CARSON, Calif.—The Los Angeles Galaxy are Major League Soccer (MLS) champions for the third time after edging out the Houston Dynamo 1–0 Sunday night in front of their home crowd.
Galaxy striker Landon Donovan scored the game’s only goal as L.A.’s three big stars combined for a moment of magic in a game otherwise bereft of good finishing.
David Beckham, who ran the Galaxy midfield, knocked a header into the path of Irish forward Robbie Keane who then sent a perfect pass through to Donovan. Donovan showed his tremendous class by deftly chipping the ball past Houston keeper Tally Hall and into the far side of the net.
“The pass he [Keane] gave me for the goal was absolutely fantastic,” said Donovan.
Donovan’s Predictions Come True
Donovan, voted as the game’s MVP, had made comments after Saturday’s training session that proved to be quite prophetic. “I think it’s going to be physical. I think the tempo will be high. And I expect it to be unlike the Salt Lake game,” he said.
It had been raining steadily all day in Los Angeles and it did so off and on during the game. And sure enough, the game was physical, fast, and much tighter defensively than the 3–1 victory the Galaxy scored over Real Salt Lake in the semifinal two weeks ago. The torn up pitch of the Home Depot Center did, in fact, look like a warzone.
Donovan also said on Saturday, “I would guess that one play is going to make the difference in the game tomorrow.”
The Beckham-Keane-Donovan goal stood out as a beautiful combination in a game that had plenty of drive and determination but poor finishing. As L.A. head coach Bruce Arena put it, “I think there were a few more goals out there for us.”
“We struggled in our finishing and Landon got it done for us tonight.”
Donovan began the match as a wide midfielder, but just before the hour mark was moved up top to partner Keane as the Galaxy made their first substitution. The ineffective Adam Cristman was removed in favor of midfielder Chris Birchall, which allowed Donovan to be moved up to the striker position.
“I thought Landon was the MVP tonight,” said Beckham. “He scored it and he won us the match.”
“The actual goal didn’t mean a whole lot to me,” said Donovan. “I didn’t care how the goal was scored. I just wanted the ball go in. I mean that full-heartedly.” Donovan’s comments typify how much more important winning is than individual accolades.
Typical Galaxy Win
L.A. has made a habit of grinding out 1–0 wins, having done it nine times in the regular season and once more in the playoffs prior to Sunday night. Having won so many games 1–0, Galaxy had a quiet confidence despite Houston’s defense and didn’t lose hope.
One of the unsung heroes in a star-studded roster, defender Todd Dunivant, said, “Once we got that goal, we knew we had to shut it down in the back, and we were able to do that.
“In the back, I think we won almost everything in the air.
“That’s how we’ve played all year. We kept knocking on the door and we had faith in it, and we got the win.”
The Galaxy owned more of the play and was a deserving winner in the face of an opponent that had put together a strong playoff run of road wins. “I think Houston put up a great fight. A lot of respect goes to them,” Beckham said.
For Houston, a Cinderella run has come to an end. The Dynamo lost in a final for the first time in three trips.
“We gave ourselves a chance. It took one goal to win it. Sometimes that’s what finals are all about. The guys were plugging away for 90 minutes. It’s a disappointed locker room and also congratulations to the Galaxy,” Houston head coach Dominic Kinnear said.
Beckham Future
Beckham won a title in his final season at Manchester United and at Real Madrid. He has now done so in the final year of his five-year contract with L.A. Galaxy. Speculation is abundant about what he'll do next, with talk of a move to Paris St. Germain being bandied about.
While Beckham, admittedly, struggled early in his contract with the demands of MLS, he has become one of the league’s best players, as he was expected to.
Beckham didn’t influence the game with his trademark free kicks, but instead with his work rate in midfield. He battled through the pain of a torn hamstring after dealing with back spasms throughout the year.
“David’s a champion,” said Arena. “He gutted it out tonight.” And as for Beckham’s future, Arena laid out three options: stay with L.A., move on to another team, or retirement.
“Whatever he decides to do, I support him 100 percent,” Arena said.
“I’m not in a rush to decide what happens,” Beckham said. He called California a “great place to bring up my children.”
On this cool California night, the L.A. Galaxy left no questions unanswered and put aside the disappointing finishes of their last two seasons. And that too, they did it in front of a Home Depot Center record crowd of 30,281, the vast majority of whom went home happy.
Follow Rahul on Twitter @RV_ETSports
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