Final: Galaxy 1 Columbus Crew 0
Columbus were more effective in the second half out-shooting the Galaxy 6-5, but it didn’t matter.
The win makes it 13 games without a loss now for the Galaxy, who were last defeated in Dallas on May 1 and are unbeaten against Eastern Conference teams (they’ve now played them all). This is the 10th longest unbeaten streak in MLS history.
David Beckham got a yellow card for delaying the game on a free kick in stoppage time and is now suspended for one game. Whitecaps fans won’t get to see him in Vancouver on July 30.
The Galaxy have opened up a four point lead atop the Western Conference with the victory. It’s their 11th shutout of the season, too.
The Galaxy finished with 16 corners in case you were wondering, three shy of tying the league record.
A crowd of 24,709 witnessed this one.
More later.
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Carson tango: The Galaxy’s Sean Franklin and the Crew’s Robbie Rogers get tangled up in Carson (AP Photo).
Sean Franklin broke the deadlock in the 70th minute getting over the ball and keeping it down with a lovely 25 -yard strike with the side of his foot, saving us from another potential scoreless draw. He got a deflection, but still it was a well taken opportunity after David Beckham had a rather tame free kick blocked.
It was Franklin’s first MLS goal; he scored in the CONCACAF Champions League last year.
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If it’s goals you want you should have been watching Manchester United play the Seattle Sounders tonight; United won 7-0 with Wayne Rooney getting a hat trick – and he didn’t come on until halftime.
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The Galaxy have now had 14 corner kicks and we’re in the 63rd minute so there’s plenty of time to break the MLS record of 19 corner kicks set by New York against Kansas City way back in 1999. New York lost that game, by the way, 2-1.
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JPA almost scored in the 55th minute getting in a low, darting header that almost caught out Will Hesmer after Gregg Berhalter had flicked on another David Beckham corner.
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I don’t think we’ve seen a more dominant performance by the Galaxy in a half this season than the one we saw here tonight.
Not that Columbus put up much resistance – the only two whiffs of goal they had came from two Robbie Rogers shots, one from long range, the other from an acute angle.
But the Galaxy had nine corners (the Crew had one), won virtually every ball in midfield and often dispossessed the Crew rather easily.
Given all that plus eight shots at goal – two on target, just like the Crew – the Galaxy probably should have made a dent on the scoreboard though.
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A lovely run by Landon Donovan that began in his own half on the half hour mark and included sending red-faced rookie Eric Gehrig spinning to the ground was finished far too casually by Juan Pablo Angel with a shot he dinked past the far post.
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Given too much space, the Crew’s Robbie Rogers hit a cracking 35-yard shot in the 23rd minute that Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Saunders initially had trouble holding.
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Galaxy defender Gregg Berhalter received a deserved yellow card for a scissors-like tackle on Bernardo Anor in the 16th minute, right in front of the referee.
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In case you were wondering Galaxy striker Chad Barrett is out with a knee strain; defender Omar Gonzalez is on the bench despite a broken nose.
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The Crew’s lone striker, Andres Mendoza, who scored on his first-ever goal for Columbus against LA at the HDC last September, has come out of the game in the fourth minute with an injury. Tommy Heinemann replaces him.
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The Galaxy has announced a two-year sponsorship agreement with Farmers Insurance, which includes giving away free tickets to 4,000 fans tonight, which should pad the attendance for a weekday game (as will $10 tickets in the various fan group sections and the scattering of fans in the inexpensive grass berm seating that also went on sale for the game).
It’s a busy night in MLS with no fewer than five games being played, which are rather strangely competing with international friendlies for fan and media attention, too.
Here in Carson, the rash of Galaxy injuries (and the suspension of Chris Birchall) means veteran Jovan Kirovski has received his first start of the season in midfield. Sean Franklin has been restored to the defense despite being listed as questionable with a hamstring strain and A.J. DeLaGarza returns too, partnering with Gregg Berhalter in the middle.
Here’s the Galaxy XI: Josh Saunders-Sean Franklin, A.J. DeLaGarza, Gregg Berhalter-Todd Dunivant, Jovan Kirovski, David Beckham, Juninho, Landon Donovan-Juan Pablo Angel, Miguel Lopez.
There’s no room on the gameday roster for the scorer of the lone Galaxy goal against Real Madrid, Adam Cristman, however.
On the bench is the likes of teenager Jack McBean, being named to the Galaxy bench for an MLS game for the first time ever, while Michael Stephens and Mike Magee are other options.
Columbus has Rolling Hills Estates’ Robbie Rogers in midfield.
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