[0] GALAXY FALLS TO METROSTARS; LOSS IS FIFTH IN SIX GAMES : N.Y./N.J. 3 GALAXY 1.

Byline: Michael Rosenthal Daily News Staff Writer

Let Galaxy defender Dan Calichman tell it.

``We stink,'' he said with no equivocation. ``The ship is sinking. That's about all I can say. We're a bad soccer team. That's it.''

That about tells the story of the Galaxy's 3-1 loss to the New York/New Jersey MetroStars before an all-time-low crowd of 7,232 on a hot, humid Thursday at the Rose Bowl.

To fully appreciate how embarrassing the loss was, consider the opponent: The MetroStars were in last place, were missing two of their best players, had played only two days earlier (in an exhibition) and were 1-10 on the road.

As Calichman intimated, this was a game the Galaxy should've won, particularly as it attempts to hold on to the fourth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference.

L.A. has now lost five of its past six games after a perfect 5-0 July. With six games to go, it is two points ahead of San Jose - which plays host to the MetroStars on Saturday.

Calichman went on:

``To lose to New York after they played two days ago, with guys out, is disgraceful, absolutely embarrassing. The fans should get their money back,'' he said.''

What exactly went wrong?

The Galaxy - playing without Cobi Jones and Robin Fraser, national-team members preparing to play Costa Rica on Sunday - appeared sluggish and hesitant while the MetroStars played with the kind of intensity and crispness expected during a stretch run. Calichman attributed his team's play in part to a lack of confidence.

L.A. was the beneficiary of a confidence builder when it scored first on a beautiful two-pass goal in the ninth minute - Eduardo Hurtado to Welton to Martin Machon - in the ninth minute.

However, it was all MetroStars after that. Antony De Avila evened the score when he knocked in a rebound in the 28th minute and the visitors took the lead when Branco knocked in a sizzling 35-yard free shot 10 minutes later.

New York/New Jersey clinched the victory in the 68th minute when Shaun Bartlett took a long pass from Mark Semioli - playing in L.A. for the first time since he was traded to the MetroStars - and beat goalie Jorge Campos.

The Galaxy still has the upper hand on San Jose - which plays host to New York/New Jersey on Saturday - but appears to be in trouble.

Can the team turn it around?

``The way we played tonight? No,'' Calichman said. ``We'll get killed and San Jose will get the fourth spot.

``Before this game, we were talking about finishing second or third. Now it doesn't look like will finish fourth. And we don't deserve it.''