The Los Angeles Galaxy advanced to the 2009 MLS Cup with a 2-0 home triumph over the Houston Dynamo Friday night.
What looked to be a showcase match for MLS turned embarrassing after two blackouts in the Home Depot Center stopped play for a total of 38 minutes.
Galaxy fans deserve a great deal of credit for keeping their spirits high despite the stoppages. If anything, the fans were actually louder when the lights were out.
The blackouts provided some amusement when the cameras found David Beckham. Becks was cranky all night, yelling at the ref, and looking generally annoyed. Long way from the bright lights of Old Trafford, eh mate?
Play was choppy before the blackouts and only got more so when the game resumed. The match didn’t find any rhythm until the last 15 minutes of regular time.
Dynamo fans will bitterly remember Houston’s Brian Ching having a goal disallowed in the 79th minute on a questionable call.
The winner for the Galaxy came in the 103rd minute, from a stunning Beckham free kick that bounced around in front of the Houston goal before being sent in by Gregg Berhalter. Landon Donavan iced it for the Galaxy on a penalty kick in the 109th minute.
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Via his Twitter feed, Rivers Cuomo announced that he and his wife were attending the game. There’s a Weezer joke to be made here, but it’s 2:45 AM on the East Coast (thanks for that 11:30 PM Eastern start time, MLS!) and I’m too tired to think of one.
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The Philadelphia Union unveiled their inaugural home jerseys on Friday. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but the jersey looks much better than I imagined it would. The yellow stripe down the middle adds flair.
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