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Depleted Red Bulls rally to defeat Galaxy at HDC

May 6, 2012 - 2:27 AM Carson, CA (Sports Network) - Red Bull New York may be missing several key pieces of its squad, but it was still able to pull off an impressive win at The Home Depot Center on Saturday as it held on to defeat the Los Angeles Galaxy, 1-0.

With Thierry Henry, Rafa Marquez, Teemu Tainio, Wilman Conde, Roy Miller and Stephen Keel all absent, the Red Bulls were not viewed as favorites to get a result at a venue where the Galaxy did not lose in the 2011 regular season.

But New York's solid defensive display, highlighted by the brilliant decision- making abilities of goalkeeper Ryan Meara, saw the club claim three points for the second match in a row after Joel Lindpere's first-half winner.

The Red Bulls took an improbable lead in the 19th minute when Lindpere collected a pass from Jan Gunnar Solli inside the Galaxy box. The ball appeared caught underneath his feet, but the Estonian kept his composure to fire a shot past an on-rushing Bill Gaudette for his first goal of the season.

Los Angeles could only manage to create a couple of half-chances until the dying minutes when the home side pressed with more urgency in search of an equalizer.

Juninho came within inches of pulling one back with a superb effort from distance, but Meara was equal to the task as the rookie goalkeeper parried the shot over the crossbar with a sprawling save.

New York ultimately held on for the win as Meara guided the club to its second shutout of the season.

The Red Bulls (5-3-1) remain in third place in the Eastern Conference, improving to 16 points on the season. They will look to extend their winning streak to three games when they host the Houston Dynamo at Red Bull Arena on Wednesday.

Things have not been quite as bright for the Galaxy, who drop their second straight league result. They have managed just one point from their last three games and have failed to score in their last two outings.

With a record of 3-5-1, Los Angeles sits third from bottom in the West with just 10 points through nine games. The club will look to get back on track on May 12 when it heads to the Olympic Stadium to face the Montreal Impact.