CARSON, Calif. - Few people thought the Vancouver Whitecaps had a chance of pulling off an upset. Even when they held a surprising lead early Thursday night, it seemed like just a matter of time before the star-studded Los Angeles Galaxy would take control. In the end, thats exactly what happened. Landon Donovans penalty goal in the 73rd minute brought Vancouvers Major League Soccer season to a crashing conclusion with a 2-1 playoff loss to the Galaxy. "To take the (defending) champions in their own place and really give them a good go, we feel like we deserve more after that 95 minutes (including stoppage time)," said Whitecaps captain Jay DeMerit, who left the game with a groin injury in the second half shortly before the sequence that led to Donovans goal. L.A., which finished fourth in the Western Conference, will now meet the first-place San Jose Earthquakes in a two-game, total-goals series, starting at home Sunday. The second game goes Wednesday in San Jose. L.A. had earned home-field advantage in the do-or-die game by finishing fourth in the Western Conference. The Whitecaps, the first Canadian team to reach the MLS post-season, placed fifth. "Our determination was good," said Donovan. "You kind of just got the sense that they were going to wear out and, sure enough, in the second half, they started to open up a little." Mike Magee also scored for Los Angeles. Darren Mattocks scored Vancouvers lone goal, giving the Whitecaps an early 1-0 lead that they retained valiantly until the 69th minute. "The seasons finality, that just kind of hits you," said Whitecaps midfielder John Thorrington. "We were playing for this game thinking that we (had) a shot. I dont think many people did give us a chance, but we knew that we could put out a game plan that could cause them some problems, and I think it worked." The Whitecaps posted just three victories in the second half of the 34-game regular season, but looked like they would pull off a major upset after Mattocks scored when the game had barely begun. "If something goes our way, and we get that goal — 2-0 — and were knocking out the defending champions, but it wasnt meant to be," said Thorrington. "But Im really proud. You cant fault our effort. Everybody out there gave everything to win. But, unfortunately, were packing our bags and were not playing San Jose." Donovan was awarded the spot kick after Whitecaps second-half substitute Martin Bonjour knocked him down from behind. The foul came just a minute after Bonjour entered the game for DeMerit. Magee tied the game in the 69th minute as he volleyed a Juninho cross behind Vancouver goalkeeper Brad Knighton from the centre of the 18-yard box. The play originated with a David Beckham cross, one of many that he made or attempted on the night, often with little success. L.A. pressed several times in the first half, but the scoring attempts were either thwarted by timely Vancouver defensive plays, including a number of blocked shots, or saves by Knighton, who made his first career MLS start. "Its always frustrating when you go up a goal and you dont pull it out," said Thorrington. "We knew theyd get chances. Knighton had a couple huge saves." Mattocks opened the scoring in just the fourth minute. Midfielder Matt Watson broke down the left flank with the ball and put a slight-angle pass back to Mattocks in the middle of L.A.s 18-yard box. The Jamaican striker then put a low shot into the right corner of the Galaxy net. The goal was the first Whitecaps first-ever goal against the Galaxy at the Home Depot Center. Vancouver had gone seven games without an away goal before then. "It was just a matter of going out there and taking our chances and trying to catch them on a counter — and we did," said Knighton. "Its just unfortunate that we came up short." Mattocks left the game in the 59th minute, limping off with an apparent leg injury. The striker said after the game he felt pain in his stomach. Scottish striker Kenny Miller, who has come under criticism for his lack of scoring, took his place. After Donovan scored, Whitecaps assistant coach Paul Ritchie was ejected for heckling referee Siliviu Petrescu from the bench. Notes: With a crowd on hand of 14,703, the game was not a sellout. The upper stands were not used and the lower bowl had many empty seats. ... Whitecaps winger Omar Salgado did not dress because of a sore foot. He recently returned from a broken foot, suffered while playing for the U.S. under-20 team in Uruguay in the spring, that sidelined him for more than three months. … Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Nash, a Whitecaps minority owner, did not attend the game as planned. The Victoria native is recuperating from a leg contusion sustained Wednesday against the Trail Blazers in Portland. … Beckham and Donovan played after being questionable due to nagging injuries. cheap nfl jerseys . Abraham dominated until American referee Mark Nelson stepped in to stop the one-sided contest 2:11 into the eighth round when Bouadlas vision was impeded by streaming blood from repeated left and right blows. cheap jerseys nfl .500. And the Nationals say they have a lot more to accomplish. Edwin Jackson pitched seven scoreless innings and Steve Lombardozzi hit a three-run triple in the Nationals 8-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night. http://www.chinawholesalejerseysnf... . LOUIS PARK, Minn. [url=http://www.chinawholesalejerseysnfl.com/]wholesale nfl jerseys . More than seven years later, the Miami Marlins are giving him a second chance. The Marlins said Thursday that they have signed Greenberg to a one-day contract, effective Oct. wholesale jerseys .S., according to the president of the Canadian Soccer Association. The games are the first for Canada since it crashed out of World Cup qualifying in an 8-1 defeat in Honduras in October. SAN DIEGO -- Chase Headley picked a good time to deliver. San Diegos third baseman, who started August on a tear, had cooled off over the past week. He managed to heat up again at the right moment. Headley hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning to give the Padres a 7-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night. Headleys home run came off Daniel McCutchen (0-1) and gave San Diego its fourth straight win. "That was fun," Headley said. "It was a tough evening (before the home run)." In his first five at-bats, Headley had one single and stranded eight runners, six in scoring position. But against McCutchen, he hit a full-count changeup deep into the seats in right field for the win. "I was a little surprised that I was getting a chance to hit," Headley said. "Not that they were trying to pitch around me to get to Carlos (Quentin), but they had a base open and to (set up) the double play." McCutchen issued a leadoff walk to Will Venable, who stole second before Headley hit his 21st homer. The home run was Headleys ninth this month with 26 RBIs, both major-league highs. Headley tied a club record when he homered in three consecutive at-bats at Pittsburgh on Aug. 10-11. Pittsburgh dropped 7 1-2 games behind first-place Cincinnati in the NL Central. The Pirates are one-half game ahead of Los Angeles and St. Louis for the second wild-card slot. Pittsburghs Garrett Jones hit a two-run homer in the ninth off Dale Thayer to tie the game at 5. Jones also hit a solo homer in the sixth. "I hung a changeup and (Headley) hammered it," McCutchen said. "That wasnt what I was wanting. Jones home run was clutch and I wanted to come in there and help. Walking the leadoff guy was a no-no. I threw a cookie to him 3-2 and paid for it." San Diego won despite squandering numerous scoring chances, going 4 for 19 with runners in scoring position and stranding 14. The Padres had the bases loaded in the third and fifth innings and didnt score. Even in the sixth inning when it loaded the bases with no outs, San Diego managed just one run on Jones fielding error to tie the score at 3. "We had guys on base all night," Padres manager Bud Black said. "We didnt get the big hit until the biggest one at the end.dddddddddddd" Venable and Cameron Maybin tied their career high with four hits. It was the second time in three games that Maybin has equaled his mark. In the last three games, Maybin is 10 for 13 and Venable is 9 for 13 with five runs and four RBIs. Miles Mikolas (2-1) pitched one inning for the win. San Diego beat the Pirates for the 17th time in 20 games. Quentin had three RBIs, including a sacrifice fly in the eighth that gave the Padres a 5-3 lead. The Padres pushed across the go-ahead run in the seventh after they loaded the bases again when A.J. Burnett walked Maybin. That brought on reliever Tony Watson, who allowed Chris Denorfias sacrifice fly for a 4-3 lead. Burnett pitched in and out of trouble through his 6 1-3 innings, allowing four runs and 12 hits. The right-hander struck out seven and walked five. "Very gritty, very gritty," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "He didnt have a 1-2-3 inning, but they didnt beat the ball all over the ballpark either. He pitched out of the stretch and made pitches. It was a very gritty effort. He gave us a chance to win." Trailing 3-1, Pittsburgh tied the game in the sixth on Jones solo homer and a run-scoring double by Rod Barajas. The Padres scored two runs in the first inning, just as they did in Monday nights 3-1 win, on Quentins two-run double. San Diegos Jason Marquis, who threw a two-hitter in a 5-0 win Aug. 11 at Pittsburgh, allowed three runs and seven hits over 5 1-3 innings. He struck out five and walked three. Notes: Everth Cabrera stole his 22nd base of the season without being caught. The major league season record is 23 set by Philadelphias Chase Utley in 2009. ... Cabrera has a string of 26 consecutive stolen bases without being caught, dating to Sept. 10, 2010. ... Pittsburgh RHP Kevin Correia started Mondays game after throwing two innings in relief during Sundays 19-inning win at St. Louis. Correia became the first pitcher to pull off this feat since Oaklands Dave Beard in June 1982. ... Pirates RHP James McDonald (11-5, 3.61 ERA) opposes Padres rookie LHP Andrew Werner, who will make his major league debut in Wednesdays series finale. ' ' '