Jose Erik Correa scored on a penalty kick in the 72nd minute and Chivas USA beat the Los Angeles Galaxy 1-0 on Saturday night in the SuperClasico.
The victory, in front of a sellout crowd of 18,800 at the Home Depot Center, was Chivas' first at home this season and first against their cross-hall rivals since 2007.
''Games certainly have ebbs and flows, and when things didn't go our way, we didn't fold,'' Chivas coach Robin Fraser said. ''We didn't crumble or back down. We just came again. It was a very satisfying win in a number of ways, not just winning, but certainly from which way that they did it and the effort that they put in.''
At the start of the match, the Galaxy struggled as they started not only without David Beckham and Edson Buddle, who began the match on the substitute's bench, but without Robbie Keane who was out due to hamstring tightness.
Things got worse for the Galaxy in the 72nd minute, when referee Mark Geiger awarded a penalty when Correa fired a shot into the outstretched arm of David Junior Lopes, leading to a red card for the Brazilian. Correa buried the penalty kick for his second goal in two games.
Midweek acquisitions Juan Agudelo and Danny Califf started the match for Chivas, with Agudelo playing 74 minutes and Califf going the full 90. Califf settled in well with centerback partner Rauwshan McKenzie and snuffed out several key Galaxy attacks as the night wore on.
''I'm over the moon about (my debut),'' Califf said. ''Every guy that stepped on the field today brought it. We fought really, really hard and I think that was the difference in the end. But the big difference tonight was that everyone manned up and won challenges and individual battles over the course of the game. That's what made the difference.''
With the win, Chivas improved to 4-6-1, while Los Angeles dropped to 3-6-2. Although the season is hardly going according to plan for Bruce Arena, the Galaxy head coach is not going to panic yet.
''I think on the season, our record probably is not real precise in terms of how we've played,'' Arena said. ''I think we've played a little bit better than our record indicates. Tonight, the difference in the game is taking a chance, and we didn't do it.''
