Los Angeles Galaxy vs. C.S. Herediano: Live Blog

T-75: Welcome to the Live Blog between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Club Sport Herediano here on the View from Avalon.

Mar 7, 2013; Heredia, COSTA RICA; Los Angeles Galaxy player Marcelo Sarvas (left) chases after the ball with Herediano player Esteban Granados during the match at Estadio Eladio Rosabal Cordero. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Arguedas/EFE via USA TODAY Sports

My name is Jo-Ryan Salazar, the beat writer for the Galaxy here on the FanSided Network. This is the second leg of the 2012-13 CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals.

T-70: The Galaxy and Herediano fought to a scoreless draw at El Rosabal last week. For Herediano, there is an incentive to at least play to a regular draw, as they will win via away goals. As for the Galaxy, they must take advantage of home field advantage and win tonight to advance.

A little housekeeping…here are some group standings from earlier in CCL play.

Group 1
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Santos Laguna 4 4 0 0 13 1 +12 12
Toronto FC 4 2 0 2 9 5 +4 6
Águila 4 0 0 4 1 17 −16 0

Group 2
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Herediano 4 3 1 0 4 1 +3 10
Real Salt Lake 4 2 1 1 3 1 +2 7
Tauro 4 0 0 4 1 6 −5 0

Group 3
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Houston Dynamo 4 2 2 0 9 3 +6 8
Olimpia 4 1 2 1 6 4 +2 5
FAS 4 1 0 3 3 11 −8 3

Group 5
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Los Angeles Galaxy 4 3 1 0 12 4 +8 10
Puerto Rico Islanders 4 1 1 2 4 7 −3 4
Isidro Metapán 4 1 0 3 7 12 −5 3

Group 6
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
UANL 4 2 2 0 12 3 +9 8
Alajuelense 4 2 1 1 4 7 −3 7
Real Estelí 4 0 1 3 1 7 −6 1

Group 7
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Monterrey 4 4 0 0 15 0 +15 12
Municipal 4 2 0 2 4 6 −2 6
Chorrillo 4 0 0 4 2 15 −13 0

Group 8
Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Xelajú 4 2 1 1 7 6 +1 7
Guadalajara 4 2 1 1 7 3 +4 7
W Connection 4 0 2 2 5 10 −5 2

Seeding
The eight qualified teams are seeded in the Championship Round according to their results in the Group Stage.
Seed Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 Monterrey 4 4 0 0 15 0 +15 12
2 Santos Laguna 4 4 0 0 13 1 +12 12
3 Seattle Sounders FC 4 4 0 0 12 5 +7 12
4 Los Angeles Galaxy 4 3 1 0 12 4 +8 10
5 Herediano 4 3 1 0 4 1 +3 10
6 UANL 4 2 2 0 12 3 +9 8
7 Houston Dynamo 4 2 2 0 9 3 +6 8
8 Xelajú 4 2 1 1 7 6 +1 7

T-65: Monterrey and the Seattle Sounders are already in the semifinals. In the first leg of the quarterfinal between Monterrey and Xelaju, Los Rayados defeated Los Chivos 3-1. And in the second leg, a 1-1 draw was enough for the defending CCL champions to go through 4-2 on aggregate. In the first leg between Seattle and Tigres UANL, they fell 1-0, but in the second leg, they powered to a 3-1 win to advance 3-2 on aggregate.

Currently going on is the second leg between Santos Laguna and Houston Dynamo. Houston won the first leg 1-0 but they are trailing the runners-up 2-0 due to defensive miscues, including an encroachment on a penalty that was saved initially by Houston’s Tally Hall.

T-60: We are an hour to kickoff here at the Home Depot Center. Because this game is held on a school day, there will be portions of the stadium that will be fenced off. It’s now halftime at Estadio Corona in Torreon, and Santos Laguna are leading Houston Dynamo 2-1.

Could Jose Villareal be slotted up top alongside Robbie Keane? The captain thinks so.

"“Mike Magee can fit in there also, so [Villarreal has] got to come in and do as good a job,” Keane told LAGalaxy.com’s Adam Serrano. “Naturally, he’s kind of a front man, and like I said, he’s been playing regular games with the national team so he’s fit and sharp. He looks good in training and hopefully, we can play well together.”"

Skies are clear and the weather will cool down later tonight, so this is great football weather.

T-43:  Odds from Oddschecker.com…
Los Angeles 4/9
Draw 39/10
Herediano 15/2

T-40: Is this the most important game of the year? Not really, according to Los Angeles Galaxy manager Bruce Arena.

"“Not of the year, it’s one game at a time.,” Arena said. “All of the games are important. This is very important and obviously, we have a game on Sunday. We think that it is very important to advance to the semifinals of this competition.“[Herediano are]  a good team. All the teams in this competition are good teams. There’s nothing really concerning. We know that we need to play well in order to advance.”"

And what will El Team utilize?

"“Likely start with a defensive posture,” Arena hinted. “We have to have good focus and concentration early in the game and we can’t give up a goal.”"

T-35: If the Los Angeles Galaxy advance, there is a chance that Landon Donovan will be in action in the semifinal with Monterrey. “I do have interest in playing for the national team again,” Donovan said at event at USC last month, according to the Sporting News. “I still feel like I needed some time to rest, but absolutely, if given the chance then yes, I want to play again.”

T-30: A half-hour to kickoff, and both teams enter the pitch. There is a small, yet vocal contingent of Herediano fans in the northwest corner of the stadium.

T-28: In other news: defender Kofi Opare is officially a member of the Galaxy, having signed a contract with the team. A native of Ghana, Opare also lived in South Africa and the United States before his family settled in Niagara Falls, Ontario. He debuted for the Wolverines in 2009 when he was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. He set career-highs for games played and games started as a sophomore in 2010, helping lead Michigan to the College Cup Semifinals for the first time in school history.

A Second Team All-Big Ten selection as a junior, Opare scored a career-high three goals during his senior season when he served as one of the Wolverines tri-captains. He finished his Michigan career with six goals and two assists in 76 games for the Wolverines.

T-25: Villareal starred in the CONCACAF Under-20 Championships for the USA, who fell 3-1 to Mexico. He is confident that his experience playing for the National Team will carry over tonight against Herediano.

“Seeing how they take the game into their hands made me realize that I need to train a little bit harder and everyday get better. Eventually that will help me to come here and win a spot for myself,” said Villarreal to LAGalaxy.com’s Adam Serrano. “We all practice to be a starter and to walk onto the field holding a little kids’ hand…I always think that if I work hard, practice, and take advantage of the minutes that I get on the field then eventually I’ll become a starter.”

T-20: Here is the schedule for the Galaxy Academy teams this week:

LA Galaxy U-13’s vs. Real So Cal – Cal South Semis — Saturday, March 16
Game will be played at Rancho Capistrano Soccer Fields – Field 4 at 1 p.m.

LA Galaxy U-16’s vs. San Jose Earthquakes — Saturday, March 16
Game will be played at the Nutrilite Training Facility at 1:30 p.m.

LA Galaxy U-18’s vs. San Jose Earthquakes — Saturday, March 16
Game will be played at the Nutrilite Training Facility at 11:00 a.m.

TBD vs. TBD – Cal South Finals — Sunday, March 17
Game will be played at Rancho Capistrano Soccer Fields – Field 4 at 11 a.m.

LA Galaxy U-16’s vs. Cal Odyssey — Sunday, March 17
Game will be played at the College of the Sequoias at 1:30 p.m.

LA Galaxy U-18’s vs. Cal Odyssey — Sunday, March 17
Game will be played at the College of the Sequoias at 11:00 a.m.

Lineups forthcoming.

T-15: Lineups.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY

League: Major League Soccer

Manager: Bruce Arena

Colors: White tops with blue sashes, white shorts, white socks

1 Carlo Cudicini

20 A.J. DeLaGarza —- 4 Omar Gonzalez —- 22 Leonardo —- 2 Todd Dunivant

5 Sean Franklin —- 8 Marcelo Sarvas —- 19 Juninho —- 18 Mike Magee

33 Jose Villareal — 7 Robbie Keane (C)

Substitutes:
24 Brian Perk GK
21 Tommy Meyer D
25 Rafael Garcia M
35 Greg Cochrane M
26 Michael Stephens M
16 Hector Jimenez M
32 Jack McBean F

CLUB SPORT HEREDIANO

League: Primera División de Costa Rica

Manager: Marvin Solano

Colors: Yellow tops with red sashes, blue shorts, blue socks

20 Daniel Cambronero

17 Marvin Obando —- 21 Pablo Salazar (C) —- 4 Cristian Montero —- 90 Waylon Francis

5 Esteban Granados —- 10 Ismael Gomez —- 13 Elias Aguilar —- 16 Carlos Hernandez —- 29 Esteban Ramirez

7 Yendrick Ruiz

Substitutes:
1 Leo Moreira GK
8 Jose Garro M
11 Jose Sanchez M
23 Victor Nunez M
9 Minor Diaz F
19 Jose Barbosa F
99 Olman Vargas

T-13: Santos Laguna are on cruise control, dominating Houston Dynamo in the second leg 3-0. This could be in the bag for Los Guerreros.

T-10: Ten minutes to kickoff here at the Home Depot Center. Walter Lopez is our match official today. Gerson Lopez and Ronaldo de la Cruz are the linesmen and Oscar Reyna is the fourth official.

T-5: It’s a final over at Estadio Corona: Santos Laguna are through to the semifinals after defeating Houston Dynamo 3-0 to win 3-1 on aggregate.

T-3: Only one berth in the semifinals remains. Who will get it? The Los Angeles Galaxy? Or Club Sport Herediano? We will find out shortly.

T-0: Both teams will walk out on to the pitch shortly to the strains of the CONCACAF Anthem. A decent crowd on hand tonight for a school day.

Both teams now enter the pitch.

FIRST HALF START: 7:07 P.M. PT/10:07 P.M. ET

1′ – And here we go!

2′ – Can Carlo Cudicini get luck again, or will El Team put it together on a far more superior pitch? Throw-in, Los Angeles. Stolen by the visitors. No dice for Jose Villareal. Back to Cudicini.

3′ – That was nearly out for Robbie Keane, but the Galaxy captain sends it back into play. Magee. An ambitious volley for Marcelo Sarvas. Won’t work. Goal kick.

4′ – Breakaway now for Herediano…swallowed up. Now a bad challenge. Walter Lopez awards possession to El Team.

5′ – Throw-in for A.J. DeLaGarza. Leonardo hoofs it. Herediano, taking advantage of the surface.

6′ – And here is Omar Gonzalez. Sarvas. Keane. This is trouble…Mike Magee wins a corner. Juninho takes it short. No dice.

7′ – A foul on Herediano. I believe that was Yendrick Ruiz being whistled. Sarvas isn’t doing a good job with ball control. El Team wins a set piece.

8′ – Options here…pushed aside for the first corner of the match by Cudicini.

9′ – Take…two. Seems to be the visitors will enjoy getting a boat load of set pieces. Taken short and cleared. Robbie Keane nearly was in the clear.

10′ – Good ball control this minute. Leonardo to Gonzalez. Deflected for a throw to the G’s. Juninho, Swept. This is a great midfield battle.

11′ – Herediano with a free kick from the midfield stripe. Right into the hands of Cudicini. That’s a clumsy challenge. Free kick, LA.

12′ – Robbie Keane was not going to win that argument. That’s just good defending from Pablo Salazar. Pressure put on by El Team.

13′ – LA are having a bit of trouble with through balls. Excellent containment by Herediano’s midfield and backs.

14′ – Here is the strategy…contain, contain, contain, then creep up and counter quickly. That’s Herediano’s strategy right there.  They are stretching the field.

15′ – Robbie Keane is contained. Too long for Mike Magee, who plays it back. Back to Herediano’s catenaccio.

16′ – So far, Herediano’s containment strategy is working to perfection. Finally, LA get a shot, but it’s a weak one, into the hands of Daniel Cambronero.

17′ – Esteban Ramirez stops Robbie Keane.

18′ – Corner now for Los Angeles. Juninho to take.

GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 4 Omar Gonzalez

19′ – And the Galaxy take the lead! Omar comin’!

20′ – For those of you joining us, LA are leading right now. Great bicycle clearance by Cristian Montero.

21′ – Now, for El Team, this provides a great opportunity. If they can equalize, they have the advantage via away goals. That wasn’t as good touch from Mike Magee.

22′  – Throw in, Waylon Francis. Now here is Esteban Ramirez, who has held Robbie Keane in check tonight. Mike Magee with some nice marking.

23′ – Gonzalez, and now here’s Leonardo, but he put it out for a Herediano throw-in.

24′ – Dangerous shot for Herediano, but no dice.

25′ – Elias Aguilar plays it back. Aguilar, as predicted, sucks it up and is on the pitch. Another foul on the Galaxy. They are stacking up.

26′ – Gonzalez. Back to Leonardo. Mike Magee is offsides. He has been stymied this aggregate by the officials.

27′ – What a save by Cambronero! Big save right there. Juninho to take the corner.

28′ – Cleared. That would have been two straight goals on corners. Todd Dunivant is fouled. Juninho now. Corner. The corners are now piling up for the Galaxy.

29′ – Not well positioned. Cambronero collects. And Dunivant sweeps.

30′ – Carlo Cudicini resets. Los Angeles have to build on their lead because Herediano drawing even is as good as Herediano leading as we pass the half-hour mark.

31′ – Marvin Obando with the throw. And Robbie Keane was out of position. Magee gets jammed again.

32′ – Good defending from the Galaxy, holding on to a precarious lead. Now it’s a throw-in for LA.

33′ – El Team are playing with urgency. And Cudi comes off his line. Omar with another clearance. The Galaxy are fending some pressure here.

34′ – The Galaxy’s defense are shooting themselves in the foot with these poor clearances. But Herediano are also shooting themselves in the foot with poor finishing.

35′ – Carlos Hernandez with a throw-in. That’s trouble…Robbie Keane misses, though. Walter Lopez allows advantage to the Costa Rican side.

36′ – Another chances goes south for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

37′ – Leonardo with the initial clearance…Esteban Ramirez with the poor accuracy. Carlo Cudicini with the diabolical distribution.

38′ – No way, Jose Villareal; you don’t have the speed to catch up to that one. Back to Ramirez. Now here’s Obando.

39′ – Hernandez now. Dispossessed. Keane plays it back. A throw for the Galaxy.’

40′ – Daniel Cambronero with the punchout. A riveting match here at Victoria Street. 1-0 Los Angeles. Now here come Herediano. Free kick.  And a quick restart.

41′ – Magee. Held up. And Robbie Keane loses the race with Cristian Montero. Elias Aguilar is fouled.

42′ – Robbie Keane gets challenged and is favoring his back a bit. Free kick, Todd Dunivant, who plays it back to Omar Gonzalez.

43′ – Nearly reached Magee. And there will be a card.

Yellow card 19 Juninho

Los Angeles Galaxy

Juninho was caught trying to stop Francis on the transition.

44′ – This is going to be a quick 45 minutes. And Robbie Keane nearly got open. That’s a corner to the Galaxy.

45′ – That nearly found Gonzalez again. Only one minute of stoppage time.

45′ + 1′ – A dubious dive. Halftime.

HALFTIME

LOS ANGELES GALAXY 1
Omar Gonzalez 18′ 

CLUB SPORT HEREDIANO 0 

Match Stats

SECOND HALF START: 8:09 P.M. PT/11:09 P.M. ET

46′ – The second half is underway. Herediano are still in this game, but they need to score to gain the advantage. As for the Galaxy, they cannot sit on this one-goal lead; they must build on it. If they want to stand a chance against Monterrey, now is the time to hit the ground running.

Substitutions Club Sport Herediano

IN 11 Jose Sanchez

9 Minor Diaz

OUT 10 Ismael Gomez

16 Carlos Hernandez

47′ – With Minor Diaz in the lineup, Herediano now form a 4-4-2 formation.

48′ – Leonardo wins a whistle. Now here is Omar Gonzalez to Sean Franklin, but Waylon Francis is there. Here is Esteban Granados. Francis again intercepts.

49′ – Jose Sanchez with a touch. This will be a corner to Herediano.

50′ – Good clearance. Now the Galaxy break. Robbie Keane now. Throw-in to the G’s. Omar Gonzalez matches stride for stride with Yendrick Ruiz.

51′ – Good idea there but that fizzled out for Sean Franklin, who plays it back to Carlo Cudicini.

52′ – Easy peasy form Waylon Francis. No one in white in the vicinity.

53′ – Sean Franklin is beaten to the ball again. And once again, the backline of LA holds. Doesn’t look like the pitch change is doing much to change the hopes here…as Herediano have another opportunity that is wasted.

54′ – Throw-in, Los Angeles, who are still hanging on to the edge of their seats.

55′ – Juninho, and Jose Villareal wins a throw. DeLaGarza is going to delay the game a bit.

56′ – Daniel Cambronero comes up big once again. Back to El Team. Leonardo wins a goal kick.

57′ – Here’s Sarvas. Robbie Keane with the dummy. And Jose Villareal gets whistled for the hold-up. 11-on-12 football at the moment for LA.

58′ – Sarvas again. This is Franklin. Herediano dispossesses.

59′ – Here’s Todd Dunivant. Cudicini hoofs. And again. Cudi struggling with his distribution.

60′ – Now here’s Franklin. He wins a throw. We’re at the hour mark, Los Angeles still holding on, 1-0.  That was not a good throw.

61′ – Corner, Los Angeles. Juninho slows it down for a bit.

62′ – Take two. Walter Lopez saw something he didn’t like. Re-kick. High and out.

63′ – Back to Daniel Cambronero. Herediano with a throw-in.

64′ – Ruiz gets challenged and wins a restart.

65′ – Mike Magee takes too much time to make a shot. Good defensive work. Leonardo has to sweep.

66′ – Los Angeles with some more sweeping. They’re not taking any chances.

67′ – Clean tackle on A.J. DeLaGarza. This is great possession from El Team.

68′ – Robbie Keane offside again. You can call that one with Braille.

69′ – Marcelo Sarvas wastes an opportunity to hold on to that one.

GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 33 Jose Villareal

Oh baby! What a goal! Welcome back to the G’s, young American!

70′ – Herediano in a bit of a pinch. Now Herediano have work to do, down two goals.

71′ – Here’s Francis, who gets in a wrestling match with Sean Franklin.

Yellow card 21 Pablo Salazar

Club Sport Herediano

72′ – Free kick now for Juninho.

Substitution Herediano

IN 19 Jorge Barbosa

OUT 9 Minor Diaz

73′ – That was not a good set piece. And that ball is stuck in the bleachers. Offsides, Salazar. (Not me, Pablo.)

74′ – Francis now, and that shot is blocked. Another chance. And that’s a card.

75′ – Yellow card 7 Yendrick Ruiz

Club Sport Herediano

Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy

IN 26 Michael Stephens

OUT 33 Jose Villareal

76′ – Stephens will now do some garbage duty. The back line has been stellar so far, but now is where they earn their stripes. Juninho collects. 8,284 in attendance tonight.

77′ – Offsides, El Team. Jose Villareal has had a great game and is on pace to be Man of the Match if the result stands. Free kick, LA.

78′ – Nice backheel by Francis. And Juninho forces another throw.

79′ – Here is a corner for El Team. Goal kick.

80′ – Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy

IN 25 Rafael Garcia

OUT 19 Juninho

81′ – Too long of a cross from Francis. I’ve been mentioning his name a lot tonight. In spite of the outcome, I think Waylon Francis has had a great game. Throw-in, LA.

82′ – A.J. DeLaGarza gets taken down. That’ll be a free kick. Mike Magee…to take. That nearly found Robbie Keane but he was out of position. That was almost the dagger.

83′ – GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 7 Robbie Keane

And that will do it right there, it looks like.

84′ – I swear to the football gods, these goal announcements get cornier by the minute. That nearly was four.

85′ – GOAL! Club Sport Herediano  13 Elias Aguilar

They’re not out of it yet, though. This is a game.

86′ – Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy

IN 32 Jack McBean 

OUT 18 Mike Magee

87′ – Two goals in the span of six to seven minutes including stoppage time may be much to ask, but it is not impossible.

88′ – There’s a collection right there for Carlo Cudicini. Well, it took them the space of 85 minutes, but Herediano have finally scored in this aggregate. Corner, LA.

89′ – Yellow card 5 Sean Franklin

Los Angeles Galaxy

That was a time-wasting yellow, and here is where it really gets interesting. Free kick, Los Angeles. And now, Walter Lopez needs to take control of this contest before it gets out of hand.

90′ – Corner, Galaxy. Taken short. Three minutes.

90′ + 1′ – Cudicini collects.

90′ + 2′ – Quick restart for Herediano. Transition. What a save by Daniel Cambronero. Not well-hit by Jack McBean, though.

90′ + 3′ – And that will be a free kick to Los Angeles.

GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 32 Jack McBean

Left on an island all alone. Easy, cool, calm and collected for Beano.

FINAL

LOS ANGELES GALAXY 4
Omar Gonzalez 19′
Jose Villareal 69′
Robbie Keane 83′
Jack McBean 90′ + 3′  

CLUB SPORT HEREDIANO 1
Elias Aguilar 85′ 

Match Stats

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