Suicide-Win for the Galaxy in Puerto Rico

By: BoriQa | August 4th, 2010

The Islanders buried the L.A. Galaxy with a 5-3 aggregate score in the CCL Preliminary Round at Juan Ramón Loubriel (JRL) stadium, and advanced to the Group Stages for the 3rd consecutive year in a row.

The Los Angeles Galaxy were victim of the Loubriel Curse (to get eliminated from the CCL on a suicide-win [empty-win] in Puerto Rico) Wednesday, as L.A. defeated the Islanders 1-2, but still got eliminated from the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League (CCL).

Read the play-by-play.

It was a loss that tasted like a win to the Islanders and the sellout record crowd of 12,993 fans that cheered and celebrated the series aggregate win with their Puerto Rican team, as it advanced to the 2010-11 CCL Groups’ Phase by leading the series aggregate 5-3, on account of their 4-1 routing of the Galaxy in Los Angeles last week.

The previous attendance record at Juan Ramón Loubriel was 12,751 fans on March 17, 2009, who witnessed the Islanders defeat Mexican giant Cruz Azul 2-0 in the 1st-leg of 2008-09 CCL Semifinals.

Last night, on the 32nd minute LA’s Edson Buddle fouled Marco Velez inside of the box, and Begian referee Trevor Taylor called for a penalty shot.

David Foley converted the penalty kick in the 33rd to put Puerto Rico ahead 1-0, making the sellout crowd go wild!

Taylor (from Barbados) was the same referee that made the calls in the famous “alajuelazo” 2-1 return-leg victory over Liga Deportiva Alajuelence (Costa Rica) that got the Islanders to their first CCL Group Stage ever in 2008.

The Galaxy equalized on an own-goal in the 37th when Puerto Rico defender David Horst – standing on his own line – attempted to clear a shot from USA International Landon Donovan, but kicked it off the leg of Velez in front of him and it rebounded into the net.

It was the second own-goal Puerto Rico had scored upon itself against Los Angeles in as many games. Last week, Richard Martinez put the ball in the Islanders’ net, also off a deflection.

The Galaxy finally managed to score a goal on their own, their first goal in their first ever CCL, when Sean Franklin hit a turning shot from the middle of the area to finally beat Gaudette in the 84th. Franklin’s goal will also put him into the history books by scoring goal number 500 in the Champions League since the CCL first started in 2008-09.

The hero for the island squad was undoubtedly goalkeeper Bill “The Wall” Gaudette. The Islanders move on to the group stages of the CONCACAF Champions League and owing this triumph largely to the heroics of goalkeeper extraordinaire Bill Gaudette, whose saves proved decisive in keeping the Galaxy at bay.

Gaudette faced 53 shots, 15 of them on goal, and only allowed 1 true-Galactic goal (plus 2 own goals) in the two matches.

With the embarrassing aggregate loss, the Galaxy (the best team in the MLS) becomes the only MLS team eliminated in this year’s CCL preliminary round.

“There is no excuse. We came here (to Puerto Rico) to give our best, but it wasn’t enough”, said Galaxy DT Bruce Arena after the game.

It is the 3rd straight year the Islanders have reached the Group Stages in the CCL. The Islanders CCL preliminary round wins (in aggregate) include: 3-2 over Alajuelence (Costa Rica) in 2008, 1-0 over Toronto FC (Canada) last year, and now 5-3 over the Galaxy (U.S.A.).

The Islanders reached the Champions League by winning the 2010 CFU Clubs Championship Cup. The Galaxy on the other hand (one of four American clubs who reached the Champions’ League) as the runner-up of Major League Soccer (they lost to Real Salt Lake in the 2009 MLS final).

The other MLS sides Toronto FC (representing Canada) and reigning US Open Cup winners Seattle Sounders FC both won their preliminary round fixtures. Toronto eliminated Honduran side Motagua today while the Sounders knocked out Salvadorian club Metapan yesterday.

MLS champions Real Salt Lake and MLS Supporter’s Shield winners Columbus Crew both qualified automatically for the Group Stage of the competition.

The Galaxy joins Municipal from Guatemala as the only two teams in the dubious list of cursed teams (the Loubriel Curse) that have defeated the Islanders at Juan Ramón Loubriel stadium and got eliminated from CCL play on the same night.

Municipal is the only other team to have ever defeated the Islanders in Bayamón in CCL play, but their suicide-win (1-0) over the Islanders meant their (Municipal) end and exit from the 2008-09 CCL Groups Stage as they needed a 2-0 win back then to stay alive in the tournament.

Of the 7 teams that have played in the 3 editions of the CONCACAF Champions League, the Islanders are one of just 4 teams that have played in every year’s CCL Group Stage. The other three: Cruz Azul (Mexico), Marathon (Honduras) and Saprissa (Costa Rica).

Puerto Rico joins Group D with Mexico’s Toluca, Olimpia of Honduras and the winner between FAS and Xelaju. FAS and Xelaju drew 1-1 last week and face off in the second leg in Guatemala on tonight (Aug 5).

The Islanders will begin its Group Stage schedule against Olimpia from Honduras on the opening night, August 17, at home against Olimpia.