Galaxy 1 Chivas USA 0

Don’t tread on me! Jovan Kirovski and the Galaxy steal a base a goal and steal the game. (Photos by Scott Varley).

Game story.

David Beckham spoke in the locker room for the first time I can recall and he gave a scathing assessment of the Galaxy’s opening 45 minutes:

“To be honest they kind of controlled the game in the first half; our passing was terrible, we just kept giving the ball away. We couldn’t get in a rhythm. But sometimes that happens. You just need to persist.”

A persistent Becks gets stuck in.

Here’s Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena on another narrow 1-0 win:

“To make it a real team you have to win games 1-0. The 4-3 stuff, the 5-4 stuff I think is nice; I was part of 6-5 game when I was at New York Red Bulls. It was one of the worst games I’ve ever been part of – it was a horrible performance by two teams defensively and yet, for some reason, I read it was one of the greatest games in MLS history. It was a horror show in terms of the defending on the field. Good teams can’t be in games like that. We have to learn how to play in these types of games and we’re learning that.”

Not surprisingly, Chivas USA players ducked out of the locker room ASAP so I didn’t get to talk to any of them.

But Coach Preki sounded resolute in the post-game press conference:

“The game sometimes is cruel. There is no way we deserved to lose this game. … On a nothing play we give up a goal.

“They were lucky – the ball is bouncing their way,” he added later. “We didn’t play great, but they didn’t get anything (much) either.”

The passion of the SuperClasico spilled over occasionally, but the Galaxy’s Todd Dunivant seems to be having a great time compared to Chivas USA’s Jesus Padilla. “He came from behind and sent a message and I let him know I wasn’t going to take it,” Dunivant said. “Ultimately, we had the last laugh.”

There was passion in the post-game press conference, too, Preki virtually berating one reporter who had the temerity to suggest (incorrectly, BTW) that the Chivas USA season was petering out and the team was giving up:

“Giving up? Why would they be giving up? Did they look like they were giving up? I don’t think so. They’re a tough group. We have a lot to build on.”

Preki was thankful for the two-break Chivas USA will have now, though; they’re off until the Sept. 13 game at home against the New England Revolution:

“The good thing is we don’t have a game for two weeks and some of these guys will get to know each other a little better,” he said of a team that sported three new faces including Columbian defender Yamith Cuesta, who made his debut the day after joining the team on the practice field for the first time. “For not knowing anybody’s name, for not speaking any (of the English) language, training yesterday for about 35 minutes with the first group I thought he was pretty solid.”

Here’s Beckham with an oblique reference to the locker room discord his presence created last year and the lack thereof this year:

“There’s a lot of hard work (that’s) been done before I arrived. The players have worked hard. … And, obviously, with me coming back into the frame, it’s great to see the way the players have come together and great to see the togetherness of the team. All the hard work was done before I arrived so it’s nice to step into that.”

Jovan Kirovski and the Galaxy kept their heads.

Here’s Todd Dunivant on the Galaxy’s attitude coming into the game:

“We knew they had two games in hand on us. So the onus was on us to get the points tonight – they had the breathing room. But tonight we came out and defended well and limited their chances and (goalkeeper) Donovan (Ricketts) made a big save tonight and stepped up for us and carried us through to the shutout. Tonight we made the bigger plays and that was the difference.”

Here’s Dunivant on how much the Galaxy practice set pieces from his throw-ins, which led to the goal:

“We actually did yesterday. We usually do it the day before the game and yesterday we did it where Omar comes up all the way from center back and Gregg (Berhalter) was up as well, so it makes a difference. It’s a weapon because you can get a ball in there with accuracy and if they can get any kind of flick on it anything can happen.”

Here’s the goal:

Finally, here’s Dunivant on the Galaxy’s disciplined approach to the game:

“We talked about the need for discipline tonight. We know that these games are heated. There was a different energy in the crowd tonight, you could feel it when we walked out into the stadium. You knew this was a SuperClasico game. It was kind of electric out there and we always feed on that. But we had to be smart. In the first (SuperClasico) we lost our cool a little bit against these guys and got some red cards that cost us. But tonight we did a good job of keeping our heads and tonight they were the ones that got sent off.”

The result: MLS standings.

Updated: And finally, Galaxy striker Alecko Eskandarian didn’t play, but said this on his Facebook page:

“Helllllllllll yea!!! HUGE win for us. Chivas played really well, but I’m stoked we got the 3 pts and that Becks shut up some of his critics.”

Galaxy 1 Chivas USA 0

And that’s the way it ended, a 10-man Chivas USA unable to come back against the Galaxy after Maykel Galindo’s late straight red before an announced capacity crowd of 27,000.

Donovan should have made it two in stoppage time, but couldn’t convert a neat little back pass from David Beckham with only Chivas USA goalkeeper Lance Parker to beat.

Key stats:
*The Galaxy have not conceded a goal in 306 minutes.
*The Galaxy have now scored 10 goals in the last 14 minutes of games.

The Galaxy close to within two points of Western Conference-leading Houston Dynamo, who play Colorado Sunday.

More later

Galaxy 1 Chivas USA 0

A wide-open David Beckham has scored what could be the game-winning goal in the 80th minute, the ball hitting the ground in front of him and Becks pinging it off the left post and into the net from the edge of the penalty box.

The goal came from a long Todd Dunivant throw to Omar Gonzalez who nodded it back to Beckham.

To make matters worse for Chivas USA’s Maykel Galindo just received a straight red card for elbowing Gregg Berhalter two minutes after the goal.

Galaxy 0 Chivas USA 0

A typically, tight derby although both teams exchanged chances, especially in the opening 15 minutes. Chivas USA ended up out-shooting the Galaxy 8-3 though, which had Bruce Arena up off the bench and pacing early.

Both sides served up too many aimless long balls or inaccurate crosses, however, something that was emphasized when Maykel Galindo was sent through twice in quick succession just before the break with low, purposeful balls. He managed to get off shots that tested Donovan Ricketts on both occasions. It appears Chivas USA are focusing on that left side, trying to take advantage of A.J. DeLaGarza’s perceived lack of pace with the speedy Galindo.

Chivas USA goalkeeper Lance Parker looked a little shaky on a couple of occasions early, but appeared to settle down as the half wore on.

The only yellow card was issued to Chivas USA’s Marcelo Saragosa.

It’s thankfully cooling off here in Carson – the temperature right now is 76 degrees – as Chivas USA (10-8-3) and the Galaxy (8-4-11) play the season’s third and final SuperClasico.

If Chivas USA wins tonight they would win the SuperClasico trophy because the teams would be even with four points apiece after a 0-0 tie and a 1-0 Galaxy home win earlier this season. The tiebreaker is the road game record and Chivas USA are the away team tonight.

The Galaxy have the same starting XI – in fact, Bruce Arena has named the same 18-man squad – that started the 0-0 draw with D.C. United last time out. That means, of course, that Edson Buddle and ASlecko Eskandarian remain sidelined with injuries.

Galaxy XI: Donovan Ricketts, A.J. DeLaGarza, Gregg Berhalter, Omar Gonzalez, Todd Duinivant, Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Stefani Miglioranzi, Eddie Lewis, Jovan Kirovski, Mike Magee.

Chivas USA start goalkeeper Lance Parker, who has conceded seven goals in three MLS games this season, in place of the injured Zach Thornton who left the 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Salt Lake City at halftime still bothered by a thigh strain.

Newly signed Columbian defender Yamith Cuesta will make his Chivas USA debut in place of Mariano Trujillo, who doesn’t even make the bench. Let’s see if the Galaxy zeros in on him.

Usual midfielder Marcelo Saragosa is also preferred to Ante Jazic in defense. And after playing Maicon Santos alone up front in Utah, Preki returns to a striking duo of Santos and Maykel Galindo.

Chivas USA: Lance Parker, Yamith Cuesto, Marcelo Saragosa, Carey Talley, Jonathan Bornstein, Jesus Padilla, Jesse Marsch, Paulo Nagamura, Sacha Kljestan, Maicon Santos, Maykel Galindo.

I told the game is sold out tonight; you can watch on ESPN2, but I’ll blog and tweet, too.

Updated: BTW, I’m told the Union Ultras defeated the Angel City Brigade 3-1 this afternoon in a game at a Carson Park if that’s any sort of good omen for Chivas USA.