LA Galaxy Defeat Chivas USA To Even Up The SuperClasico Standings

The LA Galaxy defeated Chivas USA 3-1 in the second edition of the SuperClasico at The Home Depot Center Saturday night, on the strength of a Landon Donovan brace. Keane could have had a brace, but his second first half goal was called offside though replay showed he was in fact onside. The Galaxy pick up their seventh point in seven days, as they pull within one point of Vancouver Whitecaps in the standings.

"Good win for our team," said Bruce Arena. "I thought we played well from start to finish. Got a little sloppy in the second half. We could have scored a number more goals tonight...Donovan and Keane were outstanding again. Beckham's passing was excellent. A good team effort for the most part."

The match winner came in the 48th minute with David Beckham recovering a loose ball, and finding Robbie Keane on the offensive side of the touch line. Continuing up the left side of the pitch, Keane found a streaking Landon Donovan, who was able to dribble into the penalty area and let loose a right footed low shot into the far corner.

Donovan completed his brace in the 78', the insurance goal putting Galaxy fans at ease after Paolo Cardozo cut the lead in half in the 52'. David Beckham set up for a corner kick, and Omar Gonzalez received it heading it back in from the far post. Bryan Gaul got a piece of the header, before it fell to Landon Donovan who smashed it hard into the back of the net.

"We're playing well," said Donovan. "We've got our guys that we depend on to make plays are making plays. We're probably leaving a few goals on the table each game, so as good as we feel about this we know we could be better."

Donovan's chance conversion rate stands at 50% on the night, but with one miss bouncing off the woodwork you can see how Donovan feels he left goals on the table. In the 62', Donovan had beaten everyone but Kennedy, and his effort rolled past the keeper but clanged off the far post and back into Kennedy's arms.

The opening goal came from Robbie Keane, who now has eight goals on the season to lead the team. Juninho recovered a loose ball at the halfway line, finding David Beckham nearby. Beckham sent a brilliant through ball along the ground to Robbie Keane who took a solid touch from the penalty mark to score.

Omar Gonzalez came in at the 68', as his recovery took a setback with him not playing at all on the road trip. Twenty minutes is significantly less than the 45 he played against Philadelphia, but his recovery will be carefully monitored as the Galaxy have Leonardo as a glaring example of recovery going wrong.

Next for the Galaxy is the Tuesday friendly against Tottenham Hotspur. Whether David Beckham and Landon Donovan play in the friendly or go on to the Wednesday MLS All-Star Game is up to the powers that be.