CHIVAS USA: GALINDO HAS REASON TO DANCE CHIVAS FORWARD SCORES TWICE.

Byline: IVAN OROZCO

Staff Writer

CARSON -- The Galaxy's army of loud fans known as the "Riot Squad" danced to mariachi music while wearing Mexican "Charro" hats during Thursday's Galaxy-Chivas USA match.

But it was Chivas USA forward Maykel Galindo's signature celebratory salsa dance that stood out.

Galindo celebrated two second-half goals in a 3-0 Chivas USA win against rival and host Galaxy in front of a sold-out Home Depot Center.

The Cuban-born striker shook his hips near the corner flag on the right side of the Galaxy's goal after every score.

He put Chivas ahead by two in the 69th minute, blasting a shot to the right of Galaxy goalkeeper Joe Cannon.

Francisco "Panchito" Mendoza, who added the third goal in the 88th minute, fed a rolling pass to Sacha Kljestan, who tapped the ball to Galindo to set up the score.

"I think I touched it nice and soft enough to beat the keeper," said Galindo, whose pair of goals gives him a team-leading 10 for the season.

His first came in the 58th minute. Galindo took advantage of a bad Galaxy clear in the back. He sent the ball past Cannon for a 1-0 Chivas lead.

"I think that first goal was important because we were doing a good job in the first half but we couldn't take advantage and get a score," Galindo said. "In that play I was lucky the defender made a mistake."

Part of the reason Galindo couldn't complete in the first half was Cannon. Of the Galaxy goalkeeper's seven saves, six came in the first 45minutes.

After a scoreless first half, in which a brawl broke out between both teams after Chivas midfielder Jesse Marsch kicked David Beckham in the stomach while attempting a tackle from behind, Galindo said he felt it was time for him to complete plays and not just create them to change the pace of the match. Especially after each team had a player ejected and had to finish with 10men.

Chivas USA defender Alex Zotinca and Galaxy midfielder Kevin Harmse were ejected in injury time.

"I got kicked a couple of times during the game and the referee didn't whistle them," Galindo said. "That mess that resulted in the red cards, it's just the nature of these games."

Mendoza's goal was his first this season, and for the Chivas midfielder it couldn't have come at a better time.

"For a long time this season I've been doing a lot of things right but I just couldn't get a goal," Mendoza said. "I'm glad I got it against our biggest rival."

Mendoza celebrated his goal by dancing near a corner of the staduim, in front of the Riot Squad.

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