Galaxy adds to Chivas USA’s misery with 2-1 win
Chivas USA was put out of its misery Sunday evening when it was beaten, 2-1, by the Galaxy to officially end the club’s hopes of reaching Major League Soccer’s playoffs.
Does that mean Coach Martin Vasquez will lose his job?
“I think it’s a fair question, but I think it’s too soon,” Vasquez said. “Right now I’m still the head coach and tomorrow, if there’s no other thing, then I’m going to continue to be the head coach.”
The loss dropped Chivas to 7-15-4 with four games remaining in the regular season, and Vasquez, in his first year at the helm, said they would all be taken seriously.
“We’re going to try to finish strong,” he said. “I think to talk about next year right now it’s too soon. We have to focus on our next game.”
The playoff-bound Galaxy was fully focused Sunday. The victory improved the team to 16-6-5 and vaulted it back into first place in the Western Conference.
Forward Edson Buddle scored his 15th goal, tying his career high and keeping him in front of the pack as the league’s leading goal scorer. David Beckham rose from his sick bed to score his first goal in more than a year on a trademark free kick.
There was also a bit of drama, with Chivas USA forward Alan Gordon scoring against his former club only for Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena to howl about Gordon being offside, and for Eddie Lewis, who replaced Beckham after 63 minutes, to be ejected on another controversial call.
A crowd of 24,283 turned up at Home Depot Center to see the local rivals square off, but the game was essentially decided in the first half.
The Galaxy took the lead in the 23rd minute when midfielder Michael Lewis picked out Buddle with an excellent diagonal cross and Buddle did the rest with a cool finish from distance.
Sixteen minutes later, Buddle again got in among the Chivas defenders and was fouled by Carlos Borja. Beckham’s free kick flew into the upper right corner of the net, with goalkeeper Zach Thornton getting his fingertips to the ball but being unable to prevent the goal.
It was Beckham’s first goal since he scored against Toronto FC in September 2009, and only the eighth of his MLS career.
“Beckham was sick this week and he was a question mark until yesterday,” Arena said. “I think he did a real fine job given the circumstances. It was a great free kick.”
Chivas USA made some adjustments at halftime, most notably introducing midfielder Rodolfo Espinoza, and played better in the second 45 minutes.
The Galaxy’s lead was cut in half when Gordon scored on a header off a Jonathan Bornstein cross in the 63rd minute, with Arena later lambasting linesman Anthony Vasoli for missing what Arena called “an obvious offside.”
“The linesman’s got to put his flag up there,” Arena said. “He [Gordon] was standing in an offside position. I can guarantee you the videotape will show that because I watched it.”
Lewis was red-carded for stepping on Espinoza during a sideline tussle, but even Vasquez said referee Jair Marrufo erred in ejecting him.
“I believe it was accidental,” the Chivas coach said.
grahame.jones@latimes.com
