David Beckham and perhaps Landon Donovan got their fairytale ending.
The LA Galaxy repeated as MLS Cup champions with a 3-1 win against the Houston Dynamo at the Home Depot Center on Saturday afternoon.
After Calen Carr gave the visitors the lead in the 44th minute, the Galaxy roared back in the second half with three goals: a header from Omar Gonzalez and penalty kick conversions from Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane.
Gonzalez was awarded the MLS Cup Most Valuable Player award after the match.
Houston got off to a fast start in the first five minutes with Ricardo Clark forcing LA goalkeeper Josh Saunders to make an awkward early save in the second minutes.
After a couple of nervous plays from Saunders, the Galaxy settled into the match and began to take control. They should have scored in the 13th minute. A picture-perfect ball from Beckham traveled about two-thirds of the field and hit Keane sprinting down the left flank. The Irishman played a cross on the ground to Donovan, who only had to goalkeeper to beat. Donovan placed the shot just wide of the near post.
In the 27th minute, Houston right back Kofie Sarkodie beat Mike Magee in the Galaxy box and hit a high shot that Saunders blocked over the crossbar.
After that point, the match seemed to slow down with neither team able to unlock the other’s defense until the 44th minute. A long ball from Houston’s Adam Moffat found Carr running into the box. He blasted the shot past Saunders for the near-post finish.
The Galaxy began to assert dominance again in the second half with a series of opportunities in the Dynamo’s final third. That paid off in the 61st minute when defender Omar Gonzalez out-jumped two defenders for the finish off an excellent cross from Juninho.
Keane thought he had scored just minutes later, but referee Silviu Petrescu called Gonzalez for a foul. It was the second Keane goal called off in the match after he was correctly ruled offside in the first half.
LA did not have to wait long for the second goal to come as Ricardo Clark was whistled for a handball in the box. Donovan stepped to the spot and coolly finished in the 65th minute for what would end up the match winner.
Keane capped off the night with a penalty kick in the fourth minute of stoppage time after he was taken down by Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall.
Beckham was taken off in the final minute to an ovation from the crowd to signal his final appearance in an MLS game. Donovan has hinted that he could retire or take an extended break after this season. He offered no hints when asked about his future by ESPN after the match – only saying that he is excited to rest and excited for a vacation.
The Galaxy joined D.C. United as the only teams to win four MLS championships. The victory gave a record fourth league title to LA head coach Bruce Arena and the record-equaling fifth title to Donovan.

December 1st, 2012
Matt Thacker