Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Red Bulls - Galaxy (first half)

The teams are on the field and ready to start this play-in game. I figure I'll use this blog as my in-game notes and you guys can follow along that way.

2 - Ante Jazic got fouled, it looked like it was inside the box but the free kick is just outside the penalty area

3 - Cobi Jones hit the free kick and it went nowhere

4 - Carlos Mendes flattened Nate Jaqua in the middle of the field; so far, it's a pretty physical game

8 - Dema fired a rocket from the top of the area on a corner kick but Steve Cronin made a great save

9 - Kovalenko makes noise again, this time for flattening Cobi Jones on a counter, yellow for Dema

12 - PK! Cronin took down Jozy Altidore in the penalty area!

13 - Cronin saved it! He dived to his left, Jozy's right, and stopped it

13 - Jozy made a really nice move to get himself free inside the area; a Galaxy player had a bad back pass and Jozy picked it up, scooted around Ty Harden and got the ball past Cronin but Cronin knocked him down. Jozy didn't put too much on the shot; I got video of it so look out for it.

18 - Peter Vagenas took a ball right off his face; I think it was Reyna who turned and ripped the ball up the field but it slammed off Vagenas' face; he's okay

20 - Robbie Findley almost had a highlight reel goal with no highlight reel recording it; he got the ball inside the box and dribbled free but his shot went very high over the crossbar; he made a mess of it

21 - Mathis found space on the right side, carried the ball to the top of the penalty area but missed the far post

23 - Okay, not a whole lot going on here; the Red Bulls are having problems getting the ball to Jozy and Mathis; the two chances each had were created mostly because the Galaxy defenders messed up or were out of position; the Galaxy's not doing a great job of getting the ball into dangerous positions either; we need Landon and Juan Pablo!

26 - Findley got past Carlos Mendes near the middle of the field and sprinted down the right flank but his cross was worthless; Jaqua couldn't latch onto it and the Bulls cleared it

28 - Jazic sent a through ball that nearly got to Jaqua but Jeff Parke got there first; otherwise, Jaqua would have walked in alone on Conway

34 - First sub of night; Seth Stammler in for Hunter Freeman; Freeman was hurt somehow, he was lying on the field in pain and none of us here in the press box saw what happened to Hunter; Bruce Arena wasted no time in getting Stammler up and in the game

38 - Nice attempt from Claudio Reyna; Dane Richards started the play on the right side, he beat Ante Jazic to a ball, shook his mark and fed Reyna who was outside the penalty area. From some 20 yards out, Reyna ripped a left-footed shot but Cronin saw it all the way and made the save

40 - Clint Mathis hits a 30-yarder with Cronin well off his line but the ball dipped too late and went over the crossbar

41 - Van den Bergh finds Mathis inside the penalty area, Mathis header but Cronin dived and pushed the ball over the endline; nice play, nice save

45 - Dema hard foul on Albright in the middle of the field

45 - Nate Jaqua booked after knocking down van den Bergh

45 - Vagenas called for fouling Kovalenko some 22 yards out; Red Bulls free kick in dangerous spot

45 - Mathis free kick makes it through wall but Cronin dives and makes the save

END OF HALF

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thanks. I'm hanging on your every word. :)

Sounds like the Red Bulls have had the better of the play.

Not surprising, given their lineup as compared to the Galaxy.