Buddle Scores Three in Scrimmage Win

Foward Edson Buddle got on the scoring sheet not once, not twice, but three times to lead the LA Galaxy to a 5-2 win over San Diego State University in a preseason scrimmage played at The Home Depot Center on Friday.

Buddle's hat trick was part of a four-goal first half by the Galaxy. Bruce Arena's squad wasted very little time in applying offensive pressure on the visitors, drawing a penalty kick two minutes into the match, which was not converted into a goal, and opening the scoring in the ninth minute of the match on a header by Buddle.

After another penalty kick went unconverted, Buddle again found the back of the net in the 31st minute. After getting past his defender, Buddle chipped the ball over the goalkeeper to make it 2-0.

The Galaxy's offensive onslaught was not over. Dema Kovalenko started the next scoring sequence by sending a ball to Juninho, who then played it inside the box to Eddie Lewis. Lewis beat the keeper to make it 3-0 with four minutes left in the half.

San Diego State caught the Galaxy by surprise two minutes later to make it 3-1, but the Aztecs lost any sort of momentum in added time.

In the 46th mintue, Buddle made a great run behind the defense and found himself one-on-one with the keeper, who was probably thinking back to their last encounter. Problem was, so was Buddle. Rather than chipping it over the keeper, who had slid in an effort to stop a quick shot, Buddle went around the keeper and calmly slid it into the open net.

In the second half, rookie Mike Stephens scored his third goal of the preseason in the 75th minute to make it 5-1. However, San Diego State would pull one back before the end of the game to make it 5-2.

Arena did not make any substitutions to start the second half, opting to play his starters for 60 minutes. He then made a Hockey-esque line change of eight players, leaving Kovalenko, Stepehens and Leonardo to play the entire 90 minutes.

With the win, the Galaxy improved their preseason record to 3-0-1, 2-0 at The Home Depot Center. Next, LA plays Puntarenas F.C. of Costa Rica on Wednesday, March 10 at Cal State Fullerton at 7:30 p.m.

Galaxy Lineup: Donovan Ricketts (Josh Saunders 60'), Todd Dunivant (Alex Cazumba 60'), Leonardo, Omar González (Yohance Marshall 60'), A.J. DeLaGarza (Sean Franklin 60'), Eddie Lewis (Bryan Jordan 60'), Mike Stephens, Dema Kovalenko, Tristan Bowen (Birchall 60'), Edson Buddle (Chris Klein 60'), Juninho (Jovan Kirovski 60').