Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders: Live Blog

Jul 28, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; Los Angeles Galaxy forward Robbie Keane (7) looks to pass against Seattle Sounders FC defender Jalil Anibaba (4) during the second half at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Bruce Arena’s Los Angeles Galaxy take on Sigi Schmid’s Seattle Sounders at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. today. A win for the Sounders means that they win their first-ever MLS Supporters Shield, while a Galaxy win will force the decision next week at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash. Both teams have sealed their places in the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League.

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• The Return of Douglas Costa to Juventus: A Risky Bet or a Shot at Redemption?
• Douglas Costa Leaves LA Galaxy: Opportunity or Premature Farewell?

Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. PT/8:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN, WatchESPN, ESPN Deportes and TSN2. This Live Blog will begin at approximately 3:00 p.m. PT/6:00 p.m. PT. Keep it right here on the MLS Multiplex for continuing coverage of the 2014 Major League Soccer season.

Refresh the page for updates!

T-120: Welcome to the Live Blog between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Seattle Sounders, live from StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. I’m Jo-Ryan Salazar, co-editor of the MLS Multiplex, alongside Sean Maslin.

Let’s go straight to the preview from MLSSoccer.com.

REFEREE: Ismail Elfath. SAR (bench): George Gansner; JAR (opposite): Corey Rockwell; 4th: Kevin Stott
MLS Career: 39 games; FC/gm: 25.2; Y/gm: 3.1; R: 11; pens: 12

SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: LA: A.J. DeLaGarza … SEA: Brad Evans
FINED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: LA: Baggio Husidic, Omar Gonzalez, Alan Gordon, Landon Donovan, Juninho … SEA: Osvaldo Alonso, Lamar Neagle, Obafemi Martins, Gonzalo Pineda, Zach Scott, DeAndre Yedlin, Marco Pappa, Leo Gonzalez
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (13 meetings): Galaxy 6 wins, 19 goals … Sounders FC 3 wins, 12 goals … Ties 4
AT LA (6 meetings): Galaxy 3 wins, 9 goals … Sounders FC 1 win, 4 goals … Ties 2
FUTURE MATCH: 10/25: Seattle Sounders FC vs. LA Galaxy, 11:30 a.m.

2014 (MLS)
7/28: SEA 0, LA 3 (Zardes 8; Donovan 18; Ishizaki 36)

• The teams are meeting for the second time this season, the first in a home-and-home series over the final two weeks to conclude the regular season and decide the Supportersí Shield winner for 2014. On July 28, Landon Donovan scored once and added two assists as the Galaxy stormed to a 3-0 win at CenturyLink Field.
• When the teams played to a 1-1 draw last Sept. 21 at StubHub Center, Sounders FC scored for the first time vs. the Galaxy in five meetings in Carson in league and MLS Cup play, since the 2010 season. The Galaxy victory in the first meeting this season was their first in Seattle since 2011.
• The teams also met in 2012 in the Western Conference Championship, the Galaxy winning 4-2 on aggregate, including a 3-0 win in Carson in the first leg.
• Coaches record: Bruce Arena vs. SEA: P13 W6 L3 T4 … Sigi Schmid vs. LA: P19 W6 L7 T6

The LA Galaxy saw their undefeated streak come to an end after 10 games, falling 2-1 to FC Dallas on Sunday evening at Toyota Stadium. The Galaxy sit in a tie for first place in the Western Conference and the MLS overall table with 60 points from 32 games.

Seattle Sounders FC saw their two-game winning streak put to an end, falling 1-0 to Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Friday evening at CenturyLink Field. Sounders FC are still tied for first place in the Western Conference and the MLS overall table with 60 points from 32 games.

T-90: We are 90 minutes away from kickoff here at the Hub. Stay tuned for a recap of other scores from around the league, as well as some pregame tweets.

T-60: MLS scores…Houston Dynamo 1, New England Revolution 2…Portland Timbers 0, Real Salt Lake 0…Toronto FC 1, Montreal Impact 1…Colorado Rapids 0, FC Dallas 1…Philadelphia Union 2, Sporting Kansas City 1…D.C. United 2, Chicago Fire 1…San Jose Earthquakes 0, Vancouver Whitecaps 0…New York Red Bulls 1, Columbus Crew 3.

T-55: Lalas Hill is open for this game. Here are some tweets.

T-50: Odds from Oddschecker, anyone?

Los Angeles Galaxy 7/10
Draw 16/5
Seattle Sounders 17/4

T-40: The next Live Blog is scheduled for next Sunday, when Chivas USA say farewell to the world when they face the San Jose Earthquakes here at StubHub Center. Our earliest start time yet for a Live Blog: 8:30 a.m. PT/11;30 p.m. ET.

T-36: Here are seven things to get you ready, from MLSSoccer.com.

T-35:

T-30: We have 30 minutes to go before we get things started. Wanna talk about the game? Sound off in the comments below.

T-28:

T-27:

T-20: Lineups.

Lineup

Bench

Officials

T-15: Both teams begin warmups. Kickoff will be delayed a bit.

T-13: Donovan. Keane. Dempsey. Martins. Yedlin. Zardes. This is an all-star list of the usual suspects making it great in this league. This may never be an MLS Cup Final match, but it has all the makings of one. Not a single seat will be left in this building, the Cathedral of American Soccer since 2003.

T-10:

T-7:

T-3: If Seattle can beat this Galaxy lineup, it will be a deserved Supporters Shield win. Again, this will be their first-ever Shield, so that Ameoba attack must be on song all 90 and stoppage.

T-0: The Emerald City Supporters are here and will be giving LD the business tonight. ESPN’s broadcast begins. Be sure to tune in to Adrian Healey, Taylor Twellman and Alexi Lalas for their take on this momentous matchup.

Here are some more tweets.

A tribute to the master, the Sovereign of the Kingdom of Redlands, King Landonius Timoteus Donovanus, by Five for Fighting.

Your national anthem will be performed by Boyz II Men.

The Seattle lineups were not announced. Telling.

FIRST HALF START: 5:32 P.M. PT/8:32 P.M. ET

1′ – The first half begins.

2′ – Can Obafemi Martins seal his case for MLS MVP? Robbie Rogers had a cross that was blocked.

3′ – Here’s Omar Gonzalez. The other Gonzalez, Seattle’s Leo Gonzalez with the throw. Now here’s Martins, directing the HailHydra Amoeba. LA snuff that out.

4′ – A little “don’t argue” from Marcelo Sarvas.

5′ – Gyasi Zardes wins a restart. That’s too long for Dan Gargan. Lamar Neagle wins a restart.

6′ – Baggio Husidic gets the business dealt to him. Back, back, back, says Izzy Elfath.

7′ – Too much flair from Robbie Keane. Sarvas resets.

8′ – Clint Dempsey, he’s away. Denied. Back come Los Angeles. Not sure if this is a postseason game or a regular season game, you tell me.

9′ – Gonzalo Pineda is stalling a bit.

10′ – There’s DeAndre Yedlin, the future Tottenham Hotspur product. Off the crossbar. Out for a goal kick. The Galaxy firing warning shots.

11′ – Stefan Frei to kick this one deep. A.J. DeLaGarza to backtrack. Here’s Frei. Out for a Galaxy throw. Gargan to take. Elfath telling Gargan to get going.

12′ – Chad Marshall in on the feast. Seattle now settle. The league leaders now build possession. Pineda. Leo Gonzalez. DeLaGarza is fouled in the box.

13′ – Husidic. Zardes nearly got there. Some clumsiness from Juninho but the Sounders win the restart.

14′ – Omar does well to mark Clint. Ozzie Alonso with a sliding tackle. Clean as a whistle.

15′ – 15 minutes in, and we already have a nice postseason tuneup. Here’s Juninho. Omar. Now here’s Gargan.

16′ – Possession from LA is good, but Seattle are compact, and Frei collects the lob. No dice for Obafemi Martins. Not a good read for Keane.

17′ – Speculative clearance from Yedlin. Well, that won’t give you minutes at Spurs, son. Smarten up, young Padawan in Rave Green and black. Alonso hits the turf, is fine, but Juninho is now on notice.

18′ – Zardes misses the header. Corner, Donovan.

19′ – Cleared, and Zach Scott wins a goal kick after being fouled in the box.

20′ – Oba’s away. Cleared. And there are some collisions in Seattle’s attacking third, all clean.

21′ – Martins. Penedo with the save. First big one of the night. That’s what the ability of this MVP candidate can do.

22′ – Corner, Seattle. Let’s what happens. Cleared. Transition is snuffed.

23′ – Good organization can break up LA’s attack, and here’s our first card.

Yellow card 14 Robbie Rogers
Los Angeles Galaxy

Rogers is on report until the end of this one. Another insipid touch from Keano.

24′ – Martins. No dice. Marcelo Sarva loses his footing. Zardes, Husidic, Gargan, and Martins is away. Wide left.

25′ – Good closedown by Omar and DeLaGarza, but Martins again showing why he plans to steal the show this season.

26′ – Yellow card 20 Zach Scott
Seattle Sounders

This is gonna be a tight ship called by Elfath.

27′ – Yellow card 8 Gonzalo Pineda
Seattle Sounders

…see what I mean?

28′ – Oba goes oba the ba. Yeah, that was a ba pun, sowwy. Penedo hoofs it.

29′ – Back to Stefan Frei for another swing at the pinata.

30′ – Robbie Keane playing a little defense himself. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire.

31′ – Restart awarded to the Galaxy. Afternoon will descend into evening here in the Southland shortly.

32′ – So far, it has been a defensive standoff through 32 minutes.

33′ – Elfath awards a restart to Seattle and that’s left even Bruce Arena off his rocker.

34′ – That cross to Husidic had too much pace. Throwin, Sounders.

35′ – Neagle with the throw. Here’s Keane. Good marking by Marshall. Obafemi Martins is slowed down.

36′ – Marcelo Sarvas clears. Advantage played to LA. And another card.

Yellow card 2 Clint Dempsey
Seattle Sounders

37′ – Dempsey’s on report. Spread the word. Another restart awarded to LA.

38′ – Husidic keeps it inbounds. Lamar Neagle with the speed and the initiative. Great cpounterreaction.

39′ – That’s a race Chad Marshall will win every time.

40′ – Neagle. Leo Gonzalez. The cross. Cleared. Donovan recovers.

41′ – Gargan. The cross. Oh, just wide!

42′ – Bad read to for Robbie Keane. Neagle is away. Free kick, from outside the box.

43′ – Neagle is in a bit of trouble here. He does get up, but that was a shot he took from Omar Gonzalez.

44′ – Yellow card 4 Omar Gonzalez
Los Angeles Galaxy

Who will take this free kick? Dempsey! Over the bar, side netting.

45′ – Robbie Rogers with a clearance after Penedo made a meal of that. One minute.

45′ + 1′ – GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 6 Baggio Husidic
What a goal! FanSided Goal of the Night!

Landon nearly got to another. Halftime!

HALFTIME
Los Angeles Galaxy 1
Seattle Sounders 0

Team Statistics

Los Angeles to left, Seattle to right

This is what makes Los Angeles a problem for teams, even Seattle: we always talk about the main suspects in Donovan, keane and Zardes, but the supporting cast is also important. Husidic was left unmarked and made no mistake hitting the bottom right corner. That is a big minus for the Sounders back line. Watch for a certain Alan Gordon to pounce late in the name of cover.

SECOND HALF START: 6:34 P.M. PT/9:34 P.M. ET

46′ – Seattle have all of 45 minutes and change to turn it around and rally to win the Supporters Shield. Can they do it? Let’s find out.

47′ – Zach Scott plays that back to Stefan Frei. Zardes is away, he lets that go for a throw. Omar Gonzalez tired to find Keane. The cross is out for a corner. Landon Donovan will take this, until Stefan Ishizaki comes in. Brad Evans, Seattle’s captain, with the extension.

48′ – Omar Gonzalez tried to show flair. You’re only a defender, Gonzo! Evans plays it forward.

49′ – Uh oh, Oba is away, but Penedo is there to stop. The Galaxy can’t seem to neutralize Martins tonight. He has that MVP and that Shield on his mind. Zardes wins a corner.

50′ – Landon will take this in front of the ECS.

GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 8 Marcelo Sarvas

51′ – The supporting cast stepping up! FanSided Goal Of the Night. Seattle in trouble.

52′ – LA are not happy with just this lead. Advantage played to Seattle.

53′ – Here’s DeAndre Yedlin, and Robbie Rogers bats cleanup one more time.

54′ – Gonzalo Pineda, and Omar is away. Zardes loses his footing but quickly recovers. What an athlete.

55′ – LA building up some strong possession. Rogers. Donovan. Sarvas, and Zardes makes a meal of that. What a save by Ozzie Alonso. First time I called his name in awhile.

56′ – Evans loses the ball. Here’s Oba. Pineda. Headed away. Seattle recover.

57′ – Sounders are winning possession of the footy these last few minutes and finally Ismail Elfath decides, enough.

Yellow card 9 Obafemi Martins
Seattle Sounders

58′ – Donovan. What can he do with this? He finds Keane. Here comes Keane! Saved by Frei!

59′ – And Clint Dempsey is hearing it. And now they’re gonna go. This is what the fans came here to see, no doubt. Yes, you are entertained. That’s why you are here. Just outside the box for Dempsey, similar position.

60′ – Can he make make amends this time? No, it went to Pineda and he skied it. He must be feeling filthy after that. Still 2-0, Galaxy.

61′ – Ozzie Alonso gives Landon Donovan the “Don’t Argue.”

62′ – Evans wins possession for Seattle, but they lose possession in return. Chad Marshall will need to reset things.

63′ – Oba gets clipped. Will we see a card here? Not yet, but Oba is fine and play continues. Decision time from distance. 27,244 in attendance. An expected sellout.

64′ – Jaime Penedo will take his time here, and that is not what Omar had in mind.

65′ – Here come the Sounders, who may be bringing on an extra attacker, as Clint Dempsey shows his class. Never bow down, Deuce.

66′ – Substitution Seattle Sounders

IN 10 Marco Pappa
OUT 3 Brad Evans

67′ – More containment from the Galaxy backline. But Seattle continue to press. That is a terrible shot from Marco Pappa. No way did he have the bend.

68′ – Neagle plays it forward. Seattle are winning the ball in this formation, but the attack leaves much to be desired.

69′ – GOAL! Seattle Sounders 2 Clint Dempsey
And just as I say that, Dempsey finally backs up the swagger he’s been dealing out. FanSided Goal Of the Night.

70′ – It’s a new game now, with Dempsey left unmarked on the left side to add to his tally of goals this season.

71′ – Sigi Schmid sits on his sofa, calculating the possibilities.

72′ – GOAL! Seattle Sounders 27 Lamar Neagle
What a comeback. This is the Seattle Sounders at their best. Backs to the wall, and they play better football.

73′ – Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 9 Alan Gordon
OUT 6 Baggio Husidic

74′ – A free kick for LA misses for LA.

75′ – Advantage played to Seattle. Advantage played to Seattle. No penalty. Gordon mistimes the run.

76′ – Frei almost bobbled that ball, but he has time tro recover and reset.

77′ – A long cross to Gyasi Zardes misses the mark. Donovan can’t reel that in.

78′ – Zardes is having a howler tonight. Oba’s away. And that’s wide left.

79′ – Zardes again loses possesion. Notr a good pass from Marcelo Sarvas. All the momentum is now heading towards the league leaders, the Seattle Sounders. Here’s Frei.

80′ – Gordon can’t win a duel if his life depended on it.

81′ – Robbie Rogers is on notice.

82′ – Zardes takes a knock. He does get back on his feet.

83′ – Omar Gonzalez is slowing the pace down. A cross missed. Transition.

84′ – That was danger right there for LA, but the danger is not averted. Finally, Jaime Penedo collects.

85′ – That’s a terrible shot. But that’s going to be a corner. It’s going to be a corner for Landon Donovan. Extra ball on the field. Short. Cleared. Transition takes too long to develop.

86′ – Another giveaway. Offsides, Martins.

IN 19 Chad Barrett
OUT 27 Lamar Neagle

87′ – Now Chad Barrett had had a history of tormenting the Galaxy. A former Galaxy member himself, he scored on them when he was with the New England Revolution. Lousy attempt from Rogers there.

88′ – A sliding challenge. And a red card.

Red card 4 Omar Gonzalez
Los Angeles Galaxy

89′ – That is a terrible loss for the Galaxy. And that’s gonna have to bring in Leonardo.

Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 22 Leonardo
OUT 7 Robbie Keane

90′ – Four minutes additional time.

90′ + 1′ – Seattle, with one shot, can win the Shield in dramatic fashion. Can they do it?

90′ + 2′ – Jaime Penedo, showing calm in the back.  Here’s Oba. No dice.

90′ + 3′ – DeAndre Yedlin with a chance. No, that is over and out.

90′ + 4- Last chance for LA, no dice. We’ll see you in Seatttle for Game 2!

FINAL
Los Angeles Galaxy 2

Seattle Sounders 2

Team Statistics

Los Angeles Galaxy at left, Seattle at right