Galaxy Whines After Colorado Thrashing

• Los Angeles Times, Monday, March 31, 2008 3:30 PM

Hours after his former Manchester United teammates put in a vintage 4-0 display at Old Trafford, David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy found themselves on the receiving end of a thumping by the same score at the hands of the Colorado Rapids.

Said the L.A. Times Grahame L. Jones: "The record 18,713 fans at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, many of whom had come to see David Beckham, and perhaps to a lesser extent Landon Donovan and Carlos Ruiz, ended up enthralled, not to say stunned, by their own team's showing before it was over ... Colorado was faster to the ball, more lively and inventive in its approach, quick to close down defensively and, in the end, hungrier for the victory."

It was certainly fantastic display of finishing -- something the Galaxy couldn't do -- and an absolute exhibition in poor defending from L.A.'s Abel Xavier. The Portuguese was at fault on three of Colorado's four goals and was red-carded late in the match for using offensive language. "The ref was a disgrace," Xavier said; he wasn't the only one to blame the result on the referee. Added Beckham, "I find it hard not to criticize some of the decisions tonight ... certain decisions change games and I think that has happened tonight."

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