Alan Gordon headed home the game's only goal in stoppage time and the LA Galaxy defeated the Houston Dynamo 1-0 on Friday night as the team honored the U.S. Military's fallen troops on the eve of Memorial Day weekend.
Another hero was honored on Friday when captain Robbie Keane returned to the pitch in the 56th minute. The 2014 MLS MVP has missed the team's last seven games and nearly eight weeks of action with a groin injury.
Keane chipped a beautiful ball into Gordon in stoppage-time and the super-sub did the rest, heading home the game's only goal.
"If he set me up like that, I would have scored too," Keane joked after the game. "He's unbelievable heading the ball. As soon as I'm on the field I was always know where he's going to be. If you find his head, 9 times out of 10, it's going to find the back of the net."
Gordon's soft, high-arching header stretched just over the outstretched arms of Tyler Deric and into the far left-post. The game-winning goal was the Galaxy's third stoppage-time goal of the season.
"He understands how to play at the end of games," LA Galaxy manager Bruce Arena said. "Give him a lot of credit for that."
The Galaxy are beginning to look more like the team that lifted the MLS Cup last December. Keane provided an immediate impact the second he stepped on the pitch as his high-octane internal engine kept the ball moving and the pin-point passing back to what it was last season.
"We moved the ball well without creating anything," Keane said. "We were definitely the better team, there's no question."
The Galaxy extended their home unbeaten streak to 28 games (regular season and playoffs) and collected three huge points in the standings.
Oscar Sorto made his first career start at left back in the Galaxy defense. The 20-year-old defender is a homegrown product who started with the LA Galaxy academy and played with Galaxy II before making it to the MLS team. Sorto played well in his first start.
"To be honest, I was very emotional before the game," Sorto said. "I've been waiting two years to start for Bruce, and I was just happy to be in that game."
Sorto was ejected in stoppage time minutes after the game-winning goal for a hard foul on David Horst. Sorto received a red card for the foul.
The Dynamo were not the aggressors in the match, content with packing in the defense and searching for counter opportunities. Defenders, Boniek Garcia and DaMarcus Beasley were stellar on the back line, sending multiple passes across the field to their forwards who were unable to find the back of the net.
Game Notes:
Juninho was booked in the second half, giving him four yellow cards on the season. One more, and he will be suspended for a game.
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