CARSON, Calif. -- The LA Galaxy might not have been as sharp as they would have liked in MLS' opener Friday night, and perhaps didn't do enough with chances they created, but it mattered little.
The reigning champions were dominant nearly from start to finish, netted two opportune goals in the second half, and coasted to a 2-0 triumph over the visiting Chicago Fire.
Jose Villarreal and Robbie Keane scored the goals, both from direct play in which bounces fell their way, and LA's experience did the rest, grinding out a convincing result even if their play lacked the coherence for which they're celebrated.
“I think we played really well until we came into the last third. We struggled a little bit there,” said winger Stefan Ishizaki, whose 65th minute cross caromed to Villarreal to provide the lead. “We could have been a lot cleaner and been a lot better.”
They could have, but they were good enough, it turned out, in great part because they were superb defensively, preventing the Fire from creating anything of note before halftime and just two real opportunities in the second half, one from a late corner kick in which Harry Shipp's try was deflected wide.
The Galaxy are revered for their defensive acumen, but they've had a habit of breaking on occasion, which has cost them dozens of points the past two years. Not this time.
“We want to be a stingy defense,” said Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez, who was dominant in the back and delivered the lead ball on both goals. “I think last year we were that way, too, where we didn't allow much, but [opponents] would get one chance and score that one goal. That's how I felt it was last year, and that's the way I don't want it to be this year.
“We don't want to allow many chances, and teams are going to get chances -- that's the way the game goes -- but we just have to make sure that when they do get chances, that we're alert and we protect our keeper as much as possible and, hopefully, our keeper can pull us out of trouble.”
Brian Rowe, who got the call in the nets over Jaime Penedo, needed to make just one save, and his defense did the rest. Quincy Amarikwa had the best chance, racing in one-on-one from a through ball in the 58th minute.
Left back Robbie Rogers took care of that one, although the play was not without controversy from Chicago's perspective.
“Robbie Rogers did a great job recovering on that,” Rowe said. “He got a bump on him early, and then just as Amarikwa was about to shoot, Robbie got his foot in there, and Amarikwa wasn't able to put much behind it. Great defensive play.”
The Galaxy expect the attack to be better, but they were happy with a lot of things they did. Ishizaki ate up left back Joevin Jones much of the night, but connections were frayed, and Keane's emphatic (and rather R-rated) celebration after his 81st-minute strike -- he finished after Gonzalez's chip angled onto his path from the back of Baggio Husidic's head -- was about letting go the frustration of a tough night.
“I think it's a little bit of opening night,” Ishizaki said. “You could see there were some nerves, some mistakes we probably wouldn't make in the middle of the season. But I think we played fairly well.”
Said Husidic: “We're obviously lacking some sharpness early in the season, but it's good to get a win. We didn't do that [in a dominant performance against Real Salt Lake in the opener] last year, so I think we're pleased. Obviously, got things to work on, but we'll progress throughout the year.”
