Liveblog: Galaxy vs. Gamba Osaka, Pan-Pacific Tournament

By: Laurie | February 20th, 2008

FINAL score:

Galaxy 0-1 Gamba Osaka

8:00 p.m. Pacific

I am going to liveblog this, assuming it comes in on my newly-discovered ESPN Classic. Stop by to leave your thoughts in the comments. Reader Zach says that this is also on ESPN360.

Okay, that’s the game! Galaxy 0-1 Gamba. The second half looked a whole lot more hopeful, and I’m liking a lot of our newcomers.

90 + 4 Another long shot, and another great save by Wicks.

90 + 3 Buddle does a great job of controlling the ball and getting a shot off, but it goes to the keeper. I’m liking Buddle tonight.

90 + 2 Another excellent diving save by Wicks.

90 + 1 Three minutes of stoppage time. McDonald almost gets on the end of a long ball, but can’t quite duck his head down enough for contact.

90′ Another shot for Gamba that goes straight to Wicks, who was perfectly positioned. If the job is Cronin’s to lose, you kinda have to wonder…

89′ Franklin takes down Lukas while going for the ball. I’m liking Franklin’s fight. The free kick curves out over the touchline.

88′ Saved by the turf. Osaka gets off a long, hard shot that takes an odd bounce and goes wide.

87′ Beckham looks exhausted. The young players are looking peppy.

84′ Somebody — couldn’t see who, Jordan maybe? — almost got it away from the keeper on the edge of the box. Could have been good. Then Becks cleanly takes out Lukas, the guy he had words with earlier, while stealing the ball. Don’t get mad, get even.

81′ ‘okay, now I’m starting to see a team. We had a whole lot of opportunities just now. Nice cross by Beckham, swing and a miss by Allen, it eventually goes to McDonald who shoots wide. But the season is suddenlly not looking so hopeless.

80′ Franklin thought the ball was out, but Japan keeps it in for a dangerous ball. It’s eventually headed out by the Gals for a corner. Only the second of the half.

78′ Another nice drive for the Gals, but McDonald’s cross goes to a Japanese player.

77′ Lukas gets another shot off, but he’s covered by multiple defenders and has to shoot without aiming. Shot goes outside the near post.

75′ McDonald gets a shot off, but it goes high. But the Galaxy are looking better. I thought Roberts was the weak link in back first half, but now I’m wondering if it wasn’t more Vanney. What do you think?

74′ Becks is looking tired. Have we used all our subs?

73′ Osaka immediately counters and takes a long shot which goes wide. Good, because Wicks wouldn’t have reached it.

72′ We had another good chance. Two in a row. I was typing and didn’t see who was involved.

71′ Excellent chance for the Galaxy! McDonald scrambles to keep the ball in and just manages to hook it to Jordan in front of the goal, but Jordan doesn’t have time to collect it and sends it wide.

70′ Our boys have a hard time with accurate long balls. just sayin’.

68′ Brian Jordan on, Kelly Gray off. LA is playing a faster and more intense game now. This is a good thing.

67′ Beckham finally gets a corner, which eventually leads to a shot that goes high.

66′ A little bit of rough-and-tumble, which leads to Beckham getting in the face of Gamba player Lukas.

63′ Gaving sends a long ball across to Beckham, who can’t quite reach it in time. I think we’re all expecting Becks to go out any minute.

62′ Josh Wicks is looking good. I think he might be better than Cronin.

59′ I’m back. Did I miss anything? My ancient dog had to go outside. She’s fifteen. you don’t delay these things.

56′ Foul on the edge of the box on Valentin(?) Free kick goes through the wall, but a few feet outside the near post. It may have deflected off a Galaxy player, but the ref didn’t see it and calls it a goal kick.

54′ Osaka gets off a shot, but it’s straight to Wicks. Valentin has more speed than Vanney, which is a good thing.

52′ Other than Beckham and Kelly Gray and Edson Buddle, i don’t think there are any real veterans on the field. Amazing.

51′ Josh Wicks charges all the way out of the box and amazingly manages to head the ball away.

50′ The Galaxy are looking a little better so far this half. Franklin seems to be on for Klein at rightback.

48′ Sean Franklin sends a long pass up the sidelines toward Becks, but the turf causes it to bounce all the way down the field for a goal kick.

46′ And we’re off. Valentin is already looking peppier than Vanney.

Second half. Josh Wicks is in. Also Sean Franklin, Brandon McDonald for Alvaro and Julian Valentin for Vanney. Can anybody tell me why Josh Wicks is still playing when he’s just signed an extension with Portland?

Okay, first half thoughts. Looking really good: Beckham, Klein. Nod bad: Buddle, Alvaro, Gavin, Allen. And my maternal area won’t let me go lower than that. All I can say is Donovan and Ruiz had better deliver, because we’ve certainly given up a lot to have them and Becks on the same team.

Why do they always have erectile dysfunction ads on sports channels? Inquiring minds want to know. Or, on second thought, never mind.

45′ That’s the half. 0-1 Gamba. Galaxy are lucky to only be down one goal. Our defense is scaring the hell outta me.

44′ Their attack catches Troy Roberts flat-footed again. Fortunately Cronin is positioned well and is able to fall on it, but it slips out of his grasp for a corner. Which fortunately doesn’t accomplish anything.

43′ Tudela takes down a player several yards outside the box. The free kick goes straight into the wall.

42′ Free kick for Becks, which bends toward goal but goes straight to the keeper.

41′ Buddle is also not looking too bad. When he gets the ball, which is rarely.

40′ Long-distance shot straight to Cronin. Osaka has outshot the Gals 13-1 so far. We’re lucky to be down by only one.

39′ For a first professional game, Gavin is not doing that bad. He’s not afraid to get in there and fight for it.

36′ Gamba comes oh-so-close! Cronin misjudges again and goes out and then goes down, leaving a wide open net. The ball gets away, though, and by the time Gamba reclaims it Troy Roberts has made it into the goal and is able to clear it away. That one really should have been a goal. The Galaxy got lucky.

36′ The Galaxy look a lot more threatening on the right. With Beckham and Klein there I’m not surprised.

35′ Another Gamba shot goes out for a corner. Tudela heads it away.

33′ Foul on Alvaro. Beckham’s free kick goes straight to Kelly Gray, but he’s caught by surprise and can’t do anything with it. Too bad, because he would have beaten the keeper. The Galaxy’s best chance of the game so far.

33′ Nice ball up the right to Klein, who in the end can’t deliver.

31′ Gamba immediately counters but the shot goes straight to Cronin, who seems to be settling down.

30′ Good chance and fairly good play by Ely Allen. He gets the ball in the box and can’t quite deliver it to anybody who can do anything with it.

28′ Buddle gets a bit of a chance but is offside.

27′ Chris Klein is still looking good. They’d better not get rid of him. Unfortunately as soon as he gets it to somebody else, they lose it.

26′ I’m glad I’m not playing the Beckham drinking game. I’d be unable to type by now and dead by the end of the game.

24′ Becks is looking a little frustrated with the quality of play. Can’t say that I blame him.

23′ Cronin comes off the line again and snatches the ball away from a charging player, colliding with him in the process. It would have been offside anyway, but Steve’s judgment on that one was good.

22′ Osaka takes it up the right side nicely, but the cross (shot?) goes out for a goal kick.

20′ Babayaro is apparently not playing due to visa issues.

19′ Beckham delivers a nice long ball straight to Buddle, but Edson can’t head the ball down and it goes over.

18′ After seeing this defense, I can understand the panic buy of Vanney.

17′ Buddle has some good possession outside the box, but can’t get the cross past the defense.

16′ Saved by the turf! Osaka gets another breakaway, Roberts left way behind. Cronin charges out but misses completely, but fortunately the ball outruns the player and goes out for a goal kick.

15′ Alvaro has some nice foot skills. Just fyi.

12′ Another shot for Osaka that’s tipped over for a corner. The corner is knocked out by the Galaxy for another corner. This one goes nowhere.

11′ This time Cronin makes the right decision after Japan gets a breakaway. He comes out and dives for the ball, saving a sure goal.

9′ Osaka gets a corner off Roberts. Klein heads it away, but it goes right back to Japan. Cronin can’t decide whether to come off his line and wavers while the shot is taken. In the end, he’s saved by the bar — it bounces off the crossbar and goes over. Eek.

8′ Roberts commits a foul but ref allows play to continue. Osaka takes a shot that goes high.

7′ Ely Allen looks mildly threatening for a bit, but eventually gets stripped of the ball.

6′ Alvaro gets taken down from behind and rolls around holding his achilles tendon. Beckham gets the free kick, but it’s too far out to be dangerous. Osaka tries to clear, but Beckham runs down the ball to keep it in. In the end it goes out for a goal kick.

4′ GOAL!! Osaka. Wow. Where was our defense? Troy Roberts wasn’t fast enough to even get goalside, and Cronin didn’t even really go for it.

3′ Many empty seats. Guess Beckham didn’t work his magic. Klein is playing rightback.

1′ We’re off. Gavin was a supplemental draftee and has long hair.

Okay, we’re on. I’ve got coverage! Yea! Beckham looks sunburned.

Gavin, Vanney, Alvaro, and Allen (26) are the newcomers in the lineup. And Cronin, of course. Ruiz is still injured, and Donovan is also out. I probably won’t be blogging many Osaka players by name — sorry! I’ll have my work cut our for me following our own players.

And we’re doing the national anthems. Did Kelly Gray get a haircut? Josh Tudela is wearing a headband, which looks interesting. Greg Vanney is either growing a beard or forgot his razor for the trip.

Seventy-five degrees and partly cloudy. Alvaro looks very…Brazilian. Hope it shows up in his play. J-league starts in a couple of weeks, so expect Osaka to be more fit. Becks is obviously captain again.

No overtime — straight to penalties after regulation. Each team gets five subs. Allen and Buddle are up front together in 4-4-2.