s cross-turned-shot to skim away off the crossbar, having Penedo beaten. LA were thankful to push the match into extra-time, despite having dominated just ten minutes before. Jay Heaps’ side continued this form in the first period of extra-time, remembering this was a cup final and one of their best chances to finally claim an MLS Cup for the first time in their history. Jones came close and Penedo was forced into work, but LA’s chances outnumbered the Revs’ in the end – on the other side of extra-time halftime Bruce Arena’s men retook their lead. A long ball was launched up to him, and the 34-year-old collected before tucking yet another far post finish into the bottom right corner. It was pandemonium at the Stubhub Center in LA. The New England fans, always outnumbered a hundred to one, didn’t trickle out until the very ylast minute but it was not to be for them. The Galaxy had won it, a fairy-tale cup in fairy-tale fashion.
Man of the Match: Robbie Keane

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.