Galaxy beat Salt Lake to reach MLS Cup
Los Angeles Galaxy reached Major League Soccer's (MLS) championship match on Sunday after a 3-1 defeat of Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference final.
The Galaxy, two-time MLS Cup winners, reached the deciding game for a record seventh time thanks to goals from captain Landon Donovan, American Mike Magee and Ireland striker Robbie Keane in front of their home fans at the Home Depot Center.
Manager Bruce Arena's Galaxy will face Houston Dynamo in the post-season's final match, after Dynamo beat Sporting Kansas City in the Eastern Conference final.
The final, which will take place at the Home Depot Center, could be midfielder David Beckham's last match for Los Angeles, with the former England captain's contract expiring at the end of the season.
But Beckham, 36, is focused only on the upcoming match with Dynamo, after playing in the MLS Cup 2009 when the Galaxy were beaten by Real Salt Lake in a penalty shoot-out.
David Beckham
"We're happy to be winning the Western final, but we know that there is one more game to go so we're not getting carried away," the former Real Madrid and Manchester United star told the league's official website.
"We did that a couple of years ago and we paid for it. We didn't win the MLS Cup final, so hopefully this will be something that we're happy to win [on Sunday], but we know that we've got one more game."
Galaxy went ahead on 23 minutes when Donovan, 29, converted a penalty after Andy Williams' push on Omar Gonzalez.
Dynamo responded almost immediately, striker Alvaro Saborio scoring with a close-range header to equalize after 25 minutes.
Beckham, capped 115 times by England, helped Galaxy regain the lead on 58 minutes, his pin-point cross headed home by Magee.
Former Tottenham and Liverpool forward Keane secured the win for Galaxy with 22 minutes remaining, wriggling free of his marker before firing a low shot beyond Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimandi.
Dynamo needed second half goals from defender Andre Hainault and forward Carlos Costly to see off the challenge of Sporting Kansas City in front of a record crowd at Livestrong Sporting Park.
The 16th MLS Cup final will complete the 2011 season and will be played on Sunday November 20.