LA Galaxy Back to Winning Ways with Busy Week of MLS Competition

Carson, CA -- After winning the MLS Cup in 2011, the Los Angeles Galaxy have had a rough start to the 2012 campaign.  However, after a break in the MLS schedule, the Galaxy have come back with a vengeance, winning three games during a week's span.

First it was a Sunday win against the Portland Timbers, followed by a gritty 3-2 win in Real Salt Lake during the middle of the week.  On Saturday night, the Galaxy hosted the Vancouver Whitecaps with a full-strength starting lineup.

In the 16th minute, the Galaxy earned a scoring chance with a corner-kick from David Beckham. Instead of crossing the ball in front of goal, the corner-kick was sent to Juninho, who headed the ball.  Although Juninho's shot was saved by a defender, the ball opportunistically bounced around for a couple seconds. Mike Magee then scored the game's first goal when Vancouver goalkeeper Joe Cannon fumbled the ball.

A good start to the game would get even better for the Galaxy in the 28th minute, when Landon Donovan made a great individual effort to steal the ball from the defense and almost score past a diving Cannon.

Donovan's impact on the game would continue to be seen seconds later in the 29th minute when he made a pass into Robbie Keane in the 18-yard box.

On the highlight of the night for many reasons, Keane received the ball and dribbled in between three defenders before scoring on goal past Cannon.  The play was top shelf quality, but what he did after the goal had people talking just as much.

During the Euro 2012 tournament in Poland, a 21-year old Irish soccer fan who was visiting Poland inexplicably drowned in a canal.

After Keane had talked with the boy's father earlier in the day, Keane honored the young man by holding up a personalized Galaxy jersey reading "RIP James Nolan" after scoring the goal.

After the game, Keane said, “it was just a gesture because the Irish people are very close and they stick with each other through good times and bad times."

The Galaxy eventually pushed the lead to 3-0 in the first half when Keane received a typically amazing pass from Beckham that went through the defense and left Keane on goal.

Keane made a move around a Vancouver defender and shot the ball, but it hit the arm of Jay DeMerit, giving the Galaxy a penalty kick.

After Cannon attempted some shady delay tactics against Donovan – the penalty kicker – he stepped up to score and essentially put an end to the game before the second half.

Vancover played better in the second half, getting some good shots from their striker Camilo, but the Whitecaps were unable to recover from their first half deficit.

With the 3-0 win over Vancouver, and their two other victories earlier in the week,  the Galaxy jumped up to fifth place in the Western Conference. Los Angeles is knocking at the doorsteps of the Whitecaps and Sounders for third and fourth place respectively as the MLS enters its summer play.

By Brian Kowalski
Staff Reporter for The Daily Sports Herald