Whitecaps Fall 3-0 in LA to Brilliant Galaxy

Keane's well placed header

Preparing myself mentally to watch the Whitecaps is a nerve-racking process. Especially when they're facing the top of the table LA Galaxy, at the Home Depot Center, where the Galaxy have yet to lose. Yet as the match kicked off, the Caps seemed organized, hardworking, and ready to create a few attacking opportunities of their own.

The first half was probably some of the best playing I've seen from the Caps in a long time, especially if you consider the opposition they were facing. The team defended fairly well, and did its best to counter-attack with decisive speed. In fact, an early goal almost came for the Caps with a low Hassli strike which the LA keeper parried, Chiumiento not reaching the ball in time to tap it in. The other chance was Camilo being blatantly brought down in the box, yet the referee gave no penalty and saw it as "just another dive by a Brazilian".

While I was hoping for a Caps goal as halftime approached, the opposite arrived with Magee scoring for LA in the 40th minute. It was a decisive strike which the Caps didn't deserve. It should be noted that the Caps player who lost the ball, allowing for LA to attack was Shea Salinas, who was having a horrible first half.

Magee celebrating his double

The second half was more like what I was initially expecting, while the Caps were still fairly solid, they eventually conceded the second goal about 20 minutes in. It was a wonderful header by Robbie Keane, and while it will always be tough to stop a striker like him from scoring, he had way too much space and time given to him by the Caps defence.

The game was lost, while Tom Soehn tried to revitalize the tiring forwards with Long Tan and Mustapha Jarju, the Galaxy eventually found their third goal with another header by Magee. By now, I had noticed a small trend going on which I'd love if Tom Soehn could notice. Three goals by LA, all three made by crosses, and the scorers were rarely marked properly.

Maybe it was the good start that the Caps had, but for some reason I come away from this match with a positive outlook. While a 3-0 defeat isn't a good result, it isn't horrible if you look at the way the Caps played, the few good chances they created, and the penalty which wasn't given. I actually saw a team I was proud of, and I hope to see the same team next week when I go watch them live at Empire Field against the Seattle Sounders.