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The number six may as well have been the number of the match for the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Last year, the Galaxy won games 1-0 nothing six times. Six minutes into the first half of their first game, the Los Angeles Galaxy took the first step towards putting the penalty shootout disaster last November in Seattle behind them. And if you combine the digits of the jerseys behind the winner, they add up to...six.
Edson Buddle (No. 14) converted a delivery from Landon Donovan (No. 10) and the Galaxy defense made some stops, getting the breaks they needed to open the 2010 Major League Soccer season with a 1-0 victory over the New England Revolution.
Last year, Buddle managed just five goals. While it's certainly too soon to tell, the goal may be a sign that the 28-year-old forward is on the upswing.
Revolution manager Steve Nicol pieced together a ragtag lineup, molded together by one of the mainstays for New England, Shalrie Joseph.
The match had its share of chippy play from New England and questionable finishing from both ends. Revolution defender Kevin Alston was booked in the 18th minute for a hard tackle on the Galaxy's Eddie Lewis, forcing an early substitution by Los Angeles manager Bruce Arena. MIdfielder Joseph Niouky was given also given a yellow card for the the same offense in the 41st.
New England's Kheli Dube will rue the missed chances he had in the 53rd and 57th minutes of play. Donovan himself wasted a golden opportunity to close the deal in the 88th, opting to give Buddle a chance at a brace instead of opening his scoring account.
The match featured for the first time the new additions to the Galaxy on loan from Sao Paulo FC: Juninho, Leonardo, and Alex Cazumba.
The Galaxy (1-0) will renew the Honda Superclasico with Chivas USA on April 1 at the Home Depot Center. Kickoff is cheduled for 8:00pm PT.
The Revolution (0-1) will travel to the nation's capital to face D.C. United. Kickoff at Washington's RFK Stadoium is scheduled for 7:30pm ET.
LOS ANGELES GALAXY 1
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION 0
Scoring:
LA – Buddle (Donovan) 6
Misconduct:
NE – Alston (caution, reckless tackle), 18
NE – Niouky (caution, reckless tackle), 41
Lineups:
LA Galaxy: Ricketts; Franklin, Gonzalez, Leonardo, Dunivant; Magee (Birchall, 67), Kovalenko, Juninho (Stephens, 80), Lewis (Cazumba, 26); Buddle, Donovan.
New England Revolution: Burpo; Alston (Smith, 90), Gibbs, Osei, Sinovic; Nyassi (Boggs, 58), Phelan, Niouky, Tierney; Dube (Mansally, 76), Schilawski.
Attendance: 21,376
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