Toronto FC at LA Galaxy, 3.14.12

Landon Donovan came to play tonight. Unfortunately, few of his Galaxy teammates joined him. L.A. was mostly ineffective in their home loss to Toronto FC, getting knocked out of the CONCACAF Champions League in the quarterfinal stage, surely a bitter disappointment to a club whose goal was to win the entire tournament. And despite a lineup that includes talent such as Donovan, Edson Buddle, Robbie Keane, David Beckham and Juninho, they deserved to lose. L.A. were disorganized on defense and gassed after the 80^th minute. They routinely sailed shots over the bar and equally routinely carelessly gave the ball away in the final minutes when they were, or should have been, threatening.

Toronto’s game plan consisted of physical play, trapping, and countering. (Surprisingly enough, this game had more physical play and palpable ill will than the earlier CCL game in Mexico involving the Seattle Sounders and Santos Laguna.) The Reds’ defense was tough and organized. L.A.’s only goal was in fact a Toronto own-goal off a Donovan cross sent in the direction of Keane. Toronto’s speedy and small Joao Plata—a mere 135 pounds—looked dangerous on the left wing, occasionally switching to the right. But Toronto’s real man of the match was Jamaican Ryan Johnson. Johnson scored one goal and assisted on another. On the assist, he drove towards the end line and sent in a perfect cross past sliding rookie L.A. defender Tommy Meyer. Nick Soolsma was the beneficiary, easily scoring what would be the game-winner.

Johnson came very close to scoring again, in the 54^th minute, when he was given acres of space by the Galaxy defense, but his powerful strike was just wide near post. The Reds had another great chance fifteen minutes later, courtesy of another L.A. defensive lapse. When that shot slid inches wide you could sense it wasn’t L.A.’s night.

Keane had a rather interesting night of near misses, though I’m sure he wouldn’t put it that way himself. He frequently dropped deep into the midfield and in the first half sent two good balls over the top of Toronto’s defense, both to Mike Magee. Magee’s shot on the first lob was stopped at close range by Toronto keeper Milos Kocic. L.A. got robbed on Keane’s second pass. Magee again slipped behind the Toronto defense, and this time his shot found the back of the net. But Magee was very dubiously called offside and the goal was disallowed. Keane had a great chance to score himself late in the second half when he was set up by a Donovan through ball, but his attempted chip over Kocic wasn’t quite high enough, and it was batted over the end line.

Donovan deserves praise in defeat. He’s in better form and clearly healthier than he was at the end of last season. And despite Johnson’s stellar performance for Toronto, Donovan was the most outstanding player on the field tonight. It’s a shame his performance was wasted. He tracked back on defense, held the ball up on occasion, and in general exhibited the kind of quality on the ball and when passing that most MLS players simply can’t begin to match. When he created the only goal of the night for his team, Donovan blew by the Toronto defender as if the defender were wearing snowshoes. Just a few minutes later Donovan nearly set up another goal, taking down a long Beckham pass over the shoulder with a remarkable touch and sliding a pass to an overlapping Sean Franklin. Franklin’s cross found Magee, but Magee couldn’t keep the header down. Donovan also exhibited class in defeat, graciously shaking hands with Toronto players after the final whistle when he must have been seething.