LA Galaxy 6, Philippines National Team 1
Asia Pacific Tour 2011
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Rizal Memorial Stadium – Manila, Philippines
The LA Galaxy got their second win in as many games on their Asia Pacific Tour, beating the Philippines National Team 6-1 in an open and entertaining game at Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila on Saturday night. Second half substitute Adam Cristman scored twice while David Beckham, Mike Magee, Robbie Keane and Gregg Berhalter each tallied in the Galaxy win.
Just as Indonesia had done against the Galaxy three nights earlier in the first game of the tour, the Philippines came out flying in the first 15 minutes of the game, looking to grab an early goal and send the already excited capacity crowd into full on hysterics. However, just as they had against Indonesia, the Galaxy defense, marshaled by A.J. DeLaGarza and Omar Gonzalez, weathered the storm and allowed the Galaxy to take a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute.
Watch: Match Highlights
Beckham was the goal scorer, curling a shot into the side netting from 20 yards out off a pass from Robbie Keane. Keane started the attacking foray, getting the ball out wide to Mike Magee on the left. Magee’s first cross was blocked, but the ball came right back to him and he was able to pick out Keane at the top of the box. The Ireland captain then laid the ball off into the path of Beckham, who curled a shot past Philippine goalkeeper Eduardo Sacapano for a 1-0 Galaxy lead.
Magee would double that lead with his first goal of the tour in the 39th minute, beating Sacapano with a similar looking strike to Beckham’s from 20 minutes earlier. Beckham collected a loose ball inside his own have and quickly sprayed the ball out to Magee on the left. With Keane making an overlapping run around him, Magee cut inside and played a pass to Landon Donovan, who immediately knocked it back to Magee, who curled a right-footed shot inside the far past to make the score 2-0.
The score would not stay that way for long however as the Philippines hit right back with a goal of their own through Phil Younghusband, making the score 2-1. Angel Guirado over the top of the LA defense for Younghusband, who cut past A.J. DeLaGarza and beat Josh Saunders with a left-footed shot, much to the delight to the home fans.
Those ovations had barely died down before it was nearly 2-2 when James Younghusband, the brother of the Philippine goal scorer, played in Carlos De Murga behind the LA defense, only for De Murga’s clipped shot to go just wide of the far post after beating the sliding Josh Saunders.
After the break the Galaxy used their talent, depth and fitness to put the Azkals away with four goals to give the game its final 6-1 scoreline.
Robbie Keane got the second half off to a flying start with his second goal in as many games on the tour, prodding the ball home from close range. David Beckham’s left wing corner kick went to the back post for Todd Dunivant, who had just come on at halftime for Frankie Hejduk, who headed the ball back in front of goal for Keane.
It appeared to be 4-1 LA just three minutes later, but Adam Cristman, who had gone close a minute earlier from a rebound, was ruled offside when he headed a Beckham cross past Sacapano.
Just after the hour, Cristman finally got his goal, heading in a perfectly placed Landon Donovan cross from close range after Todd Dunivant had freed the Galaxy captain down the left flank.
Watch: Arena, Donovan, Beckham recap match
A series of changes were made by both sides as the game drew toward its conclusion with the Galaxy scoring twice in the final 10 minutes.
Gregg Berhalter made the score 5-1 when he converted a penalty kick in the 81st minute. Making his tour debut after sitting out the win in Jakarta on Wednesday, Berhalter placed his penalty inside the right post after Anton Del Rosario had pulled Jovan Kirovski down inside the box.
Cristman rounded out the scoring in the 87th minute, poking a shot home from close range from a Dunivant header after Kirovski had weaved his way through the Azkal defense to begin the attack.
The Galaxy travelled to Melbourne, Australia straight after the game for their third and final game of the tour, against the Hyundai A-League’s Melbourne Victory on Tuesday night at Etihad Stadium.
Scoring Summary:
LA – David Beckham (Robbie Keane, Mike Magee) 20’
LA – Mike Magee (Landon Donovan) 39’
PHI – Phil Younghusband (Angel Guirado) 42’
LA – Robbie Keane (Todd Dunivant, David Beckham) 47’
LA – Adam Cristman (Landon Donovan, Todd Dunivant) 63’
LA – Gregg Berhalter (Penalty Kick) 81’
LA – Adam Cristman (Todd Dunivant) 87’
Misconduct Summary:
PHI – Phil Younghusband (Yellow Card) 50’
PHI – Jason De Jong (Yellow Card) 64’
Lineups:
LA Galaxy: Josh Saunders (Brian Perk 46’); Bryan Jordan (Dustin McCarty 78’), A.J. DeLaGarza (Gregg Berhalter 58’), Omar Gonzalez (Dasan Robinson 83’), Frankie Hejduk (Todd Dunivant 46’); Sean Franklin (Hector Jimenez 61’), David Beckham (Jovan Kirovski 74’), Chris Birchall (Michael Stephens 46’), Mike Magee (Adam Cristman 46’); Landon Donovan© (Ryan Thomas 69’), Robbie Keane (Miguel Lopez 73’)
Subs Not Used: Dan Keat, Jack McBean
Philippines National Team: Eduardo Sacapano; Anon Del Rosario, Robert Gier (Carlos De Murga 15’), Jason Sabio, Ray Jonsson; James Younghusband (Jose Clarino 83’), Manuel Ott (Jason De Jong 58’), Christopher Greatwich (Lexton Moy 91+), Ernelio Caligdong© (Misagh Bahadoran 73’); Angel Guirado (Ian Araneta 69’), Phil Younghusband (Nate Burkey 78’)
Subs Not Used: Jose Pascual, Joshua Beloya, Roel Gener, Nestorio Margarse, Matthew Uy
Referee: Jovanie Villagracia
Referee’s Assistants: Robert Hernandez and Grant Rojas
4th Official: Steve Supresencia
Notes:
- This was the Galaxy’s second game of their Asia Pacific Tour 2011 and their first-ever game in the Philippines. They will wrap up the tour on Tuesday night against the Melbourne Victory of the Hyundai A-League. That match will be broadcast live in the U.S. on FOX Soccer.
- The Galaxy are now 2-1-1 in international friendlies this year, including 2-0-0 so far on the tour. In July, the Galaxy lost to Real Madrid and played Manchester City to a 1-1 draw before falling on penalties as part of the Herbalife World Football Challenge.
