CARSON, Calif. -- While the defending MLS Cup
champion Los Angeles Galaxy were making their 2006 bow in their
first competitive match of the year, a highly partisan crowd came
out to The Home Depot Center on Wednesday night to cheer on the
South Korea national team.
Just days after the Galaxy opened their preseason training, the
speed and overall experience of the Koreans was just too much for
the boys from Victoria Street to handle, as South Korea strolled to
a 3-0 victory.
The Galaxy were without regular starters Landon Donovan, Pete
Vagenas, Todd Dunivant, Chris Albright and Kevin Hartman due to
injuries and national team duty. On their side, the Koreans played
without six European-based players and featured a lineup of players
on the bubble for a place on the final 23-man FIFA World Cup roster.
The game started out dangerously for a Galaxy rearguard pieced
together literally at the last moment. In the second minute Do-Heon
Kim sprung loose from the Galaxy defense and hit a slightly
over-ambitious shot from 25 yards out that handcuffed Galaxy 'keeper
Steve Cronin. Cronin made the safe play and punched the ball over
the bar for his first save on the night.
Korea continued to enjoy the better of possession in the early
going but it was the Galaxy that came within inches of opening the
scoring in the 14th minute. Memo Gonzalez stepped over a free kick
from the left flank and sent a cross into the Korean penalty area.
Jamaican international Tyrone Marshall rose up above everyone and
hit a powerful header from the top of the area on frame, but Korean
'keeper Woon-Jae Lee pushed the shot onto the post.
The game of inches favored the Koreans in the 22nd minute when
Dong-Gook Lee tucked a long-range shot just barely inside the post
to open the scoring. Lee received the ball from a nice heel flick
from Chun-Soo Lee, collected the ball in space and couldn't have hit
the ball any better as he found home from 30 yards out.
Dong-Gook Lee was a thorn in the Galaxy's side for the entire
first half and on successive attempts nearly doubled the Koreans
lead. First, in the 27th minute, Lee got in behind Marshall and
fired a shot from inside the area. The big Galaxy center back
recovered in time though and blocked the shot out for a corner.
Then, just minutes later, he collected a rolling cross at the top of
the area, flicked the ball up, pirouetted in place before firing a
volley just wide of the net.
The Galaxy tried to fight their way back into the attack in the
30th minute and two of the younger Galaxy players nearly hooked up.
Gonzalez headed a bouncing ball into the area for Alan Gordon. He
used his size and strength to fight through the defense, but was
eventually beaten to the ball by the Korean 'keeper who cleared the
ball away from danger.
The second half opened up with the visitors still dominating
possession but only leading by a goal. The opening 20 minutes of the
half truly belonged to South Korea and in the 65th minute they came
close to extending the lead again. It was Dong-Gook Lee again making
the most of his minutes, collecting a ball at the top left corner of
the box although his curling shot towards the back post sailed just
wide.
Cronin kept his side within a goal minutes later. Do-Heon Kim
took a corner and Jin-Cheul Choi directed his header down and on
target. The Galaxy 'keeper made a great reaction save, getting a
hand on the ball and redirecting the ball around the post for
another Korean corner kick.
The Galaxy finally threatened the Koreans in the 71st minute when
Ned Grabavoy found second-half substitute Mike Enfield inside the
18. But Enfield's shot from inside the area sailed high and wide of
the near post. Then, three minutes later, rookie Nate Sturgis picked
out Enfield with a cross, but his shot went right at Woon-Jae Lee,
who made an easy save.
Within three minutes, the game was out of reach for the Galaxy.
In the 75th minute Kyung-Ho Chung crossed the ball to Dong-Gook Lee,
who hit the crossbar with his header. The rebound fell right to
Do-Heon Kim who made no mistake burying his follow-up into the lower
portion of the net.
Then it was Chun-Soo Lee, playing the role of provider all night,
who was picked out by a long ball from midfield and sent in alone on
Cronin. Lee calmly dribbled in on Cronin and tucked a low shot past
the 'keeper for the third goal of the night.
Just before the end, Chu-Young Park came in on a breakaway and
just beat Cronin to the ball, but the Galaxy goalkeeper managed to
kick the ball away and keep the scoreline at 3-0.
Despite the final result, there were many positives to be taken
away from a match that saw dominant speed and technical superiority
from the South Koreans that proved to be too much for a much younger
Galaxy squad still early in its preseason.
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story
was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its
clubs.
