CARSON, Calif. – It wasn’t a win, but it sure felt like one for the LA Galaxy.
Los Angeles twice battled back from a goal down to earn a hard-fought 2-2 draw against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday. Ema Boateng and Romain Alessandrini supplied the goals for Curt Onalfo’s squad who extended their unbeaten run to seven games.
After a heated match with Houston, Alessandrini’s late goal gave Los Angeles a reason to celebrate.
“It’s like a win. We have to win now at home because it’s the most important with the fans,” said Alessandrini. We’ve done good on the road, but we have to take points at home. Everybody gave everything on the field, and that was very good for us.”
The game was a war of attrition for Los Angeles who were forced to field just 17 players on the game day roster due to numerous injuries, international absences and a suspension to captain Jelle Van Damme. In their stead, Onalfo turned to his depth giving Hugo Arellano his first start and utilizing the likes of Nathan Smith and Jack McInerney.
“There’s no two ways about it; we had a depleted team tonight. We weren’t even able to field 18 players; we fielded 17. So we were definitely depleted, we certainly had some youth on the field,” head coach Curt Onalfo said. “I’m pleased that we got the point. I wanted three, but under the circumstances, we’ll take one and get ourselves ready for Wednesday.”
Added Alessandrini, “Tonight was very difficult because we had a lot of changes in the team, but the guys played good, and we came back at the end of the game. When you come back like that, it’s like a win.”
Their unbeaten run extended, Los Angeles will turn their attention to a brutal slate of games that will include a road trip to face the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday and then a home fixture with Sporting Kansas City three days later. Just who lines up in those matches remain to be seen as the Galaxy recover from injuries, but Onalfo remains confident in his side to handle the test.
“It’s a good group. We have a bunch of young guys that care about each other and work with each other,” Onalfo said. “That’s a hallmark of a winning team.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at www.LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.
