Sad news for LA Galaxy fans today … the boys in blue, gold and white ended up losing the Major League Soccer Championship due to a heartbreaking penalty shot by Real Salt Lake, the MLS Eastern Conference champs. Here are a few pics of David Beckham during the championship match last night (which very well could be his last Galaxy game ever) and some deets about the game itself:
Real Salt Lake sealed an upset win over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday night with a 5-4 penalty victory, after extra-time in the Major League Soccer Cup final that ended with the score at 1-1. Robbie Russell netted the vital spot kick after Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando made two saves and MLS Most Valuable Player, and LA Galaxy captain, Langdon Donovan sent his shot sailing over the crossbar. Salt Lake’s win at the Qwest Field arena in Seattle, ended David Beckham’s bid to claim a third national title in as many different nations, having previously won the English Premier League with Manchester United and La Liga with Spain’s Real Madrid. The Galaxy struck first, with midfielder Mike Magee drilling a 41st-minute shot into an open net. His strike came after Beckham passed to Donovan, who set-up Magee at the far post. Seattle: America’s soccer city. Real Salt Lake hit back with 25 minutes left when Robbie Findley reacted first after Yuri Movsisyan’s attempt on goal was blocked, tying the match and setting up the penalty shootout. Beckham got the Galaxy off to a good start in the shoot out as he scored with confidence, but his team could not follow in the same manner. Jovan Kirovski’s shot was blocked by Rimando, but Saunders followed by stopping the effort of Salt Lake captain Kyle Beckerman before Donovan blazed over the crossbar to leave the score 5-4. Galaxy came into the game as favorites, but flattered to deceive as it was revealed Beckham had played with an injured right ankle. “We all want to win titles and personally I’d love to be successful but I think we have been successful this year without winning tonight,” Beckham told reporters after the game. “We have quietened a few people along the way which is always nice but we couldn’t finish it off. “I wouldn’t say it’s tougher to lose on penalties but it’s Russian roulette, that’s just the way it is. It’s not a nice way to lose. The people that step up are brave enough to step up and if you score, great and if you miss it’s hard to take, but it just wasn’t our night,” Beckham added. Beckham is due to return to AC Milan in January for another loan spell as he bids to secure a place in England’s World Cup squad for next year’s finals in South Africa.
As you can see, Becks wore his sons names on his soccer boots but, unfortch, it wasn’t enough to bring him and the Galaxy good luck last night. As much as I may question Becks‘s loyalty to the LA Galaxy, it does seem as if he was really emotionally invested in last night’s game. Becks actually teared up and cried after the loss … and even more upsetting, he was apparently too sad to strip off his jersey to leave the game shirtless. Sad. After the jump, check out a couple pics of sad Becks last night …
Poor Becks … it would’ve been cool for him if he had won a championship here but, it wasn’t meant to be. Now he heads off to play for AC Milan to test his luck there. While I hope that he will return to play for the LA Galaxy next season, I’m not holding my breath. Still, I hate seeing the poor guy cry … don’t you just want to give him a hug? Even so, much congrats goes out to Real Salt Lake on their win!!
[Photo credit: Splash News; Source]
Luck or no luck, those shoes are awesom.
Awww..He’s using a Pro-Air inhaler..Does he have asthma?? I watched the game and, though the Galaxy didn’t play their absolute best, I feel they deserved the win..They’ve kicked so much arse this whole season, as opposed to RSL, who had the worst record and just lucked out in the playoffs..Both teams played their hearts out and I really dispise games being settled by penalty kicks..ESPECIALLY when our kick ass goalie injured himself during the game and we had to use the back up goalie! Ugh! I’m still not over the loss..Our boys deserved it..Especially with hottie Beckham wearing those awesome cleats!!
YAY! Go Real! I’m from Utah, and we rarely have the opportunity to be happy about pro sports. :)
I am a diehard Sonders fan, and never got into the whole Beckham phenomenon, but I have to admit seeing him play in person I now understand his draw. He is a great player and the fact that he played in pain most of the game says a lot.
Trent, he may not have stripped off his jersey (and I thought of you when he didn’t) but it was 43 degrees out and windy! He WAS the only Galaxy player who didn’t put on a coat so that was like his cold weather version of stripping.
Aww look at him so cute when he cries.
-meream
He’ll be back after the World Cup hopefully.
The inhaler picture was actually taken right after half time, not after their loss, they showed the same clip during the game.
Lol, you are quite the drama lover Trent ;) Of course Becks will return to LA (and this is from someone who wishes he’d never gone there in the 1st place & that he would indeed come back to proper, high level football back in Europe full time whilst he still has the ability to play at that level).
Unless something awful like a career ending injury occurs in Italy or the World Cup (assuming he makes the squad) then he’ll do exactly as he did this year, play the 2nd half of the Serie A season, play as well as he can to hopefully make the England World Cup squad, play the World Cup & then return to LA. It got announced here too that he’s going to invest in/own a new MLS team that would try to set up itself in 2012…no idea if that will actually work out in the end but it looks like he’s there for the long term & even after he’s retired from playing. Plus his kids are staying in LA whilst he’s in Milan so he’s deffo going to go back for them at least! ;)
@bam! — I hope you are right … I have no prob with his being loaned out to other teams during the off-season, I just want him to come back when he’s done :)