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Played
November 7, 2011 2:21 AM GMT
The Home Depot Center — Carson, California
Referee: J. Gonzalez
Attendance: 23437
November 7, 2011 2:21 AM GMT
The Home Depot Center — Carson, California
Referee: J. Gonzalez
Attendance: 23437
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| Los Angeles Galaxy | 1.55 | 1.60 | 1.00 | 1.60 | 1.60 | 1.60 | 1.68 | 1.70 |
| Draw | 3.50 | 3.50 | 41.00 | 3.75 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 3.50 | 3.20 |
| Real Salt Lake | 6.00 | 5.75 | 71.00 | 5.75 | 5.20 | 5.80 | 5.00 | 4.75 |
LA Galaxy 3-1 Real Salt Lake: Landon Donovan & Robbie Keane set up MLS Cup date with Houston Dynamo
The former Tottenham striker and Mike Magee scored unanswered goals in the second half to push the Galaxy to the championship, where they will meet Houston Dynamo
By Nick Rosano
Getty Images
The Los Angeles Galaxy rode a strong second-half performance to emerge 3-1 winners over Real Salt Lake in the MLS Western Conference final.
Landon Donovan and Alvaro Saborio struck in quickfire succession in the first half, but second-half goals from Mike Magee and Robbie Keane sent the Galaxy to their seventh MLS Cup final.
Los Angeles made one change to the team which defeated New York 2-1 in the Western Conference semi-final, with Juninho returning from suspension, replacing Chris Birchall. After sweating over the fitness of his first-choice central defensive pairing, Jason Kreis opted to start Jamison Olave, but kept Nat Borchers on the bench in favor of Chris Schuler.
Both teams struggled to deal with a crowded midfield early on, and accordingly, the best chances of the first half came from set pieces. Josh Saunders was able to make a point-blank save early on from a corner kick, while Javier Morales found an open Chris Schuler with a free kick in the 12th minute, only for the defender to head wide.
As Los Angeles upped the tempo, though, they found the first goal in the 23rd minute.
While Nick Rimando did well to get a solid one-handed punch to a David Beckham corner, the Galaxy were able corral the ball in midfield and toss it back in. Andy Williams shoved Omar Gonzalez as the defender was in the process of heading at goal, and referee Jorge Gonzalez pointed to the spot with no hesitation.
Donovan stepped up and converted the penalty, but the Galaxy could only hold on to the lead for two minutes.
Almost immediately after the restart, Jamison Olave headed an RSL corner back across goal, and Saborio headed home.
Los Angeles would have the better opportunities for the rest of the first half, as Keane struck the post and then curled a shot just wide, though RSL also hit the woodwork as LA continued to struggle defending set pieces, and Kyle Beckerman saw his effort strike the post.
The Galaxy had a golden chance early in the second half as Will Johnson gave away the ball in the opposition half to start a break, but the Canadian midfielder got back superbly to block Chad Barrett's header on goal in the 51st minute.
The home side would regain their lead not long after as Beckham served up a tantalising cross to leave Magee with a free header. Rimando got a hand to it, but it was not enough to prevent Magee from netting in his third consecutive play-off game.
Fabian Espindola replied almost immediately, as he used his agility to spin and fire a shot off the crossbar, but Salt Lake were unable to replicate their heroics after the Galaxy's first goal.
The miss came back to haunt Salt Lake as Donovan won the ball in midfield and played Keane in behind a retreating RSL defence. After some manoeuvering in the area, Keane found an inch of space and was able to fire across Rimando's body to make it 3-1.
Though RSL naturally ramped up the pressure with the clock winding down, they struggled to connect inside the Galaxy area. The home side nearly struck again 10 minutes from time as Keane saw his effort roll just wide from a tight angle, although they had to be cautious as Saunders made two astute saves to quash any hopes of a comeback.
Los Angeles will now seek their third MLS crown on home turf on November 20, where they will face another two-time MLS champion in Houston Dynamo.
Landon Donovan and Alvaro Saborio struck in quickfire succession in the first half, but second-half goals from Mike Magee and Robbie Keane sent the Galaxy to their seventh MLS Cup final.
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Los Angeles made one change to the team which defeated New York 2-1 in the Western Conference semi-final, with Juninho returning from suspension, replacing Chris Birchall. After sweating over the fitness of his first-choice central defensive pairing, Jason Kreis opted to start Jamison Olave, but kept Nat Borchers on the bench in favor of Chris Schuler.
Both teams struggled to deal with a crowded midfield early on, and accordingly, the best chances of the first half came from set pieces. Josh Saunders was able to make a point-blank save early on from a corner kick, while Javier Morales found an open Chris Schuler with a free kick in the 12th minute, only for the defender to head wide.
As Los Angeles upped the tempo, though, they found the first goal in the 23rd minute.
While Nick Rimando did well to get a solid one-handed punch to a David Beckham corner, the Galaxy were able corral the ball in midfield and toss it back in. Andy Williams shoved Omar Gonzalez as the defender was in the process of heading at goal, and referee Jorge Gonzalez pointed to the spot with no hesitation.
Donovan stepped up and converted the penalty, but the Galaxy could only hold on to the lead for two minutes.
Almost immediately after the restart, Jamison Olave headed an RSL corner back across goal, and Saborio headed home.
Los Angeles would have the better opportunities for the rest of the first half, as Keane struck the post and then curled a shot just wide, though RSL also hit the woodwork as LA continued to struggle defending set pieces, and Kyle Beckerman saw his effort strike the post.
The Galaxy had a golden chance early in the second half as Will Johnson gave away the ball in the opposition half to start a break, but the Canadian midfielder got back superbly to block Chad Barrett's header on goal in the 51st minute.
The home side would regain their lead not long after as Beckham served up a tantalising cross to leave Magee with a free header. Rimando got a hand to it, but it was not enough to prevent Magee from netting in his third consecutive play-off game.
Fabian Espindola replied almost immediately, as he used his agility to spin and fire a shot off the crossbar, but Salt Lake were unable to replicate their heroics after the Galaxy's first goal.
The miss came back to haunt Salt Lake as Donovan won the ball in midfield and played Keane in behind a retreating RSL defence. After some manoeuvering in the area, Keane found an inch of space and was able to fire across Rimando's body to make it 3-1.
Though RSL naturally ramped up the pressure with the clock winding down, they struggled to connect inside the Galaxy area. The home side nearly struck again 10 minutes from time as Keane saw his effort roll just wide from a tight angle, although they had to be cautious as Saunders made two astute saves to quash any hopes of a comeback.
Los Angeles will now seek their third MLS crown on home turf on November 20, where they will face another two-time MLS champion in Houston Dynamo.
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Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Kenny Cooper
Striker New York Red Bulls |
11 | 2 |
|
Chris Wondolowski
Striker San Jose Earthquakes |
11 | 1 |
|
Thierry Henry
Striker New York Red Bulls |
9 | 0 |
|
Saer Sene
Striker New England Revolution |
7 | 1 |
|
Maicon Santos
Striker D.C. United |
7 | 0 |
