EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – The numbers were in the Red Bulls’ favor. Their most productive interval –the 16th through 30th minutes of the game- happened to be the Los Angeles Galaxy’s worst. And, when New York was able to tally two goals with 1:09 of each other during that span, one more favorable trend continued. Subsequently, the 2-1 halftime deficit pushed the Galaxy’s record to 0-8-1 when trailing after 45 minutes.

A scoreless second half, which ended with defender Carlos Mendes colliding with goalkeeper Tony Meola, enabled the Red Bulls to walk off with their second win of the season. Now, at 2-2-7, they have leaped past the Chicago Fire and into a fourth-place tie with the New England Revolution in the Eastern Conference. In defeat, Los Angeles [1-10-1] remains in the Western Conference cellar.

Yet, while both teams have not played to expectations thus far, the match did have its moments. In the first minute, John Wolyniec redirected a corner pass from the lip of the crease, but the ball slithered off the post.

In the 25th minute, the Galaxy –playing without World Cup members Chris Albright and Landon Donovan, [US], Cornell Glen [Trinidad & Tobago] and the injured Cobi Jones, [sore Achilles' tendon]- opened the scoring when Hercules Gomez, on the right side, accepted Paulo Nagamura’s brilliant pass as New York looked to utilize an offside trap. Meola slowed the right foot blast, but the force of Nagamura’s shot enabled the ball to reach the far corner of the net.

Gomez’ goal, his third, was just the second time this season that a Red Bull opponent had scored first; it was also the second 1-0 lead for Los Angeles.

However, the Red Bulls immediately responded when Youri Djorkaeff passed over the top of the defense and Edson Buttle, on the left, chipped the sphere by a fallen Kevin Hartman to knot the game at one apiece.

“My teammates,” said Buttle, who hit for his second goal, “did a good job in getting me going. They gave me the ball early, so I could operate and, finally, get a chance to score.”

Sixty-nine seconds later, Jean Philippe Peguero, hit the game-winner, finishing a give-and-go with Seth Stammler to the right of the penalty box.

Peguero, sixth on this season’s point list, hit the back of the net with a toe-poke for his sixth goal in nine games; it was the third time in franchise history New York had scored twice within a minute.

“I sat both of them [Buttle and Peguero] down earlier this week,” said coach Mo Johnston afterward, “and told them that they're an exciting partnership. But for me, it's ninety minutes. We have to control the ball for ninety minutes. There were times in the game we didn't have that, but there were also times where we saw how explosive they are.”

All of which created a frantic finish.

“We got caught a little high,” said defender Carlos Mendes about the game’s final sequence. “Tony did well to get a touch on it. I just stayed with the runner on the near post and Tony did the rest.

“So, we were a little fortunate on that.”

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