MLS Cup Recap: Donovan, LA topple Houston 1-0 for title

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CARSON, California – The LA Galaxy spent all night on Sunday looking to land a decisive blow en route to a historic MLS championship, and finally got the moment from all three heavy hitters on The Home Depot Center marquee.


Landon Donovan finished off a gorgeous buildup through fellow Designated Players David Beckham and Robbie Keane in the 72nd minute, pushing the Galaxy to a 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo in MLS Cup 2011 and gift-wrapping the third league championship in franchise history.


The moment, which played out in front of 30,281 fans that braved uncharacteristically wet and cool conditions in Southern California, also punctuated one of the best seasons for any team in league history. The Galaxy won the Supporters’ Shield during the regular season and steadily drove their way through the postseason, capped by an impressively solid performance against a Dynamo team that struggled to keep pace all night.


The win also gave head coach Bruce Arena the third MLS title of his storied career, and likely exorcised any demons from the last time the club was in the title game. That showing ended in a loss to Real Salt Lake in penalty kicks in 2009, a moment the club harped on all week as they carried the weight of heavy favorites into Sunday night.


But this one played out vastly different than the 2009 loss, and was summed up on the game-winning goal. The play began with a nifty flick header from Beckham to a surging Keane, who drifted to the middle of the field roughly 25 yards out and patiently waited for the chance to strike.


Then came the onrushing Donovan, who threaded his way back the Houston back line and latched onto pitch-perfect Keane pass before coolly slotting a right-footed shot just past Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall and into the back of the net.


It was an MLS-record 20th career postseason goal for the Galaxy captain, who was voted the game’s MVP, and his fourth all-time in the MLS Cup. He celebrated in a fashion familiar to fans even casually aware of his game-winner for the United States against Algeria in last summer’s World Cup: a sprint to the corner flag, a slide on the wet grass, a moment in history.


While it was a cathartic and celebratory scene for the Galaxy, it was an equally tough pill to swallow for the Dynamo, who were back in the MLS Cup the first time since winning back-to-back Cups in 2006 and 2007. But Houston, who played without playmaker and MVP finalist Brad Davis (quad strain), never managed to create the chances they did during Eastern Conference playoff wins over the Philadelphia Union or Sporting Kansas City, and settled for a rope-a-dope approach that never paid off.


The loss was also the first in Cup history for Houston head coach Dominic Kinnear, who carried four MLS titles into the game as a head coach and an assistant.


The Galaxy, meanwhile, got the entire bang for their buck on a night when it mattered.


Scoring Summary:
LA -- Landon Donovan 3 (Robbie Keane 1, David Beckham 4) 72


Misconduct Summary:
HOU -- Bobby Boswell (caution; Handball) 13
LA -- Adam Cristman (caution; Reckless Tackle) 40
HOU -- Andre Hainault (caution; Reckless Foul) 74
LA -- David Beckham (caution; Tactical Foul) 82
LA -- Landon Donovan (caution; Delaying a Restart) 94+


Lineups:

Houston Dynamo -- Tally Hall, Andre Hainault, Bobby Boswell, Geoff Cameron, Jermaine Taylor, Danny Cruz (Colin Clark 78), Luiz Camargo, Adam Moffat, Corey Ashe (Je-Vaughn Watson 84), Brian Ching, Calen Carr (Carlo Costly 66).
Substitutes Not Used: Will Bruin, Hunter Freeman, Eddie Robinson, Tyler Deric.


LA Galaxy -- Josh Saunders, Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, A.J. DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant, Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Juninho, Mike Magee, Adam Cristman (Chris Birchall 57), Robbie Keane.
Substitutes Not Used: Gregg Berhalter, Paolo Cardozo, Frankie Hejduk, Jovan Kirovski, Michael Stephens, Donovan Ricketts.


Referee: Ricardo Salazar
Referee's Assistants: Craig Lowry; Peter Manikowski
4th Official: Hilario Grajeda
Attendance: 30,281
Time of Game: 1:52
Weather: Rain and 53 degrees