Galaxy Face Wind, Rain, Snow, Thunder and Lightning

Larry Morgan

CARSON, Calif. – To say the road has not been especially kind to the Galaxy this season could be the understatement of the year.

Sure, they are 2-2-2 away from The Home Depot Center, but that only begins to tell the story of their trials and tribulations on the road that have included heavy rain, strong wind, snow, thunder and lightning and a 66-minute delay last Sunday in Frisco, Texas, where the Galaxy lost to FC Dallas 2-1.

“Or referee or league decisions,” Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said of his team’s troubles away from home this season. “It just hasn’t gone real smoothly.

“But I think our guys have responded quite well in really difficult situations in each and every game.”

Those so-called “situations” began in the season opener March 15 in Seattle. The Galaxy were greeted by cold and rainy conditions but earned an impressive 1-0 victory. Their next road game, March 26 in Salt Lake, featured more rain and temperatures barely in the 40s. The Galaxy had to deal with heavy rain the day before their third road game on Saturday, April 9 against D.C. United, and only a questionable referee decision that gave United a late penalty kick prevented the Galaxy from earning a 1-0 win. They instead tied 1-1.

The road didn’t get any kinder on April 13 in Toronto, where temperatures were in the low 40s, or four days later in Chicago, where strong winds buffeted Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill. The Galaxy, however, came away with a 2-1 victory.

The Galaxy haven’t been immune to adverse conditions at home, either. Their home opener on March 20 against the New England Revolution featured constant rain that evolved into a torrential downpour just after the final whistle.

Then there was last Sunday’s debacle in Texas, a game that was suspended for more than an hour late in the second half because of thunder and lightning.

“Obviously the issue in Dallas is you have to take into account the safety of the players,” Arena said Wednesday. “The decision afterwards, I know they have a procedure and a policy the league has and all, but I think the problem we have in soccer in this country is we never follow law 18, which is common sense.

“Common sense says at 83 minutes you call it a game if you have to wait another 75 minutes to play again. I would have said that if we had won the game as well. I told that to (FC Dallas head coach) Schellas Hyndman before we kicked off the last seven minutes. It was pretty foolish to do that.”

Defender Sean Franklin said the road has been “pretty eventful,” and it has nothing to do with the team’s record away from home.

“I wouldn’t be surprised with anything now,” he said. “That’s how just how it is with Mother Nature.”

Franklin vividly recalled a 2008 reserve game in Colorado in which snow and ice were removed from the field that morning.

“I was freezing two days later,” he said with a grin.

Associate head coach Dave Sarachan remembers coaching the Chicago Fire in a U.S. Open Cup game against Kansas City that was delayed four hours because of lightning and didn’t finish until well after 1 a.m.

“There were a lot of people in the stands, and by the time we kicked off,” he said with a grin, “they were pretty inebriated.”

Mike Magee shook his head and said the Galaxy may have been long overdue for less than ideal conditions on the road.

“The last couple of years I don’t think we’ve had any poor weather games,” he said. “They’re definitely making up for it.”

Added Chad Barrett, “We’re professionals, and we should be able to handle it. We’re 2-2-2 on the road, and I’ll take those eight points. That’s not great, but if you manage to get half of your points on the road and take care of your home games you’re going to do pretty well in the standings.

“But it was still pretty depressing last weekend.”