CARSON, Calif. – Minutes after his team was eliminated from the playoffs with a 2-1 loss at Los Angeles, Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid said he believes the Galaxy gained an unfair advantage in the corner kick that led their first goal.
In the 19th minute, Edson Buddle headed in a corner kick from David Beckham on the right side. Schmid, however, saw the ball abandon the field on the left side and believes Beckham purposely took the kick from the incorrect corner, where his delivery is more dangerous.
Buddle gives LA the lead
“Beckham’s very clever,” said Schmid. “The one where they score the first goal, on the first corner, the ball goes out on the [left] side of the field. The corner is supposed to be taken on that side of the field.
“[Baldomero] Toledo, as a referee, has to make sure that happens," continued the coach. "Beckham just picks up the ball and walks to the other side of the field."
On Buddle’s goal, the Sounders were using a zonal marking scheme, with Blaise Nkufo the player assigned to that zone. The coaching staff was trying to get Nkufo to drop a step or two to make an adjustment, but that message was not successfully conveyed to the field.
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“Even though Beckham took the corner from the wrong side, that doesn’t excuse our marking,” Schmid said. “Beckham’s a good enough server of the ball that he can put the ball over Nkufo’s head.
“That’s why I was so irate after that goal, because from the other side, I don’t think they score, to be very honest,” Schmid said.
The goal put Seattle down 1-0 in the match and 2-0 in the series, making a potential comeback much more difficult.
Eventually, the Sounders went on to lose the match 2-1, and the two-leg Western Conference semifinal 3-1 on aggregate.
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