you waste a lot more energy defending than attacking, so if we keep the ball and make them run around a little bit, make their attacking options a little tired, then I think we can do well next Sunday."
LOS ANGELES GALAXY
The Los Angeles Galaxy continued their goal-grabbing ways, but this time allowed a lead to slip away, settling for a 3-3 draw with the Columbus Crew on Saturday evening at The Home Depot Center. The Galaxy have lost just once in their last six games, now with 21 points from 13 matches, entering the week atop the Western Conference, two points ahead of the Houston Dynamo.
LAST MATCH
• The Galaxy had won four of their last five games to move to the top of the West, while the Crew were coming off a victory at Kansas City that ended a four-game winless and goalless streak.
• Four minutes in, the Galaxy were gifted an opener. A cross from the right was spilled by Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer and Landon Donovan, back after missing three games to international duty, was there to lash into the net.
• Then in the 47th minute, Edson Buddle continued his scalding scoring streak. Taking a pass from Mike Randolph and rounding a defender with a neat touch on the left flank, Buddle stormed into the box before curling a shot around Hesmer and inside the far post for his ninth goal on the campaign, all in the last six games.
• But the Crew came back to pull level with two goals in a five-minute span. First, in the 67th minute, a Galaxy clearance in the area hit Alvaro Pires and bounced to Brad Evans, who drove it home from close range. Then Robbie Rogers was hauled down by Abel Xavier as he cut toward goal in the left side of the area, and Guillermo Barros Schelotto left no doubt in converting the resulting penalty.
• The Galaxy won a penalty of their own in the 83rd minute when David Beckham was tripped up at the top of the box, and Donovan slipped it past Hesmer for his league-leading 11th goal on the campaign. But the Crew hit for a second equalizer two minutes from full time as Frankie Hejduk ripped a shot goalward that LA goalkeeper Steve Cronin could only parry, and Steven Lenhart jammed the rebound back home for his first MLS goal.
• Galaxy head coach Ruud Gullit made one change to the team that defeated the San Jose Earthquakes the weekend before. Landon Donovan was back from international duty; he came in for Josh Tudela as Ely Allen moved back to the midfield.
• Here's Gullit's team (4-4-2): Steve Cronin - Chris Klein, Sean Franklin, Abel Xavier, Mike Randolph - David Beckham, Ely Allen, Alvaro Pires, Ante Jazic (Alan Gordon 67) - Edson Buddle, Landon Donovan. Substitutes Not Used: Joe Franchino, Vito Higgins, Brandon McDonald, Troy Roberts, Josh Tudela, Greg Vanney
• "I think it's a pity that we that we threw two points away. I think we worked very hard to get a good score - two-nil. And then in a short period, we gave it away. We had a lot of chances to finish it off, but also compliment to Columbus - they worked very hard to get back into the game and they did," Gullit said.
TEAM NEWS
• Failure to finish games off has started to become a common theme with the Galaxy this season. In April, the Galaxy conceded two late goals in a loss to Toronto FC. Juan Pablo Angel scored a 78th-minute goal for a Red Bulls victory in May. And a few weeks ago, the Galaxy took a 3-0 lead against the Rapids and conceded two second-half goals to make the final outcome a lot more nerve-wracking that it needed to be. Against the Crew, LA wasn't as lucky and paid the price.
• "I look back at the beginning of the season; normally we lost these games in the last minutes, so that doesn't happen. In a way, we gave those goals away. It's things that we need to work on in the future if you want to be successful," Gullit said.
• The Galaxy seemed like they were home and dry after the Buddle goal doubled the lead just after the break. Instead, the Crew dominated the second half, outshooting the Galaxy 14-5 in the second period.
• "It feels like it was a loss. We were in front 2-0. We need to learn how to finish games off. We were ahead 1-0 at halftime when we felt like we should have had three or four," David Beckham said. "Overall, we are disappointed to draw a game at home. It is a point and we will move forward but we are disappointed with it."
• Buddle now sits second in the MLS Golden Boot standings. All nine of his goals have come since he returned to the starting lineup following a one-match absence for the New York game (May 10) due to injury.
• "I think he's great. I think he does a lot of work. Edson changed a lot during the season. He's behaved himself as a real professional. He comes early, goes out late. Checks himself, just makes it work. I'm very happy with him," said Gullit.
• While the Galaxy, by far, lead the league in goals scored, their rate recently has been amazing. They have hit for three or more goals in six of their last nine games, including two five-goal outings. They are 5-2-2 over that stretch.
• "It is just the consistency. We have got a lot of young players on this team as well. Some have not played in MLS before. It is all about finishing teams off and holding on to leads. Sometimes it just takes a bit of calmness around a team," Beckham said. "There is obviously only so much you can do with that. We are a team that will learn from these different experiences and we have got some good young players and players that can play under pressure. We have just lost it in a few games and that is the way that it has been. It is a learning process for the team and all the players and we will get better at that."
• LA has twice allowed a goal in the final 15 minutes of a game that has led to a one-goal loss, while twice the opposition has scored goals in the final quarter-hour that has directly resulted in draws.
• "When you don't put (teams) away you start to wonder if they get one back are they going to get two back and so on," said Beckham. "It's what we've been talking about, not giving anything away. It's not just the defense. Defending starts up front, then the midfield, and obviously the back four."
