LA Galaxy shows heart in shorthanded draw

CARSON, Calif. -- The LA Galaxy are still waiting for their first MLS win of the season, and although moral victories don't get you three points, the Galaxy showed heart to battle to a draw on Saturday night, an evening one of the league's originals celebrated 30 years.

Although the reigning champions couldn't cap off the festive evening with a victory, they picked up an important point in a 1-1 home draw with only 10 men against the Houston Dynamo.

Captain Diego Fagundez rescued the match for the Galaxy with a sumptuous free kick in the second half for his 150th career goal contribution (74 goals, 76 assists) in 400 league appearances. 

His heroics were necessary after the Galaxy fell behind early once again, with Zanka Jørgensen making matters worse by picking up a straight red card in the 27th minute that forced the hosts to play a man down for the rest of the match.

“I think when you go down a man, the team really needs to step up and show what kind of characters you are,” Fagundez said of the Galaxy’s brave performance in a post match press conference. 

“This shows this team can do damage to other teams, and now we need to make sure we can do it with 11 guys and make sure that we do it when we're not behind.”

Before Zanka’s red card left LA shorthanded, they'd already handed an early advantage to Houston by allowing the Dynamo to score a well-worked goal.

Striker Ezequil Ponce turned home an Amine Bassi assist to cap off a sweeping, 17-pass build up by Houston, that put the visitors up 1-0 in the 14th minute. The ease with which Houston Winger Sebastian Kowalczyk got into the Galaxy’s box to supply the goal will be concerning for LA Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney, who saw his side concede first for the fourth game running. 

It made for another game in which the Galaxy were forced to fight to get back into the match again.

“Yeah, we've got to be cleaner and start games cleaner,” Vanney said of the Galaxy’s troublesome opening half. “I thought all of that, us not using the ball, with turning it over, not really settling in, we're hitting long balls and doing things that made the game transitional.” 

The shaky beginning culminated in Zanka’s red card and the Galaxy being forced to find a solution and each player, another gear.

Midfielder Edwin Cerrillo saw himself filling in as a center back, being preferred to Eriq Zavaleta in the position, who was dealing with a back issue.

Cerrillo acquitted himself admirably in the role, spreading the ball to both wings and marshalling the backline with aplomb. The Galaxy defense would only give up two shots on target in the second half under Cerrillo's stewardship.

“I think everyone was up to the challenge of doing a little bit extra today, and we knew in the second half it was going to be a grind,” Cerrillo said of the team’s mindset after going down to 10 men. 

“The second Zanka went down, it was going to be a grind. Everybody had to step up, and me kind of filling in that center back position, my goal was just to keep it at one at most, and give my teammates a better -- the best chance to go out for the game and look to get a result. And that's what we did.”

Fagundez was especially instrumental in the draw. 

The veteran, who entered the record books when he became the 15th player in MLS history to play in 400 games, was everywhere on the pitch.

At times, he would drop as deep as the backline to help the Galaxy snuff out Dynamo offensive threats, only to find himself in the Galaxy attack a moment later. On his historic night, it was the 14-year veteran leading his teammates by example to try and get the draw or even steal a win.

“I was just trying to do my role. When we go down a man, everybody needs to run a little more,” Fagundez said of the effort he and his teammates showed in the draw.

“Today, I tried to do everything I can. I wanted that win as much as everybody, and I was willing to do whatever it took… and that's one thing I'm very proud of myself, no matter what I'm doing out there, I'm giving it my all, and until the last little bit of fuel that I had in my system.”

But despite Fagundez’s best efforts and those of his teammates, the obstacles were too much to overcome to get the Galaxy’s first league win. 

Now the Galaxy captain wants to replicate the grit the team showed again, but with all 11 players on the pitch. Fagundez is confident that under those conditions, LA can start to find positive results. 

“The grind and the grit that everybody put in, the hard work, the amount of running we did, that's what kind of team we want to be. And it shows. Now we need to do that with 11 guys, not 10. And if we do that, we can be a really, really great team.”

The Galaxy next faces Fagundez's old team, Austin FC, away on Saturday, April 19.