GALAXY WELCOME BECKHAM BACK WITH WIN
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Alvaro Pires and Ely Allen scored their first Major League Soccer goals on Saturday as the Los Angeles Galaxy welcomed David Beckham back from international duty with a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rapids.
Edson Buddle also scored for the Galaxy, who were without leading scorer Landon Donovan but still overtook the Rapids for first place in the MLS Western Conference standings.
Beckham returned after a two-week absence to play in two England victories, wearing the captain's armband in last Sunday's friendly at Trinidad and Tobago, which they won 3-0.
Five days earlier, England defeated the United States 2-0 in a friendly in London.
"It's always nice to go home," Beckham said. "We had two important games, two good performances and two good wins."
He wasted no time making his presence felt Saturday, helping the Galaxy open the scoring in the fourth minute when he sent a free kick from the right into the penalty area. Pires won the scramble for the ball and slotted it past Rapids goalkeeper Preston Burpo.
Buddle doubled the Galaxy's lead in the 32nd minute. Closely marked by Facundo Erpen, Buddle dribbled the ball into the penalty area and fired a shot from the right side into the back of the net.
Allen gave the Galaxy a 3-0 lead in the 50th minute, collecting a pass from Peter Vagenas and firing home from just inside the penalty area.
Colin Clark in the 73rd and Herculez Gomez in the 82nd scored for the Rapids.
Both teams were down a man after the Galaxy's Alan Gordon and Erpen were sent off moments before the first half ended after a brief altercation.
As they challenged for the ball Erpen went down and from the ground kicked at Gordon, who stomped on him.
Landon Donovan, who leads MLS with nine goals, missed his second straight league game as he prepared to play for the United States in Sunday's match against Argentina in New York.
