Saturday, April 25, 2009

Rocky Mountain Ready!

Despite an 80-minute flight delay last night, the team arrived safe and sound in Denver just after 11pm. Originally set to depart a 6:30pm, the flight was delayed to 8:50pm but ended up leaving an hour early as the airline found another plane. Thankfully, everyone made the flight depsite all of the time changes. Once we touched down it was time to get to some rest, so the guys grabbed the team bags and headed to the hotel in downtown Denver.

This morning, the players are on their own for breakfast, then will meet for a team lunch and meeting with a pre-game meal at 4:30pm. Then it is off to the stadium at 5:45pm.

Don’t forget that tonight’s game is tape delayed on FS West starting at 10 p.m., or live through the MLS Direct Kick television package and online at MLSnet.com. The game will also be available live on the radio in Spanish at KWKW 1330 AM ESPN Deportes Radio and online in English at www.lagalaxy.com.

Here are a few notes about the match and a preview video to get you ready for kickoff.

TOUGH PLACE TO PLAY: Saturday’s game will be the Galaxy’s fourth trip to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park since it opened at the start of the 2007 MLS season. In the previous three games, the Galaxy have allowed eight goals and failed to score any, while losing all three matches. In 2007, LA suffered 1-0 and 3-0 loss on the road to the Rapids before opening the 2008 MLS season with a 4-0 defeat.

All-time the Galaxy are just 7-15-3 in Colorado, with their last win coming on July 13, 2002 when Danny Califf, Ezra Hendrickson and Carlos Ruiz all scored in a 3-1 win over the Rapids. Since that game, the Galaxy have played 11 regular season league games in Colorado, going 0-8-3 and have been outscored 17-3 in those matches.

However, LA is 3-1-0 all-time in Colorado during the postseason, including a 2-0 win over the Rapids in their last postseason trip to Colorado for the 2005 Western Conference Final.

FAMILIAR FOES: Tonight’s game is the third and final game on the schedule between the Galaxy and Rapids this season. On April 4, Conor Casey scored three times, including the game-winner in the 84th minute, giving the Rapids a 3-2 win at The Home Depot Center. Three days later, the same two sides met in a U.S. Open Cup Play-In Game, with the Rapids coming out victorious 4-2 on penalties after the game finished 0-0 after 90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of extra time.

In 2008, the Galaxy did not finish their first season series with an opponent until May 31, when they played their second and final game of the year against Toronto FC.

AGAINST THEIR FORMER CLUB: Jovan Kirovski and Tony Sanneh will each be facing their former club later today. Kirovski joined Colorado from the Galaxy in September 2005 and spent two and a half years with the club, scoring 12 goals in 61 games for the club before being traded to San Jose in midway through the 2008 season.

Sanneh played for the Rapids at the end of the 2007 season, playing in nine games for the club before sitting out the 2008 campaign.

BERHALTER AND GORDON RETURN: After serving their one game suspensions for receiving red cards against Chivas USA two weeks ago, Gregg Berhalter and Alan Gordon are eligible to be back in the squad for tonight's game against the Rapids.

Gordon has two goals in 10 career games against the Rapids, including one in the two side’s first meeting this season when he tapped in from close range in the 48th minute to give LA a 2-1 lead.

Berhalter made his Galaxy debut against Colorado , playing 74 minutes in central defense in the U.S. Open Cup Play-In Game between the two sides on April 7.

BUDDLE BACK ON THE PRACTICE FIELD: The Galaxy’s second leading scorer with a career-best 15 goals last season, Edson Buddle is closing in on a return to the field after missing the first three games of the season. Buddle, who also missed Tuesday’s Open Cup Play-In Game against Colorado, has been out since suffering a right quad injury at a training session in early March.

The 27-year old returned to training last week and could feature in the club’s game tonight.

He played two games against Colorado last season, both at home, scoring two goals and adding an assist in those games. He tallied a hat trick in LA’s 3-0 win over the Earthquakes on June 14 and then tied the score at 2-2 on August 3, a game that LA went on to lose 3-2.


We're ready! Are you?

6 comments:

Geoff Gibson said...

I'll be watching live from MLSnet.com! Come on Galaxy we need a win!!

charlesj27 said...

Thanks for the training update video! And, right now - I am very eager to see how much the team - especially the starting 11 - have learned, corrected, and prepared for this final regular season match against Colorado. I hope we get to see Edson play tonight - even if he's not able to start, but, to see him as a sub is even good. Having Gregg back in the defensive line-up is very good. Come on Leonard, please recover fast, train hard, and get your match fitness back.
My emphases for tonight - again - will be on: Mike Magee, Jovan Kirovski, and Alan Gordon. I will keep a close eye on their playing & their effort tonight. They have to really step-up their attention, their focus, and most importantly their follow-through... not only for this game, but for the rest of the season! To me, I just feel that these three do have the experience, and the raw potential - but, they have to personally want it and want it bad!
Good luck to all of our guys tonight. It'll be rather cold, with possible thunder-storms. So, prepare, focus, get treated, and work together. Control the game!

Anonymous said...

Love waking up to gameday video on the blog! We're going to win I can feel it.

Anonymous said...

Alex Prus is so Biased towards the Gaalxy Bruce should play all the young players and take the loss we are going to get. I am not even going to watch the game to keep my blood pressure down, I know we are going to loose.

Juan Carlos Salas said...

This complete B.S. (I only say this because if I spell it out it won't be posted). I am sick and tired of FSN bumping LA over baseball. You have the damn Angels on one channel and then the Dodgers on the other. They play over 100 games a season, does it really matter to not show one. I look forward to watch the Galaxy - no matter how much they suck - all week. And then when I flip the channels, all I see is Baseball while the Galaxy and even Chivas get bumped on tape delay. This is stupid, if FSN can't be fair, maybe they shouldn't broadcast and LA should give the rights away to some other local channel. I am so sick and tired of all this. I get it if it's a home game where one can go to the HDC. But it's not, it's in freaking Colorado.
AAAAHHHH!!!!

Anonymous said...

Second that and the commentators suck!!!!!!!