Unlike the first two Super Clasicos, Saturday's meeting between Home Depot Center rivals Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA was anything but a one-sided affair.
The result was the same as the first two: the Galaxy claiming the triumph, this time by a 2-0 scoreline. But the win for the Green and Gold came thanks to second half substitute Herculez Gomez, whose energy dragged his team to victory.
In the previous two games, the Galaxy dominated their Los Angeles rivals. On Saturday, Chivas was actually the aggressor early on, creating the better chances for much of the first half, and the early stages of the second half.
The game also had all the elements of a classic rivalry. Both sides came out and played extremely physically, as fouls and yellow cards outnumbered shots in the first half. The coaches exchanged a few choice words on the sidelines. Even the fans in the stands got in on the action, cheering over each other from the outset.
"Tonight was a tale of two halves," said Galaxy coach Steve Sampson. "In the first half I thought Chivas did a good job of bringing a lot of energy to the game, and controlling the rhythm of the game. In the second half, the addition of Cobi (Jones) and Chris (Albright) on the right side, and then Herculez (Gomez) coming in made the difference."
Gomez's inclusion into the game in the 61st minute was the turning point of the game. His two goals Saturday give him three goals and an assist in his last three games. Still, the Galaxy could have had two more goals courtesy of Gomez.
Gomez played the role of catalyst on two separate attacks in the middle stages of the second half. First a chance of his own went wide of the goal. Then he set up teammate Naldo da Conceicao, but his shot trickled wide of an open goal.
"Once I wake up tomorrow and realize this isn't a dream it's going to mean the world to me," Gomez said.
Gomez was also quick to point out the fans contributions to the Galaxy cause as well. After his first goal, Gomez sprinted 120 yards to the other end of the stadium to celebrate his goal with the "Riot Squad," one of the Galaxy's cheering sections.
The win isn't a confidence booster for just Gomez though. With the win, the Galaxy snapped a six-game winless streak and climbed a little higher in the Western Conference standings after both San Jose and Dallas suffered losses this weekend.
"It's good that we can continue our good homestand. Our results at home have been good," said veteran 'keeper Kevin Hartman. "We really needed to make sure that we were headed in the right direction. It could be a turning point in our season, but we have to make sure that we continue what happened tonight."
Reinforcements are on the way too for the Galaxy, to try and help the Galaxy extend Saturday's result. Michael Umaña and Tyrone Marshall will return from Gold Cup duty on Sunday. Pete Vagenas, Jovan Kirovski and Albright all got minutes against Chivas after missing a number of games through injury and should continue their return to game fitness this week in training.
All in all, the Galaxy should be as close to full strength as they have been in a month starting this week. After the game, Sampson talked about his missing players.
"Obviously guys like Landon Donovan and Tyrone Marshall would have made a huge difference in this game. You just can't replace that kind of experience, but I'm very proud of the guys who have been getting their playing time," Sampson said.
Gomez is one of those players who has seen more of the field with the Galaxy regulars missing. Against Chivas USA, he stepped up and played the hero role to perfection and could challenge for a spot in Sampson starting 11 even after the Galaxy return to full strength. For Gomez, it's a role he relishes and hopes his team can build upon.
"It's huge (tonight's win). Not only is it three points, but it's a win at home," said Gomez. "Our fans are so demanding, and they want us to win every time. It's a lot of pressure but at the same time it's such a luxury to have those types of fans. We needed to come out and show our fans that we can respond to adversity. I feel that we're heading in the right direction."
The victory pulled the Galaxy back into a tie for second place in the Western Conference, and their next league game will come against last year's MLS Cup champion, D.C. United, in the first matchup of the two sides this season. But first, the Galaxy's MLS campaign will get interrupted on Monday when they take on Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid at The Home Depot Center.
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
