L.A. Galaxy humiliated by D-2 Islanders
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Jul 28, 2010
[CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Not for the first time an MLS club has lost to a presumably inferior foe in the Concacaf Champions League. But this was most
humiliating defeat of them all.
The league-leading Los Angeles Galaxy -- with U.S. World Cup stars Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle playing the entire game -- was spanked by the Puerto Rico Islanders -- tied for last in their D-2 Pro League conference -- in the first leg of their preliminary-round
series.
The 4-1 defeat means the Galaxy will have to make the long trek to Bayamon for next Wednesday's second leg at the Estadio Juan Ramon Loubriel, even though the odds of
advancing to the group stage are slim.
MLS teams are 1-4 in preliminary round series since the Concacaf tournament was launched. The worst loss was suffered by the New England Revolution
in 2008 when it fell to Western Connection of Trinidad & Tobago after 2-1 (away) and 4-0 (at home) losses. (The only winner, D.C. United, needed a shootout to beat Luis Angel Firpo.)
The Islanders, coached by former FC Dallas boss Colin Clarke, are no strangers to the Concacaf Champions League.
In the tournament's first year,
they reached the semifinals. Last year, they knocked out Toronto FC in the preliminary round. To qualify for the 2010-11 preliminary round, they won the CFU Club Champions Cup, the Caribbean club
championship, leaving themselves with a late start in the D-2 Pro League from which they have yet to recover.
The Islanders started five players with MLS experience, including
Jamaican-born Nicholas Addlery, who scored two goals, and goalie Bill Gaudette, who made 11 saves.
Josh Hansen, whose blast from almost 30 yards gave the Islanders a 3-0 lead early in the second half, was signed by the Galaxy to a development contract in 2006 but
never played for the first team in an MLS match.
While the Islanders converted all four shots on goal, the Galaxy could only score on a late own goal by New York-born Puerto Rico
international Richard Martinez.
Ironically, the Galaxy keeper, backup Josh Saunders, is a former Islander.
Born in Oregon, Saunders played his college ball at Cal State Fullerton and California but represented Puerto Rico's national team after joining the Islanders from the Galaxy, at which he was
waived.
Saunders has been the No. 2 behind Donovan Ricketts for the last two seasons.
The news out of Toronto was a little better for
MLS. Toronto FC beat Motagua of Honduras -- featuring former TFC star Amado Guevara -- 1-0.
July 27 in Carson,
Calif.
Los Angeles Galaxy 1 Puerto Rico Islanders 4. Goals: Own goal 82; Foley 26, Addlery 45, 81, Hansen 55.
Los Angeles -- Saunders, Berhalter (Alex Cazumba, 64), Franklin, Leonardo, DeLaGarza (Stephens, 39), Birchall, Donovan, Lewis, Juninho, Gordon (Bowen, 64),
Buddle.
Puerto Rico -- Gaudette, Horst, Velez, Jones, Martinez, Delgado (Villaroel, 72), Telesford, Nurse, Hansen (Emory, 87), Addlery, Foley
(Jagdeosingh, 77).
this proves MLS really sucks! end of story!
Whoa, the other Escobar, whoa. Am I the only one that witnessed the lowly Kansas City Wizards trump the all high-and-mighty Manchester United last Sunday?!
Guys the MLS is quite OK. It is the subpar coaches that are the problem. I always said that Arena along with Bradley are college coaches w/o technical savvy of the game. These coaches survived (by the seat of their pants)due to the talent they have in their teams. But great players could also play badly with a techical mishaps by their coaches and that happens often to Donovan for example. He could be brilliant a game winner or he could be an absolut bust. Has anyone analyze that before? No wonder Arena did well with the Beckham and Donovan tandem. But Colin Clark who understands the game has out smarted him. Ditto when he was beaten by Salt Lake last year. Both Arena and Bradley are soccer idiots when are you all going to recognize this? And when is the USSFA is going to recognize this? They are both detrumental to the US Soccer program!
Send both of them to Siberia to do hard labor or give them 20 years w/o a trial before they ruin more teams and players careers.
Hey, Mr . Hendrikson, this game wasn't some meaningless preseaon friendly for the opposition. This is a real tournament!! MLS hypes up these NOTHING games against big name opponents as a means to get get some sort of pseudo respect. They mean nothing. Then when they play international opposition in a real tournament, like the CHAMPIONSHIP of our REGION, we get spanked by teams from Central America and the Caribbean. Yes, it is true. MLS SUCKS!! And I am a big-time supporter of the league despite it all.
islandero soy !!! la tropa naranja uuuffff
How do transfers between MLS and USL work? DOes MLS treat USL (and now NASL) like any other league in the world in that respect?
Scott Ellis, the Islanders aren't some high flying carribean team, they play in USL D2, which is like the United States' second or third league, and they were playing horrible all season, but any given team is beatable on any given day, and sometimes when you play against teams way more talented then you are you find yourself playing the best you ever have and will and vice versa for the Galaxy.