MLS: Houston Dynamo 1-4 LA Galaxy
Houston Dynamo netted the first goal at the first minute of the game but LA responded immediately by Giovani Dos Santos and then controlled the rest of the game in the first half and finishing off the Texans right after the break with a 4th goal.
LA Galaxy have won three games this season so far and all by scoring at least 3 goals..
Coach Bruce Arena comments on a big road win:
On how things are coming together for LA on the road so far:
“We’ve lost one game this year, and it was in the 95th minute of a 92-93 minute game. Given the circumstances I think the season’s gone okay at this point. We know we can get better. We can get ourselves a little healthier. We’re a little bit thin in a few positions right now. I think the signs are there that we’re going to be bringing a few players back in the next couple weeks, so hopefully we’ll get better. You know how it is in this league; every game is a tough game. We’ve had six games so far, three at home and three on the road. It’s never easy, but I’m please we’ve kept our heads above water. We haven’t disappeared and we have a chance to have a good season.”
On what they saw from the Dynamo’s defense:
“The way we started the game, we didn’t look like we knew anything about the Dynamo. Certainly a couple of our goals came on counter attacks and we got at them quickly. I thought our pressure in the midfield was good today. To their credit they were dangerous throughout. They had some chances. We certainly had a couple at the end of the half to maybe even get the fourth goal, and really could have put the game away but never did. The Dynamo have a good team. Tonight wasn’t their night. As we know they are going to be a good team, and a team that’s going to be fighting all season for a playoff spot.”
On the play of Steven Gerrard:
“I thought Gerrard had a really good game. I think he’s been out three weeks. Certainly there was some questions about whether we could get 90 minutes out of him tonight. It’s great to see he played 90. We also got a little bit of a break with the weather. This is like playing in the winter here, to have a night like tonight which was probably 75-80 degrees with a little humidity. I think that was a real plus for us. The field was in great shape, so the conditions were there for us to be able to play, and play well.”
Houston coach Owen Coyle
On the game:
“We started the game in outstanding fashion, scored a goal off of the set play. I’ve got to be honest. LA thoroughly deserved it. For me, we were a bit of a shadow of ourselves tonight, even with the early goal. I felt the goals we conceded, every one of them, were very avoidable with better pacing defensively. That’s hard to take. If somebody comes and they score good clean, wonderful team goals and they score some special goals from outside the box, then we can accept that. That’s nowhere near good enough, for the standard that we’re looking for, that we set in previous games. And that’s what happens when you perform like that, and really underperform, and that’s the truth of the matter, the other games come back to bite you in the backside because you should have already accumulated points so that when you have a really bad performance, as we had today, then you’re still, with respect of your points tally, you’re still okay. When you don’t, and we’ve given up a couple of points here and there, it can come back to haunt you and that’s what happened tonight. When it’s all said and done, I’m the head coach, I’m the one that sends them out there, I’m the one that’s responsible for that, so I’ll certainly put my hand up and take responsibility for that. Within that, I think it’s fair to say that there will be changes because I’m not accepting that. I don’t think our fans are deserving of that level of performance. And it absolutely bugs me. And I’m asking the players, when they go home tonight, do they care enough to make a difference? Because that’s what it’s got to be. They’ve got to do whatever it takes to get good results and we didn’t do enough tonight and that’s the sad thing.”
