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            L.A. Galaxy Are FC Champions' Cup Winners

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (January 21, 2001) - The Los Angeles Galaxy captured its first team championship on Sunday when it defeated CD Olimpia of Honduras 3-2 at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The winning goal was scored by defender Ezra Hendrickson with twelve minutes remaining when the score was tied 2-2. It was his second goal of the afternoon. Alexi Lalas also had two assists on the day and Cobi Jones scored a magnificent world-class goal, which gave the Galaxy a momentary 2-1 lead.

The game was evenly played from start to finish with each team enjoying periods of good play. Hendrickson's gamewinner in the 78th minute was a creation of midfield genius Mauricio Cienfuegos, who gave a through pass into the right side of the box toward Hendrickson. The St. Vincent and the Grenadines international slotted the ball home past the Olimpia goalkeeper for what would become the definite 3-2 lead. For his goal celebration, "E-Z" uncovered a black Bob Marley t-shirt for the second time on an afternoon which saw him make numerous runs down the right flank.

"I usually wear something of my country," Hendrickson said. "They weren't working, so today I put Bob Marley on and Bob came through."

"I'm keenly aware of the struggles and pain my country is undergoing due to the earthquake," Cienfuegos said. "I will continue to do all I can for them and I am glad I was able to give them something to be proud of today."

The game was evenly played from the start but Olimpia slowly began to enjoy a slight advantage over the Galaxy in the first half. A wide header by Samuel Caballero in the 8th minute and a grounder of a shot by Danilo Tosello (10th minute) which was easily saved by Kevin Hartman, set the tone in favor of Olimpia early on.

The Galaxy tried to push forward but were not much effective to start off. When Olimpia won possession, on the other hand, they bolted into counterattacks. Hartman again was decisive in the 19th minute when he intercepted a cross from inside the box by Christian Santamaria who roamed up and down Olimpia's right flank. Two minutes later, Carlos Paes de Oliveira went on a solo effort on the left side and with Hendrickson on his back, and he got a shot off which Hartman was able to save.

The Olimpia pressure was rewarded with a penalty kick which came in the 34th minute. Lalas chased de Oliveira and a long ball at the left corner of the six-yard box. When the ball finally came down, Lalas had deflected it with his arm, a clear hand ball. Danilo Tosello stepped up to convert the PK and the Galaxy was a goal down for the first time in the tournament against the best defense of the tournament.

But the Galaxy did not waste time to score the equalizer, which came only three minutes later. From a Peter Vagenas corner kick from the right side, Lalas rose to meet the ball and his short header from the far post knocked the ball toward the goal line. Hendrickson was there and towered over the shorter Santamaria and easily knocked the ball home with a header. The goal gave life to a Galaxy team which had not scored in the run of play in the tournament before then.

This phase of the first half was the most exciting period not only of the game but perhaps of the entire Champions' Cup competition. In the 37th minute, it was Olimpia on the attack with Alex Pineda Chacon gathering a pass at the top of the box and missing wide left of Hartman's post.

The action did not end and in the 39th minute the Galaxy went into the lead with a fantastic goal from its forward and captain Jones. Lalas, again with a part in a goal, lifted a cross from the right flank. The ball took a bounce just outside the six-yard box and Jones was alert enough to take a left-footed diagonal shot from the left corner of the six-yard box, beating the goalkeeper Donaldo Gonzalez with a wowing effort from a tight angle. A Galaxy team which had trouble scoring throughout the tournament had scored two goals in the span of three minutes.

"Obviously there was a concentration problem," Olimpia Head Coach Edwin Pavon said. "This game was not as do-or-die as the previous game and all you have to do is look that we were the best team in the tournament and today and we allowed three goals. That speaks for itself."

The second half followed a similar pace to the first 45 minutes. Each team controlled phases of the game. But the Olimpia equalizer came by surprise just six minutes after the break. Defender Robert Lima netted a goal on a powerful header when he connected on a cross by Merlin Membreno from the left side. The ball went past Hartman's fingertips and tucked under the crossbar.

The game went back and forth until Hendrickson's winner. The Galaxy's Jones then collected the Champions' Cup from the podium, the first team championship won by the Galaxy. Los Angeles, thus win the title of best team in North and Central America and the Caribbean. Sigi Schmid and his players will carry that into the FIFA Club World Championship this summer in Spain.

"We felt pretty confident going into the tournament," Hartman said. "I must admit we didn't understand the implications of the tournament but as we became more aware, we really got down and concentrated hard and keyed in on the task at hand and the fact we needed to do well in this tournament."

Scoring: OL: Tosello 34' (PK)
LA: Hendrickson 36' (Lalas, Vagenas)
LA: Jones 39' (Lalas)
OL: Lima 51' (Membreno)
LA: Hendrickson 78' (Cienfuegos)

Lineups:

Los Angeles: Kevin Hartman; Greg Vanney, Alexi Lalas, Paul Caligiuiri, Ezra Hendrickson; Zak Ibsen, Peter Vagenas, Simon Elliott; Mauricio Cienfuegos (Brian Kelly 92'); Adam Frye (Sasha Victorine 60'), Cobi Jones.
Shots: 8 - Saves: 3 - Fouls: 19 - Corners: 5 - Offsides: 1

Olimpia: Donaldo Gonzales; Christian Santamaria, Gerson Vasquez, Jorge Samuel Caballero, Robert Lima, Merlin Membreno; Jose Luis Pineda (Reynaldo Tilguath 88'), Alex Pineda Chacon (Arnold Cruz 82'), Paes de Oliveira, Danilo Tosello; Denilson Costa.
Shots: 17 - Saves: 1 - Fouls: 12 - Corners: 5 - Offsides: 2

Cautions: Lalas (LA) 34', Pineda (OL) 43', Santamaria (OL) 81'.

Ejections: none

Referees:Peter Prendergast (JAM); Assistants:Curtis Charles (ATG), Vladimir Bertiaga (PAN); Fourth Official: J.J. Robles (MEX)

Source: MLSNET