LA Galaxy, Santos Laguna settle for draw in CCL quarterfinal
LA Galaxy kept their hopes of a place in the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals alive with a 0-0 draw against Santos Laguna in the first leg of their quarterfinal tie on Wednesday night.
Chances were few and far between on a night when both sides struggled to create gilt-edged opportunities in the final third. Santos Laguna goalkeeper Agusto Marchesin produced a fine save on Jelle van Damme in the first minute to highlight his influence on the match, while Giovani dos Santos cleared Jesus Molina's effort off the line in the final half-hour to preserve a point.
Both sides left this first leg relatively content after the stalemate. Santos Laguna opted to play conservatively for most of the night and rely on the counter to fuel their ambitions. Galaxy coach Bruce Arena named recent signings van Damme, Ashley Cole and Nigel de Jong in his starting XI and watched his players muster a competent display to set the stage for the second leg at Estadio Corona next Tuesday.
Agustin Marchesin produces a diving save to deny Jelle van Damme inside the first minute. #MLS #CCL https://t.co/tiH1j7mnAY
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) February 25, 2016
The early stages nearly provided the Galaxy with a foothold. Dos Santos picked out van Damme's back post run with his deep corner inside the opening minute. van Damme flung himself at the cross, but Marchesin reacted well to push his effort away.
Marchesin produced a pair of subsequent saves on dos Santos as the Galaxy asserted control over the proceedings, but the match eventually settled as both sides found their footing. The hosts labored a bit as they tried to adjust to the new personnel and figure out the proper balance in midfield. The links between the midfield and the forward lines disappeared from time to time, while the incessant whistles from referee Armando Castro halted any sort of flow in the game.
The rhythm of this affair tipped more toward the visitors after the interval as the Galaxy coped with the toll incurred by their first competitive match of the season. Santos pushed out more frequently and tried to test Dan Kennedy more frequently. Kennedy denied Bryan Rabello and then relied on dos Santos to make perhaps the most important block of the night.
Right place, right time as Giovani dos Santos clears off the line for LA Galaxy. Still scoreless at StubHub. #CCL https://t.co/vPzdBKQs6O
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) February 25, 2016
Most of the havoc arrived from the initial delivery. Molina slid into position near the penalty spot and smashed his effort toward the near post. Dos Santos benefited from his astute positioning on the line and turned the effort aside.
Javier Orozco climbed off the bench in a bid to secure that precious away goal in the final 20 minutes. He nearly achieved the feat with a header that just whistled past the post.
