CARSON, Calif. -- It was a moment that nearly lived in infamy for the LA Galaxy.
In the 61st minute with the Galaxy up 1-0 on Club Tijuana, goalkeeper Jaime Penedo made a palm stop of a Tijuana clearance that deflected off defender Omar Gonzalez and began to roll toward the goal line. But before the ball could roll over the goal line, Penedo tracked back enough to slap the ball away and preserve what was ultimately a 1-0 victory for LA.
"I was frozen. I caught the ball out of the corner of my eye because I didn't expect Jaime to drop it. I was already turning so I just stuck my leg out and I didn't know what was going on," Gonzalez recalled. "Jaime did an amazing job to dive and put it all out there."
Gonzalez wasn't the only player stunned by the play as Penedo admitted after the match that the entire sequence took place in "slow motion."
" I remember seeing Omar's face, it was pretty comical. I have to admit that when I stop the ball, I can't calculate how it'll bounce. It was just a quick reaction," said Penedo. "The ball was just touching the line."
The goal line clearance wasn't the only highlight for Penedo who enjoyed a strong second half that included two saves to keep the result heading into the all-important second leg.
"Jaime was great tonight," said Gonzalez. "He let them know that you're not getting in my net. I think that we're going to need an even better game from him next week, if that's even possible."
