Result: Toronto FC 1 Galaxy 2

It wasn't particularly pretty, but the Galaxy undoubtedly care much less about the performance than they do the result.

Donovan had a chance to seal the win in stoppage time, when he was sent through one on one against Toronto goalkeeper Kenny Stamatopoulos. But the goalkeeper just turned the shot around the post with his foot.

It was the sort of game that was hard to watch - even Galaxy goalkeeper Joe Cannon turned his back when Donovan scored from the spot.

But the Galaxy have now won five straight for the first time in almost a decade - 1998 to be precise - and remain very much alive for the eighth and final playoff spot with two games left to play.

More after the press conference.

"Not the greatest of games," said Coach Frank Yallop. "But we knew we needed three points and we got three points and that's all that matters."

Donovan agreed.

"This was the worst we've played in the last five games," he said. "But we did the right things to win the game."

There's a little bit of vindication in this for Yallop.

"I told you all along I didn't think this team was that bad," he said. "A few had given up on us and me. ... We haven't played particularly well in this spell, but we've found a way to win. We're believing in ourselves now."

Chris Klein looked like he couldn't believe that on a team with the likes of Landon Donovan and David Beckham, it was him taking home the MVP trophy.

"If we'd been out of this thing I'd probably have left it in my locker, but now we're in this thing it means something," he said.

Donovan won the LA Riot Squad's Player of the Year trophy, by the way.

New York is up next on Thursday, but no-one is getting carried away.

"We still haven't done anything," said Pete Vagenas. "If the season were to end today it would be a devastating season."

And, no, Yallop doesn't know whether Beckham will play Thursday.

Galaxy beat writer Billy Witz has the game details and breaks down the playoff picture here.

Watch the highlights here.