Only this one wasn’t just for them, it perhaps was an important win for MLS as well. Despite massive offers from numerous European clubs, David Beckham officially chose to remain in the United States, agreeing to new multi-year contract with the Galaxy that keeps the famed midfielder in Los Angeles through the 2013 MLS season.

“I’m committed to the Galaxy. I’m excited about this beginning again,” Beckham said. “We’ve got a very special team, special players, a great staff (and) great owners who look after us and make our lives very special to be a part of the team, this franchise.”

As part of the new agreement between Beckham and the Galaxy, the midfielder will be allowed to be absent from the team during the Summer Olympics, which will be held in London this July. Beckham is expected be one of three overage players selected to compete for the Great Britain squad in the Olympics. The new contract also affirms his right to purchase an MLS franchise once his playing career ends.

“The Galaxy had to be right for him and the league had to be right,” Galaxy head coach/general manager Bruce Arena said. “David coming back to LA confirms that MLS is making progress (and) he believes in the sport in America and he believes in the Galaxy. ”

Beckham enjoyed his finest season in 2011, as he helped the Galaxy win the MLS Cup while setting up 15 goals, which was one behind Houston Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis. Beckham’s stellar season earned him a spot on MLS’ Best XI team and also the league’s Comeback Player of the Year Award, as Beckham’s great season came one year after missing most of the 2010 season due to injury.

Beckham began to draw interest from several European clubs, even before the season began, as Beckham was entering the final year of a five-year 250 million dollar contract (though the actual number was 32.5 million). Interest from abroad only picked up as the season went along, with clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur, Queens Park Rangers and clubs in Asia and the Middle East being linked to the midfielder.

No club was ambitious about securing Beckham’s services more than Paris Saint Germain. The French Club, owned by Qatar Investment Authority, aspires to be on the same level as European powers Manchester United and FC Barcelona, and they saw the acquisition of Beckham as the first step towards that goal. PSG was serious enough to offer Beckham and 18-month contract that would’ve paid him approximately one million dollars a month.

Yet PSG’s massive riches was apparently not enough to overcome the lure of living in Los Angeles and more importantly, the desires of his family. Beckham and his family have more than established themselves in LA and the possibility of having to uproot his family to another location for a third time apparently did not sit well with Beckham.

“We’ve been very happy here for the last five years, and we felt ‘why change something that works,’” Beckham said about his family situation. “The kids love here (and) I love living here. Los Angeles has been good to us as a family.”

Beckham’s return to Los Angeles for the next two season continues the wild ride of Beckham’s time in Los Angeles and MLS that began five years ago, almost to the day when Beckham rocked the sports world by announcing his intention of signing with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Beckham’s glorious introduction on a sunny July morning at the Home Depot Center was seen as the first step towards taking the Galaxy, MLS and the popularity of the sport in the United States to new heights.

That adventure though got off to a rocky start, as the Galaxy missed the playoffs his first two seasons with the Galaxy, but even worse, turmoil gripped the organization, as players and managers went in and out and the Galaxy locker room became a toxic situation. The low point came in August 2008, when after a 2-1 loss to the then-expansion San Jose Earthquakes, then-manager Ruud Gullit resigned and then-manager Alexi Lalas was fired.

In stepped Bruce Arena, who assumed both positions and immediately began the process of re-tooling the club, but first Arena had to concern himself with Beckham, who went to AC Milan on a short term loan in January of 2009. Immediately, speculation began that Beckham would try to force a permanent stay in Italy, but the Galaxy stood firm, and ultimately, an agreement was worked out that allowed Beckham to remain with the Rossoneri through the end of the Serie A season before returning to LA for the remainder of the 2009 MLS season.

The drama though was only heating up. Just before Beckham was set to rejoin the Galaxy that year, excerpts from a book entitled “The Beckham Experiment” revealed a falling out with the Galaxy’s other star, Landon Donovan. That fire was quickly put out, but then came a highly publicized confrontation with a member of Galaxy supporters group LA Riot Squad in his first game back in a Galaxy shirt. Yet through all the distractions, Beckham played a key role in the Galaxy’s turnaround season that culminated with a trip to the MLS Cup final, but ended in cruel fashion, as they lost to Real Salt Lake on penalties.

Beckham almost didn’t have a 2010 MLS season, as he returned to AC Milan on another short-term loan with the hopes of making England’s World Cup roster, but that quest ended abruptly, as he tore his Achilles in March, and his status as far as the 2010 MLS season was thrown into doubt. Beckham however defied the odds, returning to action in September, but his presence wasn’t enough to get the Galaxy back to the MLS Cup final, as they lost in embarrassing fashion to FC Dallas in the Western Conference Final. 2011 however was a different story, as the Galaxy, bouyed by the mid-season of Irish striker Robbie Keane won its second straight Supporters Shield and in front of 30,000 at the Home Depot Center on a rainy Sunday evening in November, captured the franchise’ third MLS Cup.

“We’re very grateful for what David has done the past five years, but we’re even more excited about the upcoming year,” said Tim Leiweke, president of Galaxy ownership group AEG.

The year begins Monday with the start of preseason training. The Galaxy’s first competitive match of 2012 will be in CONCACAF Champions League play, as they play the first of a two-match series against Toronto FC at the Rogers Centre on March 7 before they open the MLS season three days later, as they host Real Salt Lake in a rematch of last year’s thrilling Western Conference Final.

It didn’t feel like one day, or even a whole season was riding on Sunday night’s MLS Cup matchup.

No, for the Los Angeles Galaxy, Sunday night’s final against the Houston Dynamo had more like a weight of five years. From the moment David Beckham arrived in Los Angeles in 2007, to all the ups and downs, to Bruce Arena coming in as head coach and general manager a year later to the midseason acquisition of Robbie Keane this year, all the attention, all the pressure, all the weight was on the Los Angeles Galaxy to win the 2011 MLS Cup.

Well, after 90 minutes and one strike from Landon Donovan, all off the pressure, whatever you want to call it, its all out the window now, as a 72nd minute strike in which all of LA’s three Designated Players took part was all LA needed to hold off a resilient Dynamo squad 1-0 and celebrate the Galaxy’s third MLS Cup title in front of 30,281 rabid fans at the Home Depot Center.

“This year, we were determined,” Arena said. “We worked our asses off to build this team into a champion. It’s been great year for our team and our organization,”

The win caps off a historic season for the Galaxy, which adds the MLS Cup to a long list of achievements in 2011, such as its second straight Supporters’ Shield, advancement into the knockout stages of the CONCACAF Champions League, an undefeated season at home and are also the first team with Designated Players to win an MLS Cup.

“This has been a long year (and) a trying year,” Donovan said. “There are times through it all when you get tired and mentally wear down, but this guy (Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena) keeps us going.”

After 71 minutes, the Galaxy got the long awaited goal. Beckham flicked a header forward for Robbie Keane to chase down, Keane then laid a ball inside the penalty area for Landon Donovan, who the touched a ball past Dynamo keeper Tally Hall that squeaked inside the far post for a goal that Los Angeles made sure it held up. When referee Ricardo Salazar blew the whistle after the 93rd minute, Beckham and Donovan embraced in celebration, their teammates and later the coaches joined in, and the Home Depot Center, save for the Dynamo fans who were in attendance, erupted as well.

“I didn’t care who scored, I didn’t care if it was an own goal or how the ball went in,” Donovan said. “I just wanted that ball to go in.”

LA did have several chances to get a goal early in the match. The first opportunity came in the 12th minute, when Keane won LA a corner, Beckham sent a ball into the 18 for Adam Cristman, but he instead sent his header wide right. Cristman had another chance in the 27th minute when an unmarked Beckham crossed a ball into the box, but again Cristman missed the far post. LA continued its onslaught in the second half, as Omar Gonzalez sent a ball off a Dynamo player in the 4th minute and Robbie Keane quickly made his run into the box. Keane shot for the far post, but missed. Keane actually did find the back net in the 57th minute, but was called back due to offside.

“We certainly didn’t do well inside the penalty area,” Arena said. “We struggled in our finishing tonight.”

While LA was buzzing around the Houston net, the same could not be said for the Dynamo, who surely felt the absence of midfielder Brad Davis. Of the eight shots Houston attempted in the match, only one, a long attempt by Danny Cruz, required the action of Galaxy keeper Josh Saunders. Adam Moffat was unmarked in the 18 in the 66th minute as Corey Ashe crossed a ball in, but Moffat’s header missed the far post.

“Houston put up a great fight,” Beckham said. “We knew it was going to be a difficult game, so a lot of respect to them.”

Houston, which had won two straight cups since the franchise’s move to Houston in 2006, suffers its first final loss.

“When we got into those good areas, our delivery was off,” Kinnear said. “We gave ourselves a chance, (but) to not put them under pressure, we let them off the hook.”

For the Galaxy, the 2011 MLS Cup title was a championship five years in the making. It mostly began in 2007 when the Galaxy shocked the world by brining in David Beckham not only to win trophies for the storied MLS franchise, but more importantly, to raise the profile of the league and the sport in the Unite States. Beckham’s U.S. adventure didn’t get off to a good start his first two years in LA, as the Galaxy missed the playoffs his first two years in the league and making matters worse, the Galaxy locker room during those two years were not the most harmonious place to be.

In stepped Bruce Arena, who assumed both the head coach and general manager duties midway through the 2008 season. Arena incurred some bumpy roads during his first few months in charge of the Galaxy, with the most bumpiest being Beckham’s flirtation with Italian superpower AC Milan during the first two months of 2009. The 2009 season itself was a roller coaster, as the Galaxy at one point played to draws in nine of ten matches. Yet despite all that, the Galaxy quickly asserted themselves midway through that season and made all the way to the final, but more heartbreak ensued, as they lost in penalties to Real Salt Lake.

Last season, the Galaxy started strong, reeling off wins in 10 of its first 12 matches and won the Supporters Shied, but lost in embarrassing fashion to FC Dallas in the Western Conference final, so this season had to be the time for the Galaxy, especially with Beckham in the final season of his contract and speculation running rampant about where he will play next. LA was atop the league throughout the season, but Galaxy management felt more was needed, especially up top at the striker position, so another bold move was made, this one in the form of celebrated Irish national striker Robbie Keane in August. Keane made an immediate impact, scoring in his first match with the team, but was in and out of the lineup due to national team commitments and injuries. Keane was there for Los Angeles in the Galaxy’s most important moments, scoring a fantastic goal in the Conference final against Real Salt Lake and posing numerous threats to the Houston defense on Sunday night.

“We’ve all played our part this season,” Beckham said. “Being successful always feels good. We’re proud to be a part of this.”

Los Angeles Galaxy 1, Houston Dynamo 0
2011 MLS Cup Final
November 20, 2011; Home Depot Center

Scoring Summary:
LA — Landon Donovan 3 (Robbie Keane 1, David Beckham 4) 72

Misconduct Summary:
HOU — Bobby Boswell (caution; Handball) 13
LA — Adam Cristman (caution; Reckless Tackle) 40
HOU — Andre Hainault (caution; Reckless Foul) 74
LA — David Beckham (caution; Tactical Foul) 82
LA — Landon Donovan (caution; Delaying a Restart) 94+

Lineups

Houston Dynamo — Tally Hall, Andre Hainault, Bobby Boswell, Geoff Cameron, Jermaine Taylor, Danny Cruz (Colin Clark 78), Luiz Camargo, Adam Moffat, Corey Ashe (Je-Vaughn Watson 84), Brian Ching, Calen Carr (Carlo Costly 66).

Substitutes Not Used: Will Bruin, Hunter Freeman, Eddie Robinson, Tyler Deric.

LA Galaxy — Josh Saunders, Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, A.J. DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant, Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Juninho, Mike Magee, Adam Cristman (Chris Birchall 57), Robbie Keane.

Substitutes Not Used: Gregg Berhalter, Paolo Cardozo, Frankie Hejduk, Jovan Kirovski, Michael Stephens, Donovan Ricketts.

Referee: Ricardo Salazar
Referee’s Assistants: Craig Lowry; Peter Manikowski
4th Official: Hilario Grajeda
Attendance: 30,281
Time of Game: 1:52
Weather: Rain and 53 degrees

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The only question now is will they be ending it holding the 2011 MLS Cup trophy. The Galaxy took one more step towards answering that question in the Western Conference Final on Sunday. A first half goal by Landon Donovan on a penalty, followed by second half strikes by Mike Magee and Robbie Keane enabled the Galaxy to punch the last ticket to the 2011 MLS Cup final with a 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake.

“Just a great effort for our team,” Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said. “I thought Salt Lake played very well too.”

The win means the Galaxy will become the first team to play the final on its home field since the New England Revolution played the 2002 final against the Galaxy in front of 66,000 at Gilette Stadium. Los Angeles will face the Houston Dynamo, who defeated Kansas City 2-0 at Livestrong Sporting Park to claim the Eastern Conference title.

“It was a great performance overall,” Galaxy midfielder David Beckham said. “We knew it was going to be a difficult game tonight, but we stuck together.”

Tied at one going into the second half, the Galaxy came back out with renewed fervor. LA got an opportunity five minutes in when Beckham sprung Keane on the right side, Keane crossed into the box to Barrett, but his header was stopped by Will Johnson’s face. LA finally pulled ahead in the 58th minute when Beckham crossed into the 18 and Mike Magee slipped through Robbie Russell and Chris Wingert to head a ball through the hands of RSL keeper Nick Rimando into the back net for his third straight postseason goal.

“I think we didn’t go anyone close enough to him (Beckham),” Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis said. “You can’t give a player like that that kind of time or he’ll punish you.”

RSL immediately countered, and almost got a second equalizer a minute later. Alvaro Saborio headed a ball to Fabian Espindola, who evaded AJ DeLaGarza to get inside the 18 and let loose for goal, but saw his shot foiled by the crossbar. That missed chance eventually came back to bite RSL, as LA got its third goal in the 68th minute when Landon Donovan sprung Keane from the right side. Keane got inside the 18, juked out Jamison Olave and fired the ball past Rimando far post to give LA a cushion two-goal lead and Los Angeles , with help from keeper Josh Saunders, who made two spectacular saves on Luis Gil and Javier Morales inside the final 15 minutes, killed off the remainder of the match.

“We thought as the game slowed down, it would favor us,” Arena said. “Salt Lake threw an awful lot into this game,”

In a wild first half, The Galaxy got its chance in the 23rd minute when Omar Gonzalez was fouled from behind in the penalty area by Andy Williams while leaping for header. Donovan, who missed a penalty in the 09 final and has struggled against Nick Rimando from the penalty spot in the past came through this time, as he went right while Rimando went left to give LA the lead. That lead though only lasted two minutes, as Jamison Olave headed a Javier Morales corner towards Alvaro Saborio, who then touched a ball past Josh Saunders far post to level things up.

“We put a little pressure on them, then they put a little pressure on us,” RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman said. “It was back and forth, and both teams created chances.”

Both teams had chances throughout the first half. RSL’s first good look came in the fifth minute when Javier Morales’ corner was headed by Alvaro Saborio to Robbie Russell, who immediately shot for goal, but was miraculously caught at the goal line by Saunders. The Galaxy had two great looks, both of them coming from Robbie Keane. The Irish international’s first opportunity came in the 33rd minute when he launched a laser towards the near post area, but the post won that battle. Keane had another chance to put LA back on top ten minutes later when Barrett laid a ball for him, Keane evaded Olave and curled a ball for the far post, but missed. RSL then had a chance to grab the lead just before halftime. Following a RSL free kick, Beckerman launched a bullet on goal, but saw the ball ricochet off the far post.

Los Angeles Galaxy 3, Real Salt Lake 1
Western Conference Final
November 6, 2011

Scoring Summary
LA – Landon Donovan (penalty) 22
RSL – Alvaro Saborio (Jamison Olave, Javier Morales) 25
LA – Mike Magee (David Beckham) 58
LA – Robbie Keane (Landon Donovan) 68

Discipline Summary
LA – Juninho (Reckless foul) 56
RSL – Javier Morales (Reckless foul) 70
LA – Sean Franklin (Delaying a restart) 93+

Real Salt Lake – Nick Rimando, Robbie Russell (Ned Grabavoy 70), Jamison Olave (Tony Beltran 82), Chris Schuler, Chris Wingert, Andy Williams (Luis Gil 75), Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, Will Johnson, Fabian Espindola, Alvaro Saborio.

Substitutes not used – Kyle Reynish, Nat Borchers, Yordany Alvarez, Paulo Araujo Jr.

Los Angeles Galaxy – Josh Saunders, Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, AJ DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant, Landon Donovan, David Beckham (Michael Stephens 90+), Juninho, Mike Magee, Chad Barrett (Chris Birchall 63), Robbie Keane.

Substitutes not used – Donovan Ricketts, Frankie Hejduk, Dasan Robinson, Paolo Cardozo, Adam Cristman.

Referee: Jorge Gonzalez
Assistants: Greg Barkey, Jeff Hosking
Fourth Official: Andrew Chapin
Weather: Partly Cloudy and 57 degrees
Attendance: 23, 247
Time of match: 1:53

The two teams delivered alright. An early New York goal, followed by one player who quickly asserted himself as the Galaxy fans’ public enemy No. 1 and an overall gutsy effort from David Beckham was followed by two LA goals, which were more than enough to send Los Angeles back into the Western Conference final courtesy of a 2-1 win over the Red Bulls.

“Certainly a difficult game tonight,” Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said. “Our players showed the kind of character they did to get back in the game in the first half and have a pretty good second half.”

The win clinches a two-goal victory over New York and brings LA to its third straight conference final, where the only obstacle standing between them and what would be literally a home game in the MLS Cup final two weeks from Sunday evening will be Real Salt Lake, the team that denied them the 2009 MLS Cup in Seattle.

“We played a decent game,” Red Bulls head coach Hans Backe said. “We gave it a go for 90 minutes and I would say it was two even games.”

Trailing in the match 1-0 and tied on the aggregate from the fourth minute on, LA was on the offensive for most of the half, but found the go-ahead goal elusive. In the 38th minute, Chris Birchall launched a long volley was collected by Rost, but he spilled it back into play towards Keane. Rost though recovered and stuck his left hand out at Keane’s rebound attempt just enough to prevent the goal. LA’s chance finally came in the 41st minute, as Beckham’s corner went into the box and Magee headed the ball over Rost and into the back net for the match equalizer and aggregate lead.

“We dropped a little too deep after our goal and gave LA too much possession in the first half,” Backe said.

LA then got its chance to put the series on ice in the second half. It started in the 74th minute when Beckham had the ball inside the 18. Beckham, who had been physically mangled by the Red Bulls for most of the night, received a boot by Roy Miller near his neck, thereby forcing referee Hilario Grajeda to whistle for the penalty spot. Donovan did the rest a minute later, as Rost went right and Donovan went left for LA’s second goal of the match and what proved to be an insurmountable two-goal aggregate lead.

Despite playing a goal down against a Galaxy side that had not lost at home all season, New York showed that they weren’t simply going to step aside for the Galaxy. In the fourth minute, Thierry Henry sent a ball forward for Luke Rodgers, who sprinted past Omar Gonzalez into the penalty area and proceeded to beat Josh Saunders far post to give the Red Bulls the aggregate equalizer.

Rodgers though was just getting started. The controversial English striker tried to disposes David Beckham on the ensuing restart, but his studs up challenge instead resulted in a yellow card. Rodgers was fortunate to avoid a sendoff in the ninth minute while chasing down a forward ball. Rodgers didn’t keep the ball alive, but he also didn’t win any further popularity contests with the fans when he launched a dangerous howler into the crowd, further enraging the LA fans.

“We started off bad and it wasn’t what we had planned,” Beckham said. “It was a dissapointing start, but the way we adjusted ourselves showed the character of our team.”

LA’s first chance came in the ninth minute when Beckham led a Galaxy break and fired a rocket on target, but sailed an inch over the crossbar. Momentum looked to further swing towards the Galaxy in the 16th minute when midfielder Teemu Tainio had to leave the match with what coach Hans Backe stated was a hamstring injury.

However, a scary moment occured for the Galaxy around the 28th minute when Beckham collided with Dane Ricahrds. The collision looked to further aggravate the back spasms that had plagued him throughout the season. Beckham was in a state of wooziness for several minutes, to a point which smelling salts had to be applied, but Beckham somehow shook it off and made his way back onto the pitch.

“They would’ve had to carry him off the field tonight.” Landon Donovan said of Beckham’s effort.

For Los Angeles, they move on despite the absence of midfielder Juninho, who was serving a one-match suspension due a red card given for his role in the post-match fireworks during Sunday’s first leg. Chris Birchall filled in Juninho’s spot and started off slowly, but recovered to turn in a solid performance as the match went on.

“He had Henry, he had about four other guys buzzing around in the middle of the field and he did an amazing job doing it by himself,” Mike Magee said of Birchall’s effort. “You can’t say enough good things about the things Birchie did tonight.”

LA now looks ahead to its mouth-watering matcup with incoming Real Salt Lake for the Western Conference championship. The match is set for Sunday evening.

Los Angeles Galaxy 2, New York Red Bulls 1
Western Conference semifinal, second leg
November 3, 2011; Home Depot Center

Scoring Summary
NY – Luke Rodgers (Thierry Henry) 4
LA – Mike Magee (David Beckham) 42
LA – Landon Donovan (Penalty) 75

Discipline Summary
NY – Luke Rodgers (Unsporting Behavior) 5
LA – Landon Donovan (Unsporting Behavior) 46+
NY – Thierry Henry (Reckless Tackle) 61
NY – Jan Gunnar Solli (Tactical Foul) 81

New York Red Bulls – Frank Rost, Jan Gunnar Solli, Stephen Keel, Tim Ream, Roy Miller, Dane Richards, Dax McCarty (Juan Agudelo 64), Teemu Tainio (Stephen Auvray 17), Joel Lindpere (Medhi Ballouchy 87), Luke Rodgers, Thierry Henry.

Substitutes not used – Bouna Condoul, Carlos Mendes, Matt Kassel.

Los Angeles Galaxy – Josh Saunders, Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, AJ DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant, Landon Donovan, David Beckham (Michael Stephens 78), Chris Birchall, Mike Magee, Chad Barrett (Adam Cristman 81), Robbie Keane (Paolo Cardozo 89).

Substitutes not used – Donovan Ricketts, Frankie Hejduk, Dasan Robinson, Jovan Kirovski.

Referee: Hilario Grajeda
Assistants: Kermit Quisenberry, Paul Scott
Fourth Official: Ramon Hernandez
Weather: Partly Cloudy and 63 degrees
Attendance: 20,000
Time of match: 1:53

Los Angeles Galaxy forward Chad Barrett must have been uttering those words at halftime of LA’s Superclasico matchup against Chivas USA. The Galaxy forward had numerous chances in the first half, but it wasn’t until the 53rd minute when Barrett finally broke through, as his header off an Adam Cristman cross finally found the back of the net, and that strike was all Los Angeles needed to hold off Chivas USA on Sunday evening at the Home Depot Center.

“We kept our composure, we kept on playing, and we knew if we created chances, we would score,” Galaxy midfielder Beckham said.

The win accomplishes several feats for the Galaxy. One, they capture its fourth straight Superclasico against its in-stadium rivals and second, they finish the 2011 regular season undefeated at home. The Galaxy also climb up to 67 points, one point shy of the MLS record for points in a season, which was set by LA in 1998.

After watching chance after chance go begging in the first half, Barrett finally had his moment in the 53rd minute. Barrett headed a ball forward to Cristman, who sprinted into the right side of the 18. Cristman crossed a ball into the six-yard box, where Barrett timed his jump perfectly and headed a ball past Chivas USA keeper Dan Kennedy, slotting the ball into the near post.

“I flicked a ball to Adam and he did a great job to get the cross in there,” Cristman said. “He just put it right on my head and you can’t even miss from there.”

Barrett had as many as five chances in the first half, but came up empty on all of them. The striker’s first chance came two minute into the match, as Cristman sent him loose with a forward ball. Barrett sprinted into the 18, eluded Kennedy and fired on goal, but Chivas defender Andrew Boyens cleared the ball near the goal line.

“LA was coming at us a great deal in the first half, but I think a lot of that was attributed to the fact that we weren’t quite good enough with the ball,” Chivas USA head coach Robin Fraser said.

Barrett continued to be active around the Chivas net, even channeling his inner Pele in the 18th minute when he attempted a bicycle kick that was on the mark, but denied by Kennedy. The third attempt was probably the best shot for Barrett, as he headed a Todd Dunivant cross towards goal, only to see it bounce off the near post. The last two chances, also headers, went wide left, then wide right.

“I wasn’t beating myself up,” Barrett said. “I was getting the chances, putting myself in good positions, and I knew if I kept doing that, I was going to score.”

Score he did, and Barrett proved to be the thorn on the side of Chivas USA yet again, as he has scored both goals in this year’s Superclasico matchup, though the rubber match didn’t carry a whole lot of drama, as the Galaxy had already wrapped up the Supporters’ Shield and Chivas USA had been eliminated from playoff contention weeks ago.

“You learn all throughout the year,” Fraser, who is finishing his first season as Chivas head coach said. “We’ve indentified things we need to get better at, and tonight was just another example of that.”

The Galaxy finish the MLS regular season on the road against the Houston Dynamo next Sunday, but first, it has a very important CONCACAF Champions League on Thursday. Los Angeles travels to Honduras to face CD Motagua, where three points guarantees them a spot in the knockout stage of the tournament. Chivas USA finishes up the season at home against the Seattle Sounders on Saturday.

Los Angeles Galaxy 1, Chivas USA 0
October 16, 2011; Home Depot Center

Scoring Summary:
LA — Chad Barrett (Adam Cristman) 53

Misconduct Summary:
LA — Gregg Berhalter (caution; Reckless Tackle) 57
CHV — Juan Pablo Angel (caution; Tactical Foul) 61
CHV — Ante Jazic (caution; Dissent) 75

Lineups:
Chivas USA — Dan Kennedy, Zarek Valentin, Andrew Boyens, David Junior Lopes (Heath Pearce 46), Ante Jazic, Ben Zemanski, Nick LaBrocca, Michael Lahoud (Laurent Courtois 59), Marcos Mondaini, Juan Pablo Angel, Alejandro Moreno.

Substitutes Not Used: Simon Elliott, Victor Estupinan, Jorge Flores, Blair Gavin, Zach Thornton.

LA Galaxy — Josh Saunders, A.J. DeLaGarza, Omar Gonzalez, Gregg Berhalter, Todd Dunivant, Mike Magee, David Beckham, Juninho (Michael Stephens 61), Paolo Cardozo, Chad Barrett (Jovan Kirovski 85), Adam Cristman (Chris Birchall 73).

Substitutes Not Used: Dan Keat, Miguel Lopez, Dasan Robinson, Donovan Ricketts.

Referee: Jair Marrufo
Referee’s Assistants: Corey Rockwell; Frank Anderson
4th Official: Jasen Anno
Attendance: 27,000
Time of Game: 1:52
Weather: Clear and 70 degrees

Seattle Sounders have won the US Open Cup in each of the three years of their existence in MLS. Although Sounders have been a model franchise for expansion their model of success was the Chicago Fire. Chicago Fire had been the last expansion team to make the MLS playoffs, not to mention winning the MLS Cup, in their 1998 inaugural season and winning the US Open Cup.

chicago has had a difficult season in MLS and are on the outside looking in for a MLS Cup playoff spot. Sounders on the other hand have hit a new high for the regular season after getting off to a rocky start with injuries to Steve Zakuani and a goal drought from Fredy Montero. Sounders currently are second in the overall table to Los Angeles Galaxy by 7 points.

The first half started off with a couple of early fouls and verbal warnings from referee Alex Prus. It was a good move by the often criticized referee to take an active role in keeping players in check and on the pitch. Although Chicago created some fair chances to score all 5 of their shots were taken by Marco Pappa and all of them were taken at distances beyong 18 yards.

Chicago was fortunate not concede a goal during the first half, there were several around the goal frame, one off the post and a couple of shots blocked by defenders. Sean Johnson was up for the challenge and made several key saves that kept the Fire in the match.

Sounders subbed Alvaro Fernandez at halftime due to a head injury. Erik Friberg replaced him.

Second half started slower than the first. Friberg was not able to charge up his touchline the way that Fernandez, but Sounders maintained possession and kept Chicago out of the area.

Montero found the opportunity to separate the two sides in 78th minute. Jeff Parke’s header was too much for Johnson to wrap up and the ball fell with reach of the Columbian who was able to reach out and knock in the errant save for the 1-0 lead.

Shortly after, Fucito had a breakaway opportunity with Evans free in the middle, Fucito elected to shoot instead.

Chicago Fire never did find a offensive combination that really looked threatening, in fact they only managed on more shot in the second half, 18+ yards from Patrick Nyarko. Aside from a skirmish in the second half the Fire never really looked threatening.

Osvaldo Alonso put the cherry on the cake in the 96th minute when he collected a clearance around 30 yards out and took it himself on a swerving run past several Fire defenders across the goal mouth for the finish gave Seattle Sounders their third US Open Cup in a row.

Last Saturday, a stoppage time strike by Chad Barrett earned three points against the Columbus Crew on the road, then three days later, another last minute goal, this time from Juninho game the Galaxy a 2-1 win over visiting Monarcas Morelia that kept alive LA’s hopes of advancing to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League Tournament.

This time, LA made sure it didn’t have to wait that long to win this match, yet the three points earned against Real Salt Lake on Saturday night was every bit as gritty, as the Galaxy rallied from a halftime deficit to defeat Real Salt Lake 2-1 at the Home Depot Center.

“It was a good game tonight,” Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said. “It was nice to have our team really challenged and come from behind.”

The win is LA’s first win after trailing at halftime, but more importantly, the win, which bumped LA’s point total to 64 points, keeps the Galaxy seven points clear of the Seattle Sounders and inches Los Angeles ever so close to the Supporters Shield. Only the Sounders’ 2-1 win over the New England Revolution kept LA from clinching the Shield on Saturday night. As for Real Salt Lake, despite being sent to its third straight loss, head coach Jason Kreis was satisfied with the effort put forth against the Galaxy.

“I thought we stretched LA to their wits end tonight,” Kreis said. “They’re the beat team in the league, they have the most points for a reason and I think we gave them a pretty difficult challenge tonight.”

Trailing 1-0 at halftime, the Galaxy rose tot eh occasion starting in the 59th minute. David Beckham played a dazzling long ball into the penalty area in the direction of a sprinting Chad Barrett. RSL center back Jamison Olave came in for some last minute defending, but Barrett managed to chip a ball at goal which got past keeper Nick Rimando and crossed the goal line even as the ball actually went back into play.

“It was probably miscommunication between Olave and Rimando and I saw the opportunity,” Barrett said. “I put my toe in there, Rimando’s had was down and I just lifted it up over him.”

Los Angeles then pulled ahead in the 72nd minute and Beckham again played a role, as he sent a free kick into the 18 to Todd Dunivant, who then crossed a ball inside the six and Nat Borchers’ erred on his defending, as the ball glanced off his foot and into the back netting. The Galaxy never looked back afterward.

“It wasn’t the prettiest of goals, but we were aggressive, kept our composure and did what we had to do,” Arena said.

Real Salt Lake was the first to strike in the first half, and it came just before stoppage time. Javier Morales’s corner from the left side was headed by Nat Borchers towards goal, but a deflection off a Galaxy player sent the ball to the end-line for another RSL corner, this one on the right side. This time, Real Salt Lake succeeded, as Morales’ corner went to Fabian Espindola, whose header beat a flat-footed Josh Saunders to the back post.

“I wanted a collective team effort and I wanted a team that showed a little more discipline and was more difficult to break down,” Kreis said. “We didn’t get the result we hoped for, but we got a lot of hard work and a sense of improvement.”

Both teams had some chances to get on the board prior to the RSL goal. LA’s first opportunity was gifted by Salt Lake themselves in the 32nd minute, as Nat Borchers’ clearance was collected by Robbie Keane, but his touch was a little too heavy and Nick Rimando gobbled up the loose ball. LA’s other good look at goal came in the 38th minute when Will Johnson handled a Juninho volley, giving LA a free shot from about 23 yards out. A brief scrum ensued as RSL protested the call, leading to Borchers being carded and a minute later, Beckham’s free kick just missed the near post. Real Salt Lake’s one good look at goal came in the 17th minute when a Paolo Cardozo foul set up RSL from about 23 yards out. Morales aimed for the upper left corner, but his free kick was parried away by Saunders.

The Galaxy will plays its last game on short rest before a long and deserved 12 days off, as they travel to New York to face the Red Bulls this coming Tuesday in the match at Red Bull Arena that was rescheduled due to Hurricane Irene. Real Salt Lake will try to snap out of its funk on Thursday, as they travel to Vancouver to face the Whitecaps at BC Place Stadium.

Los Angeles Galaxy 2, Real Salt Lake 1
October 1, 2011; Home Depot Center

Scoring Summary
RSL – Fabian Espindola (Javier Morales) 45
LA – Chad Barrett (David Beckham) 60
LA – Own goal (Nat Borchers) 72

Discipline Summary
RSL – Fabian Espindola (Unsporting Behavior) 38
LA – Omar Gonzalez (Reckless Tackle) 40
LA – Paolo Cardozo (Reckless Tackle) 43
RSL – Ned Gabavoy (Reckless Tackle) 49+
RSL – Javier Morales (Dissent) 48
RSL – Yordany Alvarez (Tactical Foul) 57

Real Salt Lake – Nick Rimando, Chris Schuler, Nat Borchers, Jamison Olave, Chris Wingert, Yordany Alvarez (Andy Williams 74), Will Johnson, Javier Morales (Collen Warner 80), Ned Grabavoy, Fabian Espindola (Paulo Araujo Jr. 65), Alvaro Saborio.

Substitutes not used: Tim Mella, Rauwshan McKenzie, Arturo Alvarez, Luis Gil.

Los Angeles Galaxy – Josh Saunders, Bryan Jordan, Omar Gonzalez, AJ DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant, Paolo Cardozo, David Beckham, Juninho, Landon Donovan (Michael Stephens 89), Chad Barrett (Adam Cristman 70), Robbie Keane (Joan Kirovski 91).

Substitutes not used: Brian Perk, Frankie Hejduk, Hector Jimenez, Miguel Lopez.

Referee: Kevin Stott
Assistants, Brian Poeschel, Adam Wienckowski
Fourth Official: Ramon Hernandez
Weather: Clear and 64 degrees
Attendance: 27,000
Time of match: 1:54

Tied at one heading into stoppage time, it looked as if the Galaxy’s chances of advancing to the group stages of the CONCACAF Champions League Tournament would end at the hands of Monarcas Morelia.

Instead, the Galaxy persisted, and got one last shot, and it came from Landon Donovan, Chad Barrett and Juninho. Donovan’s set piece was followed by Barrett’s header to Juninho, and his strike at the start of stoppage time kept LA’s CONCACAF quarterfinal hopes alive with a 2-1 win over Morelia at the Home Depot Center.

“We definitely needed to win, especially at home,” Juninho said. “You always want to get three points at home and that’s what we did.”

The win forges a three-way tie between the Galaxy, Morelia and Costa Rica’s LD Alajelense pending the latter’s matchup with point-less Honduran club CD Motagua on Thursday night. Los Angeles can book its spot in the next round of the tournament with a win over Motagua in Honduras on October 20.

Tied at one with only three minutes of stoppage time left to preserve their chances of advancement, the Galaxy had a corner kick at the right corner. Landon Donovan sent the corner into the 18, Chad Barrett headed a ball into the six and an unmarked Juninho cashed in on the opportunity, as he slotted a point-blank look past Morelia keeper Federico Vilar to the far post. Unlike the last time the two teams met, where the Galaxy had a late equalizer against Morelia calledd back due to what looked like an incorrect offside call, the flag didn’t go up this time around.

Both teams came into the match missing key players. Morelia was missing striker Joao Rojas, whom manager Tomas Boy said had missed Morelia’s last two matches due to “muscluar injury.” The Galaxy’s absences were even more glaring, as they were without striker Robbie Keane, who was out due to an injured gluteus as well as midfielder David Beckham, out due to yellow card accumulation.

Despite the absences, the Galaxy had one objective heading into Wednesday’s match, and that to get three points. The Galaxy struck first in the 21st minute, as Todd Dunivant’s cross went between a Morelia defender’s leg on its way into the box, where Mike Magee slotted a shot past Morelia keeper Federico Vilar to the back post to stake Los Angeles to the lead.

“Before he (Magee) even got to me, he was yelling,” Duinvant said describing the play. “I gave it a quick peak, took a touch, the defender opened his legs and I put through right to Mike and it was great finish.”

The Galaxy took the lead into the halftime break, but 15 minutes into the second half, Morelia tied the match. It started when Bryan Jordan cut off a Damian Manso cross, only to see the ball go into the penalty area, where Rafael Marquez Lugo just happened to be. Marquez beat Saunders to the loose ball and buried the point-blank shot for the equalizer.

“The game was there for us for the taking,” Boy said. “We conceded an early goal a bit silly, but we bounced back from that and we were able to get our game going.”

Energized by the goal, Morelia looked to put the Galaxy out of commission as the match wore on. Morelia had a great chance in the 81st minute to get a second goal when Damian Manso collected Omar Gonzalez’s clearance attempt and let loose inside the penalty area, only to see it bounce off the crossbar, then off Saunders and somehow still in play. The ball was cleared out eventually by AJ DeLaGarza. Morelia failed again to get the second goal when Aldo Ramirez received a through ball inside the 18 which drew out Saunders, but his attempt missed the back post.

“We gambled a lot over the last 15 minutes,” Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said. “We opened ourselves up and we’re fortunate that Morelia didn’t close us out.”

So hopes for one trophy are still alive for the Galaxy, but they will look to take a big step towards sealing another trophy on Saturday night, as they host Real Salt Lake, where a win over them pretty much stamps home a second consecutive Supporters’ Shield.

Los Angeles Galaxy 2, Monarcas Morelia 1
CONCACAF Champions League; Group A
September 29, 2011; Home Depot Center

Scoring Summary
LA – Mike Magee (Todd Dunivant) 21
MM – Rafael Marquez Lugo (unassisted) 60
LA – Juninho (Chad Barrett, Landon Donovan) 91

Discipline Summary
MM – Diego Jimenez, 55
LA – AJ DeLaGarza, 67
LA – Paolo Cardozo 70

Monarcas Morelia – Federico Vilar, Enriquez Perez, Rafael Marquez Lugo (Miguel Sabah 64), Luis Miguel Noriega (Adrian Aldrete 54), Felipe Ayala (Aldo Ramirez 64), Yasser Corona, Damian Manso, Manuel Perez, Angel Sepulveda, Diego Jimenez.

Substitutes not used: Felipe Rodriguez, Luis Alonso Sandoval, Edgar Lugo, Joel Huiqui.

Los Angeles Galaxy – Josh Saunders, Todd Dunivant, Omar Gonzalez, Frankie Hejduk, (Hector Jimenez 64), Landon Donovan, Adam Cristman (Chad Barrett 67), Mike Magee (Bryan Jordan 45), Juninho, AJ DeLaGarza, Michael Stephens, Paolo Cardozo.

Substitutes not used: Brian Perk, Jovan Kirovski, Dan Keat, Miguel Lopez.

Just don’t tell that to the Los Angeles Galaxy, certainly not on Saturday night against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Vancouver certainly didn’t play like a team that was in last place in the Western Conference with only 22 points against the vaunted Galaxy on Saturday night. Yet when 90 minutes were played between the two teams at the Home Depot Center, the Galaxy were further atop the conference and league stadings following its 3-0 win over the first-year Whitecaps.

“It’s good to win,” Landon Donovan said. “We weren’t perfect by any means, but we made the plays we needed to make to win the game.”

The win gives the Galaxy a league high 58 points and thus keeps some considerable distance between them and their Western Conference competitors. LA was led by defender Bryan Jordan, who assisted two goals, one of them going to midfielder Mike Magee, whose two goals in the match gave him his first brace in six years when he notched two goals for the then-New York Metrostars in a 5-4 win over the New England Revolution.

“Bryan was crossing some amazing balls tonight,” Magee said of Jordan’s passess.

Holding on to a 1-0 lead in the second half, Los Angeles appeared to dodge a bullett in the 63rd minute when Camillo appeared to have been taken down in the penalty area, but no call was made much to the infuriation of the Whitecaps, which resulted in Eric Hassli recieving a yellow card for dissent.

“You trying to get me into trouble,” Whitecaps head coach Tom Soehn said jokingly when asked about the play.

After that, the Galaxy took over. LA got a cushion goal in the 65th minute when David Beckham sprung an overlapping Bryan Jordan, who then crossed a ball into the penalty area to Robbie Keane, whose header beat Whitecaps keeper Joe Cannon near post to widen the Galaxy lead. LA sealed the three points in the 75th minute when Jordan again crossed into the 18, this time to Magee, who guided his header perfectly to the back post and across the goal line.

“It was a fantastic ball,” Keane said of the pass that led to his goal.

Vancouver certainly showed up on Saturday night. The Whitecaps got off two early long-range bombs right on frame that required the action of Galaxy keeper Josh Saunders. The Whitecaps continued to apply pressure as the match went on. Davide Chiumiento had possession outside the penalty area inthe 29th minute and curled a shot on goal, but missed the back post. Three minutes later, Vancouver had perhaps its best chance at a score when Shea Salinas sprung Eric Hassli with a brilliant through ball into the 18. Hassli fired a rocket, but was denied by Saunders.

“They sat back a lot,” David Beckham said of the Whitecaps’ effort. “We just had to be patient.”

That patience finally paid off in the 40th minute. Keane had possession on the left side of the penalty box and slipped a through ball into the 18, where Magee finished off a volley that beat Joe Cannon near post to break the ice.

“I thought we came to play tonight,” Soehn said. “Unfortunately, good teams will punish you for your mistakes.”

Another busy week awaits the Galaxy, as they travel to Costa Rica for a CONCACAF Champions League matchup against LD Alajuelense, followed by a showdown of conference leaders between them and the East-leading Columbus Crew at Crew stadium on Saturday. Vancouver meanwhile resumes the fight for the Cascadia Cup the same day as they welcome the Seattle Sounders to Empire Field.

Los Angeles Galaxy 3, Vancouver Whitecaps 0
September 17, 2011; Home Depot Center

Scoring Summary:
LA — Mike Magee 4 (Robbie Keane 1, David Beckham 13) 40
LA — Robbie Keane 2 (Bryan Jordan 1) 64
LA — Mike Magee 5 (Bryan Jordan 2, David Beckham 14) 75

Misconduct Summary:
VAN — Alain Rochat (caution; Tactical Foul) 17
VAN — Gershon Koffie (caution; Reckless Tackle) 28
VAN — Eric Hassli (caution; Dissent) 62

Lineups:

Vancouver Whitecaps — Joe Cannon, Jonathan Leathers, Jay DeMerit, Alain Rochat, Jordan Harvey, Shea Salinas, Gershon Koffie (Jeb Brovsky 76), Peter Vagenas, Camilo, Eric Hassli (Mustapha Jarju 73), Davide Chiumiento (Long Tan 65).
Substitutes Not Used: Michael Boxall, Nizar Khalfan, Alexandre Morfaw, Jay Nolly.

LA Galaxy — Josh Saunders, Bryan Jordan, Omar Gonzalez, A.J. DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant, Landon Donovan (Michael Stephens 78), David Beckham (Dan Keat 78), Chris Birchall, Mike Magee, Paolo Cardozo, Robbie Keane (Miguel Lopez 84).
Substitutes Not Used: Chad Barrett, Adam Cristman, Frankie Hejduk, Brian Perk.

Referee: Michael Kennedy
Referee’s Assistants: George Gansner; Corey Parker
4th Official: Baldomero Toledo
Attendance: 22,959
Time of Game: 1:50
Weather: Clear and 68 degrees

The Rapids had beaten the Galaxy in its last three visits to the stadium, with one of them being a US Open Cup match, which Colorado won in a penalty shootout. This time however, LA made sure the result was to their liking. One strike in the first half off the foot of Landon Donovan was all the Galaxy needed to break the Rapids’ hex at the HDC and more importantly, re-assert themselves in the Supporters Shield race, as Los Angeles became the first MLS team to clinch a playoff spot with a 1-0 win over the Rapids.

“It was a big game for us tonight,” Galaxy midfielder David Beckham said. “Colorado always comes in here and gives us a hard time, so I think it was important we were on top of our game.”

The win gives Los Angeles 55 points, seven ahead of the second-place Seattle Sounders pending the outcome of its important matchup with Real Salt Lake tonight at Qwest Field. Just as important for the Galaxy, they are the first team to clinch a playoff spot.

“I think we clinched one a while ago,” joked Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena.

After countless opportunities for Los Angeles went begging, the Galaxy finally delivered in the 36th minute. It started when Chad Barrett played a ball forward from the right to a sprinting Sean Franklin. The midfielder, who had a brace on Labor Day against Sporting Kansas City, saw Landon Donovan unmarked at his left and quickly played a ball to him and Donovan’s one-timer beat Matt Pickens to the back post to put LA ahead.

“Between Paolo (Cardozo), David, Chad (Barrett) and Sean, they did a great job of combining and Sean did a great job to find me,” Donovan said of the goal.

The Galaxy, bolstered by the return of goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts between the pipes, held Colorado to only two shots, one on goal, in the first half. The Rapids didn’t improve that number by much, but the chances it had were very dangerous. Colorado’s first real chance at an equalizer actually went in when Wells Thompson buried a rebound shot far post after Ricketts had denied Sanna Nyassi inside the penalty area, but Thompson was ruled offside thus negating the goal. Ricketts came up huge again in the 71st minute when he denied fellow Jamaican countryman Omar Cummings point-blank inside the 18, though Ricketts was again aided by the linesman.

“The second half was much better for us,” Rapids head coach Gary Smith said. “Possession was much better and we were able to disrupt the possession that the Galaxy had had in the first half (and) we had better territorial advantage in the second half.”

Midfielder Paolo Cardozo got the start for Los Angeles as part of Bruce Arena’s plan to conserve bodies ahead of the Galaxy’s huge CONCACAF Champions League matchup at Monarcas Morelia on Tuesday. Cardozo rewarded Arena with a solid performance, controlling possession and igniting several chances for LA. Cardozo himself had as many as four chances to put one in the back net, but was undone either by bad luck or the efforts of Rapids keeper Matt Pickens.

“He’s responding well,” Arena said of Cardozo. “He’s had such a great attitude over the last couple of months to get better and listen to some of the things we’ve talked to him about. Tonight, his performance was real good.”

While Cardozo and Ricketts were in the starting 11, forward Robbie Keane began the match on the bench as Arena preferred to play it safe just days after Keane had returned from Europe following international duty with the Ireland national team. Keane eventually entered the match in the 60th minute for Chad Barrett.

“If Robbie had his way, he’d probably play 90 minutes.” Arena said. “We’ve got to think about the player as well as the team and we didn’t want to put him in a position where he could get hurt.”

The Galaxy now turn its attention to its scintillating CONCACAF Champions League matchup with Mexican Club Monarcas Morelia at Estadios Morelo on Tuesday. The Rapids will also be busy in CCL play with a Mexican squad on Tuesday night, though they will have the fortune of having it in the friendly confines of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, as they host Santos Laguna.

Los Angeles Galaxy 1, Colorado Rapids 0
September 9, 2011; Home Depot Center

Scoring Summary
LA – Landon Donovan (Sean Franklin, Chad Barrett) 36

Discipline Summary
Col – Brian Mullan (Reckless challenge) 66

Colorado Rapids – Matt Pickens, Kosuke Kimura (Omar Cummings 69), Marvell Wynne, Tyrone Marshall, Danny Evans, Brian Mullan, Jeff Larentowicz, Pablo Mastroeni, Wells Thompson, Caleb Folan, Macoumba Kandji (Sanna Nyassi 39).

Substitutes not used: Steward Ceus, Mike Holody, Scott Palguta, Joseph Nane, Ross LaBauex.

Los Angeles Galaxy – Donovan Ricketts, Bryan Jordan, AJ DeLaGarza, Omar Gonzalez, Todd Dunivant, Sean Franklin, David Beckham, Juninho (Michael Stephens 73), Landon Donovan, Chad Barrett (Robbie Keane 60), Paolo Cardozo (Mike Magee 67).

Substitutes not used: Josh Saunders, Frankie Hejduk, Jovan Kirovski, Miguel Lopez.

Referee: Kevin Stott
Assistants: Mike Rottersman, Anthony Vasoli.
Fourth Official: Alejandro Mariscal
Weather: Partly Cloudy and 69 degrees
Attendance: 20, 068
Time of match: 1:50