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One Way to Take Care of Business
Galaxy defender Gregg Berhalter pokes the ball in to give the blue-and-gold a 1 - 0 lead over Houston in the first half of extra time in last night's Western Conference Final. (K. Djansezian/Getty Images)
Expectations were high for this match between the number one and two seeds in the Western Conference and they were surpassed. Each side battled hard on the field, there were close calls for both sides, MLS once again demonstrated its poor level of officiating and Beckham nearly bent in a couple of goals. The only unexpected event on the night was that of the lights going out at the Home Depot Center -- twice. The first occurrence came at the 18th minute and the second, at the 51st. Fortunately for fans, the subsequent delays related to the blackouts did not impact the match and on both occasions, the teams got back into the rhythm of things quickly once the lights were back on.
The first occurrence coincided with a period in the first half when the Galaxy were beginning to gain some momentum. The Galaxy had managed to get 1 or 2 opportunities before having to pause for the blackout. Both teams seemed unaffected by the delay and just resumed where they left off at the restart. Beckham and Donovan led the Galaxy offense as it looked to open the scoring, with the former nearly opening the scoring at the 25th minute when he bent a free kick around the outside of the Dynamo wall, but Houston 'keeper Pat Onstad reacted in time and kept the ball out.
The Dynamo, on the other hand, would be led by Brad Davis, Brian Mullan and Stu Holden. They would get a few chances of their own as the half progressed, but the Galaxy defense was more than up to the task. Omar Gonzalez and A.J. Delagarza stood out in a back four that put in stellar performances to help squash Dynamo threats and the half would end with a 0 - 0 deadlock.
Not long after the second half started, the lights would go out again, this time, a mere 6 minutes after restart. Again, the break came as the Galaxy was building momentum, but once again, upon the restart, both sides appeared unaffected by having to wait around. The match opened up further and action was more heated than in the first half. Excellent defensive work by both sides kept the score even despite relentless attacks by both sides and the poor officiating that resulted in some unearned opportunities.
Houston came closest to scoring when only a few minutes away from the end of regulation, forward Brian Ching put a great header on frame that seemed a sure goal. Galaxy 'keeper Donovan Ricketts reacted spectacularly and managed to get his hand on the ball, just enough to deflect it into the cross bar. Houston appeared to take the lead on the corner kick that followed, but the Dynamo's shot into the net had come well after play had been stopped due to a foul in favor of the Galaxy.
Regulation ended with the score sheet still at 0 - 0 which meant extra time would be necessary to settle the match. It would be the first time since the 2007 SuperLiga Final between the Galaxy and Mexican side Pachuca FC that the Home Depot Center would witness such a scenario. Due to the earlier delays due to the power outages, extra time started just shy of 11 PM.
The pace of the game was furious during the first half of extra time. The blue-and-gold moved the ball around like a championship team and Houston seemed incapable of either regaining possession or organizing an attack of their own. Houston relied heavily on its defense and continued to hold on.
The Galaxy played with determination. They seemed like a team possessed and on a mission. Despite the solid defense by Houston, the blue-and-gold continued to play their game and did not give up. Beckham and Donovan had continued to step up their play throughout regulation and extra time was no exception. At the 103rd minute -- just as it seemed the game would not end until after midnight -- the Galaxy would earn a free kick in prime territory for Beckham. The England International would serve up a great ball into the Dynamo penalty area but efforts to put in on frame came up short. However, the Dynamo defense was unable to clear the area and in the midst of the scramble that occurred, Berhalter managed to get a foot on it and gave the Galaxy the 1 - 0 lead.
The Home Depot Center was still rockin' and loud as the second half of extra time initiated. L.A. picked up where they left off and were relentless. Forward Alan Gordon, who had come into the game in the first half of extra time, was instrumental in setting up the Galaxy's second half. Picking up a clearance from the Galaxy defensive end, Gordon carried the ball deep into the Dynamo penalty area. He cut back to try to position himself for a shot and all of the sudden his feet were chopped out from underneath him. Referee Terry Vaughn didn't hesitate and immediately pointed to the penalty spot. Donovan stepped to it and converted the penalty kick for a 2 - 0 lead. Beckham would have another go on a free kick from about 25 yards out only minutes later, but his shot swerved just a tad bit too bunch and ended up missing the frame, thus leaving the score unchanged through the end.
The 2 - 0 victory by the Galaxy advances the L.A. side to the MLS Cup Final to be played in Seattle next weekend.
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Suspenseful game. The Galaxy were lucky the late-regulation goal by Houston was waved off for a foul. It was a mess inside the 6 as even Ching was knocked down - but somehow LA got the call. Very lucky, but not very surprising.
Good game though. I wonder who's job is going to be lost for the lights going out twice! Doh!
Best game I've watched in some time. Even longer if we limit it to MLS.
Great showing by both sides all around.
I saw the foul and heard the whistle a good second before the shot that led to that goal. It would have been a real serious injustice to the Galaxy and game if they had allowed that goal. Terry Vaughn was pretty bad most of the night, but at least he got that one right.
The lights issue made me laugh. I went to the restroom during the first outage and noticed that the concessions were packed. My first thought was "I hope AEG doesn't get wind of that, or they'll purposely turn off the lights more often to make a few extra bucks at the concessions." Shortly thereafter, myself and a friend were texting about the fact that the advertising boards didn't go out either.
When the lights went out the second time, I began to wonder if someone was reading my mind and question whether it was "coincidence." ROFL.
Stu Holden really impressed me last night. I can see why European clubs are watching him now.
But that was a wonderful match, almost as good at the Manchester U-Chelsea UEFA Champions Cup final a couple of years ago.
I watched the match at Capital City after a delicious burger at Stout. It was great seeing how Beckham has completely turned the corner with this club. If only some of that could be instilled into Donovan. Don't get me wrong Landon is a great player but he's a wallflower all too often.
Looking forward to watching Chicago vs RSL this afternoon. The Chicago fans in Section 8 have some big TIFO plans for the match. I'd expect it to be the best atmosphere in MLS history.
HDC was built before I moved here. I know the Galaxy played in the Rose Bowl at first. Can anyone shed light on how the decision to build in Carson was made? I wish they played in Los Angeles. Carson is too far.
I am not sure I understand your specific critique of Donovan, but the biggest critique I've had of him over the years is that he didn't lead and would drift out of games, usually important ones.
That aside, I've got to say that this year, especially the second half, has been the best of his career. If you watch him on the field, he gives directions to other players, even a veteran like Chris Klein. That's the leadership qualities I expected from him as the captain and he is finally demonstrating on a regular basis.
As for his play, I can't recall a game this year where I felt he disappeared and I am not talking about scoring. Lack of a goal doesn't mean a player didn't show up for a game. Sometimes people mix up the two.
As for HDC, I don't remember the exact details, but there was a formal selection process. I assume that process included some study relating to the proximity of fans, etc. Personally, I love it in Carson. Pasadena is a pain to get into and out of for just about everyone. Carson may be far for you, but it is only 15 minutes away for me. I used to live on the west side before and it was still easier to get to Carson than is Pasadena. In short, I believe it is far easier for many more people to get to Carson than the other options that were available.
Imagine having to get to Pasadena for an 8 PM start on a Friday night from anywhere south of downtown? That would have been a nightmare.
Even if I didn't live so close to it, I still think that was a good location.