Pan-Pacific running blog

No Landon Donovan - he's out with a tendon injury. Beckham is starting, though. Anthems are playing.
Steve Cronin, Michael Gavin, Greg Vanney, Troy Roberts and Chris Klein on defense
Alvaro, Josh Tudela and Kelly Gray midline
Ely Allen, Beckham, Edson Buddle on the top line

Kick-off.
2- Announcers are talking about the Brazilian influence in Japanese soccer.
3- GOAL! Gamba Osaka - all those of our readers who didn't buy Luis ranking the Galaxy defense so low, please take note - the poor marking and a rather simple finish from Bare that defeats Cronin.
10- Almost another goal. Cronin is saved by the crossbar.
12- Bare is teeing up on Cronin, but this time Cronin gets in a decent save.
13- I've covered the Galaxy for years and when I was posting the line-up, "Who are these guys?" crossed my mind.
15- The Galaxy are scrambling, but they often are hitting bad passes. They're not giving up, but they look desperate.
16- Nice through ball for Bare, Cronin comes off his line, Bare touches ball around him but puts it too far and over the goal line.
19- Galaxy with a nice little run of possession - but it doesn't lead to anything threatening - oh, wait, Beckham puts the ball on Buddle's head, but Buddle heads it over the bar.
22- The turf is pretty poor. It's making the ball bounce strangely.
26- I wish this was on the Spanish channel. These guys aren't even talking about the game.
They just showed a replay of the goal - Bare was arguably offsides, but it was still poor defending.
30- Ely with a through-ball is into the box, turns back, lays the ball off - not well. At least the Galaxy got within range of the goal.
31- Ely again with the ball, but the defense cuts off the middle and starts a counter. Still a good run from the Galaxy.
33- Alvaro looks perpetually angry. He earns a free kick on the right. Beckham lines it up, hits Kelly Gray in the stomach, but Gray doesn't recover in time to kick the ball into the goal. Sad.
36- Ooh, another through ball leaves Cronin exposed and facing two attackers, he comes out quick and gets a palm on it - the follow is denied off the line by Troy Roberts. Cronin is looking better, even if the defense is still shambolic.
39- Gavin with a nice cross pass to Beckham, who then hits a really poor cross out of bounds. That play would have made more sense if the names were reversed.
40- Cronin with another save. He looks more comfortable now.
42-Becks lines up another freekick - Fugikaya catches it.
43- Freekick for Gamba Osaka - Becks is in the 4-man wall - I think the ball hit him, actually.
44- Bare tees up on Cronin again, this time with another low shot, but Cronin gets down for the save.
Halftime
46- Becks is still around for the second half. Josh Wicks is in goal, Valentin looks like a little like a cyborg warrior with his face patched and that Full90 helmet thing.
53- Gamba looks a little tired, or perhaps they're just content with their one-goal lead. They're not pressuring the Galaxy much, but the Galaxy still can't put together a decent attack.
56- Free kick for Osaka - but wide of goal
58- The Galaxy just keep making simple mistakes. There are a lot of young players out there right now, and i'm sure they're nervous, but some of the gaffes are terribly amateur.
60- Roberts bundles away a ball in the box. Out for a corner, which gets cleared.
61- Galaxy get the ball in the box and get a shot off, but it bounces off a defender.
62- Beckham can't corral a long ball. He seems really irritated. It's not a pretty match, can't blame him.
64- Gavin on an overlapping run gets into the box, but takes too long to shoot and gets blocked.
67- Looked like a handball in the box, but Baldomero Toledo lets it go. Corner. Beckham takes, ball comes out to Josh Tudela, who shoots way over the bar. Gray comes off for Jordan (more who?)
70- Give Beckham credit - he's out there with his team still, trying to make things happen.
71- Buddle brings down a pass, gets the ball in front of goal, but Jordan can't shove past his defender to poke it into goal.
74- That was weird, a graphic showed up briefly of David Beckham wearing the old Galaxy gold uniform. But he never wore it - they had switched to the current look before he joined the team.
76- Buddle with a sweet flick in the box to MacDonald, who skies it. Another chance lost.
78- MacDonald serves a random ball into the box, Osaka clears the Galaxy half-chance.
80- Corner for Gamba, cleared out.
81- Beckham initiates a comedy of errors, he steals a ball and passes into the box, MacDonald misses the header, Ely Allen whifs on the kick, than pulls the ball away from his charging teammate, Tudela, then centers for a miss by Buddle? Not sure.
85- Galaxy playing long-ball looking for a goal chance.
89- Gamba freekick - served out.
90- Ball into the area, but MacDonald can't get a head on it. Probably last chance for the Galaxy.
90+ Nope, Buddle brings the ball down in the area and manages to turn his defender, but after all that work, his shot was weak and easily caught by the goalkeeper.
90+ Wicks saves one final shot.
LA loses, will play third place game on Saturday.