England midfielder David Beckham helped his Los
Angeles Galaxy side move a step nearer the Major League Soccer
title with a 2-0 victory over Houston Dynamo.
Beckham's extra-time free-kick was poked home by Greg Berhalter
before Landon Donovan sealed the semi-final series decider from the
penalty spot.
The Galaxy also overcame two floodlight failures and face
Chicago Fire or Real Salt Lake in next week's Seattle final.
It will be Beckham's last MLS game before rejoining AC Milan on
loan.
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The Galaxy's Western Conference Championship clash against
two-time MLS champions Houston was halted for more than 30 minutes
as the south of Los Angeles was twice plunged into darkness by a
power cut.
The first stoppage came in the 18th minute when the floodlights
at the Home Depot Centre failed, with the Carson neighbourhood
completely blacked out.
The players were kept on the pitch by referee Terry Vaughan
during the delay but play did not resume for another 18
minutes.
Beckham, who will return to Italy in January, had the first
clear-cut chance after the resumption, whipping in a curling
free-kick from 25 yards that was turned round his post by Houston
keeper Pat Onstad.
Donovan saw a 20-yard strike saved a minute into the second half
before Houston's Andrew Hainault was denied two minutes later.
A second power failure then followed, halting play for a further
16 minutes, although neither side was able to make a breakthrough
in normal time.
It finally came in the 104th minute, however, when Beckham's
free-kick to the back post was headed down by Omar Gonzalez and
fellow defender Berhalter steered the ball past Onstad.
Houston's agony was compounded four minutes later when
substitute Alan Gordon was felled in the area by Ricardo Clark and
Donovan converted the resultant spot-kick.
Beckham nearly made it 3-0 with a trademark 30-yard free-kick
that just curled past Onstad's top right-hand corner but by then
the Galaxy were home and dry.
Afterwards Beckham praised his team-mates and Tim Leiweke,
president and chief executive of Galaxy owners AEG, for putting the
MLS team within reach of their first title since 2005.
"It's so important for us to do well, we've had so many
disappointments over the last four years and Tim Leiweke and
everybody have put so much behind this team," said Beckham.
"This club and this franchise and the players are doing them
proud.
"We've got a great bunch of guys that are working hard for each
other and it's been tough, so we're happy."
Galaxy had confirmed themselves as Western Conference winners
with a 2-0 win over San Jose Earthquakes in October.
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