Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy Slay D.C. United (VIDEO)
Aug 27, 2014; Carson, CA, USA; D.C. Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan (10) raises his arms after scoring on a penalty kick in the second half of the game against D.C. United at StubHub Center. Galaxy won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The Beasts from the East, Ben Olsen’s D.C. United—with apologies to Bob Marley—were ambushed in the night by Bruce Arena’s Los Angeles Galaxy. Powered by a goal and two assists, the greatest American soccer player in modern-day history, Landon Donovan, silenced D.C. United in a 4-1 rout at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. on Wednesday.
The victory puts the Galaxy in the thick of the Supporters’ Shield race and puts teams like FC Dallas, Sporting Kansas City, the Seattle Sounders and Real Salt Lake officially on notice. It also sets themselves up for a straightforward affair with Chivas USA on Sunday at the Hub. Hear what Bruce Arena had to say following the big win.
Let’s take a look at six things we learned, followed by player ratings, for the match between the Los Angeles Galaxy and D.C. United.
1. Alan Gordon still has it
Since he made the move to the Los Angeles Galaxy, forward Alan Gordon has found his form. Check out his poaching ability in this video. With the goal, he now has two in three games. Gordon was given the start after Robbie Keane suffered a knock against the Vancouver Whitecaps. If this keeps up, he could have a 10-goal season with ample playing time.
“It’s a new chapter,” Gordon told LAGalaxy.com’s Larry Morgan. “It’s exciting. I have something to prove. I have fans to make up for that have hard feelings against me. I’m working my hardest to win them back.
“I’m working hard to earn respect from my teammates and those things are powerful tools. Every time you get a fresh start you go out with a clean slate and this has been a good start.”
2. Omar Gonzalez keeps on coming
Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez proved once again that he can be a factor on set pieces, scoring his third goal of the season on a corner from Landon Donovan. To be fair, Gonzalez could have had a brace later in the game but just was out of position. Nonetheless, Gonzalez’s positioning was right on the money and doubled LA’s advantage. Take a look.
3. Baggio Husidic cashes in on pinpoint passing
What do you get when you string up 26 perfect passes? You get a goal from the unlikeliest of scorers in Baggio Husidic, who scored just his second goal of the season. This is the type of sequence that will help the Galaxy contend for the Supporters’ Shield. You gotta feel for Bill Hamid here. This was not going to be his night.
4. Own goal by Leonardo or consolation for Eddie Johnson?
More from D.C. United
- Ruan Teixeira: A Remarkable Rise in the MLS and the European Dream
- Bruce Arena and the Quest for Rebirth at DC United: A Risky Bet?
- Wayne Rooney Leaves DC United: Closing a Chapter and Beginning Anew
- The Separation of Wayne Rooney and DC United: The End of an Era
- Wayne Rooney’s Crossroads at DC United: Between Pressure and Uncertainty
Eddie Johnson, one of the polarizing figures of Major League Soccer, was originally given credit for D.C. United only goal of the season. After he scored, he nodded off to the Angel City Brigade as if to say, “How do you like me now, guys,” causing Perry Kitchen to tell him to cool things a bit. Hey, you’re still down two goals at this point in the match, GAM. Perry’s got a point.
However…after further review, the goal was made an own goal to Leonardo. But we wanna know what you think. Was this an own goal or a Johnson goal? Watch the vid and sound off in the comments below. We can handle it.
5. Landon Donovan drops the mic…again…with assistance
I’ll be honest with you, I think young Steve Birnbaum was hard done by Kevin Stott on Wednesday night. This didn’t look like a penalty, but rather a cheap attempt by Stottsy to give Landon Donovan another goal to his record and continue the hunt for 150 goals. As a Galaxy fan, you’ll take goals any way you can, and this was the icing on the cake. Take a look.
6. One-sided stats? You betcha!
This was a one-sided game, bar none. Los Angeles domininated a number of match statistics and won a number of key categories, such as shots, passing accuracy, total passes, possesion and crosses. The stats back up the scoreline here: D.C. United were thoroughly outclassed on Wednesday by a LA Galaxy that didn’t even have its best player on the ground in Robbie Keane. This was huge.
Team Statistics
Los Angeles Galaxy in gold, D.C. United in black
| 11 | Shots | 3 |
| 8 | Shots on Target | 2 |
| 3 | Shots off Target | 0 |
| 0 | Blocked Shots | 1 |
| 4 | Corners | 3 |
| 26 | Crosses | 17 |
| 1 | Offsides | 0 |
| 15 | Fouls | 16 |
| 1 | Yellow Cards | 2 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 563 | Total Passes | 453 |
| 84 % | Passing Accuracy | 81 % |
| 55.5 % | Possession | 44.5 % |
| 45 | Duels Won | 56 |
| 14 | Tackles Won | 9 |
| 3 | Saves | 4 |
| 14 | Clearances | 19 |
Los Angeles Galaxy Player Ratings
Jaime Penedo 7, A.J. DeLaGarza 8, Leonardo 6, Omar Gonzalez 8, Todd Dunivant 7, Baggio Husidic 8, Juninho 6, Landon Donovan 9.5, Marcelo Sarvas 7, Alan Gordon 8, Gyasi Zardes 6, Robbie Rogers 5, Chandler Hoffman NR, Jose Villareal NR
D.C. United Player Ratings
Bill Hamid 3, Bobby Boswell 3, Sean Franklin 4, Steve Birnbaum 2, Taylor Kemp 2, Alex Caskey 3, David Estrada 5, Lewis Neal 5, Perry Kitchen 4, Eddie Johnson 6, Luis SIlva 4.5, Jared Jeffrey 4, Fabian Espindola 3.5, Nick DeLeon 3