October 24, 2009 TOP OF THE HEAP Galaxy blank Quakes to finish first in MLS West
Landon Donovan created an own goal and scored his 12th of the season to lead the Galaxy past San Jose. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
CARSON—To the relief of the LA Galaxy and a sellout crowd of 27,000 at the Home Depot Center, the only thing the upset-minded San Jose Earthquakes managed to spoil on Saturday night was Chivas USA’s and the Houston Dynamo’s hopes of finishing first in the MLS West. That honor – and the home field playoff advantage that goes with it – belongs to the Galaxy after a 2-0 win over the Quakes in both teams’ final game of the regular season.
The Galaxy close out the season at 12-6-12. Either Chivas or the Dynamo could match them at 48 points, but would finish below them in the standings in a tiebreaker.
Landon Donovan had the finishing touch for LA on Saturday, creating Bobby Burling’s own goal in the 24th minute and nutmegging goalkeeper Joe Cannon in the 77th to double the Galaxy lead. Spearheaded by MLS Rookie of the Year favorite Omar Gonzalez, the Galaxy defense managed to take San Jose scoring leader Ryan Johnson out of the game for the most part. Ramiro Corrales and Arturo Alvarez gave goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts a few anxious moments, but ultimately left the field empty-handed.
Both teams spent much of the first 15 minutes feeling each other out in midfield, although Sean Franklin got off a dangerous 10-yard shot that was blocked by Quakes defender Brandon McDonald in the fifth minute. LA almost sneaked a ball into the net in the 14th minute, when Mike Magee lofted a ball that got over the leaping Cannon and dropped just of the far post, but no one was in position to finish the play.
David Beckham created his usual havoc on set plays, starting with an 18th-minute 25-yard free kick that curled just wide of the left post. A minute later, Corrales had the first look for San Jose, running a give-and-go at the top of the box but sending his shot wide of the net. The Earthquakes spent a little more time in the Galaxy end, and almost got a break when Gonzalez banged a clearing pass off a San Jose player. The ball rebounded toward the goal, but Ricketts grabbed it up before anyone could take advantage.
Both teams seemed to shift gears around the 20-minute mark, and the Galaxy strung together a pair of solid chances leading up to the deciding goal. First, midfielder Dema Kovalenko lofted a shot from just outside the area that landed on top of the goal. Then, in the 24th, Magee found Donovan at the upper left side of the box. Donovan took a couple of touches in, then launched what started out to be a cross to the far post. Burling stuck out a foot and deflected the ball up and on goal, where it dropped into the far corner out of Cannon’s reach.
San Jose almost equalized within a minute, when Corrales sent a long free kick into the box. McDonald had position on Magee inside the six-yard box and got off a header, but Ricketts made the point-blank save.
LA kept the pressure on the Quakes defense through the rest of the half, with Buddle, Kovalenko and Beckham all taking shots, and Magee just missing with a glancing header off Beckham’s service into the goalmouth in the 44th minute, but the score held through the intermission.
After halftime, the teams went back to trading balls at midfield, although Buddle tried to energize the Galaxy with a showy header that Cannon had already grabbed before the play was called offside. The Galaxy continued to have ample time to work the ball in and around the San Jose penalty area, but didn’t create much in the way of chances.
Meanwhile, Alvarez took the reins for the Earthquakes with a series of dangerous forays down the left side. He put two shots into the near outside netting, hit the post and just missed on a far post cross for Johnson, and set up a trailing Bobby Convey for a shot from then top of the box that was saved by Ricketts. Sixty-sixth-minute substitute almost made an immediate impact for the Quakes, invading the Galaxy area on a 67th-minute breakaway that was snuffed out by Gonzalez.
Galaxy coach Bruce Arena made a high-impact substitution of his own in the 77th minute, bringing in Chris Klein for Chris Birchall. Within seconds, Klein took a distribution from Ricketts and sent a leading pass to Donovan, who got around McDonald for the ball and drew Cannon to the top of the box before depositing his 12th goal of the season into the lower left corner.
Less than five minutes later, Donovan challenged Cannon with a diving header off Beckham’s right side cross. Once more, Klein was the catalyst, starting a quick upfield sequence that saw the ball pass from Klein through Donovan to Beckham before coming back to Donovan in front of the goal.
San Jose, long eliminated from the playoff chase, closed out the season at 7-14-9, with 30 points.
