The LA Galaxy will return home needing simply to win in the second leg to advance to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League after a scoreless draw with Herediano.
Herediano vs. LA Galaxy: Final score 0-0, No goals to be found in Costa Rica
The Galaxy should have had a goal but an officiating mistake took it off the board. Then they survived a dubious penalty call to get a scoreless draw against Herediano. With the second leg at home, it’s not a bad result at all.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
It took awhile for the first half to really get going but when it finally did, Herediano were the more dangerous team. Robbie Keane spent more time fighting with the turf in the first 45 minutes than he did attacking the goal, which didn't really allow the Galaxy offense to ever really get going.
The Galaxy did get the first decent shot of the game in the 10th minute when Héctor Jiménez found Mike Magee on a the near post run. Magee was a touch late getting to the ball, probably more to do with the surface than his run, and his shot was more of a tame redirection that was easily dealt with by Daniel Cambronero.
The match picked up some steam around the 30th minute when again the Galaxy got what looked like it would be a good chance to get a shot on goal. Instead Keane, who was all alone at the top of the penalty area, botched his shot badly and started blaming the turf for his misfortune.
Herediano countered immediately, getting their first good shot attempt of the match off. Unfortunately Elías Aguilar’s shot skied over the crossbar.
Two minutes later Galaxy goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini was tested for the first time on a long low shot from Warren Granados. Cudicini blocked the shot but couldn't control it and the ball bounced free back into the box. Lucky for the keeper, only his defenders were there and the ball was cleared.
Herediano came whisker close to getting a goal in the 43rd minute when Cristian Montero made a great run to the far post on a corner and headed the ball off the post. Sean Franklin's marking was very poor and Cudicini was all over the place trying to react, but Herediano couldn't make them pay.
Both teams came close early in the second half.
Herediano's Yendrick Ruiz jumped on a lose ball in the Galaxy box after a communication between Omar Gonzalez and A.J. DeLaGarza. His shot went just wide of the post, possibly tipped slightly by Cudicini.
The Galaxy responded quickly as Robbie Keane made a nice run down the left wing before centering to Mike Magee who’s redirected shot popped off the crossbar.
Mike Magee put the ball in the net for the Galaxy in the 67th minute but he was ruled offside...which was funny because he wasn’t. In fact Magee wasn’t even close to being offside.
CONCACAF’d!
The Galaxy got CONCACAF’d even worse in the 86th minute when Sean Franklin was called for a phantom penalty on Ismael Gómez who conned the referee with a clear dive.. As often happens though, when the penalty call is bad, the ensuing PK is missed and that was the case this time as Gómez blasted his shot off the crossbar.
Considering everything, a scoreless draw is a pretty good result for the Galaxy.
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