Los Angeles Galaxy continues winless streak
22/8/2008 17:41
Despite getting a new coach, struggling Los Angeles Galaxy was beaten by
the Chicago Fire yesterday in a Major League Soccer game.
The 0-1 loss
extended Galaxy's winless streak to nine games, although the team's new coash
Bruce Arena had vowed to turn the corner.
Chicago's John Thorrington scored
his fifth goal of the season in the 65th minute, off an assist by Brian McBride,
who played for Arena in the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and was making his debut
with Chicago after leaving Fulham of England's Premier League.
Galaxy
midfielder David Beckham missed the game in Carson near Los Angeles as he
traveled to Beijing to participate in Sunday's closing ceremony of the Summer
Olympics after playing for England in an exhibition game Wednesday in
London.
Los Angeles also played without forward Landon Donovan, the league's
leading scorer. Donovan was given the day off after playing for the United
States in a 1-0 victory over Guatemala in a World Cup qualifier Wednesday in
Guatemala City.
The loss dropped the Galaxy's record to 6-9-6 as it remains
tied for fourth in the seven-team Western Conference. If the season were to end
today, the Galaxy would miss the playoffs for the third consecutive
season.
The Galaxy is 0-5-4 in its last nine games. The team-record winless
streak is 10 games, set from May 6-June 24, 2006 when it was 0-8-2.
Arena,
the winningest coach in the history of the US men's national team, was named
Monday as the Galaxy's coach and general manager.
Arena, 56, succeeds Ruud
Gullit as coach and Alexi Lalas as general manager. Gullit resigned Aug. 11,
citing personal reasons, 19 games into his only season with the team. Lalas was
fired as general manager and team president the same day.
Arena is the
Galaxy's third coach since Beckham joined the team in 2007. Frank Yallop was
released from his contract following the conclusion of the 2007 season to become
coach of the San Jose Earthquakes.
Xinhua
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