RAPIDS COME FROM BEHIND TWICE TO DEFEAT LOS ANGELES 3-2 AT INVESCO FIELD

Another Two-Goal Performance By Chung Helps Lead Rapids Back to First Place

DENVER - The Colorado Rapids defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-2 Saturday afternoon in a tightly contested, fast-paced match at INVESCO Field. Los Angeles' Carlos Ruiz scored two goals in the losing effort, but his output was matched by Colorado's Mark Chung.

Chris Carrieri was the Rapids' main target in the first half of play. Carrieri, the lone forward prowling at the top, continually pushed forward and looking for the well-placed pass to leave him in prime scoring position behind the Galaxy defense. The Rapids got a good chance in the 25th minute, springing Carrieri with just such a pass into space. Carrieri got the ball around goalkeeper Matt Reis, but L.A.'s Danny Califf was able to sweep up the mess and neutralize the threat.

Los Angeles spent the first half attempting to find Carlos Ruiz in front of the Rapids net. In the 32nd minute, the Galaxy tactic paid off as Mauricio Cienfuegos slipped a ball through the defense to Ruiz near the corner of the penalty area. Ruiz quickly took the shot, slotting the ball through the legs of Colorado `keeper Scott Garlick.

The Rapids had an excellent opportunity to even the match in the 36th minute, when Galaxy defender Alexi Lalas was called for tripping Colorado's Ritchie Kotschau on the edge of the penalty area. Midfielder Carlos Valderrama took the restart, setting the lateral pass up for Kyle Beckerman. Beckerman's blast was driven directly at Reis, however, and the Galaxy keeper easily kept the ball under control.

Reigning MLS Player of the Week Mark Chung netted his fourth goal of the season in the 42nd minute, beating Reis from the top of the box to knot the score at 1-1. Carrieri handled the ball well in tight space near the penalty arc, freezing the defense with a crisp pass to Chung. Chung released the ball quickly, snapping a shot past Reis and into the back of the net.

The Galaxy pressed from the opening of the second half, earning a dangerous free kick in the second minute of the half. Gavin Glinton took the ball to the Colorado defense, driving straight down toward the goal. Rapids defender Rick Titus hauled down Glinton to prevent the breakaway, and the Galaxy were given the restart at the edge of the box. Cienfuegos hammered a shot over the wall, but saw his attempt strike the crossbar and rebound back into play.

Second-half substitute Sasha Victorine provided the Galaxy with an immediate offensive spark, capitalizing on a defensive breakdown to set up Ruiz's second goal of the night. Peter Vagenas sent a long ball to Victorine in the box, where Victorine laid it off for Ruiz. With Victorine double-teamed by the Rapids' defenders, Ruiz was unmarked as he sent in a crisp shot to take the lead in the 65th minute.

The Galaxy did not hold the lead for long, as Valderrama got his first goal of the season to answer in the 67th minute of play. Midfielder Raul Palacios headed an errant Galaxy clearance down to Valderrama's feet in the center of the field, about 23 yards from goal. "El Pibe" chipped the ball over the head of Reis, brushing the underside of the crossbar for a beautiful goal.

The Rapids took the lead for the first time in the game with a 76th minute goal by Chung, his second of the night and his fourth in two games. Jeff Stewart carried the ball in from midfield, dishing the ball forward to Chung near the top of the box. With a quick two-touch release, Chung unleashed another long-range shot to beat Reis. Chung's shot from twenty yards out flashed across the face of the goal and settled in the side netting, giving Colorado a 3-2 win.

The loss extends the Galaxy's losing streak to three games as Los Angeles (4-4-2, 14 points) closes out a grueling five-game road trip. Ruiz continues to be the focus of the L.A. offense, as today's brace of goals brings his season tally to a league-high 11 goals. The Galaxy return to the Rose Bowl on Saturday, June 8th when they host the Eastern Conference leading Chicago Fire live on ESPN2.

Chung is on fire for the Rapids (6-3-1, 19 points), scoring twice in each of his last two games. With the win, the Rapids take hold of the league lead, pending the result of tonight's San Jose matchup with the retooled New England Revolution. Colorado faces the Dallas Burn in the Cotton Bowl next Saturday, June 8th.

QUOTES:

Rapids Head Coach Tim Hankinson:

"Before the game we told the boys that beating a team like LA, who I consider an elite team because of the history they've had in the league, shows that we can play with the best. To be considered an elite team you have to beat the elite teams with consistency. And it's important to add points during this stretch when we are playing our conference rivals. I think the most important part about the match is that we were down twice and came back. It was great to see that response to adversity. We saw some classic goals - Carlos chipping the goalkeeper, and the twenty or so passes we strung together before Chung scored the game-winner. Great goals, a great game for the fans, and important three points in the standings."

Carlos Valderrama on his goal:

"I didn't have any other option. I stopped the ball and I saw the goalkeeper off his line, so I let it go. I was lucky to hit it right in the corner. It was a long time since my last goal, so I was due. I might have a few more coming that way."

"It is very important to beat a team like Los Angeles, and we've already beaten them twice this year. It's very important that we take points away from them and leave them trailing behind us."

Mark Chung:

"I'm really enjoying myself right now. I enjoy playing with this team - we knock the ball around really well, the guys all get along, and we have great chemistry. Early in the season I had a hamstring injury and some ankle problems, but I'm getting used to the hard fields here and I can stay out there longer and shoot. A few weeks ago in Dallas my shooting was off. I was getting a lot of chances but I was flubbing the ball. If you don't shoot, your not going to score, that's my philosophy. That's what Clint (Mathis) always used to say when we were in New York together. I'm just trying to follow Clint, a world class champion."

                      	1     	2     	F
LOS ANGELES GALAXY    	1     	1     	2
COLORADO RAPIDS       	1     	2     	3

Scoring Summary:
LA --Ruiz (Cienfuegos, Glinton) 32
COL--Chung (Carrieri, Stewart) 42
LA --Ruiz (Victorine, Vagenas) 65
COL--Valderrama (Palacios) 67
COL--Chung (Stewart, Palacios) 76

LOS ANGELES GALAXY--Matt Reis, Alexi Lalas, Danny Califf, Ezra Hendrickson
(Craig Waibel 77), Tyrone Marshall, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Simon Elliott,
Peter Vagenas (Adam Frye 67), Carlos Ruiz, Gavin Glinton, Winston Griffiths
(Sasha Victorine 64)
TOTAL SHOTS: 17 (Ruiz 6); SHOTS ON GOAL: 8 (Ruiz 5); FOULS: 19 (Glinton 4);
OFFSIDE: 1; CORNER KICKS: 9; SAVES: Reis 5; CAUTIONS: Vagenas 40; EJECTIONS:
none; POSSESSION PERCENTAGE: 56%

COLORADO RAPIDS--Scott Garlick, Rick Titus, Ritchie Kotschau, Jeff Stewart,
Robin Fraser, Kyle Beckerman (Raul Palacios 59), Wes Hart, Carlos
Valderrama, Mark Chung, Chris Henderson, Chris Carrieri (Imad Baba 83)
TOTAL SHOTS: 13 (Chung 4); SHOTS ON GOAL: 8 (Chung 3); FOULS: 21 (Hart 6);
OFFSIDE: 3; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: Garlick 4; CAUTIONS: Titus 7, Carrieri
38; EJECTIONS: none; POSSESSION PERCENTAGE: 44%

Referee: Peter Kokolski; Assistant Referees: Kevin Boisen, Kermit
Quisenberry
Attendance: 8,249; Weather: Partly Cloudy, 96 F Hot and Humid, Partly Cloudy

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