We started off the season with a 1-0 win at Seattle Sounders, but seeing me and Mark didn't go to that one we won't bother with it as this blog entry is to concentrate on only the games we attended.
Sun March 20 vs NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION @HDC 1-1 T
We kicked off the home season opener with a monsoon, it rained heavily and steadily all day, we were drenched and watched the G's contest a 1-1 draw. We did have a perfectly good goal disallowed when the Rev's keeper dropped the ball and Juninho poked the ball home. He did score the goal that counted as well, it was definitely a case of 2 points dropped though.
Season opener in the monsoon.
Sat March 26 vs REAL SALT LAKE @Rio Tinto 1-4 L
I did a blog about this trip earlier on in the season, it was a great weekend apart from the game. We got our butt's kicked and the season at this point didn't look too promising. We also froze our arse off up in the top of the stands in mormonland, the best decision was bringing a cooler full of proper beer as the stuff they sell up there is like gnat's piss.
Galaxians in Mormonland
Rio Tinto stadium in Utah, quite nice actually.
Sat April 2 vs PHILADELPHIA UNION @HDC 1-0 W
We brought our friends David, Jessica and Carrie to the game. I made my famous pasties and they were probably better than the match. We won 1-0 though, which is the main thing, with a rare Leonardo goal.
Before the Philadelphia game.
Sat April 23 vs PORTLAND TIMBERS @HDC 3-0 W
This was obviously one of our better performances of the season, we won 3-0 thanks to two Landon Donovan goals and Chad Barrett's first of the season. We pretty much did turn Portland over and it could have been much worse for them, but I'll take a 3-0 win any day of the week.
Fellow Galaxians.
Sat May 7 vs NEW YORK RED BULLS @HDC 1-1 T
To be honest this was probably the right result, it could have gone either way, but I was happy with a draw in the end as NY pressured us right up until the final whistle.
The Galaxy had hardly set the league alight at this point in the season, but we were still top of the Western Conference and only lost one game so far.
Fellow Galaxians
Sat May 14 vs SPORTING KANSAS CITY @HDC 4-1 W
Another one of those rare occasions this season when the Galaxy actually looked likea proper team. Landon grabbed another brace, Beckham scored a cracking free kick and even the normally useless Juan Pablo Angel got one.
Galaxians before the game.
Sat May 21 vs CHIVAS USA @HDC (Away) 1-0 W
It wasn't the best game, but it's always nice to win the derby or the Super Clasico as the natives call it. I love the away game at our home, they stick us in the corner and it is a good laugh taunting Shitvas fans all day.
Before the Shitvas match
After the Shitvas match.
Wed May 25 vs HOUSTON DYNAMO @HDC 1-0 W
Not really much to write about, Landon scored his 8th goal in the last seven games and I made the first leg of the journey via trian as I met Mark in Burbank.
Fri June 3 vs D.C. UNITED @HDC 0-0 T
Another shocker, oh well at least we didn't lose.
Sat June 11 vs TORONTO FC @HDC 2-2 T
We were cruising in this thanks to Birchall's only goal for the Galaxy and an Angel effort, but useless Galaxy reject Alan Gordon picks the wrong time to grab a brace at the HDC and sends us home gutted especially with the one in injury time. This game will be forever remembered for the one I dragged Kellie to on her birthday, she still hasn't forgiven me.
Sat June 25 vs SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES @Buck Shaw "Stadium" 0-0 T
A crap game really, decent piss up for the weekend though. Most notable because we used 3 goalkeepers during the game. Ricketts went off with a broken arm, then Saunders got sent off for a run in with that curly headed twat Leinhart, up steps Mike Magee and keeps the smurfs at bay for over half of the game. Legend!!!
LOL @ San Jose, you'll never beat Magee.
Tues June 28 vs LA BLUES @Cal State Fullerton 2-1 W
It was the open cup, they scored first but goals from Omar and Mike Magee got us the "come from behind" win.
Face in the crowd against the LA Blues in the Open Cup game.
Mon July 4 vs SEATTLE SOUNDERS @HDC 0-0 T
The highlights of this day was the curry I made and brought to the Galaxian pot luck, meeting up with crazy Middlesbrough man Eric Goodall again for a chat and the pk save Brian Perk made on his MLS debut.
Junior Galaxians
Sat July 9 vs CHICAGO FIRE @HDC 2-1 W
After what seemed like an eternity the Galaxy finally recorded a home win in the MLS. It wasn't pretty but goals from Beckham and Donavon were enough for the three points.
Owen drumming up some support.
Sat July 16 vs REAL MADRID @LA Coliseum 1-4 L
I wasn't here thank God, we went up to San Francisco to watch Man City beat Club America instead.
Wed July 20 vs COLUMBUS CREW @HDC 1-0 W
A Sean Franklin goal saw us take the points in yet another 1-0 win. Can't remember much else about the game to be honest.
Sun July 24 vs MANCHESTER CITY @HDC 1-1 T (MCFC win 5-4 on pk's)
Blogged about it earlier, Owen's first City game. A great day out in the blazing sun.
Galaxy v Man City
Sat July 30 vs VANCOUVER WHITECAPS @Vancouver 4-0 W
A great win and well worth the trip up to Canada (See full blog in August archives)
Us with Chris Birchall in Vancouver.
Wed August 3 vs PORTLAND TIMBERS @Portland 0-3 L
If the Vancouver game was an example of the highs of following your team away, then the Portland game was the perfect example of the lows of following your team away. We were terrible and it could have been a hell of a lot worse had it not been for Josh Saunders. Still nice to visit another stadium though.
Outside Jeld Wen stadium in Portland, never let a bad result get in the way of a great week.
Sat August 6 vs FC DALLAS @HDC 3-1 W
The G's put that dreadful Portland game behind them with another decent performance with goals from Omar, Juninho and Magee. We appear to be playing a lot better now with Franklin giving us an extra attacking option on the right of midfield.
Owen and friends
Tues August 16 vs CLUB MOTAGUA @HDC 2-0 W
A good start to our CCL campaign against the Hondurans with goals from Cristman and Landon. The Yanks don't seem to take these games seriously though as the HDC was just about two thirds empty. In other news, we have just signed Robbie Keane and got rid of the useless Juan Pablo Angel in the process, not in time to make his debut tonight though.
Sat August 30 vs SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES @HDC 2-0 W
The hype surrounding this game was all about Robbie Keane's MLS debut, he scored along with Magee to send the smurfs home complaining that they actually deserved to win and that the MLS refs are biased towards the Galaxy and their superstars. I read that on the Big Soccer forum. Refs weren't biased up in San Jose were they? Plus I have lost count of how many times we get dodgy decisions against us at the HDC, certainly more than go in our favour anyway.
The other G's mob.
Thurs August 25 vs LD ALAJUELENSE @HDC 2-0 W
Another win in the CCL, can't remember where this lot are from so I'll say Costa Rico for the sake of arguing. Goal from Omar and Magee again (He's on fire don't you know?)
Errrr......
Fri September 9 vs COLORADO RAPIDS @HDC 1-0 W
Another 1-0 win thanks to a Landon Donovan goal.
It's getting like Chelsea under Mourinho's first season with all these 1-0 victories, not complaining though, still top of the West.
Owen and friends again
Sat September 17 vs VANCOUVER WHITECAPS @HDC 3-0 W
Another great game against the worst team in the west. 7-0 on aggregate for the season, can we play you every week?
Two Magee goals (I told you he was on fire) and and Robbie Keane effort are enough for the 3 points.
With Eric and Mike (Thor)
Wed September 28 vs MONARCAS MORELIA @HDC 2-1 W
After losing our 2 away games in the CCL this was a must win against the Mexicans to stay alive, we gave up a dodgy goals but came back through Magee and Juninho in stoppage time to send the noisy visiting fans home empty handed.
Even the Miss Galaxy court are Galaxians
Sat October 1 vs REAL SALT LAKE @HDC 2-1 W
This was a close one, but the win was enough to give us the supporter shield for the second year in a row. For all my English friends, the supporters shield basically means that you finish with the best record in the league, but it counts for fuck all. You still have to compete in the play offs and win the MLS Cup in order to be crowned champions which means technically the team that is the 10th best on the last day of the season can still go on to be MLS champions. Crazy huh?
Mark and me with the Supporters Shield.
Sun October 16 vs CHIVAS USA @HDC (Home) 1-0 W
Chad Barrett the "goatbuster" struck again as we did the double against our hated rivals and renters and paraded the supporters shield in front of them and Juan Pablo Angel.
I had high hopes for Angel at the start of the season, his goal scoring record in the MLS spoke for itself, but he came to us and didn't fit in. He seemed lazy, slower than me and useless in the air. Don't get me wrong, I bear him no ill will, I was just glad to see the back of him.
Bring on the play offs!!!!!!
Me and Owen with a Miss Galaxy court member.
Western Conference Semi Final:
Thurs November 3 vs NEW YORK RED BULLS @HDC 2-1 W (3-1 on aggregate)
After a ill tempered 1-0 win up in NYC (Magee again), the stage was set for a nervous 90 minutes. We were missing Juninho who was red carded after that dick Marquez threw the ball at Landon after the final whistle in the first leg.
NY scored first when Luke (Mini me) Rogers leveled the tie after 15 minutes.
It was nearly all Galaxy after that and when Magee headed to ball home from a Beckham corner you could see the stuffing knocked out of the Red Bulls.
Beckham was brought down in the NY box late in the second half, Landon converted the pk and we were into the Western Conference Final.
Western Conference Final
Sun November 6 vs REAL SALT LAKE @HDC 3-1 W
I brought along my mate David and fellow Wedding Present guitarist Graeme visiting from Scotland along for this game. I remarked to David that he has probably been to more Galaxy games than Man United matches by now (his third so far), that raised a good chuckle from Graeme.
During the game.
We had a bit of rain, ate chicken curried pasties, drank quite a bit and watched tha Galaxy trounced the normally awkward RSL, to almost make up for losing the final to them 2 years ago. It was nice to avenge our defeat in Utah early in the season though. The Galaxy were pretty rampant in this one and could easily have scored more if it weren't for Nick Rimando making a few good saves and us finishing poorly.
On to the final, the entire season hangs on one game and Houston awaits us.
After the RSL game
MLS CUP 2011:
Sun November 20 vs HOUSTON DYNAMO @HDC 1-0 W
We ended the season as we started it at the Home Depot Center, in the middle of an all day down pour. It was another truly miserable day, only saved by my awesome free Volkswagon poncho and the free flowing beer that we consumed.
Before the final in the Monsoon part deux.
The game itself wasn't much of a spectacle, we were pretty poor and Houston were even worse. I think they only managed one shot on target all day which is pathetic for a cup final. We did have most of the possession and were the better team. Robbie Keane had the ball in the net, but it was harshly ruled offside as TV replays proved he was level when Landon passed him the ball.
10 minutes later though Beckham flicked on a Franklin pass and Keane held off a defender before threading the ball through to Landon who slotted in past Hall and just inside the far post. We went mental and the HDC was rocking at the final whistle as we were crowned champions.
A 1-0 win was a fitting end to our 1-0 win riddled season, we had a great time following the Galaxy home and away this year, roll on next season.
With or without Beckham, I can't help feeling that we'll be a better team next year.
Owen with the "Cup"
Landon Donovan and David Beckham with the MLS Cup.
Coach Bruce Arena with the MLS Cup.
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