Soccer: Houston Dynamo beat D.C. United on aggregate, advance to MLS final

Seattle • Robbie Keane stood next to the conference title trophy, politely smiled for the picture and let the confetti rain down.

Just as quick, Keane, David Beckham and the rest of the Los Angeles Galaxy were rushing off the stage at midfield and ready to get out of Seattle, thankful there is still one more game in their surprising season.

"Certainly they were the better team tonight, there's no question," Keane said. "At the end of the day, we're in the final; that's all that matter."

Eddie Johnson and Zach Scott scored to give Seattle a two-goal lead, but Keane converted a penalty kick in the 68th minute on Sunday night that clinched the Los Angeles Galaxy's 4-2 aggregate victory over the Sounders in the Western Conference finals and a spot in the MLS Cup final for the second straight year.

Frantic and desperate, Seattle won Sunday's second leg 2-1, rallying from a 3-0 deficit after getting overwhelmed in the first leg of the Western Conference finals last week.

And the Sounders were on the verge of completing the huge comeback after Johnson's goal just 12 minutes in, and Scott's header in the 58th minute pulled Seattle within one in the aggregate count.

The Sounders were trying to find a tying goal when they got called for a handball, and Keane converted the penalty kick.

"At that point it took the air out of Seattle and its fans," Los Angeles coach Bruce Arena said. "It was an important goal."

Dynamo win • Houston advanced to its second straight MLS Cup final and fourth in seven years, tying D.C. United 1-1 in Washington for a 4-2 aggregate win in the Eastern Conference final. Boniek Garcia scored in the 33rd minute for the Dynamo. Branko Boskovic scored in the 83rd minute for D.C. —

MLS Cup

P Houston at Los Angeles

Dec. 1, 2:30 p.m.

TV • ESPN

Eastern Conference championship

Sunday, Nov. 11 • Houston 3, D.C. United 1

Sunday, Nov. 18 • D.C. United 1, Houston 1,

Houston advances on 4-2 aggregate

Western Conference championship

Sunday, Nov. 11 • Los Angeles 3, Seattle 0

Sunday, Nov. 18 • Seattle 2, Los Angeles 1

Los Angeles advances on 4-2 aggregate