MLS WRAP – Week 31: LA Galaxy celebrate Supporters’ Shield with ElClasico win

LA Galaxy have celebrated winning their second successive MLS Supporters’ Shield with a 1-0 victory in the Los Angeles derby over Chivas USA.

The Galaxy secured the title when Seattle Sounders lost to Philadelphia Union last weekend but this was their first chance to share the triumph with their fans and they did it via a Chad Barrett goal in the 53rd minute.

The win put the Galaxy on 67 points – seven clear of the Sounders – with one regular season match remaining as the LA outfit look to also take out the MLS Cup this season after falling at the semi-final stage in 2010.

Elsewhere in MLS Week 31 action, FC Dallas defeated ten-man Chicago Fire 2-1 on Thursday as Vancouver Whitecaps recorded a second win in a row for the first time this season with a 2-1 home win over DC United.

Colorado Rapids and Real Salt Lake played out a scoreless draw, Houston Dynamo won 2-0 away at Portland Timbers, Philadelphia Union and Toronto FC were 1-1 in Phillie, Sporting Kansas City saluted 2-0 at home over New York Rd Bulls who lost star striker Thierry Henry to a red card and in their second game of the weekend, Chicago Fire defeated DC United 2-1 away.

Andres Mendoz netted a brace as Columbus Crew won 3-0 away at bottom-of-the-table New England Revolution. FC Dallas did the job over Vancouver 2-0 in their other fixture and Seattle came from behind to overrun San Jose Earthquakes with a 2-1 result in front of a MLS record crowd of more than 64,000.

Next weekend sees the final lot of regular season games with nine sides already into the play-offs as New York, Portland, Chicago and DC all vying for the tenth and final position.

2011 MLS season – Week 31 scores

Chicago Fire: 1 (Sebastian Grazzini 86, red card: Pavel Pardo 79’)
FC Dallas: 2 (Jackson Goncalves 41’, Daniel Cruz 53’)
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, IL – 10,362

Vancouver Whitecaps: 2 (Camilo Sanvezzo 1’, Long Tan 46’)
DC United: 1 (Brandon McDonald 57’)
BC Place, Vancouver, BC – 17,288

Portland Timbers: 0
Houston Dynamo: 2 (Andre Hainault 36’, Danny Cruz 59’)
JELD-WEN Field, Portland, OR – 20,323

Colorado Rapids: 0
Real Salt Lake: 0
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, CO – 16,272

Philadelphia Union: 1 (Sebastien Le Toux 43’)
Toronto FC: 1 (Ryan Johnson 57’)
PPL Park, Chester, PA – 19,178

Sporting Kansas City: 2 (Teal Bunbury 57’, CJ Sapong 74’)
New York Red Bulls: 0 (red card: Thierry Henry 28’)
LIVESTRONG Sporting Park, Kansas City, KS – 19,921

DC United: 1 (Dwayne De Rosario (p) 90’)
Chicago Fire: 2 (Sebastian Grazzini 90+3’, Diego Chaves 90+5’)
RFK Stadium, Washington, DC – 6,508

New England Revolution: 0
Columbus Crew: 3 (Andres Mendoza 31’/63’, Dilly Duka 59’)
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA – 16,285

FC Dallas: 2 (Marvin Chavez 35’, Brek Shea 54’)
Vancouver Whitecaps: 0
Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, TX – 10,222

Seattle Sounders: 2 (Sammy Ochoa 82’, Fredy Montero 87’)
San Jose Earthquakes: 1 (Chris Wondolowski 25’)
CenturyLink Field, Seattle, WA – 64,140

LA Galaxy: 1 (Chad Barrett 53’)
Chivas USA: 0
The Home Depot Center, Carson, CA – 27,000