After weeks of facing teams content to wait for the Galaxy to make a mistake, the Galaxy have looked confident against a team looking to press as much as the Galaxy will. The Galaxy back four were able to withstand early New York pressure, keeping the Galaxy from giving up the early goal that has plagued them in the last six weeks.
The Galaxy countered that early pressure with a fantastic ball from Juninho to Edson Buddle, which Buddle stuck neatly in the back of the net. Juninho, with Landon Donovan has made the field feel small, getting the ball forward quickly in transition. Buddle’s finish shows a precision he lacked against Chicago in the Galaxy’s last MLS league match, where he struck two early chances right at the keeper.
New York has had chances, but rebounds aren’t landing at the feet of support players in the box, as was happening the last few weeks.
Toward the end of the half, New York was able to stretch the field, with Marquez working further and further from the midfield line, but Omar Gonzalez showed great closing speed, preventing anything from breaking through the back.
New York’s best chance came off a free kick in stoppage time, a header which clanged safely off the crossbar.