Gordon Goal Keeps Galaxy Unbeaten with 1-0 Win at Colorado

LA Galaxy 1, Colorado Rapids 0
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park — Commerce City, Colo.

Scoring Summary:
LA – Alan Gordon 1 (Landon Donovan 6) 21’

Misconduct Summary:
COL – Mehdi Ballouchy (Yellow Card) 30’
LA – Juninho (Yellow Card) 31’
COL – Omar Cumming (Yellow Card) 64’
COL – Conor Casey (Yellow Card) 77’
LA – Edson Buddle (Yellow Card) 89’

Lineups:
LA Galaxy: Donovan Ricketts; Todd Dunivant, Gregg Berhalter, Omar Gonzalez, A.J. DeLaGarza (Bryan Jordan 81’); Chris Birchall, Landon Donovan©, Juninho (Jovan Kirovski 62’), Michael Stephens; Alan Gordon (Clint Mathis 71’), Edson Buddle.

Subs Not Used: Josh Saunders, Alex Cazumba, Chris Klein, Tristan Bowen.

Colorado Rapids: Matt Pickens; Danny Earls, Julian Baudet, Marvell Wynne, Drew Moor; Pablo Mastroeni©, Jeff Larentowicz, Wells Thompson (Colin Clark 46’), Mehdi Ballouchy (Claudio Lopez 71’); Conor Casey, Omar Cummings.

Subs Not Used: Ian Joyce, Scott Palguta, Michael Holoday, Ross LaBauex, Quincy Amarikwa.

Notes:
• With the win, the Galaxy are now 6-0-1 on the season, giving them 19 points. They remain alone in first place in the Western Conference and are now nine points ahead of second place Colorado and Houston, who lost 1-0 at home to FC Dallas earlier on the night.
• LA is now four points ahead of the Eastern Conference leading New York Red Bulls for the best record in MLS. The Red Bulls are 5-1-0 for 15 points.
• The Galaxy did not get their 19th point of the 2009 season until a 1-0 win over New England on July 4.
• For the first time this season, Bruce Arena made no changes to his team from the 3-1 win over Philadelphia on Saturday night. In addition to keeping the same starting XI, Arena named the same seven substitutes as he had against the Union.
• The Galaxy were once again without Sean Franklin, Dema Kovalenko, Leonardo, Eddie Lewis and Mike Magee who all missed the game because of injury. Of that group, only Magee made the trip to Colorado.
• Alan Gordon scored his first goal of the season in the 21st minute, heading home a Landon Donovan freekick. The goal was Gordon’s first in MLS since a 2-1 win at Toronto FC on June 6, 2009.
• Donovan, who was fouled leading to the freekick, collected his MLS-best sixth assist of the season on the goal, tying his total from all of 2009 when he finished tied for the team lead in assists.
• Edson Buddle was booked in the 89th minute for his fourth yellow card of the season. Buddle is now one caution away from a mandatory one-game suspension.
• Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts made six saves in the game for LA to keep his fifth shutout in seven games this season. Ricketts has allowed just two goals in 630 minutes for a league-best 0.29 goals against average.
• Former Rapids Jovan Kirovski and Clint Mathis each entered the game in the second half for the Galaxy.
• The win was the Galaxy’s first in Colorado in the regular season since July 13, 2002 when the Galaxy won 3-1 over the Rapids at INVESCO Field at Mile High when Danny Califf, Ezra Hendrickson and Carlos Ruiz scored for the Galaxy. Since that game, LA was 0-8-4 in Denver, including 0-3-1 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
• The Galaxy are now 3-0-0 all-time on Cinco de Mayo.
• Galaxy midfielder Chris Birchall celebrated his 26th birthday today and played the full 90 minutes in central midfield.
• The attendance for today’s game was 9,882.
• The Galaxy are back in action on Saturday afternoon when they travel to Seattle to take on the Seattle Sounders FC at Qwest Field. The game kicks off at 1 p.m. and can be seen live on FOX Sports West starting with the Galaxy Live pregame show at 12 p.m. AM 570 and ESPN Deportes Radio 1330 AM will broadcast the game live on the radio in English and Spanish respectively, starting with their pregame shows at 12 p.m.
• For more about today’s game, please visit www.lagalaxy.com.