Galaxy/Chivas USA running blog

Traffic here is horrible. Backed up for a mile, at least. I actually bumped a car on my way in. The driver hopped out, checked out this bumper, and then got back in his car. I didn't even bother to look at mine. It's messed up already.
Anyway, they're calling out the starting lineups. ACB and the Riot Squad are waving flags. the Legion has balloons. And drums.
Ruud was coy at practice when we asked if Franchino would start. He's starting. I wonder if he really has the full 90 in him.
Kickoff!
2 Chivas USA has the first real attack Kljestan takes a deep throw-in - Galaxy break it up, out on the counter, then Chivas USA recovers.
3- Galaxy counter, Buddle takes down a long pass, sribbles a bit, then gets the ball to Donovan, but chivas D breaks it up.
4 - Galaxy corner. Flashbulb city. Becks takes, Franklin can't quite get a head on it, but it pops out to Franchino who tries to take it in to the box, deflected out, Becks serves it back in, Buddle header, Guzan catches.
6 - MacDonald tackle on Mendoza - yellow card, though some in the press box think it was clean. McDonny did. Others, including the ref, disagree.
8 - Handball! Hand of Donovan doesn't come off nearly as well as Maradona's did. He's caught redhanded and carded with a yellow.
9 - FK for Chivas - Galindo gets on the end of it and is just wide with his shot.
11 - With two yellow cards in the first ten minutes, the press box is speculating on someone getting sent off soon. Beckham has a long run wasted when he passes short and his teammates can't work the call into the box.
13 - Kljestan and Galindo work a give and go in the box, but Cronin catches the cross.
15 - Kljestan to Braun, but Xavier tackles for a corner, which is cleared.
16 - Galaxy on the counter!, LD beats defender, is on the run with Buddle, but the pass into the box gets broken up.
17 - Yellow on Suarez.
18 - GOAL! Three balls in a row get headed up high repeatedly, but then the ball finally drops to perhaps the smallest player on the field. LD takes a touch at the top of the box, then rockets a shot past Guzan. 1- 0 Galaxy
Some in the pressbox are saying there was a McDonald handball just before the shot. I didn't see it, but all agree Donovan's finish was impressive.
19 - Galaxy FK, cleared.
22 - Chivas USA corner. Punched out by Cronin
24 - CK. Kljestan. Cleared to Becks, but his pass goes to Kljestan.
25 - The Galaxy have been pushed back deep by Chivas - not any more. Donovan leads out a counter, drops a pass back to Becks, but Suarez cuts off the service.
28 - Shavar Thomas is down in the box. He's up again.
30 - Buddle took a knock to the head and is bleeding. He's off the field.
31 - Chivas attacks with a man advantage.
32 - Becks long run gets wasted when Chris Klein's cross goes to no one.
33 Bornstein does the same going the other way.
34 - Donovan denied a counter, ball came off his arm. Ref doesn't call a handball, but give the ball the other way. Weird compromise.
36 - Donovan won't be denied this counter - he flicks a free pass to Buddle, who shoots on goal, Guzan dives and parries it. Chivas clears.
Going the other way, big boy Braun gets fouled, giving Chivas USA a FK about 30 yard from top of box.
37 - GOAL! It deflects wide for a corner. Cleared. Kljestan gets it back, runs in on Xavier and unleashes a bending ball that hits the underside of the crossbar and goes it. He runs not to the Legion corner, but in front of ACB, where he celebrates with a front kick, Karate Kid style. 1-1. One ACB guy throws a flag at Kljestan.
42 - Major Miscommunication. A long pass befuddles the Galaxy D, and Xavier knocks it as Cronin comes out - it heads towards goal, but then goes wide for a corner, which the Galaxy eventually clear.
44 - The Galaxy on the attack, but Buddle's shot is over the bar.
45 - Franchino gets a yellow for a tackle on Galindo. Galindo is still down, but he's back up now.
Halftime - tie score. It's pretty justified, though the Galaxy had the better chances. Both goals were pretty nice, but the press box likes Kljestan's better. "Unstoppable." Humm, so Guzan could have stopped Donovan's shot, I guess. Still, Guzan's play on Buddle's shot kept the score close so Kljestan could tie it.
47 - Seats are still empty, so concession stands must be long. CK for Chivas USA.
48 - the corner is cleared, but Becks sends a bad pass back to center that falls to Chivas. Marsch sends the ball to Mendoza, who is alone against Cronin, but sends his shot off the post! wow, Galaxy escaped there. Galindo battling against Xavier - Xavier fouls, FK cleared out.
50 - Chivas has possession, but they're stuck in midfield, pretty much.
52 - Galaxy can't really get out of the midfield, either. Cronin comes out of the box to tackle a ball, but Galindo contests it, Cronin gets ball and Galindo, who goes down and stays down.
54 - He's back up now, but limping. And suddenly, not limping anymore. Playing possum?
56 - Becks cross in the box cleared out.
57 - Ante Razov coming in for Galindo.
59 - GOAL! Randolph battles for the ball on the wing, get up the left side and sends a cross to LD. It's a bit behind him and LD cuts back to get it, controls against the defender and shoots into the net. 2-1 Galaxy. As Greg Daurio is my witness, I called 2-1 as the score for this game.
61 - And then LD mishits another Randolph cross. Ugh. bad. Galaxy get a FK, though, and Becks sends it verrrrrrry close.
62 - GOAL! OK, I was wrong on the score. Chivas counter and the Galaxy commit a half-dozen errors and failed clearances in front of goal before Razov puts the ball into the net.
64 - Chivas CK. There's some controversy before it's taken. It bounces back from one end of the box to another, but the Galaxy eventually clear.
65 - Galaxy counter. LD is fouled just outside the box. Becks lines it up. It hits the wall.
67 - The momentum belongs to Chivas, because the Galaxy just can't put this game away. Every time they go up, Chivas pulls it right back. Or the Galaxy give it away. The first was mostly a cracker of a goal, but there were numerous defensive errors on the second Chivas goal.
70 - Randolph cross into the box cleared out.
71 - Buddle is out, Alan Gordon in.
72 - The midfield is tight. Both teams have cut the game down.
73 - Shavar Thomas is down. It's probably a cramp, but I don't know.
75 - Marsch with outside shot. Wide.
76 - GOAL! GORDO! The much maligned Gordon knocks in a header past Guzan. Becks took a long Franklin pass, touch passed to LD, who crossed into the box, where Lawson Vaughn mishit the ball into the air. Gordon got good position, then Guzan came out for the grab, but couldn't get it. Gordon's header knocked down into the goal. 3-2 Galaxy
77 - GOAL! Gordon knocks down a pass for LD, who scores again, a low knuckler into the corner. 4-2 Galaxy.
82 - Nagamura coming off for Raphael Wicky.
83 - Kljestan from outside - Cronin catches.
84 - GOAL! LD to Becks, back to LD, who shoots low to the corner, Guzan gets a hand on it, but Gordon is there for the putaway. Gordon gets credit, but that goal was mostly the dynamic duo of Becks and LD again. 5-2 Galaxy.
87 - Razov from distance. High.
89 - Cronin with a cheeky cutback in the box, sends Atiba Harris sliding.
90 + The Galaxy are knocking it around pretty well.
Wicky from outside. Cronin catches, well, he catches his own rebound. Little bobble there. Chivas still fighting for the consolation goal. They aren't getting it. Final whistle. 5-2 Galaxy