David Beckham sets up crucial goal as LA Galaxy reach final
Published 14:14 14/11/09 By By Mirror Football
David Beckham set up the crucial extra-time goal as his LA Galaxy reached the MLS Cup final - the showpiece game in the American season.
A trademark whipped-in free kick on 103 minutes was headed on by team-mate Omar Gonzalez and Gregg Berhalter pounced on a rebound off Houston's Eddie Robinson to score.
Six minutes later Landon Donovan, who criticised Beckham's leadership and play at the start of the season, secured the Western Conference title with a penalty.
The Galaxy will now play either Chicago Fire and Real Salt Lake in the final on November 22.
Beckham praised his team-mates and Tim Leiweke, president and chief executive of Galaxy owners AEG, for putting the MLS team within reach of their first title since 2005.
"It's so important for us to do well, we've had so many disappointments over the last four years and Tim Leiweke and everybody have put so much behind this team, this club and this franchise and the players are doing them proud," he said.
Beckham's heroics aside, a tense game was notable mostly for two 18-minute stoppages in either half of normal time when floodlights failed because of problems with the LA industrial grid.
Former Bradford keeper Donovan Ricketts did his bit for Galaxy with a brilliant 79th minute stop from Brian Ching's close-range header.
