Soccer News: Well-Oiled LA Galaxy Earns Big Win Over Experimental Los Angeles Blues Squad

USL PRO side missing numerous potential starters in preseason opener

The LA Galaxy looked ready to defend their MLS Cup trophy in a convincing scrimmage win over a highly experimental Los Angeles Blues lineup on Friday, February 3. While the Galaxy has kept the core of its 2011 team together and had a fairly short offseason, Blues Head Coach Charlie Naimo is in the process of completely revamping his squad. With about ten likely signings yet to join the team, Naimo fielded a number of trialists and used the Fullerton-based club’s first preseason match to try out different tactical ideas.

In the end, the Galaxy's superior fitness and chemistry proved too much, as the MLS side came away with a 7-2 result behind a brace from striker Adam Cristman. While the Blues’ improvised defense looked shaky throughout the match, the attack showed a lot of promise, with trilialist Cho Suhyung adding the exclamation point in the form of a well-taken goal to temporarily cut the deficit to one.

The Galaxy opened the scoring in the 13th minute of play following a last-ditch sliding effort by the visitors’ Erlys Garcia to try and deny a Pat Noonan shot from a Hector Jiminez cross. The ball struck Garcia in the hand and Marcelo Sarvas stepped up to confidently bury the resulting penalty-kick to goalkeeper Jose Miranda’s right. Moments later, Miranda did well to deny the MLS Cup champions a second when his diving save deflected the ball around the post on a precise long-range effort by Noonan.

The hosts doubled their lead around the half-hour mark when defender Todd Dunivant ran on to a well-threaded through ball and calmly slotted a shot past a helpless Miranda. A mere minute later, Cho Suhyung had his standout moment, displaying excellent skills to take down a big switch from fellow trialist Mike Lopez on the left side of the box and instantly touch it around his marker. With the ball on his right foot about 17 yards from goal, the Korean sent a determined blast inside the far post that left opposing net minder Josh Saunders without a chance.

Cristman restored the old advantage for his side in the 36th minute, finding the net on an easy tap-in from a Paolo Cardozo pass after a through ball left the Blues backline utterly exposed. Six minutes later, Cardozo then added a tally of his own when he touched home a Cristman assist. Galaxy made it 5-1 moments from the halftime whistle when Sarvas sent Sean Franklin into space on the right side of the attack. The 26-year-old whipped a nice cross into the area that Cristman finished to complete his brace.

The Blues looked much improved in the second 45 minutes, and it took the Galaxy until after the half-hour mark to add their next goal. Local teenage product Jack McBean did well to muscle off Garcia on the right side of the penalty area before turning and firing a stunning blast into the upper ninety for the day’s most spectacular goal. The Blues responded with a 68th minute tally from agile halftime substitute Matt Fondy, whose determined header on a Lopez corner kick beat the opposition goalkeeper to cut the deficit to four.

The hosts would round out the score line five minutes from full time when Stephen Posa found himself in a one-on-one with the Blues’ Amir Abedzadeh, who had come on to replace Miranda between the sticks. Brought down on his attempt to round the Iranian, Posa set up the game’s second penalty-kick, which was converted by recent Galaxy signing Kyle Nakazawa to make it 7-2.

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