Half Time: Colorado Rapids at Galaxy
The Rapids lost their shorts on the flight to LA (they're wearing borrowed blue Chivas USA shorts) and are on course to lose this game, too.
The Galaxy are leading 2-0 at the break on goals from Alvaro Pires (his first ever for the Galaxy) and Edson Buddle (his fifth in the last three MLS games, which is good for third place in the league).
Both teams are down to 10 men after a pointless encounter between Alan Gordon and Facundo Erpen just before half time.
The two went up for a 50-50 ball, Erpen kicked at Gordon while on the ground and the Galaxy striker retaliated by stomping on him. Both got straight reds.
In truth it wasn't a particularly compelling half of soccer, the Galaxy spraying errant passes around the field, while Colorado was content largely to sit back in a defensive shell.
The first Galaxy goal came from a corner in the fourth minute, Pires poking home a ball inside the six yard box that had bounced off Buddle into his path.
The second came just after the half hour mark, Buddle getting on the end of a long pass from Abel Xavier up the right wing and beating Erpen for speed.
About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. 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 and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
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