CARSON, Calif., June 8 (UPI) -- Edson Buddle scored his fifth goal of the season Saturday night and the Los Angeles Galaxy held on for a 3-2 Major League Soccer victory over Colorado.
Alvaro Pires and Ely Allen scored their first MLS goals for the Galaxy.
Pires opened the scoring in the fourth minute after David Beckham's free kick into the Rapids' penalty area caromed toward Pires and he put it into the net. Buddle made it 2-0 in the 32nd minute when he took a long pass from Abel Xavier and scored on a sharp angle shot.
Allen scored the decisive goal in the 50th minute.
Down 3-0, Colorado got late goals from Colin Clark and Herculez Gomez, but the Galaxy held off the Rapids after that.
LA's Alan Gordan and Colorado's Facundo Erpen got red cards late in the first half, so the rest of the game was 10-on-10.
The win gave the Galaxy (5-4-2) first place in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the second-place Rapids (5-6).
