Carson, CA -- On Saturday night, the Vancouver Whitecaps visited the Home Depot Center to play the LA Galaxy before a crowd of over 22,000. Vancouver has had a productive first season as an expansion team, but came into the game last in the Western Conference against the MLS-leading Galaxy.
As expected, the Galaxy dictated the game from the outset with plenty of offensive opportunities early and often. In the 9th minute, David Beckham used a free-kick to unselfishly make an unexpected short pass to Robbie Keane. Keane got past the only Vancouver defender guarding him, but was unable to score past the former Galaxy goalkeeper Joe Cannon.
The Whitecaps would not have many offensive threats in the first half, but they would compete against the Galaxy and the couple of offensive chances that Vancouver did create were dangerous ones.
In the 10th minute, Whitecaps defender Jordan Harvey made a threatening long distance shot towards goal, but the ball barely went over the crossbar. In the 32nd minute, Harvey would again be a menace to the Galaxy defense with another distance shot that forced Josh Saunders to make a diving save and push the ball out of bounds.
In the 40th minute, the Galaxy would finally be rewarded for their play when Beckham passed the ball to Keane and allowed Keane to attack goal. Keane charged the nearest defender before passing the ball off the side of his foot to a charging Mike Magee just outside the 6-yard box. Magee fired with his left foot and placed the ball in the side of the goal to give the Galaxy a 1-0 lead before the break. Beckham and Keane were both credited with assists on the play.
As the second half got underway, both teams looked to control the game, but the Galaxy would take a stranglehold on the match in the 64th minute when Bryan Jordan ran with the ball along the sideline unimpeded. Jordan looked up and saw Keane running in the 18-yard box and delivered a perfectly weighted cross that went between two Whitecaps’ defenders and into Keane. Keane snapped his head on the ball and it found the corner of goal past Cannon for a 2-0 Galaxy lead.
The Whitecaps would try to fight back with a Camilo shot at goal in the 77th minute, but they were unable to beat Saunders throughout the night with any shots on target.
LA would put the game away in the 75th minute when Beckham sent a pass from midfield to a streaking and wide-open Bryan Jordan. Jordan exhibited poise on the ball and then sent another superb cross into the 18-yard box that Magee perfectly headed into the corner of goal, beating Cannon. Beckham and Jordan’s second assist of the night, and Magee’s second goal of the game gave the Galaxy a convincing 3-0 win over Vancouver.
The remainder of the game Bruce Arena gave Beckham and Donovan a chance to rest, enjoy the final 15 minutes, and watch the younger players on the Galaxy gain some experience.
Both players will need to be in top form as the Galaxy travel from a Champions League game in Costa Rica on Wednesday to Columbus for a Saturday night away match against the Crew. The Crew currently are in first place in the MLS Eastern Conference.
By Brian Kowalski
Staff Reporter for The Daily Sports Herald
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