Pro Soccer News: LA Galaxy lose to Colorado

It was a cloudy night at Home Depot Center and the winds were not in favor of the home team.  Omar Cummings and Conor Casey each scored a goal as the Colorado Rapids stormed past the LA Galaxy 3-1 tonight in front of 27,000 fans.  Edson Buddle was good as gold but not enough to make a win.

With the loss, the LA Galaxy failed to clinch the coveted Supporters’ Shield and now may have to face a win-or-finish-in-second scenario. If Real Salt Lake beat Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 23, the Galaxy would need to beat FC Dallas the following day to finish atop the Western Conference; anything else and LA would finish in second place.  

Before the opening whistle blew, Colorado was exhuberant as they knew they had reached the playoffs for the first time in five years, since 2006, after Kansas City lost 1-0 at home to New England earlier.

The Galaxy opened the scoring in the ninth minute, when Edson Buddle tested Matt Pickens from outside the penalty area. The ball deflected off Drew Moor and sailed over Pickens’ head to start LA Galaxy off on the right foot.

Typically, when LA score first, they win. That had been the case in all other 16 games the Galaxy found the net first. In fact, so dominant have the Galaxy been that they had never scored first and fallen behind in the same game this year.

But that would not be the case on Saturday. Colorado got back into the game nine minutes later, benefitting from some Galaxy hospitality. Sean Franklin’s botched clearance attempt of a Rapids corner kick banged off Buddle and into the back of the Galaxy net.

Los Angeles Galaxy -- Donovan Ricketts, Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, Gregg Berhalter (Alex Cazumba 73), A.J. DeLaGarza, Chris Birchall (Eddie Lewis 42), David Beckham, Juninho, Michael Stephens (Mike Magee 76), Edson Buddle, Landon Donovan. Substitutes Not Used: Bryan Jordan, Jovan Kirovski, Leonardo, Josh Saunders. Referee: Kevin Stott