Galaxy Gets Help in Win
Steve Jolley has been a Major League Soccer player long enough to know that that there are some nights when things simply don’t go as planned.
For Jolley, Saturday was one of those nights.
Depending on whom one believed, the former Galaxy, former New York/New Jersey MetroStar and current Dallas Burn defender scored either one own goal or two in the Burn’s 4-1 loss to the Galaxy in front of 18,460 at the Home Depot Center.
“In my book it was two own goals,” said former Galaxy assistant coach Ralph Perez. “That’s what I said on the radio.”
Most of the media covering the game agreed. The Galaxy staff, however, awarded Los Angeles striker Jovan Kirovski a goal on the second of Jolley’s miscues, even though Kirovski’s header off a Marcelo Saragosa cross was clearly deflected into the net by Jolley.
“Give it to the striker,” agreed beleaguered Dallas Coach Colin Clarke, himself a former forward.
Dallas has lost four in a row, and right now just who puts the ball in the net for the other team is the least of Clarke’s concerns.
Jolley was non-committal.
“I don’t really know,” he said when asked if Kirovski’s header might have gone into the net without his touch. “I’d have to check it again.
“I was coming back to the ball, trying to just get it. It might have bounced up on me and just went in.”
The league will review the videotape and make a ruling this week.
The goal, in the 72nd minute, came only one minute after Dallas had cut the Galaxy’s lead to 2-1 on a fine individual goal by Ronnie O’Brien, who beat two defenders before spoiling goalkeeper Kevin Hartman’s shutout.
The victory improved the Galaxy’s record to 5-2-3, best in Major League Soccer, but it was not achieved without a struggle.
After taking the lead 8:24 into the match, when Cobi Jones crossed the ball from the right and Sasha Victorine closed in at the far post to head the ball past Dallas goalkeeper Scott Garlick, the Galaxy failed to capitalize.
It took only three more shots in the first half, the best of them being Andreas Herzog’s 25-yard blast that clipped the crossbar after brushing Garlick’s fingertips.
Dallas (2-4-2) took only two shots in the half.
The Galaxy had the chance to increase its lead in the first 10 minutes of the second half, but defender Chris Albright twice was denied from close range.
First, he contrived to steer Herzog’s free kick over the bar with his shin from about two yards. Next, his shot from almost as near was cleared off the line by Jolley.
After that, Jolley’s night deteriorated.
In the 65th minute, Herzog sent in a perfect free kick into the box after a foul by Cory Gibbs on Galaxy striker Alejandro Moreno. Victorine and Jolley both went up to head the ball, which Jolley managed to power into his own net.
No one disputed that this one was an own goal.
Kirovski scored a goal of his own in injury time, on a penalty kick after Gibbs fouled Galaxy forward Joseph Ngwenya.
So, pending the MLS ruling, either Jolley or Kirovski scored twice Saturday night.
Clarke is not worried either way.
*
In other games:
Washington 1, New England 0 -- Revolution defender Brian Kamler accidentally redirected D.C. United forward Earnie Stewart’s cross into the New England goal in the fourth minute for the game’s only score in front of 19,314 at Foxboro, Mass.
Taylor Twellman had a penalty kick for New England (1-4-3) in the 51st minute, but goalkeeper Troy Perkins made a diving save. D.C. United is 3-4-3.
*
Chicago 1, Colorado 0 -- Nate Jaqua scored in the 66th minute and goalkeeper Henry Ring recorded his league-high fifth shutout to lead the Fire (3-2-4) over the Rapids (2-2-4) in front of 9,688 at Chicago.
*
Columbus 1, San Jose 0 -- Jeff Cunningham scored on a header in the 69th minute to help the Crew (3-3-2) defeat the Earthquakes (3-3-3) in front of 14,555 at Columbus, Ohio.
