CARSON, Calif. – Saturday’s clash between the LA Galaxy and Sporting Kansas City at StubHub Center definitely was not the case of an irresistible force meeting an immovable object.
The Galaxy, after all, were not-so-proud owners of a 1-3-3 home record and Sporting KC was a league-worst 1-4-4 away from Children’s Mercy Park. The Galaxy, unfortunately, added to its dubious mark with a 2-1 loss in front of a disappointed crowd of 20,140.
“I made a statement in the Chicago game” – a 2-2 tie on May 6 at StubHub Center – “that that’s when we became a team,” Galaxy head coach Curt Onalfo said. “We happened to have five of how many games on the road at that point? If we had those games at home, I think it’s fair to say we would have had more wins at home.
“You guys can look at the stats. Obviously we have to win our games at home.”
The Galaxy never used to have a problem at home, which over the years came to resemble an impregnable fortress. Last year, for example, the five-time MLS Cup champions went 8-1-8 at home and outscored the opposition 32-18. The Galaxy didn’t lose their first game at StubHub Center until Sept. 25, when the Seattle Sounders earned a surprise 4-2 victory.
But that was then and this now. The Galaxy may be an impressive 5-2-1 on the road, but they’re now an MLS-worst 1-4-3 at home. They’ve also been outscored 12-8 at StubHub Center.
“It’s really weird,” said center back Dave Romney, who scored in the 77th minute Saturday. “In the past we would never lose at home and we couldn’t buy a win on the road, so everything gets kind of flip-flopped.
“I can’t really explain it and I just try to play the same way home and away. Some games just don’t bounce your way, I guess.”
Veteran left back Ashley Cole couldn’t explain the continuing home woes, either.
“It’s hard,” he said. “I think in our away games we fought to the last minute. We won games and drew games with a great mentality. It didn’t happen today.
“The home form is not great and we have to change that because we did well on the road, which I think was a problem in previous years. If we get our home form back to how it was, then hopefully we can look up now.”
Cole said he didn’t believe there was more pressure to win at home.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “We’re not getting it together like we are away. We don’t know why, but it’s something we have to look at in the video and change something.
“It’s not good, but we’ll change it up.”