T-180 minutes to kickoff: I have never been to a Chivas USA game in my life until this Sunday evening at the Home Depot Center. For this Play-by-Play (with Other Miscellany), you will see these words pop up here and there: The Man Screams. And yes, they will all be capitalized.


Now, the reason why I will place the phrase "The Man Screams" at different intervals is because there is a voice that the people at the PA like to play with a push of a button: "ARRIBA LAS CHIVAS!" and the crowd roars accordingly—the few thousands who take the courage to, that is.

It's actually quite hilarious, if you look at it from a rival standpoint.

T-150: Aside from that, this is the Honda SuperClasico between Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy and Martin Vasquez's Chivas USA.

The Goats are currently 7-14-4 (25 points) and are a draw/defeat away from seeing their postseason hopes go up in smoke. As for the Galaxy, who sit at 15-6-5 (50 points), a victory will keep them in the running for the Major League Soccer Supporters' Shield.

The G's were the first team to punch their ticket to the postseason. Real Salt Lake, who drew with Toronto 1-1 in CONCACAF Champions League and face Real Salt Lake on Saturday, clinched a playoff spot last weekend.

T-120: The Galaxy enter October in an unfamiliar position: second place overall in the Major League Soccer standings. RSL defeated the New England Revolution 2-1 to go top of the table, but Los Angeles can return to the top with a victory today.

T-90: Time for some line-ups.

T-75: The history of the rivalry so far.

23 Apr 2005 - LA 3 CHV 1
28 May 2005 - LA 2, CHV 0
16 Jul 2005 - LA 2, CHV 0
3 Aug 2005 - LA 5, CHV 2
10 Aug 2005 - LA 1, CHV 0
15 Apr 2006 - LA 2, CHV 1
6 Jun 2006 - CHV 2, LA 1
15 Jul 2006 - LA 0, CHV 0
30 Sep 2006 - LA 3, CHV 0
28 Apr 2007 - LA 3, CHV 1
20 May 2007 - LA 1, CHV 1
23 Aug 2007 - CHV 3, LA 0
13 Sep 2007 - CHV 3, LA 0
27 Apr 2008 - LA 5, CHV 2
10 Jul 2008 - LA 1, CHV 1
14 Aug 2008 - LA 2, CHV 2
11 Apr 2009 - LA 0, CHV 0
11 Jul 2009 - LA 1, CHV 0
29 Aug 2009 - LA 1, CHV 0
1 Nov 2009 - LA 2, CHV 2
8 Nov 2009 - LA 1, CHV 0
1 Apr 2010 - LA 2, CHV 0


LA Galaxy wins: 13
Chivas USA wins: 3
Draws: 6

T-60: One hour to kickoff. In other CONCACAF Champions League action, CD Municipal defeated the Columbus Crew 2-1 while the Seattle Sounders shut out Marathon 2-0.

In other MLS play, the Colorado Rapids trounced the Philadelphia Union 4-1, the Chicago Fire shut out the San Jose Earthquakes 3-0, Seattle edged Toronto FC 3-2, the Union drew 1-1 with the Houston Dynamo, the Crew and Quakes fought to a 0-0 draw, the red-hot New York Red Bulls shut out the Kansas City Wizards 1-0 to go top of the MLS Eastern Conference table, FC Dallas shut out the Fire 3-0 and D.C. United shut out the Rapids in a rare 1-0 victory.

T-45: Since this is a Chivas USA home game, the horns are out in full force today. Both teams begin warmups.

T-30: Already eliminated from MLS Cup Playoffs contention are D.C. United, the New England Revolution, the Houston Dynamo and the Philadelphia Union. Chivas USA is on the chopping block.

T-15: Introducing the officials for tonight's match. Jair Marrufo is our match referee. Anthony Vasoli and Eric Boria are the linesmen, and Baldomero Toledo is our fourth official. Both teams complete warmups.

T-10: It seems I am still having problems with this wireless here at the HDC. Further, a miscommunication put our good friend Aron Glatzer as the guy with the credential instead of myself. Sigh. Hope it's not an omen of things to come.

The Galaxy's next three games include their final road test of the season on Oct. 7 against the Philadelphia Union before ending the regular season at home on Oct. 16 against the Colorado Rapids and Oct. 24 against FC Dallas.

As for Chivas USA, their next three games include an Oct. 9 home tie with Toronto FC, an Oct. 15 road trip to Qwest Field to take on the Seattle Sounders and an Oct. 20 trip to the always-challenging Buck Shaw stadium to take on the San Jose Earthquakes.

T-0: National anthem by Arianne Brown of the Sinai Temple.

FIRST HALF START: 5:09 P.M. PT. The Man Screams.

1' - We're underway in the second leg of the Honda SuperClasico. Galaxy with some good possession early on. Now it's Michael Lahoud. Jonathan Bornstein, the captain, with possession.

2' - Here's Juninho with the ball. Not the best of shots from Edson Buddle, but Zach Thornton had to stretch for that ball.

3' - Here's Sean Franklin, and now it's Edson Buddle being marked. Thornton's gonna be on notice all game, regardless of the outcome.

4' - Landon Donovan with the ball, and Buddle wanted that one back. This is the type of poor finishing that is going to hurt us. Seriously. We may get the Shield, but I'm afraid that might be it. Sigh. Goal kick, Thornton.

5' - Speculative one-time from David Beckham. Too much mustard on the hot dog.

6' - Back come the Goats. And that didn't work out too nicely. This is Omar Gonzalez, who—rumor has it—one-upped Jonathan Bornstein in a game of FIFA 11. Chivas sweeps, and here they come on the offensive.

7' - Throw-in for the Galaxy. It's Franklin. Kung-fu tackle by Chris Birchall, but play on, says Jair Marrufo.

8' - Now it;s the Goats on the attack. And that was a good shot from Giancarlo Maldonaldo, and Donovan Ricketts was beat, but it sails wide right. Goal kick to the Big Cat from Montego Bay.

9' - Thus, the match opens up. Shot from Buddle hits the crossbar. Agony. Sheer agony.

10' - Chivas USA are counting their blessings as we speak. Will it pay off? Donovan is tripped up. and Omar Gonzalez will take his time getting up as well.

11' - Who will David Beckham pass this to? It's Buddle, but it's cleared. Maldonado again, and here is Lahoud with the ball.

12' - Some good passing, and Justin Braun's volley is pushed aside.

13' - Boy, these Goats are testing LA. It's up to the G's now to pick up the pace. Gee whiz, what is up with the backline? Alan Gordon, former Galaxy bookend, nearly scored on his old team.

14' - Corner for the Galaxy. It's David Beckham to take. That didn't work out too well. Goal kick, Thornton.

15' - Looks like Marrufo is going to let the players play at this point. Los Angeles is not doing its job finishing, and they almost paid for their mistakes.

16' - Carlos Borja marks Landon Donovan with precision.

17' - Edson Buddle seem to be a bit rusty at this juncture of the season. Back comes Chivas USA, and it will be Nagamura with the free kick.

18' - Ricketts will grab that. End-to-end action, with a goal kick to Zach Thornton.

19' - Lahoud and Nagamura weren't connecting on that one. Chivas USA has been winning the possession war so far.

20' - Maldonado shaken up, but gets back on his feet as we enter the 20th minute of play. Still scoreless.

21' - Corner for the Galaxy. And it's Mr. Beckham to take. Tipped away by Thornton. Another leaping grab from Chivas's No. 22.

22' - Goats now on the offensive amidst all the plastic brass and percussions aplenty. And Thornton had to race to that ball. Goal kick.

23' - Good defensive work from Chivas USA. Omar Gonzalez keeps things in orde.

24' - GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 14 Edson Buddle, Assist 26 Michael Stephens

There you go! Number 15 for the American Pele. Good feed from Stephens, too.

And the LAX Supporters Union chant Seven Nation Army. (Also known as the combo of the LA Riot Squad, the Angel City Brigade, and the Galaxians.)

25' - Offsides, Chivas. And Dorsey's high school marching band performs "Down" by Jay Sean.

26' - The Galaxy will look to consolidate, while Chivas USA will look to equalize. This is Lahoud. Good defending.

27' - 27 minutes in, it's 1-0 Los Angeles Galaxy.

28' - Marrufo warns Juninho to be cautious. He will be suspended for the next match with his next yellow card.

29' - Sean Franklin sets things in order with the clearance.

30' - There's a good stop from A.J. De La Garza. Wonder where Beckham was trying to pass that to.

31' - Nagamura marking Buddle so that Thornton can reset. Wise tactic. A gallant shot from Juninho. Just misses wide right.

32' - Back comes Chivas USA. This is Bornstein. And Beckham just did not have any space to work with.

33' - Now here come the Goats, but Ricketts is there to sweep.

34' - Too long a pass for Donovan. They're going to be brushing up on the passing for a while; it's going to be crucial for them down the road. Now Bornstein goes on the attack. Header misses, and Birchall clears.

35' - I'm not a fan of the Galaxy bunkering their way to glory. They need to add maybe one more to boost their momentum. Chivas with the ball.

36' - Clean tackle on Donovan, says Marrufo. Interesting. Now can they capitalize, the Goats?

37' - Sean Franklin with another stop. Boy, has he been on his game so far this half.

38' - Here's Alan Gordon, but the G's figured him out.

Yellow card 23 Carlos Borja
Chivas USA

Free kick for the Galaxy, then. It's Becks to take.

39' - GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 23 David Beckham
He still has it. He can still bend it. First goal this year for the main man from England.

40' - Oh boy, the Goats are on notice now. A diving save from Donovan Ricketts.

41' - Goal kick to the Big Cat from Montego Bay.

42' - We are 42 minutes in, and the Galaxy are leading Chivas USA 2-0. If I'm Bruce Arena, I wouldn't put my foot off the accelerator just yet. This is Ben Zemanski.

43' - The game has already opened up right now. Buddlevan Connection nearly went back online on that sequence. Now it's Gonzalez.

44' - Beckham had previous success against Chivas USA; no surprise that he's getting his touch here tonight. Foul on LA, and Buddle slowly gets back up.

45' - Bit of a kickaround at this point. How many minutes of stoppage time, Baldomero Toledo? One minute

45' + 1' - We go to the break. It's...

SECOND HALF START: 6:11 P.M. PT. The Man Screams. That's only the second time today, by the way.

Substitutions Chivas USA
IN 19 Jorge Flores
OUT 20 Giancarlo Maldonado

IN 24 Rodolfo Espinoza
OUT 21 Ben Zemanski

46' - The second half starts. For the Galaxy, a 2-0 lead can be squandered easily, so adding a few more to the mix will be crucial. For Chivas, a bad season just got worse, going down 4-0 on aggregate. Can they spark an improbable comeback? Or will the Galaxy rule the roost again? Stay tuned for upcoming adjustments.

The Man Screams. Gordon with a shot, and Ricketts is there to snatch the corner. Gordon is hurt.

47' - Mercy. Twice in one minute. That's a record. Gordon gets up. And he tore his shirt. THis could all go down hill in a hurry.

48' - Ricketts resets.

49' - Shot from Chivas' Jorge Flores goes out. Ouch. That was trouble.

50' - Gordon has a new kit on. Long pass to Birchall misses.

51' - Dubious clearance from Ricketts. Back come the goats, and Rodolfo Espinoza misses.

52' - 52 minutes in, and it's 2-0 Los Angeles.

53' - Thornton is there to intercept the long volley from Beckham to Buddle.

54' - Edson Buddle is called back for offsides. This match is opening wide and good right now.

55' - Union Ultras banner unfurled. Ambitious shot from Nagamura.

56' - Galaxy are doing very well with the possession so far.

57' - The Man Screams. Corner for the Goats, and Espinoza should have done better.

58' - Offsides, Landon Donovan. He was close. Omar Gonzalez is fouled.

59' - Goal kick, Ricketts. That should have been 3-0 Galaxy. A bullet dodged. Questionable pass from Becks to Donovan.

60' - This passing is just terrible from Chivas. Wonder what Jorge Flores was trying tot do? Mercy! Goal kick, Ricketts.

61' - Here's Espinoza again, and the cross from Justin Braun to Gordon is squandered big time. Goal kick for Ricketts.

62' - Excellent marking by Ante Jazic on Landon Donovan.

63' - Good passes here from Chivas USA. Here's Lahoud, and this could be trouble...

64' - GOAL! Chivas USA 16 Alan Gordon, Assist 13 Jonathan Bornstein
Ugh, so much for my prediction. This is still a game.

Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 6 Eddie Lewis
OUT 23 David Beckham

65' - Galaxy set piece then. Horrible attempt at a save from Donovan Ricketts. Are there magnets in that ball? Amateurish attempt!

66' - That's a terrible set piece from Juninho. Plain and simple.

67' - Complacency will be a problem if you are a team like the Galaxy. Their lead has been cut in half, and now it will be a test to see if they can get that one back. Clean tackle, and a shot from Gordon finds the hands of Donovan Ricketts, who again is being a bit inconsistent.

68' - Eddie Lewis called back due to offsides.

69' - Free kick for the Goats, who have to be energized after something like this. Acrimonious pass by Edson Buddle to Landon Donovan.

70' - 70 minutes in the match, and it's still 2-1 Los Angeles. Birchall is fouled.

71' - Horrible cross from Birchall. Ricketts is there to scoop up the counter ball.

72' - Here's Todd Dunivant. Side netting. Corner for the G's. Here's Landon Donovan. Punched away. Thornton is one of the old men of the MLS netminders. He still has it after all these years.

73' - The vuvuzelas are now in full force. That sequence didn't amount to much.

74' - Back come the Goats. And LA's Omar Gonzalez holds sway. Juninho is hurt, as well as Carlos Borja. Both are up.

75' - Thus we are now 75 in, and it's 2-1 LA. Goal kick, Zach Thornton.

76' - Bruce Arena looks on: a composed, mindful figure. And that Union Ultras Banner is up again.

77' - Red card 6 Eddie Lewis
Los Angeles Galaxy

Now this is just pure malediction's delight right here. The G's will be now down to 10 men after that brain explosion. That was uncalled for. Stomping Rodolfo Espinoza with both of his feet.

78' - Yellow card 24 Rodolfo Espinoza
Chivas USA

SuperClasico football, everybody.

Substitution Chivas USA
IN 15 Sal Sizzo
OUT 23 Carlos Borja

79' - I don't get it. I just do not get Lewis's actions. Unacceptable behavior.

80' - Hang on tight, we have ourselves a dandy of a final ten minutes and stoppage. And Bruce Arena is beside himself.

81' - Lewis will probably be unavailable against Philadelphia.

82' - The Galaxy may have to be content to play defense for the rest of the match as the Dorsey High band plays Justin[e] Bieber's "Baby." That's a number more fit for the Stanford band, by the way.

83' - Here's Michael Lahoud. And the Galaxy backline had to scramble to force that one out for a corner.

84' - Cleared. And now another substitution.

85' - Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 88 Alex Cazumba
OUT 11 Chris Birchall

Sal Zizzo with a reckless challenge. Free kick. It's taken short. And it backfires.

86' - Still, more time is wasted from the clock. Ricketts scoops that one up. Here's Bornstein. And now it's Trujillo.

87' - This is going to become a defensive stopping clinic for the G's if they want it to be that way, to be honest. Goal kick, Zach Thornton.

88' - Sean Franklin with the awareness. Nice defense from Mr. Ante Jazic on Mr. Edson Buddle.

89' - Yellow card 26 Michael Stephens
Los Angeles Galaxy

Please. THAT was unnecessary. Delaying the restart. Nice going, rookie.

90' - Bornstein with the ball, and that is cleared. Alex Cazumba, for all the speed he has, was not going to get to that one.

Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 17 Tristan Bowen
OUT 14 Edson Buddle

Four minutes of stoppage time, says Baldomero Toledo. It's crunch time now.

90' + 1' - Good stop by Ricketts. Now the Galaxy defense has their ears pinned back.

90' + 2' - Side netting, but that was a blistering shot from Jorge Flores. This guy competed in Sueno MLS, and now is a bookend with Chivas USA.

90' + 3' - Union Ultras were asking for a foul, but they ain't gettin' it.

90' + 4' - One last sequence from the Goats? No dice! That's a wrap!

Stay tuned for my take on this match on The View from Victoria Street and Bleacher Report.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

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