CARSON, Calif. – LA Galaxy Insider Adam Serrano provides his Three Things We Learned from the LA Galaxy’s 2-2 draw with New York Red Bulls.
ASHLEY COLE’S BIG GOAL SAVES THE GALAXY
Ashley Cole’s stellar performances for the LA Galaxy may have flown under the radar this season, but the Englishman was at the forefront of the Galaxy’s comeback against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday.
The 35-year-old left back’s first goal for the club came at a critical time as he scored an 89th-minute equalizer to help the Galaxy battle back from a two-goal deficit to earn a point against the Red Bulls. The goal was the perfect capper for a memorable night for Cole, who was a two-way threat on Sunday, aiding in the attack while also locking down the New York right side.
Cole also provided some acrobatic defending, clearing a Bradley Wright-Phillips shot off the line in a sequence that was ultimately rendered meaningless due to an offside call.
RESULT SHOULD GIVE GALAXY A BOOST HEADING INTO OPEN CUP
The LA Galaxy didn’t get a win, but they did get a major confidence booster ahead of their U.S. Open Cup semifinal with FC Dallas.
Bruce Arena’s men were far from pleased with their performance on Sunday, but the fight they showed to battle back should serve the team well heading into Wednesday’s Open Cup semifinal clash at StubHub Center. Perhaps no one was lifted more by the result than second half goal scorer Mike Magee, who has struggled to find consistent minutes in recent weeks.
If Magee and the Galaxy can continue to find timely goals, it should serve the Galaxy well in their crucial semifinal on Wednesday.
NEW YORK RED BULLS IMPRESSIVE IN DRAW WITH THE GALAXY
Did we see a preview of MLS Cup 2016?
The New York Red Bulls had everything go wrong in the first 47 minutes with three substitutions due to injury, but they nearly snapped the Galaxy’s home unbeaten streak thanks to some impressive finishing and heads-up defending. Gabriel Veron and Sean Davis may have scored for the Red Bulls, but the most impressive player on the night was Sacha Kljestan who caused considerable problems for the Galaxy.
Given Sunday’s dramatics, no neutrals will be angered if these two teams met again in the MLS Cup this December.
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog atLAGalaxy.com/Insiderand contact him atLAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.
