Carson, CA – It was mostly one way traffic as the Galaxy shutout 2011 expansion side, Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0 on a brisk evening in front of an appreciative home crowd of more than 22,000. The Galaxy’s marquee summer signing, Robbie Keane, netted once in between a pair of goals from Mike Magee.
Magee, a Galaxy fan favorite, opened the scoring just five minutes before the first half whistle when he connected with a cross from Keane and slid it past Whitecaps keeper, Joe Cannon.
But while Keane and Magee might grab the headlines, it was Galaxy defender Bryan Jordan who was instrumental in the MLS league leaders second and third goals when he set up first Keane and then Magee for a pair of nearly identical headers in the 64th and 75th minute respectively. Jordan went on to score what looked like a forth Galaxy goal, but the defender’s effort was incorrectly disallowed for being offside.
“I heard I was two feet off, so, yeah sad one,” said Jordan afterwards. “But team played good tonight, we came out, we knew early that I could get forward, they weren’t tracking back so in the second half we tried to exploit that and it worked out good.”
Jordan’s handy crossing earned accolades from no less than David Beckham who was himself credited with two assists on the night.
“They were great,” said Beckham in regard to Jordan’s two assists. “BJ got in great positions and he had the movement tonight and obviously he put them in the right areas and we capitalized on those.”
Beckham also had words of praise for Keane who seems to have slotted into Galaxy’s frontline almost seamlessly.
“I think he’s fitted in from the first game, he’s a great player, he’s a goal scorer so when he makes those runs you find him.”
Galaxy keeper Josh Saunders, in for an injured Donovan Ricketts, had precious little to do on the night. Although the keeper did make a rather routine save early on when Whitecaps striker Davide Chiumiento broke through the central defense and got a shot off on target from the edge of the 18.
Landon Donovan nearly opened the scoring in the 12th minute when he received a pass from Keane and also shot from the edge of the box. However the Galaxy captain’s shot was deflected out for the first of the seven corner kicks the Galaxy would be awarded on the night.
A minute later Vancouver defender Alain Rochat took an ambitious shot from 40 yards out that was indeed on target, but rather easy pickings for Saunders.
But while the Whitecaps put up a decent fight in the early stages, during the second half the Galaxy thoroughly dominated the proceedings. Magee, despite scoring two goals, was quick to share the credit with his teammates, Keane and Jordan.
“BJ had a good game,” said Magee. “He was crossing some amazing balls and that one was lucky, I just tried to head it as hard as I could and it glanced in.”
Magee was also quick to credit Keane for all the space he was seemingly allowed on his second goal.
“They all went with Robbie,” said Magee. “There was three guys all trailing him and I just kind of slowed my run and I was wide open.”
Keane, for his part, also seemed pleased with his team’s performance on the night and with the way his time with the Galaxy has gone in general.
“It’s like any team,” said the Ireland national. “When you settle into a group when you’re winning games and you’re scoring goals, it makes things a lot easier so that’s been the case since I’ve been here so, so far it’s been going well, I’ve settled in very quick so all in all, I’m very happy.”
With a playoff spot already clinched, the Galaxy currently sit seven points clear atop of the Western Conference standings and can now turn their attention towards getting out of the CONCOCAF Champions League group stage and securing their second MLS Supporters Shield in a row. Their next league outing will see them face the Columbus Crew away on Saturday September 24.
