Galaxy, Minus Donovan, Gets Tie

Landonless.

It’s not really a word, but it could become part of the Galaxy’s vocabulary before the Major League Soccer season gets much older.

On Wednesday night, playing without forward Landon Donovan for only the second time, the Galaxy failed to win at home for the first time in 2005, being held to a 0-0 tie in front of an announced 18,066 at the Home Depot Center.

The Crew had beaten the Galaxy, 3-0, at Columbus in the season opener that Donovan sat out because of flu. This time he was absent while with the U.S. national team.

Not that Crew Coach Greg Andrulis was complaining.

“He’s such a good player; he makes such a big difference,” Andrulis said afterward.

“He’s so dynamic. Clearly, he has an effect on every game he plays. He’s world-class. I guess we’re a little lucky in that respect. But at the same time we’re disappointed. We’d like to have him [be available] and play against the best and challenge ourselves.”

Without Donovan, the Galaxy (5-2-1) was not the same team. It attacked, but without the unpredictability or the spark that Donovan brings. There was never a sense of danger when Los Angeles was around the Columbus net.

The Galaxy took 15 shots compared with 12 for the Crew (3-5-1), but neither team mounted a serious challenge in a lackluster game.

It was a poor enough performance that the teams were booed off the field by fans at game’s end.

“We would like to play better, but shutting out L.A. here is not an easy task,” Andrulis said. “I thought defensively we were pretty good. We limited their chances, especially in the second half, but offensively it’s got to get better.

“You take a point on the road and move on.”

Both teams suffered potentially serious injuries, both of which could hurt not only them but the U.S. national team.

Crew goalkeeper Jon Busch came out at halftime after injuring his right knee in a collision with defender Robin Fraser. He was replaced by Bill Gaudette.

Columbus players feared Busch might be lost for the season. Andrulis hoped not.

“He sprained his knee, and obviously we’ll get it checked out, probably tomorrow night because we’re flying [back to Ohio] all day tomorrow,” he said. “For him not to be able to come back in and play, it had to be pretty [serious]. He’s a tough cookie.”

The Galaxy lost defender Chris Albright in the second half when he suffered a left knee injury. The initial diagnosis was a sprained ligament, but Albright will undergo an MRI exam today.

Naldo, the Brazilian forward who replaced Donovan in the lineup, showed some speed but little else, being effectively marked by Crew defender Chad Marshall, one of the few players whose performance merited praise.

It was Marshall who came closest to scoring for the Crew when he sent a glancing header toward the net off a Simon Elliott corner kick. Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman blocked the shot on the line, and the chance was lost.

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In other MLS games:

Alejandro Moreno scored in the 76th minute, and San Jose held on and defeated Colorado, 1-0, at Denver.... Davy Arnaud scored in the 48th minute and Kansas City defeated the MetroStars, 1-0, at Kansas City, Mo.

Associated Press contributed to this report.