Steven Gerrard and the Galaxy only manage a draw with Montreal. (Photo by Duane Barker)
by Josh Ouellette
CARSON, Calif. – Didier Drogba and the visiting Montreal Impact played to a scoreless draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy at the StubHub Center on Saturday night.
Justin Mapp created an early shot on goal for the Impact (9-11-5) in the second minute, but Donovan Ricketts laid out to his right get a hand on the curling shot for the Galaxy (13-8-8).
Montreal threatened again in the first ten minutes when Ricketts saved Ignacio Piatti’s shot only to watch Donny Toia slot the second chance attempt right past him. Luckily for the Galaxy keeper the flag was up with Romero ruled to be offside.
Gyasi Zardes missed the opportunity to give LA the lead in the 22nd minute when Montreal keeper Evan Bush was caught in no man’s land and cleared the ball right to U.S. international on the wing, but his 40-plus yard shot sailed high and wide.
Juninho took a chance from about 25 yards out in the 26th, but his shot trickled wide.
The Galaxy continued to have chances late in the second half, none better than Robbie Keane’s chip shot in the 35th minute. Bush was able to get a hand on the crafty attempt from the Irishman and his defender was able to head it clear over the crossbar.
Giovani dos Santos created a chance just inside the box for the Galaxy in the 42nd minute, but he was forced to watch his shot sputter weakly into Bush’s arms in the Impact net.
Drogba created one of the best chances of the night after the half in the 57th minute. The former Chelsea great passed Juninho to get inside the box near the touchline and flip a shot over Ricketts. Dave Romney cleared the chance over the bar for LA to the relief of the watching Angel City Brigade sitting behind the Galaxy net.
In the 66th minute it looked like Robbie Keane had given the Galaxy the lead, but he was ruled offside by the side judge much to the dismay of the sold out crowd cheering at the site of the ball in the back of the net.
Steven Gerrard’s only shot of the night didn’t dip in time and went high over the net in the 73rd minute after he found space just above the box.
Drogba failed to score on two late and great chances and it proved to be the difference in the match.
In the 85th the Ivory Coast star found himself 1-on-1 with Omar Gonzalez in the Galaxy’s third of the pitch, but he couldn’t decide what to do with the ball and A.J. DeLaGarza was able to back track in time to dispossess the Impact forward.
A few minutes later the ball found Drogba again in the box off of a counter attack but his shot across goal skidded wide.
LA had one last chance in the 90th minute with the ball falling to Dan Gargan’s feet just outside of the right corner of the box, but instead of shooting the substitute defender decided to attempt a cross to Keane on the backside of the net but the ball was high.
Ricketts finished the night as the man of the match with five saves in net for Los Angeles.
With the draw, the Galaxy remain in second place in the Western Conference with 47 points, just a point behind the leading Vancouver Whitecaps (48 points).
Montreal remains smack dab in the middle of the Eastern Conference with 32 points from their MLS-low 25 games played.
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