Landon Hangs Out with Steve Nash

Two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash stopped by one of the Galaxy's training sessions last month to spend some time with Landon Donovan ahead of the launch of FIFA '11 from EA Sports.

The final product of their collaboration is not yet ready for public consumption, but here is a sneak peek into what was going on behind the scenes as well as Nash's thoughts on the arrival of his Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS next season.

Take a look...

National Team Trio to Miss Upcoming Friendlies

U.S. Soccer announced their roster for the upcoming friendlies against Poland and Colombia this afternoon and no Galaxy players were included in Bob Bradley's 20 man squad.

After each featuring in the last game that the U.S. played, against Brazil on August 10, Edson Buddle, Landon Donovan and Omar Gonzalez were not named to the squad for these two games with Bradley electing to allow the players to remain with the Galaxy during this important final month of the season. Only two MLS players (Heath Pearce and Brek Shea of FC Dallas) were called into the squad, though neither will be available for the game against Poland in Chicago on October 9 because of Dallas' game in Colorado that same night.

“We understand this is a critical point in the season for teams in MLS,” said Bradley. “Given the circumstances, we felt it was important that the MLS players be given as much opportunity as possible to remain with their clubs and continue to make important contributions as the playoffs approach.”

As a result, the trio are all expected to be available for selection for all four of the Galaxy's regular season games this month starting with Sunday's second leg of the Honda SuperClasico against Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center. That game kicks off at 5 p.m. and can be seen live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

LA Galaxy Go Pink

The LA Galaxy and MLS announced today details of a league-wide campaign to help in the fight against breast cancer. All 16 MLS clubs will conduct one night of local activation to raise awareness and funds for the cause throughout the month of October-- the Galaxy will do so on Oct. 16, when they take on the Colorado Rapids.

Part of how the league and club will raise awareness is by playing the game with a pink adidas Jabulani match ball, which the guys used in yesterday training session (see photo above). Click here for photos of yesterday's training session.

Limited edition Breast Cancer Awareness adidas products, including scarves, sweat bands, hats, t-shirts and replica balls will be available for purchase at select stadiums and retailers. A portion of the proceeds from these sales will benefit Susan G. Komen for a Cure.

For more details click here.

Center Backs to Return?

As we told you yesterday, Gregg Berhalter and Omar Gonzalez (pictured above) are back at training and may play together on Sunday. Today, after training, we caught up with Berhalter, Gonzalez and Todd Dunivant to get their thoughts ahead of Sunday's second leg of the Honda SuperClaisco.

Here's what they had to say...

Omar...


Gregg...


Todd...


Below are a few more shots from today's training session...

Hot Hot Heat

This time one week ago, the Galaxy were training under dark, grey skies with temperatures hovering around 60 degrees.

The last two days, the sun has been shining brightly over The Home Depot Center, with temperatures in the triple digits.

But despite those differences, there is one constant between this week and last.

The Galaxy have the best record in MLS.

With just one month remaining in the regular season, Bruce Arena's squad sit two points ahead of Real Salt Lake for the league's best record, despite falling at home to New York on Friday night. Salt Lake are in action on Saturday night in New England while the Galaxy play just over 24 hours later when they take on Chivas USA in the second leg of the Honda SuperClasico.

A win or a draw will give the Galaxy their third straight SuperClasico title and their fifth in the six year history of the competition while also eliminating their rivals from postseason contention.

While that would be an nice ancillary benefit, the Galaxy players and coaches are focused instead on just playing better and moving past last week's loss to the Red Bulls.

With that goal in mind, the squad has gone through two full days of training and fitness work despite the heatwave that has hit the region. Two of the players that have been on the field each of the last two days are Gregg Berhalter and Omar Gonzalez, each of who missed the loss to New York.

Gonzalez was suspended for that game while Berhalter missed his sixth straight game because of a neck strain. Berhalter returned to training last week and could be in the squad for the first time since August 14, while Gonzalez is almost a certainty to be back in the starting lineup, a place that he has been for every league game that he has been eligible for since joining the Galaxy last season. In the four games that Gonzalez has missed this season in all competitions (two in the league because of suspension, one in the Open Cup and one in the Champions League where he was an unused substitute), LA are 1-3-0 and have been outscored 8-3.With Gonzalez once again returning and Berhalter on the road to recovery, Bruce Arena could have his full squad at his disposal on Sunday evening for the first time all season. As a result, the intensity has been as high as the temperatures over the last two days as guys look to catch the eye of the coaches and get themselves into the 18-man squad against Chivas USA.
Luckily for Bruce, the game is still five days (and three training sessions) away, giving him more than enough time to decide who will be in and who will be out come Sunday.

A Final Look at 2-0 Defeat to New York

David Beckham was in the starting lineup for the first time this season, but goals from Dane Richards and Juan Pablo Angel on either side of halftime condemed the Galaxy to a 2-0 defeat to the Red Bulls at The Home Depot Center on Friday night.

Here are some of the highlights from the night...

Postgame Reaction to New York Defeat

Here is what Sean Franklin had to say on the field after the game...


And here is more from both locker rooms

LA Galaxy Head Coach Bruce Arena
On the result:
“We didn’t deserve to win the game tonight. They outplayed us in the first half. No question about that. Their midfield dominated us.”

On the play of his team:
“The first half was very disappointing. We put no pressure on the ball and gave them too much time. Our team shape was poor. That’s all on me. Our effort was not what it needed to be and that’s on our players. I’m very disappointed in the way our guys came out and played in the first 45 minutes. I thought the second half was better.”

On the play of the center backs:
“They are young. One of those players was playing in the [USSF Division 2 Pro League] a couple weeks ago. It’s not surprising there is a mistake or two, obviously, and there was. Those were the options that we had.”

On playing David Beckham for 90 minutes:
“I would have preferred that he played less than 90 minutes tonight. Obviously, the change we had to make at halftime and the Kovalenko injury hurt us. He felt he could play 90 minutes. In a perfect world, he would not have played that long. He showed tremendous character and quality in the last 20 minutes when by all rights, he should have been off the field.”

On the play of Yohance Marshall:
“For the most part it was solid. He is an inexperienced player. I think it is his second MLS game. Our organization in the back in the first half wasn’t good enough, and obviously, a mistake on the penalty kick. For us to expect that those guys would come in a not make any mistakes, we would have to be kidding ourselves. I think for the most part, he has played well in these two games. We have to be realistic. We had to put those guys in some tough spots. It’s all part of it, injuries happen. He played well for the most part.”

On the play of New York’s players:
“I think Tchani played well in the first half. For some reason, we didn’t do a good job getting around him. I thought he was a key player in the first half for them. I thought Lindpere had a very good game, as well. They played better than us over 90 minutes, but especially in the first half. The last 20 minutes of the fist half, they were pretty good.”

On his team’s play over 90 minutes:
“I think that in the first half, we did a really poor job with our shape. Over the last 20 minutes, we just gave them too much time over the ball. The second half, we changed that around and had the game more on our terms. The second goal put us in a really difficult position to try to get a result out of the game. Their center backs played well. I thought Ream just cut off every cross we sent in. Maybe it had something to do with the quality of our service, but he seemed to be in the right spot all night dealing with our crosses.”

Los Angeles Galaxy Forward Landon Donovan
On the play of Mehdi Ballouchy:
“He did well tonight. He is a guy who has always showed flashes during his time in Colorado but wasn’t all that efficient. He seems like he is fitting in well with New York and he had a good game tonight.”

On the play of the Red Bulls:
“They are a good team there is no question and they are missing arguably their best player. They are going to be a tough team come playoff time and if we face them again we have to be a lot better.”

On New York missing Henry:
“We played a little different but we actually didn’t play to use that as an advantage. We were too deep the whole night. We allowed too much space in the midfield. We probably should have played a little bit higher and put them under more pressure.”

On the team’s performance in the first half:
“We were all over the place. Once they broke us down a few times, we missed a few tackles and they got through. It was kind of disheartening and it seemed like it broke our sprit a little bit.”

On the Galaxy back line:
“We have a center back pairing that has played a combined [12] games for us. That is going to hurt you. To some extent they did okay but they made two mistakes and it led to two goals. That is how you learn. They are still good players but they are going to get better.”

Los Angeles Galaxy Forward Edson Buddle
On tonight’s game:
“Overall they did a good job getting a goal first. They did a good job holding on to the lead. We were dangerous some times but we didn’t test [Bouna] Coundoul as much. Technically we should have been sharper in the final third.”

Los Angeles Galaxy Midfielder David Beckham
On playing ninety minutes:
“I discussed with Bruce [Arena] during the week that I could play 65 -70 [minutes]. I felt pretty good. There were some stages where I felt tired and I felt my lungs a little bit. We had a few players pull up due to injuries so I had to stay on in the end but it was good to get 90.”

On the team’s struggles offensively:
“Usually the first half sets the tone for the game. The first half wasn’t good for us. We didn’t start well and we didn’t pressure well. They kept the ball and we didn’t press them. When you start games like that it is tough going on from that.”

On the loss:
“We are disappointed with the loss. We don’t want to lose any games here. We were disappointed with our first half performance more than anything. In the second half we came out fighting a little bit more but first half was how we lost the game.”

On the young back four:
“We know the back four could play. It doesn’t matter how young they are or how inexperienced they are. They are good players. There just a few mistakes tonight. In the first half we didn’t play like we should play especially when we are at home. We should be in control of the game when we are at home and we weren’t.”

On the hype surrounding the game:
“Obviously there was a bit more hype and buzz around this game because it was New York and the rivalry. With the players that they brought, [Rafa] Marquez and Thierry [Henry], who did not play tonight, there was more hype around the game and a full stadium. There was a certain buzz around leading up to it but once you start the game it like any other game.”

LA Galaxy Midfielder Dema Kovalenko
On a tough battle in the midfield:
“It was not a tough battle, they outplayed us. They controlled the ball and we couldn’t get to the ball. We just didn’t adjust, I guess. They had too much room, too much space and that’s where the game is won, in the midfield. It was a bit frustrating. It’s communication. We lose as a team and win as a team. We don’t want to point any fingers. We didn’t do well, they were the better team. The effort was not there, it was just like we didn’t want to be there. The second half was better, we came out and we put pressure and they couldn’t really do anything but then they scored another goal. We couldn’t adjust to the way they played and that was the difference.”

On the differences between the two games against New York this season:
“I think they were the same. In New York, we came out and took the game to them. We put pressure on the ball and didn’t let them do anything like they did today and that was the difference. We made a mistake on a goal and it’s tough but this happens. We didn’t respond well enough after that goal and we didn’t play well. We’re going to watch the tape on Monday and correct our mistakes. This is a good lesson for us and it can’t happen again.”

New York Red Bulls Head Coach Hans Backe
On the result:
“It is a massive on the road win for us, of course. We deserved this victory I would say. The first half, after the first three or four minutes, we controlled the game. Our buildup was excellent, the passing game, the possession. LA had huge problems to defend against [Rafa] Marquez, Carlos Mendes, and Tim Ream when we would build up from the back four with three players and push the full backs. In the second half, they got some chances, but I would say it was one of the best performances so far from this team.”

On the play of Mehdi Ballouchy:
“Man of the match. Absolutely outstanding. I’m surprised that he is that good. He is all over the pitch. His passing game, he is so composed on the ball, wants the ball all of the time, gets our game going, set up strikers and wide players. He was definitely the man of the match.”

On the play of Rafael Marquez:
“It was good. We decided at halftime to play him maximum 65 minutes because he has been fatigued and he is still fatigued and we didn’t want to take any risks with picking up a stupid injury at this stage in the season. He was the guy at the beginning of the first half that started our buildup. He is so precise in the passing game.”

On the result:
“I think the last five or six weeks we have looked very consistent and strong, defending very well. Everyone has been ready to do the dirty work in these games, even the strikers. So I’m not really that surprised. I’m surprised of course to win away against the best team in MLS. When everything works like it did today, the shape and the right attitude, you can win games like this.”

On pressuring the Galaxy’s young center backs:
“When we had the team talk, we said we have to try to press the center backs, make it hard for them as much as possible. We didn’t drop to defend. We closed down every goal kick. Ballouchy and Angel tried to press them as much as possible.”

Red Bulls Forward Juan Pablo Angel
On the result:
“I think we kept possession very well during the game and I think we won the battle in the midfield and that was probably the difference between the two teams. Also, there were two teams with different necessities. They are already qualified for the playoffs and we needed to win a game in order for us to make it. I think it was a great game, a great win and now we can look forward to the playoffs.”

On the rivalry between the east and west:
“I think it phenomenal for the league, it is important for the business in general and I think it was a very entertaining game.”

New York Red Bulls Midfielder Dane Richards
On his goal:
“It was just being in the right place at the right time. Joel [Lindpere] took the shot and it came off the post. Coach always tells me to follow up on rebounds. I was in the box at the right place at the right time.”

Homestand Ends on Sour Note with 2-0 loss to Red Bulls

LA Galaxy 0, New York Red Bulls 2
Friday, September 24, 2010
The Home Depot Center – Carson, Calif.

Scoring Summary:
NY – Dane Richards 3 (Unassisted) 36’
NY – Juan Pablo Angel 13 (Penalty Kick) 60’

Misconduct Summary:
LA – A.J. DeLaGarza (Yellow Card) 56’
LA – Yohance Marshall (Yellow Card) 59’
LA – David Beckham (Yellow Card) 87’

Lineups:
LA Galaxy: Donovan Ricketts; Sean Franklin, Yohance Marshall, Leonardo (A.J. DeLaGarza 46’), Todd Dunivant; Dema Kovalenko (Tristan Bowen 76’), David Beckham, Juninho, Landon Donovan©; Jovan Kirovski (Eddie Lewis 67’), Edson Buddle.

Subs Not Used: Josh Saunders, Alex Cazumba, Chris Birchall, Mike Magee.

New York Red Bulls: Bouna Coundoul; Carey Talley (Mike Petke 40’), Carlos Mendes, Tim Ream, Roy Miller; Rafael Marquez (Carl Robinson 69’), Tony Tschani (Salou Ibrahim 71’), Dane Richards, Mehdi Ballouchy, Joel Lindpere; Juan Pablo Angel©.

Subs Not Used: Greg Sutton, Austin Da Luz, Danleigh Borman, Sinisa Ubiparipovic.
Notes:
• Despite the loss, the Galaxy remain in first place in the Western Conference and all of MLS with a 15-6-5 record for 50 points. They remain three points ahead of Real Salt Lake for first place, with RSL hosting Colorado on Saturday.
• Tonight’s game was the third and final game of the Galaxy’s three game homestand. They finished 2-1-0 in those three games, taking six of a possible nine points.
• Bruce Arena made two changes to the team that came from behind to defeat D.C. United 2-1 at The Home Depot Center on Saturday night. Leonardo returned to the starting XI in central defense in place of the suspended Omar Gonzalez, while David Beckham made his first start of the season in midfield, replacing Alex Cazumba, who began the game on the bench.
• Joining Cazumba on the bench was A.J. DeLaGarza, who had not dressed for either of the last two games because of a left knee strain.
• While the club welcomed DeLaGarza back to the lineup, they were once again without defender Gregg Berhalter and A.J. DeLaGarza, who missed his sixth straight game with a neck strain, though Berhalter did return to training earlier this week.
• This was the first time in all competitions that the Galaxy had used the central defense pairing of Yohance Marshall and Leonardo.
• After missing last weekend’s game with left quad fatigue, Leonardo played the opening 45 minutes before being replaced by A.J. DeLaGarza.
• David Beckham played the full 90 minutes for the Galaxy after making his first start of the season. This was Beckham’s first start in a Galaxy uniform since MLS Cup 2009 in Seattle on November 22, 2009.
• Dane Richards gave the Red Bulls a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute. That was the fifth time in the last six games that the Galaxy allowed the opening goal.
• LA is now 1-6-2 when allowing the game’s opening goals.
• Juan Pablo Angel doubled the New York lead in the 60th with a penalty kick for his 13th goal of the season. Only the Galaxy’s Edson Buddle has more goals than Angel with 14.
• The penalty kick was Angel’s third attempt against the Galaxy in the last three meetings. He scored on two of the three and had one saved by Donovan Ricketts at Giants Stadium last season.
• Angel’s penalty kick, which was came from a Yohance Marshall foul on Dane Richards, was the first penalty given up by the Galaxy this season.
• The Galaxy have now allowed a goal in eight straight regular season home games, dating back to May 15. LA has kept a clean sheet in just three of their 13 home games so far this season.
• This was the eighth time this season that the Galaxy were shutout, with three of those coming at home.
• Of the eight times that LA was shutout this season, six have come against Eastern Conference opposition.
• Juninho was not booked in the game, meaning that he is eligible to play in the Galaxy’s next game against Chivas USA on September 3. He remains one caution away from a mandatory one game suspension for yellow card accumulation.
• This was the final game of the season between the Galaxy and New York. The two teams split the season series, with LA winning 1-0 at Red Bull Arena on August 14.
• New York’s win snapped a four-game unbeaten streak for LA against the Red Bulls dating back to the 2008 season.
• The attendance for today’s game was a sellout crowd of 27,000. This was the Galaxy’s second sellout of the season.
• The Galaxy are back in action on Sunday, October 3 when they play the second and final leg of the Honda SuperClasico against Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center. That game kicks off at 5 p.m. (PT) and can be seen live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.
• For more about today’s game, please visit www.lagalaxy.com.

THE Game is Set to Go

It's almost game time here at The Home Depot Center where the Galaxy will play the New York Red Bulls in the season's most high profile game. The Galaxy look to win their third game in a row at home and sweep the season series with New York. Tonight also marks the first time that David Beckham will start for the Galaxy since the 2009 MLS Cup in Seattle nearly 10 months ago. Yohance Marshall will start again in defense, this time alongside Leonardo starts in place of the susepended Omar Gonzalez.

The game features a Red Bull squad without Thierry Henry but still has a formidable attack led by Juan Pablo Angel, the second leading scorer in MLS.

Here is the complete Galaxy squad...

----------Buddle----------Kirovski-------------

Donovan------------Juninho--------------Beckham

-----------------Kovalenko---------------------

Dunivant-----Leonardo-----Marshall-----Franklin

------------------Ricketts----------------------

Subs: Saunders, DeLaGarza, Lewis, Cazumba, Birchall, Magee, Bowen.

And here is how the visitors, New York Red Bulls will lineup for Head Coach Hans Backe...

-----------------Angel-----------------------

Lindpere-------------Ballouchy--------Richards

-----------Tchani-----------Marquez-----------

Miller-------Ream--------Mendes----------Talley

--------------------Coundoul------------------

Subs: Sutton, Petke, Borman, da Luz, Robinson, Ubiparipovic, Ibrahim.

Galaxy vs. Red Bulls in the Press

Tonight's game against the New York Red Bulls at The Home Depot Center has been dubbed the Game of the Season by many and there is no shortage of game previews, player match-ups and team profiles to help you get ready for the game.

There has been plenty written about this game or said about it, so this is your spot to get it all in one full serving, of course starting with the latest episode of This Week Inside the Galaxy.

A match-up of MLS stars, tonight's game could be a preview of MLS Cup in Toronto. For a game preview, click here. Mark Rogondino thinks that this could be just that in his latest View from the Booth.

If you are looking for a positional breakdown and which Galaxy players will give the team the edge over the Red Bulls, click here to see the latest for tonight's game.

How will the Galaxy clamp down on Red Bulls star Rafa Marquez? Click here to find out.

While tonight's game is this season's best, it might also be a glimpse into the future of MLS.

MLS also has you covered with video about tonight's game. Check it out in The Daily EXTRA.

If that's not enough for you, see what Bruce Arena and a few Galaxy players have to say about the top match-ups for tonight's game.

And here is more from Bruce and New York head coach Hans Backe.

If you missed David Beckham on ESPN's Sportscenter from Los Angeles last night, check out what he had to say about the Galaxy right here.

The game of the season will be played before a sell-out crowd and airs live on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. Hope to see you all tonight at The HDC.

This Week Inside the Galaxy - Ready for the Red Bulls

In the latest episode of This Week Inside the Galaxy, check in with a few of the Galaxy Academy's top stars ahead of the start of the Development Academy season and look ahead to tonight's high profile meeting with the New York Red Bulls at The Home Depot Center.

Take a look...

Both Donovan's Up for Awards

Could this be the week that the Galaxy get back to winning some awards?

Landon Donovan's game-winning goal against D.C. United is up for the AT&T Goal of the Week award while Donovan Ricketts' second half save off a Pablo Hernandez shot is up for the NAPA Save of the Week award.

The Galaxy have won just one Goal of the Week award this season (Juninho for his goal against Seattle on July 4) and one Save of the Week award (Ricketts for his leaping save to stop a Steven Lenhart header at Columbus on May 29) but all that could change this week.

Click here to see all of the Goal of the Week nominees and to vote for Landon's header, and then click here to vote for Donovan's diving save that kept the score 1-0 and gave LA a chance to come back and earn the win.

Yohance Ready to Marshal LA Defense

To say that last week was a wild one for Yohance Marshall would be an understatement. He returned from his loan spell in Austin on Monday and made his MLS debut on Saturday, helping the Galaxy earn their second straight win.

We caught up with the Galaxy's young Trinidadian defender to discuss his debut and the challenge that will be presented on Friday night by Juan Pablo Angel and the Red Bulls.

Take Another Look at 2-1 Victory Over D.C. United

Re-live the Galaxy's come from behind victory over D.C. United from Saturday night at The Home Depot Center. Trailing 1-0 with 10 minutes remaining, Landon Donovan scored twice to give the Galaxy their first come from behind win in nearly two years and stay three points clear of Real Salt Lake at the top of the standings.

Watch as Landon, Bruce and David share their thoughts on the victory during postgame interviews.

Last Hours to Vote for Edson's Pepsi Refresh Project

Only a few hours remain for you to vote for the LA Galaxy and Edson Buddle's Pepsi Refresh Project and help the club win a $50,000 Pepsi Refresh grant!

The Galaxy's project will look to refresh communities by empowering, encouraging and educating children through the building of a soccer-themed playroom at a local children's hospital and conducting soccer camps focused on fitness and health in the LA area. In addition, the club will look to provide aid, equipment and soccer instruction in Haiti for kids affected by January's earthquake through the Galaxy Foundation's Haitian Initiative.

Don't miss your chance to help Edson and the Galaxy give back to community!

Fans can cast their vote up to 25 times per day at www.MLSsoccer.com/PepsiRefresh/LA for the Galaxy until tonight at 8:59 p.m.

Postgame Reaction to Comeback Win Over D.C. United

Here is what Todd Dunivant had to say on the field after the game...


And what more of the guys had to say in the locker rooms...

LA Galaxy Head Coach Bruce Arena:
On the result:
“I thought we played hard tonight and D.C. United played incredibly hard. Getting the first goal didn’t make it easy for us. We had to fight and scrap, and that’s one of the few times this year we’ve been in that kind of position and come out with three points. That in itself is very pleasing and there is a lot of credit to our team for getting three point tonight. I though our players in the second half that came in, Beckham and Lewis and Bowen, they did their jobs. We just had to fight hard. I think the story tonight for us is that we didn’t deliver the last pass well. We had a bunch of opportunities tonight during this game when we got behind them in good spots in the final third of the field and we really didn’t deliver a good pass. Obviously at the end, we managed to do that. I think at times we moved the ball and got behind them and created some potentially good goal scoring opportunities, but didn’t deliver the right ball at the right time. That obviously kept us off the scoreboard for a lot of minutes in this game. Overall, we are leaving here with three points and at this time of year those are critical points. Give our team a lot of credit. My hat is off to D.C. United. That was a fabulous effort on the part of their players and their coaches did a great job of getting their team ready to play.”

On the play of Yohance Marshall:
“I think he did very well. He played with a lot of confidence to start the game which was good to see. He is obviously confident from getting a number of games under his belt this year at Austin, and he played with us earlier this year against Boca and we could see that he was a player with a lot more confidence. We needed him tonight and he did a really good job.”

On the play of David Beckham:
“I think he did well. Again, we need to appreciate that this is a player who six months ago tore his Achilles tendon. To be back this quickly and to be able to contribute what he has in the last two games, I think it is very impressive. He is ahead of schedule, and again, out goal is to get him completely match fit by playoff time. I think we are ahead of the curve. We are about four week away from the playoffs and if everything goes well and there are no setbacks, he should be on schedule.”

On the play of Tristan Bowen:
“He is a young kid and he has worked real hard in the last couple of weeks to have a little bit of a better tactical understanding of how to play that position and be dangerous and deliver some balls. He was active tonight and he did some things that we haven’t seen yet. He is a very promising player, still a young player. He hasn’t played a lot of games at a high level and to see him come in a react the way he did tonight is a real positive. I am pleased for Tristan.”

On the season so far:
“We have seven points in our last three games. This is week 25 of the season, and we have been in first place for 25 weeks. It hasn’t been that bad. We didn’t expect the season to be perfect. We managed to play 23 of our games without David Beckham, and we’ve dealt with our issues. To date, I am pleased with our team. I know if we don’t get better, we’re not going to have a chance to win MLS Cup. I understand that completely. We certainly realize that we need to get better. It is part of sport, and the character of teams and athletes comes out in these situations. It is the part of sport that is challenging. There are five difficult games ahead of us, and we probably need to win four to win the Supporters Shield and home field advantage. It’s not going to be easy.”

On next week’s match against the New York Red Bulls:
“It will be a good game. I think when the envisioned this league, they probably wanted to have something like this. Two big cities, getting after each other a little bit. Give New York a lot of credit. That has been a fabulous ownership group to really get that situation right. They have one of the finest soccer stadiums in the country. They have invested deeply in that team and have done a great job. The acquisitions of Henry and Marquez, along with Angel and others, they have the star power for sure. It is a great game for the league. I am happy we are at this point in the season with the league and have this kind of opportunity. This league is moving forward at the right pace and I think next Friday will mean a lot to both teams. It is going an evening to celebrate where this league has come. I think it will be a fabulous night for MLS. Our team has to play at its very best to win the game.”

LA Galaxy Forward Landon Donovan
On the game:
“We didn’t play well tonight. I don’t know what the deal was. I don’t know why. I wish I had an answer for it. We didn’t compete like we have the last few weeks. We didn’t pass the ball well, our final decision in front of the goal was poor, and we had a bunch of really not good performances. We were fortunate to get something out of the game.”

On the play of D.C. United:
“D.C. played well. You have to give them a lot of credit. Not only did they played loose and relaxed and aggressively, but they actually played well, they passed the ball well, they moved well. But that doesn’t matter. We need to be a lot better. We can’t have that many poor performances around the field. At the end of the day, there weren’t many places where we can say we won the match up. We were pretty fortunate to get out of it with a win.”

On finding a way to win:
“Our effort was ok. Our quality was just not good. Everything could have been sharper and better. That being said, good teams find ways to win. You are not always going to play well. You have to find a way to win. Before the game this week, I was thinking a lot about wanting to finish at the top of the league, and I want to be MVP again. I wanted to make a statement tonight.”

On the play of Andy Najar:
"I'm really impressed with that kid. Really impressed. He's scored twice against us this year. He's competetive, technically he is very good. He plays much more mature than a 17-year-old, and he scores goals. I don't care how good you are, it is not easy to score goals in this league. He has found a way to score quite a few goals this year and I think he is a good player."

On surpassing Cobi Jones as the Galaxy’s all-time leading scorer:
“Cobi’s is the guy I have watched the most throughout my career, not only when I was young, but also since I have been in MLS and especially since I have been with the Galaxy. I have a lot of respect for what he has done and it is nice to join that company.”

LA Galaxy Defender Yohance Marshall
On the backline’s performance:
“They have some pacey guys up top. I think we stayed compact and talked to each other and we did pretty well tonight.”

On being called back to the Galaxy:
“It was a bit sudden, but this is my mother club so I was happy to come back.”

On finding out he was starting:
“Leonardo got a couple of knocks so coach came up to me and said that I was probably going to be going in.”

On pregame nerves:
“I think every player is nervous to play so of course I was a little nervous but it is part of the game so you have to go on with it. Fight the nerves and go out and play to the best of your ability.”

On being out on loan:
“The game is funny. I was just trying to get as much experience as I could. I knew they needed me so I came back and I think I had an alright performance.”

LA Galaxy Midfielder David Beckham
On his playing time:
“I spoke about it with Bruce [Arena], about getting more minutes on the field and I think it was just under 40 minutes so it was a good work out for myself. I was puffing a little bit more than I was last week, but it was more minutes on the field and that is what I need.”

On his recovery process:
“I just have to do my work during the week. When match days come I just hope for the best. When you have been out for six months with this kind of injury it is hard to actually do too much work while you are rehabbing it. For four months I probably didn’t do hardly anything, now I am trying to step it up so it’s going to take a while to get my match fitness and tonight helps”.

On coming from behind to win:
“It felt great to be part of that because I know we haven’t done it this season. It is important to do that because we can’t expect to win every game easily. D.C. came here tonight and they played with the freedom that they’ve got this season and they made it a hard night enough for us. We could tell after five minutes that it was going to be frustrating because I don’t think our passing was great. Our final ball wasn’t right and when you do that during games you are going to struggle. We kept it going. The character came through at the end and we have to prove that we got that character. We know it within the locker room but we have to prove it to people.”

On Landon Donovan’s ability to change the game:
“When you have some one like Landon who has the pace to capitalize on the mistakes that teams make, you need that. It was a great help for us tonight of course.”

LA Galaxy Defender Todd Dunivant
On tonight’s game:
“It was a great game. They came in here and made it really tough on us. They were definitely up for this game. They were coming off a big win against Toronto. They played a great game you really have to tip your hats to them. They made it tough on us. Donovan came in with a huge save on a breakaway when the game was still in doubt and Landon made a couple of great plays.”

On Yohance Marshall:
“He has been out all year. He comes in steps in and does a great job. He didn’t miss a beat. He played simple, played smart, played hard and did his job. It was perfect.”

On injuries to the backline:
“We are thin. Leonardo is close and A.J. [De La Garza] is close. We are going to need some center backs for next week. Omar is going to be gone, but Sean [Franklin] can play center back. We are going to have to make adjustments. That is what it is all about and we are going to get guys healthy.”

D.C. United Head Coach Ben Olsen
On the game:
“Overall we were pretty good tonight and I’m just gutted for the guys because they put so much effort into it and they want it so bad. At the end of the day, whether it’s a defensive lapse or, let’s face it, we’ve got some chances to kill that game off. So it’s not just a defensive display, it’s both side of the play. Making sure we’re finishing the game off and making the plays that matter down the stretch.”

On the team’s play over the final weeks of the season:
“I’m not looking for much more than we had out there. Take out a defensive lapse or two and put the ball away. I’m not worried about the way we play or the way we fight, that’s there. We’ve got to figure out that it’s every play that matters. I’m proud of the guys. They fought again and they did everything and they are gutted in there. I’ve got guys in there that are so disappointed right now. They do care.”

On his roster:
“We’ve got talent, we’ve got guys that we believe in. I really like this team, I like the way they’ve responded. But again, it’s not always enough to play hard, we’ve got to be smart and we’ve got to be clinical and we’ve got to get cutthroat when we’ve got the chances to do so.”

D.C. United Midfielder Santino Quaranta
On the result:
“This one hurts a lot and I think that we should have won the game. I think we put enough into it and we were good enough on a night to win. Unfortunately, we made a couple of mistakes and we got punished for it.”

On United’s ability to attack the Galaxy:
“We had some good players going forward and that was our plan coming in, to exploit them. They attack very aggressively on the outsides and I think our counter going forward was pretty good and I think we should have gotten more out of it.”

On what his team can take away from tonight’s game:
“Continue to play like that and we’ll win games. It’s kind of been a theme all year but they’re the best team in our league and I think we should have won this game tonight. Our record and our points don’t show what kind of team we are.”

On his team’s play:
“I thought we were better, plain and simple. I thought we should have won the game. We’ve said this all year but tonight really hurts because for 80 minutes we fight hard and then seven or eight minutes of letdowns and that’s the end of that.”

Donovan Double Gives LA 2-1 Win

LA Galaxy 2, D.C. United 1
Saturday, September 18, 2010
The Home Depot Center – Carson, Calif.

Scoring Summary:
DC – Andy Najar 4 (Unassisted) 60’
LA – Landon Donovan 6 (Unassisted) 81’
LA – Landon Donovan 7 (Tristan Bowen 2, Sean Franklin 6) 86’

Misconduct Summary:
LA – Omar Gonzalez (Yellow Card) 39’
LA – Yohance Marshall (Yellow Card) 62’
LA – Landon Donovan (Yellow Card) 88’

Lineups:
LA Galaxy: Donovan Ricketts; Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, Yohance Marshall, Todd Dunivant; Dema Kovalenko, Landon Donovan©, Juninho (Tristan Bowen 78’), Alex Cazumba (Eddie Lewis 63’); Jovan Kirovski (David Beckham 53’), Edson Buddle.

Subs Not Used: Josh Saunders, Chris Birchall, Michael Stephens, Mike Magee.

D.C. United: Troy Perkins; Jordan Graye, Julius James, Dejan Jakovic, Jed Zayner; Andy Najar, Kurt Morsink (Carlos Varela 90’), Stephen King (Branko Boskovic 46’), Santino Quaranta©; Danny Allsopp (Clyde Simms 78’), Pablo Hernandez.

Subs Not Used: Chase Harrison, Junior Carreiro, Devon McTavish.
Notes:
• With the win, the Galaxy improve to 15-5-5 on the season and remain in sole possession of first place in the Western Conference with 50 points. They remain three points ahead of Real Salt Lake for first place in the Western Conference and the best record in MLS, with five games left in the season.
• LA are now six points ahead of the Eastern Conference leading Columbus Crew, who lost 4-0 to Seattle earlier today.
• The Galaxy are now unbeaten in their last three games, giving them their first three-game unbeaten streak since opening the year without a loss in their first 12 games. They are 2-0-1 in those games.
• Bruce Arena made one change to the team that defeated Columbus 3-1 at The Home Depot Center last weekend, giving Yohance Marshall his MLS debut in central defense in place of Leonardo, who missed the game because of right quad fatigue.
• In addition to Leonardo, the Galaxy were without defenders Gregg Berhalter and A.J. DeLaGarza, who missed their fifth and second straight game respectively.
• Marshall was recalled from his loan assignment with the Austin Aztex of the USSF Division 2 Pro League on Monday. He had been with the Aztex since April, appearing in 24 games for the club, scoring three times and helping them reach the postseason for the first time ever.
• The only other time that Marshall was in the Galaxy’s 18-man squad for a league game this season was on May 20 at FC Dallas, when he was an unused substitute. He did play the final 45 minutes of the 1-0 friendly win over Boca Juniors at The Home Depot Center a few days later on May 23 before returning to Austin.
• Marshall played the full 90 minutes and was booked in the second half.
• Omar Gonzalez was booked in the 39th minute for a foul on Pablo Hernandez. That was his team-high eighth yellow card of the season, earning him a mandatory one-game suspension. Gonzalez will now miss next week’s game against the New York Red Bulls.
• Andy Najar gave D.C. United a 1-0 lead in the 60th minute. He scored in each of the two games this season between the Galaxy and D.C.
• Landon Donovan equalized for the Galaxy in the 81st minute with his sixth goal of the season.
• That goal was Donovan’s 70th as a member of the Galaxy, tying him with Cobi Jones for the most regular season goals in club history.
• He became the club’s all-time leading scorer with his second goal of the game five minutes later, scoring the game winning goal.
• This was his second multi-goal game of the season, with both coming at The Home Depot Center.
• Sean Franklin and Tristan Bowen each assisted on the game-winning goal. For Franklin it was his sixth assist of the season and Bowen’s second.
• Both of Bowen’s assists this season have come on game-winning goals.
• Franklin has assisted on the game-winning goal in each of LA’s last two games.
• LA got the full three points after allowing the game’s first goal for the first time this season, They are now 1-5-2 when allowing the first goal. Prior to tonight, the last time LA won after allowing the opening goal was September 20, 2008 when Landon Donovan had a hat trick in a 5-2 win over D.C. United.
• This was the first time this season that D.C. did not win when scoring the game’s opening goal. They are now 4-0-1 when doing so.
• LA have now come back to earn a point in each of the last two games in which they have allowed the game’s first goal.
• Donovan Ricketts made five saves in the game and allowed just one goal for the third straight game. He claimed his MLS-best 15th win of the season in the game.
• This was the final game of the season between the Galaxy and D.C. United, with LA sweeping the season series after also winning 2-1 at RFK Stadium earlier this year.
• Juninho was not booked in the game, meaning that he is eligible to play in the Galaxy’s next game against New York. He remains one caution away from a mandatory one game suspension for yellow card accumulation.
• As a result of tonight’s win and Chicago’s loss at Real Salt Lake, the Galaxy can become the first team to qualify for this year’s MLS Cup Playoffs with a Chivas USA win over Kansas City on Sunday.
• The attendance for today’s game was 20,094.
• The Galaxy are back in action on Friday, September 24 when they complete their three game homestand against the New York Red Bulls. That game kicks off at 8 p.m. (PT) and can be seen live on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.
• For more about today’s game, please visit www.lagalaxy.com.

Galaxy Aiming for Second Straight Win Against D.C. United

It's game night again here at The Home Depot Center as the LA Galaxy host a struggling D.C. United squad that has scored just 16 goals on the season. However, despite United being all but eliminated from the postseason, the Galaxy still cannot overlook the four-time MLS Cup champs, especially following Real Salt Lake's win over Chicago earlier this afternoon, a result that pulled RSL into a first place tie with the Galaxy in the Western Conference.

Bruce Arena makes one change to the team that defeated Columbus last weekend, giving the newly recalled Yohance Marshall his MLS debut in central defense alongside Omar Gonzalez. He replaces Leonardo, who is rested for the game because of right quad fatigue.

Here is the complete Galaxy squad...

----------Buddle----------Kirovski-------------

Cazumba--------Juninho--------------Donovan

-----------------Kovalenko---------------------

Dunivant-----Marshall---Gonzalez----Franklin

------------------Ricketts----------------------

Subs: Saunders, Lewis, Birchall, Beckham, Stephens, Magee, Bowen

And here is how the visitors, D.C. United will lineup for Interim Head Coach Ben Olsen...

-----------Hernandez---- Allsopp------------

Quaranta--------------------------------Najar

--------------King--------Morsink------------

Zayner------Jakovic-------James-------Graye

--------------------Perkins--------------------

Subs: Harrison, Boskovic, Carreiro, McTavish, Simms, Varela

This Week Inside the Galaxy: 2010 - Episode 22

Last weekend's win over Columbus was special for the Galaxy's Landon Donovan, not just because he helped to set up two of his team's three goals, setting a new career-high with 14 assists, but because he was able to do it in front of 10-year-old Gerardo from the Make a Wish program.

Learn more about Gerardo's visit and look ahead to Saturday's battle with D.C. United, This Week Inside the Galaxy.

United Against D.C.

The LA Galaxy wrapped up preparations for Saturday's game against D.C. United this morning here at The Home Depot Center.

Below are a few shots from training over the last two days...

Juninho

Landon Donovan

Josh Saunders

David Beckham

Shooting Drill

Edson Buddle with MMA Legend Royce Gracie and his family

As you can see from the photo above, MMA legend Royce Gracie was recently out at training. Gracie posed for a few photos with the players and even showed David Beckham how apply a chokehold.

On Thursday, after training, we caught up with a few of the players and coaches to get their thoughts on Saturday's game against United. Listen below.

Beckham talking with the media

Bruce Arena...

Landon Donovan...

David Beckham...

Edson Buddle......

Galaxy Raw - Sean Franklin

A near constant for the Galaxy at right back this season, Sean Franklin has grown not just as a defender, but also as an attacking threat on the right flank.

Here is what Sean, as well as Bruce and Todd, had to say about the development of that part of Franklin's game.

Dema and Donovan Up for Honors

Fresh off perhaps his best performance in a Galaxy uniform, Galaxy midfielder Dema Kovalenko has been nominated for the AT&T MLS Goal of the Week award. With LA leading 1-0 late in the first half, Kovalenko's broke the Columbus defense, and following some neat interplay between Dema, Jovan and Landon and slotted a shot underneath William Hesmer for the eventual game-winning goal.

You can see the goal (and all of the other nominees) and vote for your favorite here.

About 15 minutes before Kovalenko put LA up 2-0, Donovan Ricketts made the save of the night, stopping the Crew's Steven Lenhart on a breakaway, keeping the score 1-0. That save has now been nominated for the NAPA Save of the Week award, an honor that Ricketts claimed back in Week 10 of this season.

Re-live Ricketts' save and be sure to vote for it here.

Look Back at Saturday's 3-1 Win Over the Crew

Re-live the goals and the return of David Beckham as the Galaxy snapped a three-game winless streak with a convincing 3-1 win over Columbus on Saturday night at The Home Depot Center.

Take a look...

Last Week to Vote for the LA Galaxy and Edson Buddle's Pepsi Refresh Project

On Sunday, Galaxy forward Edson Buddle and Galaxy Director of Community Development Gloria King were guests on the Southern California Experience with LaFern Cusack on ESPN Radio 710 AM. As part of the Pepsi Refresh Project, Edson and Gloria are encouraging fans to vote for the club's idea in order to receive a $50,000 Pepsi Refresh grant.

The Galaxy's project will look to refresh communities by empowering, encouraging and educating children through the building of a soccer-themed playroom at a local children's hospital and conducting soccer camps focused on fitness and health in the LA area. In addition, the club will look to provide aid, equipment and soccer instruction in Haiti for kids affected by January's earthquake through the Galaxy Foundation's Haitian Initiative.

Fans can cast their vote up to 25 times per day at www.MLSsoccer.com/PepsiRefresh/LA for the Galaxy thru Monday, September 20 at 8:59 p.m.

Below is the complete interview...

Postgame Reaction to 3-1 Win over the Crew

Dema on the field...


And more from the locker rooms...

LA Galaxy Head Coach Bruce Arena:
On the result:
“I was pleased with our performance in the first half. I think our team played quite well in the first half. Obviously, two good goals, and the third goal was certainly important. It was a much improved performance by our team tonight, and it hopefully gives us the confidence to continue to move forward and try to be a better team as we get into postseason play.”

On the decision to bring Beckham into the game:
“This was probably the best case scenario. Winning 3-0 or losing 3-0 was probably the best kind of situation to put him in. I am happy it was 3-0 in our favor.”

On Juninho’s return:
“He’s an excellent player. We really missed him. It has been unfortunate that we have lost him for personal reasons for a number of games this year, and we have missed his presence in the center of midfield. Tonight he played well, and obviously it’s great to get him back.”

On the play of Dema Kovalenko:
“He played quite well. The goal surprised all because that is not usually Dema’s forte. He played a very good overall game. His intensity in the midfield and his work ethic is important. This is a physical league and we’ve missed some physical dimensions at times, and Dema brings that.”

On the decision to play Jovan Kirovski up front:
“Jovan is a very good player, and wherever we play Jovan he brings us experience and a brain on the field. My analysis of our team is that we have needed to have some smarter players on the field and Jovan brings that. He is a very experienced player, technically he is quite good. To have another smart player on the field who understands what needs to be done each and every minute is important and Jovan brings that. He has been a class act for our team on the field and off, and I am happy for his goal tonight and happy for his performance.”

On the health of Edson Buddle:
“He’ll be fine. We were just being safe taking him off the field at half time. There were some questions whether we were going to play him tonight. He passed the fitness test and he was ready to go. We just wanted to be smart so we don’t have any issues for the rest of the season. He is ready to go and will be fine.”

On David Beckham’s effect on the team:
“David’s presence helps our team in the locker room, on the training field and on game day. It is remarkable that he is back on the field in this short period of time. September 15th is six months, and at his age, to put in the kind of effort to come back and for the players to see that is inspirational to the team.”

On the play of Landon Donovan:
“Wherever Landon Donovan plays, we should have an advantage in that area. I have made that clear to him. I think in every game, Landon needs to win the matchup and dominate that territory and he did that tonight.”


LA Galaxy Forward Landon Donovan
On tonight’s result:
“It was very important for us. The result was important clearly, but the last few weeks we have not been competitive. Tonight, we were very competitive. Most of the 50-50 plays, we came out on top of. We had more desire than they id, and that makes a difference. We have enough quality players to make plays. We just have to compete better.”

On the return of Dema Kovalenko and Juninho:
“Dema has added some competitive fire and when he does that, we all pick up on it. Juninho as well. He is so good on the ball and he makes us a better team. When he is in there, we move the ball better, we actively take more chances because we know he is going to do a good job on the ball. He really helped us tonight.”

On winning tonight:
“It was more of a statement for us in (the locker room). We have not played well lately and we wanted to first and foremost put in the right energy and effort. And if things don’t go your way, they don’t go your way. But more often than not, when you put in that kind of effort like we did tonight, then you are going to win.”

On getting David Beckham back:
“I think we all believe that getting (David) back is going to be the best addition any team can make. At this point, if we play well, we are going to have a lot of players fighting for positions and it is nice to have a guy like him, not only on the field. But having another guy with his leadership helps a lot.”

On his play tonight:
“Bruce talked to me a lot this week about winning my matchup and being the best player in my part of the field. I need to be the best player on the field every night when I play and that is my objective. Tonight I felt I did that. That needs to be the sort of effort I put out, and if I do that, we are going to win a lot of games.”

On scoring first:
“This year, I think when we have scored first, we have not lost. When we give up the first goal, we haven’t done well. It is a pretty basic strategy. I think we put a lot in to the first part of the game, and we fully deserved to score.”

LA Galaxy midfielder Dema Kovalenko:
On the win:
“It is a good win for us. I am so happy for the guys. We beat a good team tonight. We should be proud of ourselves. We had a couple a couple of mistakes that shouldn’t have happened, but it happens in soccer. It is still three points and that is the way we should come out every game.”


On Columbus coach Robert Warzycha saying that he was the difference in the game:
“It is nice to hear, but that’s what I do, that’s why I am here. The coaches have brought me in to disrupt plays. Games like that make you better. My job today was to watch Schelotto a little bit and it made a difference. I challenged him and he said this is not a war, and I said, my friend, it is a war. He is a good player. It was my job to watch him. It is a challenge for me anytime I play against a good player, and I love it.”

On defending Schelotto:
“I frustrated him a little bit. He doesn’t like to get kicked. You can’t give him any room. I was frustrated myself too because a couple of times I didn’t touch him and he went down. It is a game and it happens, but I’m happy that we won.”

LA Galaxy Midfielder David Beckham
On his season debut:
“It’s obviously great. I haven’t been out of the game for such a long time. To get back out there, after just under six months— it has been a quick recovery— I am happy with that. I still have to obviously do a lot of hard work but being out there for 20 minutes felt good.”

On team playing with more confidence with him being available:
“The team obviously set the tone for the game. Tonight was a big game. Columbus is a very good team. They are a tough team to play against. Just being around the guys, being in the training room, and being out there on the field and the training field, I hope it does that to the players and if it played some part in the game tonight with the way we played then that is a positive.”

On being able to play ninety minutes:
“I thought that I was ready to play 90 minutes a few months ago. At the end of the day, I have to take my time being eased into games. I thought that I could have played 90 minutes tonight but after 10 minutes of being on the field I felt like I was dying. I felt good after that, came through it and I finished strong so I was happy with that.”

Los Angeles Galaxy Forward Edson Buddle
On the game:
“It was good to get on the board early and have them pressing and I think that is what opened things up.”

On his goal:
“It was a good ball in from Sean [Franklin}. [Alex] Cazumba went to the near post and I went far post. The ball landed right on my foot and I was able to get solid contact.”

On tonight’s win:
“At the end of the day we want to get the Supporters Shield and win at home. Every game is important. We have to move on we just can’t dwell on this game. We’re definitely starting to go straight but we just want to get things right and hopefully have the same type of game next week.”

On being on top of the league:
“We’ve led the league all year and we wanted to hold on to that. Who knows what the mood would have been like if we would have lost that game and let Columbus take the lead.”

On the Galaxy winning when scoring first:
“The results speak for themselves. When we score first we win and we have to continue that. We have to show some kind of resilience and fight when we are down.”

On having David Beckham back:
“With his experience I think he will do well no matter what situation he is thrown in. He is going to take some time to get match fit but his experience is going to be key going into the playoffs.”

On Juninho:
“Juninho is a very good player. I think he contributes and does a lot. He holds onto the ball in tight spaces. He is creative and he helps out a lot in the midfield. With the combination that we have already makes everything a lot more dangerous.”

Columbus Crew Coach Robert Warzycha
On falling behind 1-0:
“We had a decent game I would say, but they were scoring the goals. The first goal obviously was a good cross and we lost our marks in the box and they scored. The second goal was a one-two inside the box, it shouldn’t have happened. I think it was a bit of a soft goal. We gave up the third goal on the set piece which was rare for us. But, I give credit to the Galaxy, they did what they needed to do.”

On the physical play of the game affecting the Crew:
“Especially in the first half, I may have had objections to some of the calls but the referee did what he did. Look at the fouls, they [Galaxy] had 15 fouls and we had 6 and there was only one yellow card. They were stopping every time we had the momentum but they were tactical fouls, and that is part of the game.”

Thoughts on midfield play by both teams:
“Maybe we gave them a little bit more time but, actually, it was too many turnovers on our part. Kovalenko did what he’s known for. He tackled everybody, he grabs everybody and the referee let him do that and that was the difference.”

Columbus Crew Captain Frankie Hejduk
How did the pace of the Galaxy challenge you tonight?
“They just finished their chances to be honest. They did well with their chances and they kept the ball pretty well and knocked the ball around. They were the aggressors tonight and they were the home team and they played well.

Did the physical play affect your game tonight?
“No, not at all. We like grinding, fighting and scrapping, that’s kind of the way we play. Tonight was their night and they were the better team. We battled and tried to make it a game but we missed two really good chances and that was the difference.

What are your thoughts about tonight’s game?
“This was a tough game. LA is a solid team and there’s a reason why they’ve been in first place all year. That’s not to say anything bad about us. I thought we battled, but tonight they were definitely the better team.”

Buddle, Koalenko and Kirovski Score to Give LA 3-1 Win Over Crew

LA Galaxy 3, Columbus Crew 1
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The Home Depot Center – Carson, Calif.

Scoring Summary:
LA – Edson Buddle 14 (Sean Franklin 5, Landon Donovan 13) 13’
LA – Dema Kovalenko 1 (Landon Donovan 14, Jovan Kirovski 2) 35’
LA – Jovan Kirovski 4 (Alex Cazumba 1) 55’
CLB – Andres Mendoza 1 (Andy Iro 1) 85’

Misconduct Summary:
LA – Mike Magee (Yellow Card) 72’
LA – David Beckham (Yellow Card) 74’

Lineups:
LA Galaxy: Donovan Ricketts; Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, Leonardo, Todd Dunivant; Dema Kovalenko, Landon Donovan©, Juninho (David Beckham 70’), Alex Cazumba; Jovan Kirovski (Mike Magee 60’), Edson Buddle (Chris Birchall 46’).

Subs Not Used: Josh Saunders, Eddie Lewis, Michael Stephens, Tristan Bowen.

Columbus Crew: William Hesmer; Frankie Hejduk©, Andy Iro, Chad Marshall, Shaun Francis; Brian Carroll, Adam Moffat, Dilly Duka (Emmanuel Ekpo 68’), Eddie Gaven; Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Emilio Renteria 63’), Steven Lenhart (Andres Mendoza 63’).

Subs Not Used: Andy Gruenebaum, Eric Brunner, Kevin Burns, Jason Garey.
Notes:
• With the win, the Galaxy improve to 14-5-5 on the season and are now in sole possession on first place in the Western Conference with 47 points. They are now three points ahead of Real Salt Lake for first place in the Western Conference and three points ahead of Columbus for the best record in MLS, with six games left in the season.
• The win snapped the Galaxy’s two game home losing streak and was their first regular season win at The Home Depot Center since a 3-1 win over Seattle. That was also the last time the Galaxy scored more than two goals in a game before tonight.
• Bruce Arena made one change to the team that draw 1-1 at Chicago last weekend, bringing Juninho back into the team in place of Tristan Bowen, who returned to the bench.
• Joining Bowen on the bench was midfielder David Beckham, who was in the Galaxy’s 18-man squad for the first time this season after being removed from the Disabled List on Thursday. Beckham had been out the entire season after tearing his left Achilles tendon while on loan at AC Milan in March.
• Beckham entered the game in the 70th minute, replacing Juninho. He was booked just four minutes after entering for a foul on Emmanuel Ekpo.
• The Galaxy were once again without defender Gregg Berhalter, who missed his fourth straight game through injury.
• Edson Buddle scored his MLS-best 14th goal of the season in the 13th minute, giving LA a 1-0 lead. That goal was his first since August 14, and his first at home since July 22.
• Sean Franklin and Landon Donovan each assisted on the goal. For Franklin it was his career-best fifth assist, while Donovan tied a career-high with his 13th.
• Dema Kovalenko doubled the LA lead in the 35th minute, scoring the first goal of his Galaxy career, making the score 2-0. Prior to the goal, Kovalenko’s last regular season goal was on May 31, 2008 as a member of Real Salt Lake.
• Kovalenko is the 13th different player to score for the Galaxy in the regular season this year.
• Donovan set a new career-high by assisting on the goal, collecting his league-best 14th assist of the year.
• This is his third multi-assist game of the season, and his first since May 8 at Seattle.
• Jovan Kirovski also assisted on the goal, collecting his second of the season.
• Kirovski then scored LA’s third goal, heading home an Alex Cazumba freekick. The goal was Kirovski’s fourth of the season and first since June 5. The four goals for Kirovski are his most in a season since 2007, when he was a member of the Colorado Rapids.
• The assist was Cazumba’s first as a member of the Galaxy.
• Edson Buddle left the game at halftime as a precautionary measure because of cramping in his leg. He was replaced by Chris Birchall, who was back in the team after missing last week’s game in Chicago through suspension.
• LA is now a perfect 14-0-0 when scoring the game’s first goal, compared to 0-5-2 when allowing the game’s opening goal. LA is one of just two MLS teams to win every game in which they scored the game’s first goal this season.
• LA has now scored three or more goals five times this season, going 5-0-0 in those contests, with four of them coming at The Home Depot Center.
• This was the final game of the season between the Galaxy and Crew, with LA sweeping the season series.
• Neither Omar Gonzalez nor Juninho were booked in the game, meaning that each are eligible to play next weekend against D.C. United. Both players are one game away from a mandatory one game suspension for yellow card accumulation.
• The attendance for today’s game was 19,482.
• The Galaxy are back in action next Saturday, September 18 when they host the four-time MLS Cup champion D.C. United at The Home Depot Center. That game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. (PT) and can be seen live on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Espanol.
• For more about today’s game, please visit www.lagalaxy.com.

First Place in MLS on the Line in Carson

The top spot in the MLS standings is on the line tonight at The Home Depot Center as the LA Galaxy host the Columbus Crew. Real Salt Lake drew with Seattle on Thursday night, meaning that the winner of tonight's contest win head into the final six weeks of the regular season with a lead in the race for the Supporters Shield.

Juninho is back from Brazil and back in the starting lineup, while David Beckham takes a spot on the bench for the first time this season.

Here is the complete Galaxy squad...

----------Buddle----------Kirovski-------------

Cazumba--------Juninho--------------Donovan

-----------------Kovalenko---------------------

Dunivant-----Leonardo---Gonzalez----Franklin

------------------Ricketts----------------------

Subs: Saunders, Lewis, Birchall, Beckham, Stephens, Magee, Bowen

And here is how the visiting Columbus Crew will lineup...

------------------Lenhart--------------------

--------------Barros Schelotto---------------

Gaven----------------------------------Duka

-------------Moffat------Carroll-------------

Francis------Iro--------Marshall------Hejduk

------------------Hesmer---------------------

Subs: Gruenebaum, Brunner, Burns, Ekpo, Renteria, Mendoza, Garey

This Week Inside the Galaxy: 2010 - Episode 21

The Columbus Crew are in town this weekend and the Galaxy will look to finish off a season sweep of the Eastern Conference leaders with a win at The Home Depot Center on Saturday. David Beckham could make his season debut in the match after being removed from the Disabled List on Thursday.

Learn more about this and look ahead to the showdown with the Crew, This Week Inside the Galaxy.

Getting Vocal

Echoing a theme that captain Landon Donovan spoke about after training, the decibel level at training today was raised a bit today as the Galaxy continued their preparations for Saturday's game against Columbus.
Not surprisingly, Bruce Arena was the most vocal on the day, offering praise and criticism to the guys as they went through their work under clear skies in Carson. He worked closely with a handful of the club's defenders (including Omar Gonzalez above) working with them to give Donovan Ricketts a clear look a shots.
We'll have more from the day later on, but first, be sure to catch up with all the latest news (including words from the two guys below) in the latest from Larry Morgan at lagalaxy.com.

Galaxy Raw - Week 23

Back in training after the Saturday's 1-1 draw in Chicago, several Galaxy players spoke about what changes need to be made to stay on top of the league standings and what fans should expect from the remaining games on the schedule.

Galaxy Raw caught up with Dema Kovalenko and Omar Gonzalez to see what they had to say.

Check it out…