By Dylan Butler
CARSON, Calif. - The LA Galaxy booked its ticket into the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals, beating Herediano, 4-1, in the second leg of the quarterfinals at the Home Depot Center Wednesday night.
The Major League Soccer squad, which won 4-1 on aggregate after the two sides played to a goalless draw last week in Costa Rica, advances to take on Monterrey in the semifinals. The two-time defending champions defeated Xelaju 4-2 on aggregate to reach its third straight semifinal.
Omar Gonzalez scored the decisive goal in the 18th minute, bouncing a downward header from a Juninho corner kick off Herediano's Marvin Obando.
Jose Villarreal, the United States youth international who scored three goals at the recently completed CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, added a much-needed insurance goal in the 69th minute.
He received a ball in space from Sean Franklin, spun around Esteban Grandos and fired past Herediano's sprawling goalkeeper Daniel Cambronero inside the far post.
Irish international Robbie Keane made it 3-0 in the 83rd minute, receiving a pass from Michael Stephens and slotting the ball inside the far post from an acute angle.
Two minutes later, Elias Aguilar scored a cosmetic goal for Herediano, taking a Waylon Francis pass and putting a left-footed shot past Galaxy goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini from 12 meters.
Second-half substitute Jack McBean put the finishing touches on a decisive victory for the Galaxy, taking a quick free kick by Stephens and curling the ball inside the far post on the final kick of the match in second-half stoppage time.
While the Galaxy struck first, it was the visitors with the first quality scoring chance 10 minutes earlier as Ismael Gomez bent a free kick that Cudicini parried over the crossbar for a corner kick.
In the 24th minute, Gomez had another chance, but he bounced his shot from 25 meters wide of the right post.
Los Angeles came close to adding a second goal in the first half as Franklin blasted an attempt from the corner of the 18-yard box on target, but Cambronero made the save in the 27th minute.
In the 31st minute, Keane played Mike Magee into the area, but Cambronero pounced off his line to smother the ball.
Herediano nearly found the equalizer it so desperately needed in the 54th minute when Aguilar had a free header in front of goal with Cudicini leaning the wrong way. But the Costa Rican put his attempt well over the bar.
