Sounders and LA Galaxy Series? Not Quite Yet

The Eastern Conference teams are lighting it up, scoring eight goals in two matches. The Western teams (i.e. LA Galaxy, Seattle Sounders, Real Salt Lake, and FC Dallas)? Not so much.

Nov 2, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; FC Dallas forward Fabian Castillo (11) reacts to missing a shot on goal in the second half against the Seattle Sounders FC at Toyota Stadium. Seattle and FC Dallas tied 1-1. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Somewhat surprising, and disappointing, that the four teams–who combined for 243 goals in league play this season–were able to scrape together a whole two goals. One of which was a penalty.

The coveted buzzwords of “dynamic”, and “attacking”, have been replaced by “sloppy”, and “chippy.”

“Ugly game,” is the term Bruce Arena used to say about Saturday’s match, a languid 0-0 affair against RSL in Sandy, Utah. “Sloppy game. The altitude, the wind, the field conditions made for a difficult game.”

As Robbie Keane said, “It wasn’t the greatest [weather] conditions.”

But Arena places the blame for a constrictive and boorish kind of soccer on the officials. “The fouls were over two to one in our favor. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. It made for one crappy game for sure.”

RSL coach Jeff Cessar admitted disappointment that his team wasn’t able to score, but did not feel it was about a lack of effort or focus from his side. Unlike the Galaxy who musterd a sum total of three shot attempts, RSL was much more aggressive with the ball.

RSL was constantly pressuring LA’s goalkeeper Jamie Panedo much more than his counter-part Nick Rimando.

In his post-match comments, Cessar remarked that, “Obviously when you have a home game the goal isn’t just to shutout, it’s to play aggressive. The boys did that tonight … on a different night I think we would have four or five goals.”

“We created a lot of chances but just ran up against a goalkeeper that played great; hats off to him.”

The LA-RSL contest neatly segues to a single-game series that will be decided Saturday, November 9th at the StubHub Center in Carson, Ca.

Nov 1, 2014; Sandy, UT, USA; Los Angeles Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena reacts during the first half against Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium. The match ended in a 0-0 draw. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

The winner of that game will advance to play the winner of Seattle and FC Dallas both of whom at least managed to score this weekend in a more entertaining game. Seattle looked to nullify Dallas’s attack by targeting the Dallas wingers in the final third of the field.

By keeping numbers behind the ball and bringing everyone back, the Sounders were successful–if only marginally–blunting Dallas’s probe-and-plunge attack at bay. Seattle’s pressure forced Andres Escobar and Fabian Castillo out of their games but Dallas was still able to make things interesting at the Seattle end of the field.

For the second time in two games, FC Dallas earned a controversial penalty kick call. Seattle defender Zach Scott called it “a terrible call”, but it enabled FC Dallas to head to Seattle knowing a win will see them advance.

Dallas’s Zach Lloyd had a more nuanced take on the call, “Anytime you leave your feet in the box you always have the risk of conceding a penalty. The referee decided it was a penalty and Michel did a very good job taking it.”

Regardless, there is much anticipation from both sides about Monday night’s contest. “We went there last time and we were winning by a goal. It took two late goals by them to beat us but that shows that we can definitely play there and get a result there,” Dallas defnder Matt Hedges said following the match.

Seattle coach Sigi Schmid is pragmatic but also comfortable: “..having an away goal certainly helps. It means they (FC Dallas) know in order for them to come out with anything in Seattle they’ve got to win the game and if they’re not going to win the game, they’ve got to get two goals. It puts a little more pressure on them, to a certain extent, but I know we’ll play better being at home and playing in front of our crowd is a good thing for us.”