CARSON, Calif. (AP) The Los Angeles Galaxy have made the Major
League Soccer playoffs for the eighth consecutive season, but their
postseason stay will likely be short if they do not improve
offensively.
The Galaxy lost to the Kansas City Wizards, 2-1, Saturday night,
and have scored just three times in their last four games, posting
a 1-3 record during that span.
``We've got to be more dangerous around the goal,'' midfielder
Chris Albright said. ``It falls on my shoulders, not just the
forwards' shoulders. It falls on the midfielders as well. We've got
to be able to get more than one goal.''
Los Angeles played without forward Carlos Ruiz, the league's
leading goal scorer, who was serving a one-game suspension after
the yellow card he received in last Saturday's 1-0 overtime victory
over D.C. United pushed him over the league's caution point limit.
Ruiz had scored 14 of the Galaxy's 29 goals entering Saturday's
play.
``When you have a gentlemen missing who has half of your goals,
obviously some other folks have to step up, and that's a burden,''
Kansas City coach Bob Gansler said.
Chris Klein scored twice, including the go-ahead goal in the
81st minute, as the Wizards ended a nine-game winless streak,
winning for the first time since July 19.
``We haven't been a God awful team, but we haven't been good
enough to win, and tonight we were,'' said Gansler, whose team was
0-7-2 during the streak, including losses in its last four games.
``It's a matter of the guys to keep the faith, to believe in
ourselves as individuals and believe in us collectively and we did
that. And you need a little bit of good fortune.''
Kansas City (8-10-8) got that good fortune in the 40th minute
when Stephen Armstrong's cross deflected off Albright to Klein, who
tucked a shot under onrushing Los Angeles goalkeeper Kevin Hartman
for the tying goal.
``Klein and (Galaxy midfielder) Simon (Elliott) were in the way
so I couldn't get a good angle on it to head it out,'' Albright
said.
On the tie-breaking goal, Klein took a pass from Preki and put a
shot from about 18 yards out past Hartman and inside the right
goalpost for his fourth goal of the season.
Los Angeles (8-10-8) opened the scoring in the fifth minute when
Alejandro Moreno headed a cross from Diego Serna past Kansas City
goalkeeper Tony Meola for his third goal of the season before a
crowd at The Home Depot Center announced at 23,637.
It was the fastest the Galaxy had scored from the start of a
game and only the second time this season they had scored during
the opening 15 minutes of play.
Both teams were assured playoff berths when Dallas lost at San
Jose, 5-2. With the Burn's elimination, the Galaxy are the only
team to qualify for the playoffs in all eight MLS seasons.
The Wizards led 10-8 in shots and 7-6 in shots on goal. Meola
and Hartman both made five saves.
The three points for the victory moved Kansas City into a tie
for third with Los Angeles in the five-team Western Conference with
32 points. Both teams have four games remaining.
The victory was the Wizards' first on the West Coast since a 3-0
victory at San Jose Aug. 16, 2000. Kansas City had been 0-8-3 at
San Jose and Los Angeles since.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)