SEATTLE >> For the fourth time in the past six years, the Galaxy and the Sounders met in the MLS playoffs. For the first time, it wasn’t L.A. that survived.
A goal from Seattle’s Erik Friberg in the 73rd minute ended the Galaxy’s attempt at a championship repeat as defensive miscues proved too costly for L.A. in a 3-2 loss at CenturyLink Field.
“I think Christmas came early in Seattle,” Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said. “We absolutely gift-wrapped that game for them tonight. Our play in front of our goal defensively was atrocious. … Give them credit, they jumped on the mistakes, but we were shockingly poor.”
The Galaxy (14-12-9) ended their season on a four-game winless streak in MLS play. They won only one of their final eight league games after defeating New York City FC on Aug. 23 and gave up nine combined goals in the final 25 minutes of their last five games.
This marks the first time since 2008 that the Galaxy failed to reach the conference semifinals.
“We put ourselves in this situation,” defender Omar Gonzalez said. “We didn’t finish out the season the way we wanted to.”
The teams combined for a wild opening salvo as they put up three goals in 12 minutes. Clint Dempsey capitalized on a defensive miscommunication between defender Omar Gonzalez and keeper Donovan Ricketts to bury a shot into an open net in the fifth minute.
Gonzalez said he ducked off the ball late because he heard Ricketts behind him so the miscommunications were not due to the crowd noise at CenturyLink Field. The crowd of 39,537 was the second-smallest Sounders home crowd for an MLS game this year.
“It was just uncharacteristic of our team,” Gonzalez said.
Sebastian Lletget, who played on the right side instead of his usual left, equalized two minutes later with his first goal since Aug. 23, but a defensive miscue in the 12th minute gave the Sounders another goal. Nelson Valdez slipped behind the Galaxy back line to put a free kick from Andreas Ivanschitz into the back of the net. After the goal, Steven Gerrard and Ricketts exchanged angry words on the pitch after Gerrard’s man went unmarked in the box.
“In general play, we have been conceding too many balls off set pieces and crosses into the box,” Gerrard said. “It feels like we have to score three or four goals to win games at the moment and that’s not how it can be.”
The Galaxy took control in the first half by stressing the Sounders midfield, which was without Osvaldo Alonso, who was out due to injury. After Seattle scored in the 12th minute, L.A. took the next 10 shots of the game and equalized in the 22nd minute from a Gyasi Zardes goal.
L.A. took only one shot in the second half to Seattle’s six. In the 73rd minute, A.J. DeLaGarza headed an intended clearance straight up into the air, Ricketts came off his line and slipped on the turf, and Seattle’s Erik Friberg volleyed home the go-ahead goal.
“When you’re the champions and you know what it feels like to lift that trophy and now for it to be taken away from you, it’s difficult to take,” captain Robbie Keane said. “We can sit here all day, stand here all day, but we weren’t good enough.”
