Galaxy Beats Chivas, 1-0, in Front of 88,816

This was what Chivas USA officials envisioned when they announced intentions to join Major League Soccer -- a massive crowd, a pulsating atmosphere, a respectable showing. Even with a 1-0 loss to the Galaxy on Wednesday night before an announced 88,816 at the Coliseum, the second-largest crowd to see an MLS game.

Only the Galaxy-Tampa Bay match at the Rose Bowl on June 16, 1996, part of a doubleheader with U.S.-Mexico, drew more, 92,216.

This can’t be what the Galaxy hoped for when it fired Sigi Schmid a year ago with the club in first place and replaced him with Steve Sampson -- needing a victory over its cross-hall expansion rivals to help its fragile playoff hopes.

In what no doubt was the undercard for the main event -- arguably the two most popular clubs in Mexico, Chivas de Guadalajara meeting Club America of Mexico City in a friendly -- midfielder Landon Donovan did the deed for the Galaxy, converting an 83rd-minute penalty kick past Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan for the winner.

The Galaxy (9-8-5) won its first match away from the Home Depot Center since June 27, 2004, a 1-0 victory at Chicago, while Chivas (3-16-3) remained 12 points behind Colorado for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with 10 matches remaining.

The game, originally scheduled for Oct. 8 at the Home Depot Center, was switched to Wednesday at the Coliseum to make the doubleheader possible.

Donovan, who was resting from a summer of international team duty and did not enter the match until after halftime, was awarded the kick after being taken down by Guzan in the box.

A through ball from Guillermo Ramirez found Donovan in perfect stride, though he appeared to be offside, and he sped toward the goal, where he was met by a diving Guzan.

“All I saw was three yellow shirts and one red shirt,” Guzan said. “I heard he might have been offside but the ref didn’t call it and you move on.”

It was Donovan’s team-leading seventh goal, the third by penalty kick.

“That’s as much of a road game as we’re going to get,” Donovan said.

Sampson agreed.

“What a very special night for us,” he said. “Not only to get the win and the three points, which we needed, but to play in front of that crowd. It felt like an international match between two national teams.

“Anything other than this result would have been extremely disappointing.”

Some would say the Galaxy has been disappointing since Schmid was fired on Aug. 16, 2004, when the team was 9-6-7 and in first place.

Under Sampson, the Galaxy is 12-13-8, including the playoffs.

From first to under .500?

Chivas USA President and co-owner Antonio Cue disputed a report out of Mexico that put forward Juan Pablo Garcia’s immediate playing future in doubt, saying, “I don’t even take it seriously.”

According to the report, Atlas is claiming that it has found in its contract that it actually retains Garcia’s rights until 2007.

Said Cue: “It’s only speculation. Juan Pablo is officially joining us on the 21st against the MetroStars.

“I’m guaranteeing he’ll be there on the 21st. We’re doing things the right way.”

Garcia angered Atlas and Mexican soccer officials when he made himself a free agent.

Still, the atmosphere was the story Wednesday.

“The crowd was beautiful,” Chivas Coach Hans Westerhof said. “There was a passion.”

And the Galaxy?

“They have a better team; that’s the truth,” he said. “We are so far away from that at this point in time.”