Columnist Nick Green has written 100 Percent Soccer
since 2005. A
native of England, he began writing about soccer in
the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat
in the stands for one in
the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home
Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas
USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer.
Married to a long-suffering soccer widow, he has a cat
named Pele.Galaxy 0 Chivas USA 1 (Half Time)
Pete Vagenas didn't take long to get revenge on Jesse Marsch for his foul on Beck's at the last derby on Aug. 23; in the third minute Vagenas kicked Marsch, who retaliated by throwing the ball at Vagenas.
End result: Marsch gets a yellow card and misses the next Chivas USA game Sunday in Colorado.
Chivas USA had the last laugh of the first half though with a lovely (and direct) move started by defender Lawson Vaughn. His 60-yard pass up the right wing found Ante Razov, who controlled the ball with his chest, rounded a slowly chugging Abel Xavier and sent a right-foot shot into the far corner past goalkeeper Joe Cannon.
That was Razov's 107th MLS goal, which puts him one behind the second leading MLS goalscorer, Jason Kreis, and gives him four goals against the Galaxy. That's more than any other player against their arch rivals.
Chivas USA had five shots on goal to the Galaxy's one.
Meanwhile, the Legion 1908 sewing circle has been busy and they unveiled a new flag during the half with the national flag of every Chivas USA player on it.
Beck's didn't offer any piercing insights at half time, by the way. His injuries are getting better and MLS players "have been very nice to me."