especially with Kei (Kamara) being a former player there. It was a bit more emotional and the team almost paid the price, but I think for me it's the best one of the year for us for the work we put in. It was incredible," said defender Bobby Boswell.
• The Dynamo still have just one loss in their last 18 games in all competitions, the 3-0 loss to New York on Aug. 24. Since mid-July, the Orange are 8-1-3 in league play, when 2-0-1 in their final three SuperLiga games, and are 1-0-2 in CONCACAF Champions League play.
• "Every time we have a game like this people will ask me what else they could do to surprise me. But this does not surprise me because I know the character of this team. I know the professional way they go about their business," Kinnear said. "You always know these guys have just a little bit more energy in them and that is really nice to see. They really dug down to find that extra competitive bite that pushed them to a better result on the field."
LOS ANGELES GALAXY
The Los Angeles Galaxy kept their slim playoff hopes alive, breaking open the game in the second half for a 3-2 victory against the Colorado Rapids on Sunday evening at The Home Depot Center. The Galaxy have 32 points from 28 matches, four points out of the final wild card spot with two games left to play.
LAST MATCH
• The Galaxy were coming off back-to-back losses on the road and had won just once since mid-June, while the Rapids saw their four-game unbeaten streak come to an end at home the weekend previous.
• The teams traded goals late in the first half. Edson Buddle latched onto a pass from Sean Franklin and drilled home an angled shot for his 14th goal of the season in the 36th minute to give LA the lead. But seven minutes later, Cory Gibbs flung himself toward a corner kick and flicked a diving header back inside the far post for his first-ever MLS goal.
• The Galaxy grabbed control of the match with two goals 11 minutes apart. Eddie Lewis swung in a free kick from the right flank in the 70th minute, and Colorado defender Ugo Ihemelu saw the ball bounce off his chest and into the goal. Then in the 80th minute, Brandon McDonald scored his first professional goal in impressive fashion, sending an absolute screamer from all of 35 yards into the upper right corner of the net.
• The Rapids pulled a goal back late when LA center back Sean Franklin was deemed by referee Michael Kennedy to have handled the ball in the area while defending a cross. Tom McManus put away the spot kick for his fifth goal of the year.
• Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena made two changes to the team that lost 1-0 to the Columbus Crew the weekend before. With Landon Donovan and David Beckham away on international duty, Alan Gordon started up top and Bryan Jordan on the right side of the midfield.
• Here's Arena's team (4-4-2): Josh Saunders - Chris Klein, Sean Franklin, Troy Roberts, Greg Vanney - Bryan Jordan, Joe Franchino (Alvaro Pires 79), Peter Vagenas (Brandon McDonald 38), Eddie Lewis - Edson Buddle, Alan Gordon (Landon Donovan 63). Substitutes Not Used: Mike Randolph, Israel Sesay, Julian Valentin, Josh Wicks
• "We live for another day. I like the competitiveness of our team tonight. We continue to be a work in progress," Arena said. "I thought in the first 15 minutes of the game we were thoroughly beaten all over the field. I like the way our guys fought back into the game and obviously took the lead."
TEAM NEWS
• While it was the second in four weeks for the Galaxy, it was also just the second win since June 14. That win also came on the road (3-0 at San Jose); it was the last Galaxy win away from The Home Depot Center, and they have an 0-6-3 record on the road since.
• "We have to win games. I have not concerned myself with standings. We have to win games. Even if we went out, we may fall short, but we know what we have to do," Arena said. "The fan support is absolutely unbelievable for a team that is positioned where we are. They come out, they deserve better and we are attempting to do that. I am hopeful we can give them another good game on October 26, a game that means something."
• Much was made of the absence of Landon Donovan and David Beckham in the Galaxy attack. While Donovan did come on as a second-half substitute, Beckham was unavailable and is suspended this weekend. Bryan Jordan started his third match with their absence, and has seen the team go 1-1-1 with him in the first XI.
• "I played under the strikers, and my strength is going forward, so a lot of the time I would get it and just connect or just get as high as I could. I would creep around in the box, and hopefully one would sneak in," Jordan said. "It didn't tonight, but I think on the second goal, I got close to it. I'm not sure what happened, but the 'keeper hit me in the head."
• Arena was forced into another change early on when Peter Vagenas suffered a thigh injury. Brandon McDonald came on - and scored the third goal, one that was eventually honored as the Sierra Mist Goal of the Week.
• "His job was to anchor the midfield with Joe Franchino -- that was his chief responsibility," said Arena. "We kind of laughed when he hit that ball. We've seen that before, that wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime. We've seen him do a couple of shots like that in training. I thought the work rate of Bryan Jordan was fantastic. He gave us a great 90 minutes and that's what we need right now."
• Edson Buddle scored his 14th goal for the Galaxy on Saturday, and along with the 19 goals from Landon Donovan, their combined total of 33 goals is the most by a pair of teammates since Alex Pineda Chacon (19) and Diego Serna (15) hit for 34 in 2001 for the Miami Fusion. The record for two teammates combined is 37 - which came in the league's inaugural season, as Raul Diaz Arce (23) and Steve Rammel (14) did it for D.C. United.
• "It feels good you know. Bruce seems to believe in me and keeps me out there," Buddle said. "Other guys are scoring, so I've been contributing and helping out in other ways. Personally, I showed that I haven't completely lost it."
• For the second consecutive season, Beckham is unavailable for a possible appearance in Houston. He was on international duty for the second meeting at Robertson Stadium last year; he is suspended for this year's lone matchup there. The only places where Beckham has not played a league match in his time in Major League Soccer are Houston and Toronto; he did play in this year's MLS All-Star Game at BMO Field.
