Galaxy put up a fight, but Madrid was too tough

Real Madrid came calling at The Home Depot Center on Monday night, all of their galacticos in tow in a marvelous atmosphere. And while many in the crowd might have expected a blowout, in reality the Los Angeles Galaxy gutted out a solid performance before finally dropping a 2-0 result on goals from Michael Owen and Roberto Soldado.

The final score was really a respectable result for the Galaxy, who on paper would have appeared to be very overmatched. Even though the home side was forced to weather a lot of pressure, and goalkeeper Kevin Hartman was called upon often to keep his team in the game, the MLS side showed flashes of skill and creativity that they could be proud of.

The game was billed as an international friendly, but both sides quickly showed how seriously they were taking the contest. In just the fourth minute, Guillermo Ramirez picked up a yellow card after a pair of excessive tackles on Madrid defender Michel Salgado.

With the intensity level set, the game went as expected with Madrid dominating possession throughout the first half. In just the sixth minute, rookie defender Ugo Ihemelu was caught ball watching and allowed Michael Owen to run in behind him. Former World Footballer of the Year Zinedine Zidane made no mistake picking out the run, and Owen tucked away a short-range shot to open the scoring.

Of all the players who impressed for the Galaxy tonight, it was Hartman who had the biggest night. In all, Hartman made seven saves on the night - two from the boot of Brazilian Roberto Carlos, whose left foot is nearly as famous as David Beckham's right. He also had an impressive sequence in the second half, stealing the ball off the foot of Luis Figo who was in alone on a breakaway. An instant later, Hartman smothered a rebound shot from Owen in what were his two best saves of the night.

Nearly a century of history separates the inception of the two clubs that played in Carson tonight. Yet on the field, both teams showed that soccer isn't that far apart when defined by the play on the field.

In addition, the Galaxy put up their fight without the services of arguably the best player in all of MLS. Landon Donovan has been the center of the Galaxy so far this season, but was unavailable to his club due to national team commitments. The final result might not have changed, but all in attendance were likely left wondering what might have been had one of the best strikers to ever lace up his cleats in MLS been available.

Sports Betting Game Odds from: Sportingbet

2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup Semifinal Matchup:

USA 2/5

vs Honduras 13/2

DRAW 3/1

Prediction: They're playing in US territory so expect the US National Team to beat Honduras and advance to the championship. US to win 3-1 behind Landon Donovan's twin goals.

for more 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup Betting Tips, Odds, Picks, Lines and Predictions, click here: European Soccer Betting

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