Back in Action

After a day off on Wednesday, the players were back in action at The HDC today, but with a slightly different twist.

Typically when the team has a double session, they lift weights and do fitness work in the morning, before heading out to the training field after lunch. But today, the coaches threw everyone for a loop when they took the guys out to the Track Stadium for some technical work in the morning before going in for lunch and then coming out to do their fitness work with Athlete's Performance.

In between sessions, a couple of the guys went out to the stadium to get a look at the X Games motocross events that had begun earlier. Massive ramps and mounds of dirt cover the entire surface, with riders getting massive air off the jumps. There is so much dirt on the field that more than one guy said that the field reminded them of Pizza Hut Park last weekend!

Joe Franchino and Troy Roberts stayed inside today to work with the training staff as the attempt to overcome injury, while Brandon McDonald was back on the field for the first time in about a month. He was joined by Mondou Bojang who is beginning his second week with the club and Mike Munoz, who played for the Galaxy Reserves last weekend and will be in the lineup again on Sunday.

Bryan Jordan was also not in attendance as he has returned to Portland on loan for the rest of the USL First Division season. BJ flew to Portland on Tuesday and will be available for them this weekend, as he hopes to lead the Timbers back to the postseason.

We'll have some preview audio and photos tomorrow and the team will be heading to San Jose on Saturday ahead of Sunday afternoon's game.

All Shook Up

As most of you who live here in Southern California already know, we experienced an earthquake here today, with the epicenter located just outside of Chino Hills, the hometown of Mike Randolph.

Mike left the HDC shortly thereafter, but we were able to catch up with a few of the guys to see what they thought of the quake.

Edson - It was crazy, I was pretty nervous. When it happened the ground was shaking, my locker was shaking and I was shaking too. I'm okay now but I got a lot of text messages from people after it happened checking on me.

Cobi - Just another day in paradise.

Ruud - It was the first time I have experienced this and I had my kids with me so I was worried sick. I didn't know what it was. People had told me to stand in a doorway so I went to my office and hid there. I have to say, it was a really scary experience. I hope it is the last one.

We'll have more for you later on.

Reserves Draw 2-2

Bryan Jordan and Alan Gordon scored second half goals as the Galaxy Reserves played the FC Dallas Reserves to a 2-2 draw at Pizza Hut Park.

Dallas led 1-0 at the half through a Ricardinho goal, only for the Galaxy to score twice in a row to take a 2-1 lead.

Despite a string of fine saves from Josh Wicks, the Galaxy were unable to pick up their second consecutive win, as Michael Dello-Russo scored in stoppage time to earn a share of the points.

A full match summary and boxscore will be available shortly at lagalaxy.com.

Galaxy Fall 4-0 at Dallas

LA Galaxy 0, FC Dallas 4
July 27, 2008
Pizza Hut Park – Frisco, Texas

Scoring Summary:
FCD – Kenny Cooper 10 (Unassisted) 15’
FCD – Kenny Cooper 11 (Dominic Oduro 2) 17’
FCD – Dominic Oduro 5 (Arturo Alvarez 3, Kenny Cooper 3) 36’
FCD – Abe Thompson 3 (Chase Wileman 1) 89’

Misconduct Summary:
None

Lineups:
LA Galaxy: Steve Cronin, Chris Klein, Eduardo Dominguez, Greg Vanney (Alan Gordon 80’), Ante Jazic, Alvaro Pires (Sean Franklin 46’), Peter Vagenas, David Beckham©, Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle, Carlos Ruiz.

Subs Not Used: Josh Wicks, Mike Randolph, Josh Tudela, Ely Allen.

FC Dallas: Dario Sala, Drew Moor, Duilio Davino©, Aaron Pitchkolan, Adrian Serioux, Pablo Richetti, Andre Rocha (Michael Dello-Russo 66’), Eric Avila, Arturo Alvarez (Chase Wileman 75’), Kenny Cooper, Dominic Oduro (Abe Thompson 72’).

Subs Not Used: Mike Graczyk, Bobby Rhine, Blake Wagner, Ricardinho.

Notes:
· With the loss, the Galaxy are now 6-7-5 on the season leaving them with 23 points. They remain tied for second place in the Western Conference with the Houston Dynamo.
· Ruud Gullit made one change to his team that drew 2-2 at New York on July 19, with Eduardo Dominguez replacing Troy Roberts in central defense.
· Roberts was originally in the starting lineup but had to be replaced following pregame warmups as a result of a right heel injury that he suffered last weekend in New York. Following Roberts’ injury, Greg Vanney was inserted into the starting lineup.
· Eduardo Dominguez made his MLS debut in the game. After being officially added to the Galaxy roster last week, Dominguez was in the starting lineup for the first time, playing in central defense.
· Sean Franklin came on at halftime, replacing Alvaro Pires. This was Franklin’s first appearance since suffering a strained right MCL prior to the 1-1 draw vs. Chivas USA on July 10.
· The three goals allowed by the Galaxy in the first half were the most allowed by the club in the first half this season. The last time the Galaxy gave up three goals in the opening 45 minutes was on August 26, 2007 in a 3-0 loss at Colorado. The Galaxy have allowed three goals in the second half of a game twice times this year.
· This is the third time this season that the Galaxy have been shutout in a regular season game, and their first time since May 31 in a 2-0 loss at Toronto FC.
· With his two goals today, Kenny Cooper became the third player to score more than one goal in a game against the Galaxy this season. Luciano Emilio of D.C. United was the first, scoring two in United’s 4-1 win on June 29 while New England’s Adam Cristman scored two in the Revolution’s 2-1 win over LA on July 4.
· The Galaxy are now winless in their last six games, going 0-3-3 over the span with losses to D.C. United, FC Dallas and New England, as well as draws with Chivas USA, Columbus and New York.
· The attendance for today’s game was 21,020.
· The Galaxy Reserves will take on the FC Dallas Reserves on Monday, July 28 at 8 a.m. (PT) at Pizza Hut Park.
· The Galaxy are back in action on Sunday, August 3, when they travel north to San Jose at McAfee Coliseum. The match will kick off at 12 p.m. (PT) and can be seen live on FSN West and Telefutura. The match will also be available live on the radio in English on AM 570 and in Spanish on KWKW 1330 ESPN Deportes.

Hot Hot Heat

It's another scorcher in Dallas as we're about to kickoff at Pizza Hut Park with a gametime temp of 102!

The Galaxy have scored 11 goals in their last two meaningful visits to Frisco and will look to put up another crooked number today.

Here is the lineup that Ruud has put out on the field today.

------------Ruiz-----------Buddle-----------------

Donovan-------------------------------------Beckham

-------------Pires---------Vagenas------------------

Jazic--------Dominguez-----Vanney-----------Klein

---------------------Cronin--------------------------

Subs: Wicks, Franklin, Randolph, Tudela, Allen and Gordon.

Troy Roberts was a late scratch from the lineup with a heel injury that he picked up late in the first half in New York. He trained yesterday and tried to give it a go through pregame, but the pain was too much and he was replaced by Greg Vanney.

As a result of the move, the Galaxy still have their full allotment of three substitutes, but only have six players available off the bench compared to the standard seven.

All Lies (UPDATED)

Remember when we said that we were off to Dallas and that we wouldn't be posting until we got to the hotel... well that was a boldfaced lie.

It was the plan, but as they say about the best laid plans of mice and men...they often go awry.

We all got on our American Airlines flight to Dallas, but a mechanical issue meant that our planned 2:20pm takeoff was merely a figment of our imagination.

Making it even better, we were told at about 3:15 that we would have to get off the plane and that a new and better plane would be found for us (the Ted Danson plane!).

Suffice to say, we're in a holding pattern for now. Wish us luck.

It's now 4:15 and it appears as though we might be in luck. We all just got on to a new plane and should be leaving shortly. Here's to hoping!

Off to Dallas

The team is on its way to Dallas with a full squad for Sunday's game (live on FSN West) and Monday morning's reserve game.

We won't have any news until we land in the Lone Star State, so to hold you over, check out the latest edition of This Week Inside the Galaxy.

Looking Forward to Dallas

It's day two of practice at the Track and Field Stadium, and we caught up with a few players before they head over to Dallas tomorrow morning to take on FCD for the second time this season. But first, here are a few notes from today's session.

Sean Franklin was back on the field for the first time since suffering a knee injury prior to the July 10 game against Chivas USA. He will look to train again tomorrow before having his status for Sunday decided.

Mondou Bojang and Mike Munoz were both in training with the club, as was goalkeeper Jordan King. Munoz is expected to accompany the team to Dallas for Monday’s reserve game, as is defender Brandon Owens.

Brandon McDonald worked out on the side with Fitness Coach John Ireland and is nearing a return to training.

Ireland has joined the Galaxy’s backroom staff as the Fitness Coach, replacing Chris Neville who returned to England earlier in the month. John has spent time with the Colorado Rapids as well as Derby County but is now glad to have joined the Galaxy setup.

Here’s what the guys had to say after today’s session…

Klein...


Franchino...

John Ireland leads the squad in their cooldown after today's session.

Cobi got involved with today's session, showing that he's still got the skills to get it done.

Sean Franklin was back on the field for the first time since his knee injury. After the session, Franklin said the knee felt good.

All-Stars Win 3-2

Becks is in the starting XI while Landon and Edson will come off the bench.

Landon in fact did come on, replacing Blanco at halftime. Edson has just gone on as well, replacing Jonathan Bornstein for the final few minutes plus stoppage time.

The game ends with a 3-2 win for the MLS All-Stars. Becks had an assist on the the first goal for the All-Stars and he played the full 90 minutes, while Landon and Edson each came on in the second half to help ensure a fourth straight win for the good guys.

Best of all though, no injuries for our three guys and they'll be with the rest of the squad this weekend against FC Dallas in Frisco.

Congratulations Peter

While most of the players had rather uneventful breaks this week, playing golf or just spending time at home, one player's break was anything but.

On Sunday afternoon, shortly after the team returned from New York, Peter Vagenas' wife Mindy gave birth to the couple's first child, a baby boy named Alexander. Alexander was named after his grandfather, Peter's dad, and is doing well according to the proud father who was back in training for the first time today.

Congratulations Peter!

Mandou Makes Introductions

The blog staff was just introduced to the Galaxy's latest trialist, Mandou Bojang. A central defender from Gambia, Bojang was spotted by Paul Bravo during his recent trip to Africa and is expected to train with the Galaxy for the next two weeks.

Just 19 years old, Bojang was a member of Gambia's Under-20 National Team at the Under-20 World Cup in Canada last year, as well as a member of Gambia's squad at the U-17 World Cup in Peru in 2005.

He played the full 90 minutes in all four of Gambia's games in Canada as well as all three of his country's games in 2005.

We will check in with him tomorrow after his first day of training.

Catching Up With B-Mac

The Galaxy’s fourth round draft pick, Brandon McDonald, was able to make an immediate impact, coming into the game during the second half in the season opener against Colorado. Since then he’s gone on to appear in nine more games before injuring his left foot. He notched his first assist on a Chris Klein goal on May 18 when the team beat FC Dallas 5-1. He will look to return to training this week ahead of the Galaxy’s return to Dallas.

With Galaxy keeper Josh Wicks heckling in the background, we caught up with Brandon McDonald in the player’s lounge after practice to talk about playing for the Galaxy, superstitions and his insight on his roommates.

Describe how your first start for the Galaxy felt...
It was good. It was a like a dream come true in a way. Wanting to do this as a living as child, and being apart of it and getting on the field. It was fun.

You had your first Galaxy assist in May. Did you do anything special to celebrate?
No, I just wanted to keep it moving and trying to get another one.

Best moment so far this season...
Being around the guys every day, its fun. The different personalities and characters. It’s cool.

When did it actually hit you that you will be playing with the Galaxy?
Being on the field for the first time on the game before kickoff, the anthem was playing and the fireworks went off. It was crazy.

Who are you closest to on the team?
Sean Franklin.

Speaking of Sean, he said you were one of the funniest guys on the team… any jokes for us?
Ask Wicks why he’s so loud. Naw, no jokes.

What's a day in your life like?
Get up in the morning about 8 o’clock. Come to practice. After practice, go home, take a nap, wake up and cook dinner. And, just chill.

Any pregame rituals or superstitions?
I always put my right shin guard on first. That’s become a habit. When I put my left one on first, I’ll take it off and then put my right on.

Can you give us any insight on your roommates?
Frodo’s laid back. That’s Vito. Gavin is a head case. Ely is in his own world. That’s point blank.

What's one thing you want the fans to know about you?
I work hard for my teammates.

Vote for Fish!

The team will be off until Thursday for a bit of a mid-season break, so there shouldn't be too much on the news front until then, but we do have this to whet your appetites.

Carlos has been nominated for the Goal of the Week Award for his goal in New York this weekend.

Click here to vote and give the Galaxy our second Goal of the Week this season.

Postgame Audio From New York

We talked to Landon...



Kleiny...



and Carlos...


after the 2-2 draw at Giants Stadium

Galaxy 2, Red Bulls 2

LA Galaxy 2, New York Red Bulls 2
July 19, 2008
Giants Stadium – East Rutherford N.J.

Scoring Summary:
LA – Carlos Ruiz 1 (Edson Buddle 2) 29’
NY – Dave van den Bergh 5 (Jorge Rojas 1, Seth Stammler 1) 35’
NY – Juan Pablo Angel 6 (Jorge Rojas 2) 71’
LA – Landon Donovan 12 (Unassisted) 92+

Misconduct Summary:
LA – Chris Klein (Yellow Card) 2’
NY – Jon Conway (Yellow Card) 64’
LA – Peter Vagenas (Yellow Card) 72’

Lineups:
LA Galaxy: Steve Cronin, Chris Klein, Troy Roberts, Greg Vanney (Alan Gordon 78’), Ante Jazic, Alvaro Pires, Peter Vagenas, David Beckham©, Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle, Carlos Ruiz.

Subs Not Used: Josh Wicks, Eduardo Dominguez, Mike Randolph, Joe Franchino, Josh Tudela, Ely Allen.

New York Red Bulls: Jon Conway, Andrew Boyens, Jeff Parke, Kevin Goldthwaite, Dave van den Bergh (Juan Pietravallo 89’), Carlos Mendes, Seth Stammler, Dane Richards (Hunter Freeman 50’), Jorge Rojas, Oscar Echeverry (John Wolyniec 63’), Juan Pablo Angel.

Subs Not Used: Zach Thornton, Chris Leitch, Sinisa Ubiparapovic, Mike Magee.

Notes:
· With the draw, the Galaxy are 6-6-5 on the season leaving them with 23 points. They remain in second place in the Western Conference one point behind Real Salt Lake who drew 0-0 at Chicago tonight.
· Ruud Gullit made two changes to his team that drew 1-1 to Chivas USA on July 10. Ely Allen and Mike Randolph both stared today’s game on the bench. They were replaced in the starting XI by Alvaro Pires and Carlos Ruiz. Josh Wicks and Eduardo Dominguez were each on the bench to start the game, replacing Vito Higgins and Julian Valentin.
· Dominguez was officially added to the Galaxy roster on Friday and was in the 18-man roster for the first time.
· Carlos Ruiz scored his first goal of the season in the 29th minute. This was just his second start of the 2008 season and it was his first goal for the club in a regular season game since August 21, 2004. He was traded to FC Dallas at the end of the 2004 season and spent the last three years there before rejoining the Galaxy in January.
· Landon Donovan’s goal in second half stoppage time was his league best 12th of the season. That goal ties Donovan’s career high for goals in a season, which was set in 2003 and then matched in 2005 and 2006. Donovan now has 12 goals in 14 games this season.
· Donovan’s goal was the Galaxy’s first goal in second half stoppage that earned either a tie or a Galaxy win since Cornell Glen scored the game-winner in the 93rd minute of the 2-1 win over Chivas USA on April 15, 2006.
· With Ruiz scoring the game’s opening goal, the Galaxy were in front 1-0 for the first time since June 21 against Columbus. They had allowed the first goal in each of the last three games, going 0-2-1 in that time. The Galaxy are now 5-0-2 on the season when scoring first.
· For the first time this year, the Galaxy wore their blue secondary uniform. It is the third time that they have ever worn the uniform in an MLS game, going 0-2-1 in those matches.
· The attendance for tonight’s game was 46,754, making it the largest crowd that the Galaxy have played in front of this season.
· The Galaxy are back in action on Sunday, July 27, when they travel to Dallas to take on FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park. The match will kick off at 4 p.m. (PT) and can be seen live on FSN West. The match will also be available live on the radio in English on AM 570 and in Spanish on KWKW 1330 ESPN Deportes.

The Crowds Are Filing in at Giants Stadium

And the Galaxy are on the field for pregame warmups. The lineups have been exchanged and here is the squad that Ruud will be sending out this evening.

-------------Buddle-------Ruiz----------------

Donovan--------------------------------Beckham

-------------Vagenas------Pires-----------------

Jazic--------Vanney-------Roberts---------Klein

--------------------Cronin------------------------

Subs: Wicks, Dominguez, Franchino, Randolph, Tudela, Allen and Gordon.

Carlos is in the starting lineup for the first time since the season opener in Colorado. He is partnered by Edson, meaning that David and Landon will be on the wings.

Wicks is back on the bench for the first time since undergoing knee surgery last month, while Dominguez makes his debut in the 18 man squad. He has trained all week , but has felt under the weather the last few days, so Ruud is playing it safe and leaving him on the bench.

More to come as we inch toward kick-off.

New Column and Preview Video

Here is the latest preview video looking ahead at today's game, as well as the latest edition of Rollin' with Rogo.

First the video...



Now the column...

YET ANOTHER GAME WITH “BIG GAME” LABEL: LA NEEDS TO GET BACK ON TRACK AT GIANTS STADIUM

Winless in their last four games, and with just one victory versus and Eastern Conference team in 2008, the Galaxy will have another tough match up this weekend when they face the New York Red Bulls. Yes, it is a rematch of the two teams that produced arguably the best MLS game ever eleven months earlier at Giants Stadium. It was New York that tallied the last of the nine goals between the teams to earn the win.

The Galaxy has had more than a week to work on getting this ship headed back in the right direction. Defensively the arrival of Argentine defender Eduardo Dominguez is expected to bring stability to the back four, specifically in the center back spot. Unfortunately, Sean Franklin will still be sidelined for a couple weeks with a knee injury, though it looks like Ante Jazic is going to be fine after an ugly looking injury last week. If you missed the tackle against Chivas USA that sent him to the locker room early, it looked like he was going to be missing some time the way Jazic went down.

For as critical as some of the media has been in the past, I think veteran midfielder, Pete Vagenas has played some of his best soccer in quite some time. There has never been any doubt he is one of the best “linking players” on the team, and that was on display with the perfectly weighted ball into the feet of Edson Buddle for the lone strike in the 1-1 draw with Chivas USA. In addition to “The Greek Hitman,” Alvaro Pires is becoming a great asset to this team. He brings strength in winning the ball (something you don’t always see from Brazilian players) and his ability to combine with other players is starting to shine. Tudo de bom! BTW… I think it is time for Beckham to add to his goal tally. I just have a funny feeling that we might see a very energized number 23. He has always played well in his career when the stage is BIG. Giants Stadium, 50,000-plus raging New York fans, national television, marquee game of the round in MLS – should I go on?

The Red Bulls have been struggling a bit of late, but they have played the Galaxy well over the last few years. Not only that, but the team is getting healthy now, specifically the straw that stirs the drink – Juan Pablo Angel. As most of you know, Angel’s partner up top, Jozy Altidore has moved onto playing in Spain, so your guess is as good as mine as who will be his partner in the attack. Looks like it will be Oscar Echeverry, who brings speed to the equation. Wide positions are an area of strength for New York. There is speed on one side with Dane Richards, skill and service on the other side in Dave Van den Bergh. Van den Bergh can line up at the left back or left midfield spot, giving coach Juan Carlos Osorio the freedom to put other players in the game, including the recently added Jorge Rojas and Juan Pietravallo, depending on the pace of the match.

For me, this is a game the Galaxy must have. They have struggled against the East, have had a bad run of results and have only two shutouts on the year (both vs. San Jose). A victory will put them right back at the top of the Western Conference table, but more importantly, a boost to the confidence. The key is going to be how well the defense can play collectively and if they can find a way to control Angel. If he is able to find space and time on the ball, that is only going to give the rest of the New York players’ confidence. LA seems to play their best when they get the fast start to the match, and with an energetic crowd at Giants’ Stadium this will be a tough task.

A lot of questions going into this one. Hope we have some answers, and three points at the end of 90 minutes. Enjoy the match, I know I will!!

Ready for the Red Bulls

The Galaxy had their last training at the HDC before heading out to New York tomorrow morning. Both David and Ruud spoke to the media. Here's what they said.

David on last year's game against the Red Bulls


Ruud on team's progress

Sights and Sounds From Training

The team had a scrimmage during training today where the first team took on the reserves along with the Galaxy Rios U-20s. The Galaxy beat the reserves 2-0 with goals from Landon and Ely. We caught up with some of the players after the game for their thoughts on traveling to New York this weekend.

Alan on last year's game against New York


Chris on wanting the three points against New York


Edson on last year's crowd and missing the first meeting vs NY


Steve on trying to get a shutout this weekend

Reserves Defeat Chivas USA 5-3

The Galaxy Reserves got their first win of the season on Friday morning, defeating Chivas USA 5-3 at The Home Depot Center.

Carlos Ruiz and Alan Gordon each scored twice, while Israel Sesay added an insurance goal late on. Ruiz also had two assists in the game, as did Josh Tudela.

With the win, the Galaxy Reserves are now 1-3-1 on the season, while the five goals scored match the team's output from the first four games of the year.

Click here for the full match report.

Galaxy 1, Chivas USA 1

LA Galaxy 1, Chivas USA 1
July 10, 2008
The Home Depot Center – Carson, Calif.

Scoring Summary:
NE – Ante Razov 4 (Sacha Kljestan 4) 15’
LA – Edson Buddle 11 (Peter Vagenas 2, David Beckham 7) 72’

Misconduct Summary:
LA – Peter Vagenas (Yellow Card) 6’
LA – Ante Jazic (Yellow Card) 26’
CHV – Sacha Kljestan (Yellow Card) 78’
LA – Greg Vanney (Yellow Card) 79’

Lineups:
LA Galaxy: Steve Cronin, Chris Klein, Troy Roberts, Greg Vanney, Ante Jazic (Joe Franchino 35’, Carlos Ruiz 58’), Peter Vagenas (Alvaro Pires 84’), Mike Randolph, Ely Allen, David Beckham©, Edson Buddle, Landon Donovan.

Subs Not Used: Vito Higgins, Julian Valentin, Josh Tudela, Alan Gordon.

Chivas USA: Brad Guzan, Carey Talley, Bobby Burling, Shavar Thomas, Jonathan Bornstein, Paulo Nagamura, Jesse Marsch©, Atiba Harris (Justin Braun 59’, Anthony Hamilton 84’), Francisco Mendoza, Sacha Kljestan, Ante Razov.

Subs Not Used: Dan Kennedy, Claudio Suarez, Jim Curtin, Daniel Paladini, Kraig Chiles.

Notes:
· With the draw, the Galaxy are 6-6-4 on the season leaving them with 22 points. They remain in first place tie with Chivas USA in the Western Conference standings.
· Ruud Gullit made four changes to his team that lost 2-1 to New England on Friday, July 4. Sean Franklin, Alan Gordon, Alvaro Pires and Abel Xavier were all out of the lineup, while Ely Allen, Landon Donovan, Troy Roberts and Greg Vanney were brought in.
· With his goal tonight, Edson Buddle is now tied with Landon Donovan for a league best 11 goals. Buddle has also tied his career-high of 11 goals in a season. He last scored 11 goals in one season in 2004 as a member of the Columbus Crew.
· David Beckham’s assist, which now gives him seven for the season, puts him in a three-way tie with teammate Landon Donovan and Real Salt Lake’s Javier Morales for second place in the league.
· Abel Xavier and Sean Franklin each missed the game through injury. Franklin was ruled out for 2-3 weeks after being diagnosed with a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee while Xavier missed the match with inflammation in his left knee.
· Peter Vagenas returned to the lineup for the first time in a month, starting in central midfield. He had missed the last four games with a right quad injury.
· Ante Jazic left the match in 35th minute with a lower back spasm. He was replaced by Joe Franchino.
· With Ante Razov’s goal in the 15th minute, the Galaxy have now fallen behind in each of the last three games, going 0-2-1 in those matches. This season the Galaxy are 1-6-3 when allowing the first goal.
· With the draw, the Galaxy still lead the season series with Chivas USA, going 1-0-1 in those two games. The Galaxy will win the Honda SuperClasico championship with either a win or a draw on August 14 in the final game of the series.
· The attendance for tonight’s game was 27,000, which is the sixth sellout for the Galaxy this season and the third straight.
· The Galaxy are back in action on Saturday, July 19, when they travel to New York. The match will kick off at 3:30 p.m. (PT) at Giants Stadium and can be seen live on Fox Soccer Channel. The match will also be available live on the radio in English on AM 570 and in Spanish on KWKW 1330 ESPN Deportes.

Honda SuperClasico On the Line

The second installment of the Honda SuperClasico is underway at The Home Depot Center.

Here is the lineup that Ruud has elected to go with in the abscence of his two first choice center backs, Abel Xavier and Sean Franklin who both miss the match through injury.

----------Buddle-------Donovan----------

-----------------Beckham----------------

Randolph---------------------------Allen

------------------Vagenas-----------------

Jazic------Vanney--------Roberts-----Klein

------------------Cronin--------------------

Subs: Higgins, Valentin, Pires, Franchino, Tudela, Gordon and Ruiz.

Ready for Game Day

It's been a busy day already with David and Landon being named to the All-Star Game and getting ready for tonight's Honda SuperClasico (8 p.m. on ESPN2).

So to tide you over, here is quick edition of This Week Inside the Galaxy, where we look ahead to tonight's game and hear from Paul Bravo about Eduardo Dominguez.

Franklin On the Shelf

We told you earlier that we'd have some more news tonight, and here you go...

After undergoing an MRI earlier this morning, Sean Franklin has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL in his right knee. He will not require surgery, but is expected to miss the next 2-3 weeks.

The No. 4 pick in this year's SuperDraft, Franklin has played the full 90 minutes in each of the last 14 games after making his debut on April 3 against San Jose.

Here is an excerpt from an interview that we conducted with Sean earlier in the week...

You’ve been able to step into a starting role with the Galaxy, how have you seen yourself grow as a player from the beginning of the season to now?
I think that with each game I’m growing and learning more. I’m just trying to progress and keep learning and doing well on the field.

Ruud is constantly praising your efforts on the field. Are you getting some extra ribbing from the other players for becoming what seems to be one of the coach’s favorites?
No, they haven’t come up to me yet about Ruud saying things. I’m glad to know that he is saying good things, but I haven’t gotten stuff from the guys yet.

When did it finally hit you that you were playing professionally for the Galaxy?
Probably after the first week of training, getting to meet all the guys and coming out-that’s when it hit me.

What's a day in the life of Galaxy rookie like?
It’s nice. You meet and practice for about an hour and a half. You do your job, and then you get to home and relax. I can’t ask for anything else.

Best memory of this season so far...
Most of preseason was fun. That is when we got to know everybody. The Chivas game where we won 5-2—that was fun.

Are the veterans being nice you rookies, or are they giving you guys a hard time?
They are being nice. We usually just sit back and let them go first. They really aren’t telling us what to do. We have help on road trips. We help the equipment managers bring bags and balls out. Just normal rookie duties.

You’re on a team players with a lot of experience, either it be with National Teams, over in Europe or here in MLS. Who do you go for advice?
I talk to Pete a little bit. David helps me a lot. He tells me everyday things I need to work on to become a better player.

Have any of the veteran MLS players told you stories from when they first started and how lucky you are to be playing at the HDC?
You hear Cobi saying stuff since he’s been here since the Galaxy started. He’s always saying to take advantage and to enjoy it while we can.

As a defender, who has been the toughest opponent to shut down?
The toughest person to shut down was probably Emilio from D.C. He’s a good player.

Five items you couldn't live without -
My bed, phone, TV, family and my girlfriend.

Any rituals or superstitions before game time?
I always get my haircut the day before. I like to get my car washed the day of the game, and I also make sure I have my music, so I’m ready for my drive down to the game.

What does the future have in store for Sean Franklin?
Hopefully, I continue to play well and stay on the field. I hope to make the team for Olympics that are coming up, and eventually in the next couple years get to the full team.

What is on your iPod these days?
A little bit of everything. I have a little bit of N.E.R.D. I have Common. I have everything.

Favorite place to eat in LA?
I like, as bad as it sounds, Panda Express, and Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles—I don’t mind going their every once in a while.

Funniest member of the Galaxy?
Pete’s pretty funny. Ante’s pretty funny also, and Brandon McDonald.

There is a SuperClasico game this Thursday. Is there any trash talking in the halls when you guys see the Chivas players?
There isn’t a lot of trashing talking. It’s all good and fun. We’re all from the same place, but on the field that is a different story. It’s about whose the better team and I think we are.

Sounds of a Rivalry

More news to come shortly, but for now, here is some sound from today's training session.

Tomorrow night's game against Chivas USA is taking on a little bit more than the normal rivalry, with not only the SuperClasico title on the line, but also first place in the Western Conference up for grabs. If the Galaxy wins tomorrow's game, they will have secured themselves the SuperClasico title for the 2008 season, as the teams are only playing three times this year, and the Galaxy already defeated Chivas, 5-2, earlier this season. A win would also see LA move three points clear at the top of the West. We caught up with Ruud and David after practice to see what they had to say about the game.

David on playing Chivas USA


Ruud on the SuperClasico

An Argentine Arrives

As has been reported in the LA and Argentine media recently, the Galaxy have agreed to terms with Argentine defender Eduardo Dominguez. The 29-year old arrived in LA on Sunday and has been out at The Home Depot Center this week meeting his soon to be new teammates. He is still awaiting his P1 Visa and International Transfer Clearance but will be eligible to be added to the Galaxy roster once those are secured.

He spoke briefly to the media this afternoon and posed for a few pictures as you can see above.

The full press release is up at lagalaxy.com now, as is Greg Daurio's story about Eduardo's arrival.

For now, let us be one of the first to officially welcome Eduardo Dominguez to Los Angeles.

Rivalry Week

With game two of the Honda SuperClasico with Chivas USA coming up Thursday night, we caught up with Alan Gordon, Mike Randolph and Cobi Jones after training to get their thoughts on the game.

Alan on the first place tie with Chivas USA


Cobi on going from playing in the SuperClasico to coaching in it


Mike on the Galaxy/Chivas USA rivalry

Galaxy 1, Revolution 2

LA Galaxy 1, New England Revolution 2
July 4, 2008
The Home Depot Center – Carson, Calif.

Scoring Summary:
NE – Adam Cristman 5 (Unassisted) 33’
NE – Adam Cristman 6 (Steve Ralston 4) 37’
LA – David Beckham 5 (Unassisted) 66’

Misconduct Summary:
LA – Alvaro Pires (Yellow Card) 82’

Lineups:
LA Galaxy: Steve Cronin, Chris Klein, Sean Franklin, Abel Xavier, Ante Jazic, Alvaro Pires, Joe Franchino (Carlos Ruiz 84’), Mike Randolph, David Beckham©, Edson Buddle, Alan Gordon (Landon Donovan 46’).

Subs Not Used: Vito Higgins, Greg Vanney, Troy Roberts, Josh Tudela, Ely Allen.

New England Revolution: Matt Reis, Chris Albright, Michael Parkhurst, Jay Heaps, Jeff Larentowicz, Shalrie Joseph, Mauricio Castro, Sainey Nyassi (Pat Phelan 70’), Steve Ralston©, Kheli Dube (Taylor Twellman 60’), Adam Cristman (Amaechi Igwe 79’).

Subs Not Used: Doug Warren, Chase Hilgenbrinck, Chris Tierney, Kenny Mansally.

Notes:
· With the loss, the Galaxy fall to 6-6-3 on the season leaving them with 21 points. They remain in first place in the Western Conference standings, one point ahead of the Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake.
· Ruud Gullit made two changes to his team that lost 4-1 at D.C. United last weekend. Ely Allen and Landon Donovan were not in the staring lineup, though each was available off the bench. They were replaced in the starting lineup by Alan Gordon and Joe Franchino.
· Landon Donovan did not start the game after missing the last two days of training with the flu. He entered the game at halftime, replacing Alan Gordon.
· With this start, Chris Klein made his 100th consecutive start, the longest streak in MLS history. The last time Klein missed a game was back on June 4, 2005 as a member of the Kansas City Wizards.
· This is the first time this season that the Galaxy have allowed two first half goals. The last time LA allowed two goals in the opening 45 minutes was on August 26, 2007 in a 3-0 loss at Colorado. The last time the Galaxy allowed two first half goals at home was on April 12, 2007 in the Galaxy’s 2007 home opener when they lost 2-1 to FC Dallas.
· David Beckham scored his fifth goal of the season for the Galaxy. It was his first goal since May 24 when he scored the final goal of the Galaxy’s 3-1 win over Kansas City.
· Adam Cristman scored twice for the Revolution tonight, making him the second player to score multiple goals against the Galaxy in 2008. The only other player to do so was Luciano Emilio of D.C. United who scored twice in their 4-1 win over LA last weekend.
· The attendance for tonight’s game was 27,000, which is the fifth sellout for the Galaxy this season.
· The Galaxy are back in action on Thursday, July 10, when they host Chivas USA in the second installment of the Honda SuperClasico. The match will kick off at 8 p.m. at The Home Depot Center and can be seen live on ESPN2. The match will also be available live on the radio in Spanish on KWKW 1330 ESPN Deportes.

The Teams are in at The HDC

The lineups are in and the players are preparing to take the field as the Galaxy host the Revolution tonight in Carson.

Here is the team that Ruud is sending out, with a few changes from what we saw on Sunday in D.C.

--------------------Buddle-------------------

--------------------Gordon-------------------

Randolph----------------------------Beckham

-----------Franchino------Pires--------------

Jazic------Franklin--------Xavier--------Klein

--------------------Cronin---------------------

Subs: Higgins, Vanney, Roberts, Tudela, Allen, Donovan and Ruiz.

Charles Alamo, Josh Wicks, Peter Vagenas and Brandon McDonald all miss the game through injury, while Landon will be forced to come off the bench as continues to recover from the flu that has kept him out of training the last two days.

This Week Inside the Galaxy - Episode Ten

Happy Fourth of July! to everyone from The LA Galaxy blog.

It is only fitting to begin this day of independence with another ground breaking episode of This Week Inside The Galaxy.

This week, we take a look back at the loss in Washington D.C. from a Rookie perspective with Julian Valentin, who like many of you watched the game at home on TV.

Despite some heated debate over the team’s The Dark Knight screening, we got a few reviews from some of the players and their thoughts on bonding off the field.

Also, we recap the Top 10 Goals - Month of June, highlighted by some spectacular finishing from Edson Buddle and Landon Donovan. Congrats to Ely Allen on his first career MLS goal.

On the verge of his 100th Consecutive MLS start, TWIG speaks with Chris Klein and some of his teammates about the impressive milestone.

Lastly, we look ahead to tonight’s match against the Revolution and get some insight into the East’s top team from former captain and long-time Rev Joey Franchino(One of us!), who has returned home to his roots in SoCal.

Enjoy!

Sounds of Summer

With the Galaxy's annual Fourth of July game and Fireworks show on the horizon, David, Ruud and Steve took a minute to speak to the media about the upcoming game against the New England Revolution.

David on Klein's 100th straight appearance and his first Fourth of July


Ruud on tomorrow's game, playing in humidity and the upcoming Olympics


Steve on the home crowd

You're the best... around!

Landon and David are in the race for the 2008 ESPY Award, "Best MLS Player". Neither players are strangers to the ESPY Awards as Landon won the award in 2006 and 2007, while David walked away with the "Best Male Soccer Player" in 2004. The teammates are up against the Red Bull's Juan Pablo Angel, Chicago's Cuauhtemoc Blanco, D.C.'s Luciano Emilio and the Revolution's Matt Reis.

You can vote here for Landon or David. You can also vote on your phone at http://www.espys.mobi/. Just remember to vote before July 12 by 8:59 p.m. Then you catch the 16th Annual ESPY Awards, co-presented by HUMMER and Under Armour, will be hosted by Justin Timberlake and will take place at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. The awards show will be televised on Sunday, July 20 at 6 p.m. PT on ESPN/ESPN HD.

Bonus...name the classic 80's movie theme song referenced above? No prize, but quizzes are fun!

Galaxy Screen "The Dark Knight"

On Monday night, Galaxy coaches and players with their wives, girlfriends and friends were treated to a private screening of the new Batman flick The Dark Knight. Along with a select group of Hollywood actors, musicians and industry big wigs (including director Christopher Nolan and Hans Zimmer, who provided the original score for the film and introduced the picture at the beginning of the night), the Galaxy watched the screening at the IMAX Theatre at Universal Studios City Walk, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.

The plot: In "The Dark Knight,” Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. The partnership proves to be effective, but they soon find themselves prey to a reign of chaos unleashed by a rising criminal mastermind known to the terrified citizens of Gotham as the Joker.”

In the words of Julian Valentin after the screening…Amazing!

It truly lived up to the hype featuring a truly dark and gritty version of Batman, The Dark Knight kept us on the edge of our seat. Christian Bale reprised his role of the Batman while Heath Ledger was phenomenal as the Joker.

I am sure a few guys will be coming into the trainer’s room with stiff necks, but I’m sure all would agree that it was well worth the any pain to see it in an IMAX theater.

Following a tough defeat over the weekend, you would think that they wouldn't want to see one another but the guys, who have become a pretty close group, jumped at the chance to be one of the first to see this flick. Everyone enjoyed the chance to do something away from the field and talk about something other than soccer, and catch up with everyone’s significant others.

If you haven’t done it yet, you should go check out the trailer at http://thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/. We highly recommend that you go check it out when it opens on July 18.

Keep an eye out here later in the week, as we hope to have some feed back from the players with their thoughts on the film in the next episode of This Week Inside the Galaxy.

Edson on "From the Pitch" Tonight

Fresh off scoring in his fourth straight game (tying a career-long scoring streak in the process) Edson will be a guest on former National Team and Colorado Rapids defender Marcelo Balboa's weekly radio show, "From the Pitch" tonight at 7:05 p.m. (PT). Follow this link to hear what the league's second leading scorer has to say.

Also, you can't vote for Edson (because he's not on the ballot) but you can vote for many of your other favorite Galaxy players for the 2008 MLS All-Star Game in Toronto. Voting closes on Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. (ET) so be sure to go to lagalaxy.com to vote to send all your favorite players to Toronto.