Donovan scores 3 goals, praises Beckham
'Having David healthy and fit has taken pressure away from me'
 Danny Moloshok / AP Los Angeles Galaxy's Landon Donovan, second from the left, is congratulated by teammates, including a jumping David Beckham, after scoring the second of his three goals against Chivas USA on Saturday night. |
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CARSON, Calif. - Landon Donovan credits his goal-scoring spree this season in part to teammate David Beckham.
“Clearly, having David healthy and fit has taken pressure away from me and also provided me with some good chances,” Donovan said after scoring three goals in the Los Angeles Galaxy’s 5-2 victory over Chivas USA Saturday night.
“When David gets the ball and I’m running off the ball, it makes it very easy to know what to do.”
Donovan ran his MLS-leading total to eight goals in the Galaxy’s five games.
“He has scored some great goals,” Beckham said. “He’s a special player. He proved tonight that he’s not just about scoring goals inside the box. He works hard.
“When we have a player in the form that he’s in, it gives the team some confidence.”
Los Angeles’ Alan Gordon scored twice, his first goal snapping a 2-2 tie in the 76th minute. He added another goal, having only to tap the ball into the net, on a nifty Beckham-to-Donovan-to-Gordon passing sequence in the 84th minute.
Beckham, who made several fine crosses in the first half without his teammates being able to finish the plays, got an assist along with Donovan on Gordon’s second goal. The assist was Beckham’s fourth of the season.
After Gordon gave the Galaxy a 3-2 lead, Donovan provided a two-goal pad a minute later.
The contest matched the co-tenants Galaxy (2-2-1) and Chivas USA (1-3-1), who share the Carson stadium.
Donovan’s other goals came in the 18th and 59th minutes. The three-goal game was the second of his MLS career and first for Los Angeles.
He scored twice against Chivas with scrappy plays, battling for the ball, winning it, then putting it in the net.
His third goal was relatively routine, a 23-yarder with his left foot inside the right post to beat goalie Brad Guzan. For his second, he outfought Claudio Suarez in the box and, sliding on the ground, managed to extend his right leg and kick the ball past Guzan.
Donovan opened the scoring on an alert play in the 18th minute, picking up a loose ball just outside the box and quickly banging a drive into the net.
“I feel like I’m being more assertive and more aggressive,” Donovan said. “I’m reaping the benefits. In the past, I’d get down on myself because I wouldn’t be aggressive enough, or not assertive in taking shots. Lately in training, I felt good doing those things.
“Individually, when you get a chance, are you going to go at someone and try and make something happen, or are you going to pass the buck?”
Sacha Kljestan drew Chivas into 1-1 tie with his goal in the 38th minute, then Ante Razov had the second Chivas goal in the 62nd minute, that time tying it 2-2 before the Galaxy finally took control.
“It was a weird game,” Chivas coach Preki said. “We made mistakes all over the place. We made mistakes and we got punished.”
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