More than 80,000 fans turned up at Telstra Stadium in Sydney on Tuesday night and they were sent home happy following a pulsating 5-3 victory for the home side, Sydney FC, over the Galaxy. Alex Brosque, Sydney FC's top scorer this season, scored twice and was named man of the match, leading his side to the inaugural Hyundai Challenge Cup.
The play was free-flowing and attack-minded from the start with Carlos Pavon, Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle each carving out quality chances early on. However, it would be the home side going in front in the 20th minute when Brosque, who had clipped the crossbar ten minutes earlier, got behind the Galaxy center backs off an angled through ball from Juninho to make the score 1-0 Sydney.
It was 2-0 six minutes later, with Brosque scoring once again, this time with a much easier finish. The Sydney striker again got free behind the defense, however, this time Kyle Veris' last ditch effort to knock the ball away let to the ball being poked past Joe Cannon and off the post, leaving Brosque the simplest of finishes.
Things got even worse in the 28th minute when Juninho picked out Ruben Zadkovich on the left flank, he cut in toward goal and fired a right footed shot that caromed off the hands of Cannon and into the net, leaving the Galaxy shell-shocked at 3-0 down.
But just before the break it would be the Telstra Stadium fans who would be shocked as Carlos Pavon was hauled down 23 yards from goal in the center of the field. Up stepped Beckham, off went the flashbulbs and into the net went Beckham's freekick, curling into the top right corner of the net, despite Sydney 'keeper Clint Bolton getting a hand to it.
The halftime break could do little to slow the scoring as the Galaxy continued their fight back shortly after the restart. Donovan collected a loose ball inside his own attacking third and he quickly played in Buddle, who slotted a right-footed shot past the Sydney 'keeper, pulling LA back into the game at 3-2.
Six minutes later the two goal advantage was restored for Sydney with substitute Robbie Middleby, who had been booked just minutes earlier for a foul on Beckham, finishing off a strong SFC attack and providing the final touch into the open net for a 4-2 advantage.
The game, which featured even more tackles and challenges than most had anticipated, boiled over near the end with Kevin Harmse picking up a second yellow card and his subsequent marching orders, leaving LA with just 10 men. Ten soon became nine as Edson Buddle had to come off with severe muscle cramps and the Galaxy, who are currently without nine of their 24 players either through injury or other matters.
The hosts took advantage of the two-man advantage as Iain Fyfe scored in the 87th minute to make the score 5-2, tapping home a loose ball inside the six-yard box.
But just as they did in the first half, the Galaxy responded in the final minute of the game, as Chris Klein's long ball from the back picked out Donovan who broke in alone and rounded the 'keeper before scoring with his left with the game's final kick, capping the score at 5-3.
