Chicharito’s penalty a la ‘Panenka’ did not end in a goal
Spectators, disappointed with the team’s performance, booed at the end
Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez scored a double this Sundaywith which he scored goals 200 and 201 in his career in club competition, but the LA Galaxy stumbled to a 2-2 draw against Sporting Kansas City after the Mexican striker missed a key penalty in the 97th minute that he shot ‘Panenka’ style.
This dramatic draw complicates the Galaxy’s path to the playoffs, which remains eighth in the MLS Western Conference but now he is three points behind the Portland Timbers, who are seventh (with two more games) and who on this day defeated Atlanta United 2-1.
The afternoon had started off wonderfully. Chicharito, who scored his 200th goal in his club career (not counting the national team) when he put the Los Angeles team ahead in the 14th minute after being left alone against the goalkeeper after a great assist from the Spanish Víctor Vázquez.
However, Kansas City, penultimate in the West but who had won three of their last four games, equalized the match in minute 67 with a penalty goal by Johnny Russell due to a handball by Derrick Williams.
The game got even more difficult for the Galaxy when the Colombian Felipe Hernández scored the second of the visitors in minute 76 after a great individual play down the left wing.
The Galaxy have had a very irregular season with ups and downs, but one of their qualities has been not giving never for lost the games and having known how to recover points in the last minutes.
Thus, goalkeeper John Pulskamp brought down Kévin Cabral inside the area in the 87th minute and Chicharito got the tie from eleven meters.
There was still time to make an epic comeback and the Galaxy had the ideal opportunity with a new penaltythis time by Kayden Pierre.
Chicharito aimed to be the hero of the Galaxy with a triplet and an ‘in extremis’ victory, but his attempt at ‘Panenka’ did not go well and Pulskamp stopped the ball.
The Mexican striker immediately apologized to the Galaxy fans, but after the game they were heard boos in the stands for a new disappointment for the Los Angeles team.
