Galaxy dominates Crew, 3-1

The Galaxy took back the top position in Major League Soccer’s overall table with a convincing 3-1 win over the Columbus Crew at the Home Depot Center on Saturday night.

Real Salt Lake briefly held the top spot after tying both Columbus and L.A. with points after a win over Seattle on Thursday, but now the Galaxy (14-5-5) is ahead by three points with all three having played 24 games.

Columbus (13-6-5) looked out of sorts from the opening whistle, and dropped to 0-4-4 on the road vs, Western Conference teams this season.

Edson Buddle got things going for the Galaxy with his league-leading 14th goal of the season in the 13th minute when he volleyed home a Sean Franklin cross from the right side. Landon Donovan was credited with the second assist.

The Galaxy caught the Columbus defense sleeping again in the 35th minute when some tic-tac-toe passing in the penalty area led to a Donovan through-ball to Dema Kovalenko, who deposited his first goal of the season past Crew goalkeeper Will Hesmer.

The assist was Donovan’s league-leading 14th of the season.

L.A. put the game out of reach 20 minutes later when Jovan Kirovski headed in a free kick taken by Alex Cazumba for his fourth goal of the season.

The Galaxy officially welcomed back star David Beckham in the 70th minute, with the English international playing his first MLS game of the year after tearing his Achilles tendon six months ago. He received a yellow card after just four minutes on the field.

The Crew pulled a goal back on Andres Mendoza’s first of the season five minutes form time to close out the scoring.

L.A. will aim to extend its league-leading point total when it hosts MLS’s last placed team, D.C. United, next Saturday, while the Crew host Seattle earlier the same night in their next MLS fixture.