Landon Donovan sent the Los Angeles Galaxy to the Western Conference final by burying a 73rd-minute penalty kick for a 1-0 victory over Chivas USA in Carson on Sunday.

Donovan tied an MLS record with his 16th postseason goal and put the Galaxy through 3-2 on aggregate after a 2-2 tie last week. The Galaxy will host Houston on Friday to determine who goes to the MLS Cup.

Donovan converted after Chivas USA's Yamith Cuesta fouled Mike Magee in the penalty area by wrapping his right leg around Magee's groin. David Beckham began the play with a cross to Donovan, who passed to Magee on the right side of the area.

On the kick, Chivas goalkeeper Zach Thornton dived to his left, and Donovan sent the ball through the area Thornton vacated, tying Carlos Ruiz's mark.

Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts made two saves, both in the first half.

  • Brian Ching scored six minutes into overtime, and Houston advanced to the MLS Western Conference final with a 1-0 win over Seattle. The Dynamo and Sounders dueled to a 0-0 tie in the first leg in Seattle on Oct. 29, setting up the winner-take-all match in Houston. Mike Chabala set up the winning shot with a high cross from the left. The ball deflected off midfielder Brian Mullan and right to Ching, who beat goalie Kasey Keller with a shot to the top left corner.

  • John Terry scored in the 76th minute, giving Chelsea a 1-0 win over visiting Manchester
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    United. Chelsea has a five-point lead in the Premier League.

    Yachting

    San Francisco-based challenger BMW Oracle Racing unveiled what is believed to be the world's largest wing, which it will test off the coast of San Diego as a replacement for a traditional soft-sail rig on its trimaran. Complete with flaps, the wing will tower 190 feet above the deck when it's installed this week. BMW Oracle Racing and two-time defending America's Cup champion Alinghi met in New York this weekend to try to decide whether February's best-of-three series will be sailed in Spain or Australia. They are to report today to a New York State Supreme Court justice who has been presiding over the ongoing legal tussle.

    Tennis

    Top-ranked Roger Federer lost his hometown tournament, falling 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to Novak Djokovic in the Swiss Indoors final in Basel. Djokovic earned his fourth title of the season with a win that ended Federer's run of three straight titles at the event where he was once a ball boy. Djokovic also earned his ATP Tour-leading 71st win in 2009.

  • Andy Murray won his sixth title of the season in his first event back from a wrist injury, beating Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-2 in the Valencia (Spain) Open. Murray hadn't played since the U.S. Open.

  • Italy won its second Fed Cup title in four years, completing a shutout of a U.S. team playing without Venus and Serena Williams. Flavia Pennetta beat Melanie Oudin 7-5, 6-2 to give the Italians an insurmountable 3-0 lead in the best-of-five series in Reggio Calabria, Italy. Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci finished the 4-0 victory by beating Liezel Huber and Vania King 4-6, 6-3, 11-9 in doubles. The fourth singles match was scrapped. The Williams sisters opted not to play last weekend.

  • Aravane Rezai won the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions after top-seeded Marion Bartoli retired with a thigh injury after losing the first set 7-5 in Nusa Dua, Indonesia.

  • James Blake beat Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the Paris Masters. Santoro, 36, is playing his final season on tour.

    Horse racing

    Kays and Jays beat Irish Gypsy by three-quarters of a length to win the $67,338 Cascapedia Stakes on closing day at Santa Anita. Ridden by Joel Rosario, Kays and Jays ran 7 furlongs in 1:22.52 and paid $5.40 to win.

    Rodeo

    Kody Lostroh won the $1 million prize for his first Professional Bull Riders world title, and JB Mauney took the last round to become the only rider ever to cover all eight bulls in the world finals. Lostroh finished the season with total earnings of $1,601,624. Mauney scored 93.75 points on Black Pearl to secure his first finals aggregate title in Las Vegas. He earned $250,000.

    Winter sports

    American Shani Davis set a course record in winning the 1,500 meters in Berlin. Davis finished in 1 minute, 44.47 seconds in the opening World Cup speedskating meet of the season. Havard Bokko of Norway was second in 1:45.56.