CARSON, Calif. – LA Galaxy Insider Adam Serrano’s Three Points to the Galaxy’s 5-0 victory over Chivas USA. LA win the season series with Chivas USA for the eighth time in nine years.
LANDON DONOVAN TIES JEFF CUNNINGHAM’S ALL-TIME MLS REGULAR SEASON GOAL SCORING RECORD
Make some room Jeff Cunningham; you’ve got some company at the top of MLS’ all-time goal scoring list.
LA Galaxy forward Landon Donovan tied Cunningham’s all-time MLS Regular Season mark of 134 career goals on Sunday with a pair of tallies in the Galaxy’s 5-0 victory over Chivas USA. A danger to score from the moment the whistle was sounded, Donovan needed just 23 minutes to grab his first of the afternoon as he tapped a Gyasi Zardes cross past Chivas USA goalkeeper, giving LA a 2-0 lead. Donovan then tied the mark in the 41st when he launched an audacious chip that sailed over the Chivas goalkeeper and into the back of the net. Whereas Cunningham needed 365 games to reach his mark, Donovan was able to accomplish the feat in just 301 appearances.
Just when Donovan will get his opportunity to surpass Cunningham remains to be seen as he was called up to the U.S. National Team on Sunday for games against Jamaica on Oct. 11 at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. and Panama on Oct. 15 in Panama City. With the U.S. already holding a place in the 2014 World Cup, Donovan—and fellow national teamer Omar Gonzalez—could possibly be released early as they look to feature in LA’s Oct. 16 match against the Montreal Impact. If no such deal is reached, look for Donovan to continue his bid on Oct. 20 against the San Jose Earthquakes.
GYASI ZARDES BREAKS OUT WITH A GOAL AND TWO ASSISTS IN WIN
Landon Donovan’s record-tying exploits will get the headlines, but Gyasi Zardes’ performance against Chivas USA was a true revelation.
Dangerous from the get go, the Galaxy rookie found plenty of success early on attacking Chivas right back Mario De Luna, who was unable to handle the speed of Zardes. The left-sided midfielder heaped pressure on De Luna from the outset and his speed paid dividends for the Galaxy in the sixth and 23rd minutes respectively when he was able to assist on goals by Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan. Although Zardes’ distribution was vital early, he got on the scoreboard himself in the 26th minute when he pounced on an errant deflection and smashed a shot past Kennedy for his fourth goal of the season.
Consistency will be key for Zardes going forward, however, as the mercurial young attacker must build on his performance against the Rojiblancos. If Zardes can begin to string together a few more performances like his showing on Sunday then the Galaxy may have finally found another weapon on offense to complement the dynamic strike tandem of Donovan and Keane.
BIG WIN COULD PROVIDE A MAJOR BOOST FOR THE GALAXY GOING FORWARD
The LA Galaxy smashed Chivas USA by a 5-0 scoreline on Sunday but can the two-time defending champions capitalize on the momentum of their impressive win in their search for a spot in the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs?
With the victory, LA remains tied with the Colorado Rapids for fourth place in the Western Conference. However, if the season ended today, they would host the Knockout Round match by holding the goals scored tiebreaker on the Rapids. For a team that had gone winless in the month of September in MLS regular season play with a 0-2-2 record, the win should be a needed shot in the arm, but Galaxy must show the same type of attacking edge and defensive fortitude in their next match, ten days from now, against the Montreal Impact on Oct. 16.
If the Galaxy can get a lift from their huge win over their intra-stadium rivals than it may help the team build some much needed momentum as they look to qualify for the postseason.
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com
