Dallas reaches first-ever MLS Cup

CARSON, Calif. (AP)

For at least one game, FC Dallas' David Ferreira was a most valuable player.

Ferreira had a goal and an assist to lead FC Dallas into MLS Cup 2010 with a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Western Conference final Sunday night.

Ferreira is one of three nominees for Major League Soccer's most valuable player award. The Galaxy's Edson Buddle and San Jose's Chris Wondolowski are the others.

MLS: June 23-25

 

Thursday, June 23
Home		Road
Seattle	4-2	New York	Recap
Saturday, June 25
Home		Road
DC United	2-2	Houston	Recap
San Jose	0-0	LA Galaxy	Recap
Philadelphia	3-2	Chivas USA	Recap
FC Dallas	4-0	Portland	Recap
Sporting KC	2-1	Vancouver	Recap
Real Salt Lake	3-1	Toronto	Recap
Sunday, June 26
Home		Road
Chicago	1-1	New York
Seattle	2-1	New England	Recap
Columbus	4-1	Colorado
MLS Scores | Table | Fixtures

 

"I thought David was fantastic with the balls he was sending in there," Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman said. "We keep preaching to our players to think forward, look forward, pass forward and run forward. That caught L.A. on their heels."

George John and Marvin Chavez also scored and goalkeeper Kevin Hartman made six saves for Dallas, the last of Major League Soccer's surviving original teams to reach the final.

FC Dallas will make its MLS Cup debut against the Colorado Rapids on Nov. 21 in Toronto.

"This Sunday, we hope to be celebrating the title," Ferreira said. "We deserve to be champions, as does Colorado, because they've also worked incredibly hard."

David Beckham played all 90 minutes for the fourth time in five games despite injuring his groin.

"We saw right at the beginning of the game, probably 15 minutes in, that he had a problem," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. "We talked to him at halftime. There was a chance that we were going to take him off but he stayed in."

Beckham missed six months after tearing his left Achilles tendon in March while playing on loan for AC Milan. He made his season debut for the Galaxy on Sept. 11.

"He has been playing through a lot of pain in the last few weeks, more than you know," Galaxy forward Landon Donovan said. "When you come back that quickly at that age from an Achilles injury, there are going to be residual effects."

Ferreira gave Dallas a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute by taking Chavez's pass at the top of the 18-yard penalty area, making a full turn and firing a shot inside the left post between defenders Omar Gonzalez and A.J. DeLaGarza.

That goal was Dallas' only shot on goal in the first half.

Before Ferreira's goal, the Galaxy had three chances to take the lead but Hartman thwarted all three.

In the eighth minute, Hartman dived to his left to deflect Mike Magee's 30-yard shot with his left hand. Hartman blocked Juninho's 15-yard line drive in the 21st minute, then leaped to tip David Beckham's 50-yard free kick away from the upper-right corner of the net in the 23rd minute.

Hartman kept Landon Donovan from tying the score in the 31st minute by diving to his left to deflect the unmarked Donovan's 31-yard shot with both hands.

"Hartman made a couple of outstanding saves," Arena said. "The one on Landon was unbelieveable."

John made it 2-0 in the 54th minute by converting Brek Shea's left-wing cross inside the right post from three yards.

Chavez, who played for Honduras in this year's World Cup, finished the scoring in the 73rd minute. Ferreira threaded a pass through the defense to an unmarked Chavez, who scored inside the left post from 13 yards.

The game was the last for the Galaxy's Eddie Lewis, who announced his retirement in August. Lewis, who played in two World Cups for the United States, started at left back before Jovan Kirovski replaced him in the 82nd minute.