22 MARCH 2008 - The San Fernando Valley Quakes, in final preparations for the upcoming 2008 USL Premier Development League season, were beaten 3-1 by a full-strength Los Angeles Galaxy in an "exhibition open practice" game in front of 4,000 Galaxy fans at the Home Depot Center. The game was the centerpiece of Galaxy’s FanFest 2008, the traditional season-opening club celebration prior to the upcoming Major League Soccer season.

The Quakes, under head coach Juan Flores, lined up with the majority of the sqaud which reached the 2007 PDL Playoffs, including goalkeeper Kevin Guppy, defenders Robert Pate, Sean Alvarado, Chad Borak and Josh Leon, midfielders Sung Kim, Dylan Leslie and Oscar Sims, inspirational captain Mat Davis, leading striker Ryan Shaw, and debutant Rafa Garcia, a freshman at Cal State Northridge who will likely be making his league debut for the Quakes in the next few weeks.

By contrast, Galaxy head coach Ruud Gullit started with a full complement of stars from their first team roster, including David Beckham, Landon Donovan, Carlos Ruiz, Abel Xavier, Chris Klein, ’keeper Steve Cronin and Greg Vanney, plus trialists and new draftees Michael Gavin, Brandon McDonald, Ely Allen and Alvaro Pires.

In a reduced match (30-minute instead of 45-minute halves), Galaxy of course dominated the game; Beckham controlled the midfield, spreading pinpoint passes left and right with consummate ease. Both Gavin and Allen were dangerous down the flanks, continually threatening the Quakes back line, while the Portuguese mountain Abel Xavier looked solid at the heart of the Galaxy defence.

Galaxy scored after 15-minutes: a Chris Klein cross from the right was misjudged by Robert Pate; the ball landed at the feet of Guatemalan legend Carlos Ruiz, who doesn’t miss from ten yards, and duly slotted the ball home past a spreadeagled Guppy. Before the Quakes could re-group, Galaxy had doubled their lead, after Michael Gavin played a defence-splitting 1-2 with Ruiz on the edge of the penalty area and found himself 1-on-1 with Guppy, who could do nothing to prevent Gavin’s strike hitting the back of the net.

To their credit, the Quakes refused to capitulate, and even managed to withstand a trademark David Beckham free kick, which Guppy saw sail past his left post just before the break. Quakes attacks were infrequent, limited to counter-attacks and breakaways after turnovers by the Galaxy midfield. Mat Davis and Landon Donovan tussled in the center of the field on several occasions, and seemed to be heading into the break with a just 2-goal deficit to make up, until Donovan stepped up and unleashed a thunderbolt just seconds before the half-time whistle, giving Galaxy a 3-0 lead.

Galaxy changed virtually their entire team at half time, bringing on Alan Gordon, Israel Sesay, Troy Roberts, Josh Tudela, Mike Randolph and Josh Wicks in place of the likes of Donovan, Ruiz and Xavier, although Beckham continued on. There was also a sweet moment as two ex-Quakes players, striker Bryan Jordan and 2007 SFV standout and recent SuperDraft pick Sean Franklin, took to the field. The success of these two players - Franklin especially - is testament to the work teams like the Quakes undertake, and are perfect examples of the player development goals the PDL is trying to achieve.

The second half was actually a much more evenly-contested affair, with the Quakes actively launching several dangerous-looking attacks which seemed to surprise some of the Galaxy defenders. Rafa Garcia and Oscar Sims looked especially dangerous for the Quakes, showing some keen footwork and skilful interplay on a number of occasions, and Sung Kim also enjoyed some success down his left wing opposite Franklin and Beckham. Of course, Galaxy continued to be dangerous, with Alan Gordon just failing to connect with a Mike Randolph cross, and Beckham unleashing a long-range effort which was easily saved by the Quakes ’keeper. Beckham seemed to tweak the niggling groin injury he suffered during the Asian tour shortly thereafterwards, and was substituted by Gullit as a precaution.

As the clock wound down, and with everyone seeming to tire in the 85-degree heat, the Quakes unexpectedly scored: a mix-up in the Galaxy defence following a Sung Kim cross allowed Oscar Sims to pounce on the loose ball and prod it past Josh Wicks to make it 3-1, much to the delight of the hundred or so Quakes fans. At the final whistle, the enthusiastic crowd gave both sets of fans a healthy round of applause.

Considering the fact that this game was the first competitive effort for the 2008 Quakes squad (who had barely practised together beforehand), and considering the gulf in class and experience between the Quakes and Galaxy squads, the comparative parity of the scoreline was a hugely positive outcome for the Quakes, and provides a solid foundation on which to build for another potentually successful challenge for PDL honors in 2008.



David Beckham and Landon Donovan warm up



David Beckham takes on Dylan Leslie and Juan Guerrero



SFV’s Chad Borak is slide-tackled by Galaxy’s Michael Gavin



Galaxy’s Sean Franklin and SFV’s Rafa Garcia tussle as David Beckham looks on



Sean Franklin shows no cameraderie to ex teammate Juan Guerrero



All the fans were on the other side of the stadium!

Match report by Jon Broxton
Original photography by James Flowers