Osiander Starts Feeling the Pressure

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Soccer is not a difficult game. Fire the ball in the net, it’s a goal. Do it in enough times, it’s a win.

The problem for the Galaxy is that it can’t seem to find the net.

On Sunday, in front of a Giants Stadium crowd of 20,624, the Galaxy lost for the sixth time in seven games, 2-1, in a shootout to the New York/New Jersey MetroStars after the teams had tied, 0-0, in regulation.

It was the third shutout and the third shootout defeat for the Galaxy, which also suffered a one-goal loss in Kansas City. Turn those results around and the team is 5-2 instead of 1-6.

“We’ve dropped four games that were winnable,” Coach Lothar Osiander said. “The other two games I’m not worried about. Then [with the four additional wins], we’re on top of the league and everybody says the Galaxy’s wonderful.

“But right now we’re struggling. We’ve had no luck. And at the end of the day, what do you change? You change the guy who’s most likely to be changed.

“And since we’re in a situation where financially we can’t do anything [to get rid of players or bring in new ones], I hope that there’s some understanding somewhere along the line because I don’t think we’re playing that badly.”

It’s not the first time Osiander has suggested that, as coach, he is treading on increasingly thin ice. But the Galaxy players have been vocal in his support.

And Osiander is correct. The Galaxy is not playing that badly. It’s the finishing that is abysmal. On Sunday, the Galaxy outshot the MetroStars, 13-9, yet seldom forced goalkeeper Tony Meola into a difficult save.

If there is blame to be shared, it is the strikers who must share it.

Eduardo Hurtado, who scored 24 goals in 32 regular-season and playoff games last season, has scored only one this year. Harut Karapetyan and Welton also have only one goal apiece. Cobi Jones, Bryan Taylor, John Jones and Ante Razov have none.

That adds up to seven forwards and only three goals.

“You can’t win games if you don’t score goals,” said midfielder Danny Pena. “We’ve played better in each game, but for some reason we just can’t seem to finish. Once we start scoring goals, people will start to see that we’re playing well.”

Defender Robin Fraser echoed those thoughts.

“The fact of the matter is we should be winning games,” he said. “We’re playing well enough to win games. We’re just in a rut as far as scoring goals.

“It’s unfortunate that the organization is going to come down on Lothar, because I think he’s doing a good job. I hear rumors, but I hope it’s not true. I think we’re playing an organized, disciplined style of soccer.”

Sunday’s game, between teams with the worst and second-worst records in Major League Soccer, was exceptionally forgettable.

In the end, it came down to the sham of the shootout.

Galaxy goalkeeper David Kramer denied Anthony De Avila’s shot and deflected a shot by Mike Sorber, but Giovanni Savarese and John DeBrito were successful.

Meola, finally forced to do some work, partially blocked Mark Semioli’s shot, which rebounded off the crossbar; was beaten by Karapetyan’s chip; then, after John Jones had shot wide left, saved the efforts of Razov and Steve Jolley.

Even in the shootout, the Galaxy can’t score.

MLS Notes

Ted Eck scored in the fifth round of a shootout to give the Burn a 3-2 victory over D.C. United in Dallas.