Steven Gerrard‘s debut season in MLS ended in disappointment on Wednesday night when the LA Galaxy lost a single-game play-off against the Seattle Sounders.
After spending most of the season in the top of MLS’ western conference, Galaxy’s poor end of season form – losing two and drawing one of their last three regular season games, meant they finished the season fifth and therefore were handed a tough one-game play-off away to Seattle.
Gerrard’s side fell behind three times, eventually losing 3-2, with Gerrard and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts blaming each other on the second goal.
“I think we both hesitated,” Gerrard said. “I was waiting for him to come and take it and he’s probably been waiting for me to clear it. That’s where the confusion has come.”
Some shambolic defending, typical of Galaxy in recent weeks, saw Erik Friberg volley the winner with 17 minutes remaining.
Gerrard ends his 2015 MLS season with 14 league appearances, scoring twice.
Galaxy’s failure to advance to the latter stages of the MLS play-offs is quite a shock given their stellar attacking lineup, featuring Robbie Keane, Giovanni Dos Santos and young American forward Gyasi Zardes.
Ultimately, Bruce Arena’s side were undone by poor defending and goalkeeping – with Ricketts having been acquired mid-season after former ‘keeper Jaime Penedo left amidst a contract dispute following Dos Santos’ arrival.
“I think if you analyse the whole season we were brilliant up until three or four weeks ago,” said Gerrard. “All of the sudden we have been conceding sloppy goals and that certainly got carried into tonight.”
A crowd of just under 40,000 watched Sounders defeat Galaxy at Century Link field.
You can watch the highlights from the game in the video above, complete with stereotypical American commentary.
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