Galaxy Advances Behind Donovan
Landon Donovan scored twice during overtime Wednesday night, and the Galaxy defeated the Colorado Rapids, 3-1, at the Home Depot Center to reach the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup, a tournament it won last year.
In the semifinals, in Carson on Sept. 6, the Galaxy will play the Houston Dynamo, which beat FC Dallas, 3-0, earlier Wednesday behind goals by Eddie Robinson, Alejandro Moreno and Chris Wondolowski.
Donovan’s game-winning goal, 2 minutes 15 seconds into overtime, came off a cross from Quavas Kirk. Galaxy forward Alan Gordon dived to head the ball but missed, and Donovan, who was unmarked at the far post, side-footed the ball past goalkeeper Matt Jordan.
Donovan scored again with just over five minutes left, taking a pass from Pete Vagenas and going in alone against the helpless Jordan to clinch the victory.
The Rapids came in having defeated the Galaxy on three occasions this season, each time 1-0 in Major League Soccer play.
That streak looked likely to continue when Clint Mathis put Colorado ahead only 2:42 into the match.
The Rapids came within inches of making it 2-0 in the 19th minute when a shot by another former Galaxy player, Jovan Kirovski, hit the right post, with the ball bouncing back and into the arms of stranded goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, who was on the ground having tried to block Kirovski’s shot.
Cornell Glen came off because of a strained left knee in the 33rd minute, forcing Galaxy Coach Frank Yallop to send in Donovan. Yallop had hoped to limit Donovan’s minutes in light of Saturday’s important league game at D.C. United.
Donovan almost tied the score right away, his downward header off a Chris Albright cross striking Jordan, the Rapids’ goalkeeper, on the hip before rebounding clear.
Jordan had no such luck in the final minute of the half when Kirk sprinted into the penalty area from the right and unleashed a shot that beat Jordan at the near post to tie the score and, eventually, force overtime.
In other quarterfinal games, D.C. United defeated the New York Red Bulls, 3-1, behind two second-half goals by Jamil Walker, and the Chicago Fire edged the New England Revolution, 2-1, with Costa Rica international Andy Herron scoring in each half for the Fire.
