Yet, as the home team L.A. Galaxy ventured a few miles north from the Home Depot Center to play at their alternate home stadium in a Superliga game against CD Guadalajara, just about every fan in attendance was anything but a Galaxy fan. And this is after David Beckham officially started playing for the local MLS team.
With 37,337 fans attending the Superliga 6 game, it was clear that a vast majority of fans were there to root for the visitors from Mexico – fondly referred to as “Chivas.”
Of course, in a game that probably had much anticipation in the days before the game, only disappointment could be had when two of the biggest stars did not even play for most of the game. With Beckham a pre-game scratch due to an ankle injury, also missing in action was Chivas star Omar Bravo, who did not enter the game until the 75th minute.
Despite a scoreless first half, Chivas appeared to be the more aggressive team. Yet the game did not stay scoreless much longer. After the Galaxy finally took their first shot on goal in the 51st minute, defender Francisco Rodriguez finally scored for Chivas, with an amazing goal in the 60th minute, as he scored on a header and caught the back corner of the box.
The Galaxy, who appeared absent almost the entire game, finally decided to step up their aggression. Galaxy captain and midfielder Landon Donovan scored an unassisted goal in the 88th minute, cutting the Chivas lead to 2-1.
Galaxy head coach Frank Yallop commended his team after the tough loss, saying, “We are still growing as a unit.”
With the victory, Chivas was the first Mexican team to beat an MLS team in the Superliga 6.
The inaugural Superliga is an annual North American club tournament that decides the best team in the region and awards the heftiest winner’s purse in North American soccer history – $1 million.
The tournament will be through Aug. 29, with games held at venues throughout the United States.
For more information, visit www.mlsnet.com.
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