MLS: Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 Sporting Kansas City
Omar Gonzalez came off the bench to score the game-winning goal in the 94th minute after Baggio Husidic and Krisztian Nemeth traded goals in the first half.
The Galaxy, winners of three of the past four MLS Cup championships at StubHub Center, extended their 26-game home unbeaten streak with the victory and moved into third place in the Western Conference, two points above Sporting KC, seven weeks into the 2015 season.
LA GALAXY HEAD COACH BRUCE ARENA
On the game:
“When you play hard and hang in there, once in a while you get a little bit lucky and the ball bounces your way. We’ve been on the short end of those a few times. I think things balance out. I think our second half we played better. We were much more aggressive, competed a little bit better, our game was a little bit better. On the night I think we played well considering a little bit of a makeshift lineup. I’m real pleased with our players. We’ve played two games in a row without Robbie Keane, and tonight not starting with Omar [Gonzalez] and Gyasi [Zardes] and getting a result is very impress.”
On Bradford Jamison’s first start:
“A player who played with a lot of convinced. He was aggressive. We told him that when in doubt run. His pace, I think, was a factor in the game. We lacked a little of speed, so having him in the lineup was important. At the end of the game, him and Gyasi, they were threats. They put Kansas City on their heels at times. It was a pretty impressive game for him.”
On the team’s performance:
“I think we did good. This league is a unique league in the fact that every game is a battle. Teams are pretty even in MLS. Any time you win a game, you have to take it, especially when it’s against a good team like Sporting Kansas City. It’s obviously a great result. We were a little bit fortunate at the end, but I think we played really hard. We conditioned ourselves to get a break. We put a lot of pressure on them in the last ten, fifteen minutes and we were lucky that the ball bounced our way.”
SPORTING KANSAS CITY MANAGER PETER VERMES
On the play of Kansas City tonight:
“I thought we were resilient in the fact that we got back into the game pretty quickly. Sometimes it is not easy when the other team scores, you want to check the reaction, I thought our reaction was very good. We figured out how to get back in the game and I thought we played actually pretty well most of the game, I think the second half they dominated a little more, I think the first half we did, but the second half they were a little more dominant.”
On the late LA Galaxy goal:
“There is no doubt that ball wasn’t going in, obviously sometimes stuff like that happens. I thought the guys battled for the time they had so it is unfortunate we are leaving out of here without anything, but that is the way it goes sometimes.”
