Chivas Scores in 90th Minute for a 1-1 Tie With Galaxy

It’s often said--with a straight face--that Chivas Rayadas de Guadalajara is the second-most popular team in town, behind the Dodgers. Especially because so many of Los Angeles’ Mexican immigrants come from the area surrounding Guadalajara.

Wednesday night, the Mexican First Division soccer club’s red-clad fans flooded the Rose Bowl and gave the international exhibition match against the Galaxy a decidedly Chivas flavor.

But the pro-Chivas crowd didn’t have much to root for until the game’s 90th minute, when Manuel Rios’ dribbler eluded Galaxy goalkeeper Matt Reis to tie the score at 1-1. The crowd of 20,688 was the third-largest of the year for the Galaxy.

Chivas had a chance to score first, in the game’s 21st minute, but Hector del Angel’s header nailed the crossbar and ricocheted out.

The Galaxy immediately pushed the ball downfield and midfielder Mauricio Cienfuegos fed striker Clint Mathis with a perfectly timed pass just behind the Chivas defense.

Mathis, who signed a contract extension with Major League Soccer on Tuesday, blew his shot by Chivas goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez at the 22-minute mark for the 1-0 lead.