Chivas USA-Galaxy Western Conference Semifinal Postgame
A playoff win against Chivas USA - and this shot - eluded the Galaxy and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts Sunday at Home Depot Center. (AP Photo) 
So Chivas USA Coach Preki walks into the press conference after the game and virtually the first thing out of his mouth are the words:
"I guess it was a fun game for the spectators, not so much for the coaches."
Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena (who hadn't hear what Preki said) followed suit:
"Good game for the fans, I'm not sure about the coaches."
And here's David Beckham on the errors: "That's soccer sometimes. There's certain games where there's no errors, but both teams make them. There's nothing wrong with that because there are mistakes made in games. It's about learning from those mistakes and working as a team we will do that. It's entertaining for the public. It's not so entertaining for the managers and the players. When mistakes happen you don't play as you'd like, but that's life."
So that's settled then.
Preki was encouraged by the second half play of Maykel Galindo, who had probably his best game in months (years?) for Chivas USA:
"That's the real Galindo that we knew from a couple of years ago. ... I know he still has it and now's the time for him to bring it on."
Here's Beckham on what the team can take away from the contest: "
When we went one-nil down we came back, we showed character. We started the first half really bad especially the first 15 minutes and they scored. And then we come back from that and we regain our composure. And then at the start of the second half they do the same and they get back into the game. We'll look at that. We'll work on that this week leading up to the second game and hopefully we'll put it right."
Here's a polite Beckham on the burgeoning rivalry:
"It grows every time we play, every time we come up against them. It's always good to have that rivalry, it's always good to have that heat our there on the field and it was no different today."
Here's Arena on what lies ahead:
"It was a one-goal win for them or us today. I think the second game is going to be a heck of a contest."
Notable: The 25,218 in attendance was the largest playoff crowd at the Home Depot Center outside of a MLS Cup. The Galaxy expect to have a comparable crowd next weekend.
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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.
Comparable? Next week I think we may see a much larger crowd than what you just witnessed, Slick Nick.
The onus will be on the Big Cat, Donovan Ricketts, to prevent those big shots from getting past him on the 8th.
Shame that Omar had such a poor game in front of Bob Bradley, he has been the MVP for me this year, oustanding.
So Nick I guess the game wasn't so "under populated" as you commented 45 minutes before the game started. Perhaps you should wait until halftime before you make comments about the attendance. Sometimes I think you're turning into Grahame Jones Jr. with your snarky comments. I hope that's not the case.
I don't recall Arena nor Preki ever saying they screwed up tactically or ever being challenged or quarried by the media. Are there any soccer journalist out there worth my time? LAME, really LAME.
I'm surprised Beckham's trimmed back beard did not make front page.
Nick,
Recant you sinner, recant. You're taking a beating here. Redemtion can be sweet in this lifetime too.
R E C A N T.
p