PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- The Los Angeles Galaxy ended a four-match winless streak with a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Mutiny in a Major League Soccer match Saturday night, but coach Sigi Schmid said it has not yet emerged from its funk.
"We're still like three, four or five games from getting out of
this," said Schmid, whose team had three losses and a tie in its
last four matches.
Now 7-3-6, the Galaxy opened its season 5-0-3, then went into a
1-3-3 slump after the league began to force it to divest players so
high-scoring Mexican forward Luis Hernandez could be added to its
roster.
A key to the victory was rookie defender Danny Califf, who
scored what proved to be the game-winner, and also shut down Tampa
Bay's Mamadou Diallo, who entered Saturday's play leading MLS in
goals with 12.
"I thought Danny played very well against Diallo," Schmid
said. "He's always played very well against fast play. It seems
when he plays against somebody who's fast, he concentrates and his
focus is very good."
A former University of Maryland standout, Califf got inside of
Mutiny defender Ritchie Kotschau to head Greg Vanney's corner kick
in from six yards out in the 40th minute for his first MLS goal.
"He scored a great header," Schmid said.
Los Angeles midfielder Simon Elliott opened the scoring in the
ninth minute after referee Noel Kenny awarded it a free kick for
Eric Quill's foul of Luis Hernandez 25 yards from the goal.
Mauricio Cienfuegos and Vanney both made runs at the ball, but
Elliott eventually took the kick, putting it over goalkeeper Scott
Garlick's right arm for his third goal of the season.
Manny Lagos scored during stoppage time in the second half for
Tampa Bay (8-7) taking Carlos Valderrama's pass and putting a shot
under goalkeeper Kevin Hartman for his fifth goal before 14,603 at
the Rose Bowl.
Valderrama missed a penalty kick in the 47th minute, putting it
against the left goalpost. Kenny awarded Tampa Bay the penalty kick
following a collision between Vanney and Lagos on the left side of
the penalty area.
The Galaxy led 17-8 in shots and 8-4 in shots on goal. In the
first half, Los Angeles had a 10-2 advantage in shots and 7-0 in
shots on goal.
"We basically took the first 45 minutes and threw it away,"
Mutiny coach Tim Hankinson said. "Our quality of play was better
in the second half. We put a lot of pressure on their box. I was
very pleased wit the overall effort in the second half."
Hartman made three saves and Garlick four.