COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – The LA Galaxy’s winless streak away from StubHub Center finally came to a end on Saturday night, and now the defending MLS Cup champions are looking forward to a bright future ahead.
The winless run came to a halt with the team’s 3-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids, ending the mark at 21 games. The win came 346 days since LA’s last road win which incidentally came at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park when the Galaxy mounted a similar second-half comeback.
Sebastian Lletget, Alan Gordon and Robbie Keane all scored in the second half as the Galaxy erased an early Colorado lead off a goal from ex-LA midfielder Marcelo Sarvas. After labeling LA’s road woes “ridiculous” earlier in the week, Keane was pleased to finally bag a win away from home.
“It feels like a relief. I always knew it was going to come. I wasn’t too worried about it,” Keane said. “I said during the week that away from home, the mentality has to change. It certainty did tonight. We reacted very well.”
It didn’t start out pretty, however, as the Galaxy looked disjointed in the opening minutes of the first half. Such a slow start was hardly surprising as it was only hours earlier that returning USMNT internationals Omar Gonzalez and Gyasi Zardes finally met new addition Steven Gerrard.
However, at the start of the second half, the group found their stride as Keane—who set up Gerrard’s run on Alan Gordon’s goal—and the English midfielder took the game by the scruff of the neck and powered LA to victory.
“That’s what our responsibility is with two leaders on the team. Bruce has added me to the setup and wants me to perform like that and try and help the young players on the team,” Gerrard said. “It was nice to set Keane up again tonight, that is my job, after all. The most important thing tonight was the team’s response at halftime, the character we showed, the determination to stick together and get the vital three points.
“The manager has been banging the drum all week about winning ugly but we didn’t win ugly tonight. We won very comfortable.”
With the full group back together, the road winless streak finally over and Giovani dos Santos on his way, you’d forgive the Galaxy for thinking that the future is very bright.
“These are terrific players and they are certainly going to strengthen the XI on the squad,” Gerrard said. “We’ve got Giovani Dos Santos to add to it as well, so it’s all healthy, the future is bright and we know when we’ve got a fully fit strong XI, we know that we’re a very good team.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.
