LA's Robbie Keane passes between 2 defenders. (Getty Images)
The Galaxy came into Sunday's match trying to break a little losing streak after losses at San Jose and at home versus Philadelphia. David Beckham wasn't around due to suspension, and both Landon Donovan and Mike Magee started the match on the bench for the defending champions. Chicago has been playing very well since the international break, and had clawed themselves into 4th place in the east. The bad news for the Fire was that they were missing midfield creative force Sebastián Grazzini, who returned home to Argentina to deal with personal issues
There were goals in the match, but it really played like a boring scoreless draw. Neither team really established much offensively and there were very few decent chances created. The Galaxy did have the first good luck of the match on 9 minutes, but Chad Barrett hit his open look high and wide of the upper ninety. Two minutes later the Fire had a decent look of their own, but Jalil Anibaba shanked a hard hit volley wide on a corner kick to squander the chance.
Things really started to go downhill for Chicago in the 23rd minute with Anibaba again in the middle of the action. He deflected an LA cross off of his hand right on the edge of the penalty area. It was close enough to the area for the referee to award a penalty kick, which Robbie Keane promptly hit in off the inside of the post to make it 0-1 to the Galaxy.
The first half ended with little other action, and the second half didn't show much promise from either side either. Landon Donovan entered the game later in the half as Bruce Arena tried to seal the win. In the 78th minute Donovan found Keane on a counter attack going into the box. Keane mishit the shot, but Sean Johnson somehow left his near post uncovered and Keane's weak shot rolled over the line to give the Galaxy a 0-2 lead. The Fire never threatened the Galaxy goal, and the defending champs held on for the win.
NOTES: While serving his suspension, Beckham was in England watching the Wimbledon final. Juninho picked up a yellow card for dissent in the 14th minute and will miss the Galaxy's next match. The win vaults them over the Colorado Rapids and into the 5th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Fire remain in 4th place in the East, 3 points ahead of the Houston Dynamo. There's no word yet on if or when Grazzini will return to the squad.
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