2:1 MetroStars Los Angeles Guevara Gaven Gomez 07.09.05 · League

Amado Guevara scored from the spot and had a brilliant pass on Eddie Gaven's game-winner and the Metros held off during frantic injury time to beat the shorthanded Galaxy, 2:1. After two straight weeks of not being able to hold late leads, third time was the charm as the MetroStars continued their three-year dominance of Los Angeles.

With Guevara back from suspension, he took over his spot from Mike Magee. The other change in the lineup was the re-insertion of Tim Regan at left back; Jeff Agoos shifted to the center as Carlos Mendes sat. As for LA, they were missing a number of regulars with national team duty and with injuries, but what should have been an easy victory is never so in Metro land.

The Metros did dominate the first half, with LA seeing very little of the ball. In the 14th minute, Guevara sent a perfect long ball to Ante Razov, who was subsequently brought down in the box by a Galaxy defender. Guevara took the penalty kick, and Kevin Hartman guessed wrong (ummm... Kevin? Guevara has gone to his left on all but one penalty kick as a MetroStar, maybe you should watch some tape for next year), as the Honduran put in his sixth of the year. The Metros' other best chance came late in the half, with Ante Razov hitting the crossbar off a free kick.

But the Galaxy came out a new team in the second half. A goalmouth scramble where they had three chances in the opening minute of the period did not produce a goal, but they got one four minutes later. Herculez Gomez (we get it, you think you are "cool" by having your first name on the back of your shirt) hit a shot from just outside the box on the right side that looked going wide, so Zach Wells didn't move as the ball ricocheted off the far post and into the net.

But thankfully, the Metros came back. And it was Guevara in the 67th minute, taking the ball on his foot and lobbying it over the Los Angeles defense and onto Gaven's head. Hartman saved the initial header, but Eddie used his feet to put in the rebound and give the Metros the lead for good.

The Galaxy pressured late, but Metro held off the storm to grab the necessary three points. Abbe Ibrahim made a late appearance for the first time since his surgery.

Lineup: Wells, Regan, Parke, Agoos, Leitch, Bradley, Lisi, Guevara, Gaven, Galvan Rey, Razov. Subs: Magee, Ibrahim, Mendes.