Saturday, July 31, 2010

This Week Inside the Galaxy: 2010 - Episode 15

In this edition, we take a closer look at Real Madrid's arrival and first training session in LA . We also catch up with Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena and players to preview the upcoming matches against the Chicago Fire on Sunday and the Puerto Rico Islanders on Wednesday.
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Additionally, the Galaxy U-20's advanced to the Super-20 Semifinals today with a 1-1 draw against Cincinnati United Premier. Eder Arreola had the only goal of the game for LA to set up a date with the Chicago Fire tonight in the semifinals.

If the Galaxy, who are coached by Sal Diaz in the tournament, can defeat the Fire, they will advance to tomorrow's Super-20 Final.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Galaxy U-20's Move One Step Closer to USL Super-20 Finals

The Galaxy U-20's moved one step closer to a berth in the Super-20 Semifinals on Friday with a 3-0 win over Triangle FC in Rockford, Ill. UCLA forward Evan Raynr scored twice for the Galaxy while Ruben Valencia added a third to give LA their second win in as many games at the Super-20 Finals.

The Galaxy, who are now unbeaten in their last 11 games, dating back to a season opening loss to Chivas USA, now sit atop Group C with six points, two more than second place Cincinnati Premier United, who are 1-0-1 after two games. Those two teams meet on Saturday morning in the Group C finale, with the Galaxy needing just a draw to clinch first place in the group and a spot in the semifinals.

The three group winners and the best second place team advance to the semifinals, which will be held on Saturday night ahead of Sunday's Super-20 Final.

For complete coverage of the Super-20 Finals in Illinois, please visit this site.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Two Academy Teams in Tournament Play

The LA Galaxy U-17's concluded their run at the annual U-17 SUM Cup, where they finished with a 0-1-3 record in their four games. LA lost their first game 2-1 to Kansas City, with the Wizards scoring the game-winning goal with the game's final kick.

The Galaxy then lost each of their next two group games on penalties, playing to 1-1 draws against eventual tournament runner-up Real Salt Lake and New York to finish in fourth place in Group D. The Galaxy played one more game against Toronto on Tuesday to round out the tournament, again falling on penalties.

While the U-17's were wrapping up in Houston, the Galaxy U-20's were opening their quest for their first Super-20 championship in Rockford, Ill.

After winning the Pacific Southern California Division, the Galaxy were one of 11 teams to qualify for the USL Super-20 Championships. They were placed into Group C along with the Brooklyn Knights, Cincinnati United Premier and Triangle FC.

The Galaxy opened group play on Thursday morning with a 3-2 win over Brooklyn and will now take on Triangle FC on Friday, before concluding group play on Saturday morning against Cincinnati.

Thanks to their win over Brooklyn on Thursday, which saw goals from Eder Arreola, Evan Raynr and Andre Turoldo, the Galaxy sit atop their group with three points, while Triangle FC and Cincinnati each have one point following their 1-1 draw this morning.

If LA finishes as the Group C winner, or the best second place team, they will move on to the semifinals, which will be played on Saturday evening ahead of Sunday morning's Final.

MLS Academy teams have won each of the last two Super-20 Finals, with Chicago claiming the crown in 2008 and New York winning the title in 2009.

Real Madrid Arrive in Los Angeles

Just about an hour before the MLS All-Stars kicked off against Manchester United in Houston, another collection of international stars arrived in the U.S., with Real Madrid touching down at LAX.
Led by head coach Jose Mourinho, Madrid will train in Los Angeles until their friendly against the Galaxy on August 7 at the Rose Bowl. That game will be Madrid's second game of their U.S. tour, coming just three days after their trip to San Francisco to take on Club America.While the complete squad did not arrive yesterday (check here for their complete travel squad, including the players who will arrive at a later date), Mourinho's complete 28-man squad will be in Los Angeles to begin training ahead of the game against the Galaxy.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Locker Room Reaction to Champions League Defeat to Puerto Rico

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LA Galaxy Head Coach Bruce Arena
On the team’s performance:
“We got beat soundly tonight. There is no question about it. There are no excuses. I thought for the night our effort was good, our execution was not. A couple of things: I think our experience players didn’t have a good night for us tonight. Secondly, our finishing was poor and theirs was superb. That is the right way to describe their finishing. Their goalkeeping was excellent. Ours wasn’t…ours was not good enough. We didn’t get a save out of Josh [Saunders]. Their effect was outstanding. Ours was good, but those couple of areas where they were a little bit better, a little bit more fortunate. Give them credit—their execution was excellent and ours was poor. We had some chances to put the ball in the back of the net, and listen, even at 2-0, 3-0, we could have made it 3-1, 3-2, make it more interesting challenge for next Wednesday. We didn’t get it done.”

On Josh Saunders performance:
“I think Josh Saunders hasn’t had a goal scored against him this year. Josh is a good goalkeeper and he is certainly capable of playing in this game tonight. We didn’t lose this game tonight because of Josh Saunders. There were a lot of reasons why we lost this game. It was more a bit over our head than Josh Saunders.”

On the team’s schedule:
“This has nothing to do with the schedule. I mean, Puerto Rico had to do a little bit of traveling. This has nothing to do with our schedule. If we for a second use that as an excuse, we are absolutely insane. Maybe rip the coach here. As much as our performance and some players didn’t execute absolutely, but when you get a result like that, I don’t think the coach did a good job tonight, either.”

LA Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan
On the result:
“Embarrassment isn't a word that would like to use. I'm just disappointed. I think we were incredibly naive about things when we went a goal down. Clearly, our defending was not good. We have to have to be a lot better in front of goals. There were two or three shots we should have scored.”

On the team's performance:
“Our team knows that how it has been all year. Guys should know that if they don't play well, we aren't going to play. I think we learned about our team tonight and we need to get a lot better.”

On needing to score against Puerto Rico next week:
“I can see it two ways. One, it's incredibly difficult to go anywhere and score two goals. The flip side of that is we are able to score four goals. We are going to go for it and see what happens.”

LA Galaxy forward Edson Buddle
On the team's performance:
“I think at home it is embarrassing. I think you have to give credit to Puerto Rico. It does happen. The game has a way of checking you sometimes. It puts this in perspective. We just have a bigger challenge a head of us to do the same thing. Let’s hope to do the same thing they do to us in their place.”

LA Galaxy midfielder Michael Stephens
On tonight’s game:
“They made big saves and they kept getting shots and hitting really good shots from the outside. You got to give some credit to them obviously it wasn’t a great performance by us.”

On Puerto Rico’s performance:
“I think after a while it was a pretty even game. I think a couple of things fell their way which helped them and gave them a little momentum and being on the road they got a couple of breaks and built on it. Overall I don’t think our effort was terrible. I think that we didn’t have a great game at finishing as well we gave up a few soft goals.”

On the Galaxy’s defense:
“I think defensively we have to get back to not giving up goals. I think we were lose all over the field and all the goals show that. I think that we need to regroup and get back to what got us here.”

LA Galaxy defender A.J. DeLaGarza
On the result:
“We just got out played. They are a good team, they are good all around the field. Their goalkeeper played tremendous tonight and that is what saved them. They had two deep goals which were pretty good shots on their part. We just got beat today.”

On the second leg of the series:
“It is not over yet. We still have a game. We still have to go to Puerto Rico which is not easy to play there but we are going to be hungry. We are thinking about Chicago first and then we are going to have to take care of business in Puerto Rico.”

LA Galaxy defender Gregg Berhalter
On tonight’s game:
“It was one of those games. It was a bizarre and we give a lot of credit to them but we also have to look at ourselves and say that it clearly wasn’t good enough. It was one of those games were you keep knocking your head against the wall waiting to get a break and waiting to get a break and them we give up goals and they score some good goals and it was just a nightmare. It was one of those games which you can’t explain. But that is how soccer goes.”

On the team’s recent form:
“I think we have gotten a bit complacent but it was a crazy game. I think we came out with a focus. I think we came out trying to move the ball quickly, trying to get a breakthrough that just didn’t come. We give up that goal, again on a set piece, which has been our nemesis recently, so I think it could be used as a wake up call.”

Puerto Rico Islanders Head Coach Colin Clarke
On the result:
“I was pretty surprised. We knew coming in here that it was going to be a tough night for us. Delighted. We deserved it. Our boys worked very hard and took our chances.”

On the team’s performance:
“First thing we knew was that we would need a little bit of luck. They are a really good team. We knew we would have to take our chances. And honestly, they have some really, really good players that we had to try and contain. We managed to do that. We worked very, very hard. We also knew that when we got the ball, we had to keep it and pass it and frustrate them. I think we did a great job of that tonight…playing, passing, moving. We took our chances.”

On Bill Gaudette’s performance:
“Bill played really well. We knew he was going to be busy. He came up with the saves. He’s done that for us for the last few years in this competition. He’s someone who has been in MLS and maybe he feels that he should still be there and has something to prove. He’s a very good keeper. I’d like to think with expansion coming up there’s a chance that Bill will step up and get somewhere in MLS next year if that’s what he’s looking for. And performance like this won’t hurt him.”

Puerto Rico Islanders Forward Nicolas Addlery
On playing against MLS team:
“It is always going to be a team effort. Playing against the Galaxy is a wonderful experience. Getting past them and winning is more important than anything personal for me.”

On playing against the Galaxy:
“We basically we just stuck to the game play. We worked hard. We stuck together as a team and took our chances. I don’t think we were ever in charge of the game, but throughout the game we kept our composure, kept playing and doing the things we needed to do. We tried to contain them, and of course they have great players. We just stuck to our game plan.”

Galaxy Fall 4-1 in First Leg of Champions League

LA Galaxy 1, Puerto Rico Islanders 4
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Home Depot Center – Carson, Calif.

CONCACAF Champions League – Preliminary Round
First Leg

Scoring Summary:
PR – David Foley 1 (Unassisted) 26’
PR – Nicolas Addlery 1 (Scott Jones 1) 45’
PR – Josh Hansen 1 (Unassisted) 55’
PR – Nicolas Addlery 2 (Unasssisted) 81’
LA – Own Goal (Richard Martinez) 83’

Misconduct Summary:
PR – Noah Delgado (Yellow Card) 43’

Lineups:
LA Galaxy: Josh Saunders; A.J. DeLaGarza (Michael Stephens 39’), Leonardo, Gregg Berhalter (Tristan Bowen 64’), Eddie Lewis; Chris Birchall, Sean Franklin, Juninho, Landon Donovan©; Edson Buddle, Alan Gordon (Alex Cazumba 64’).

Subs Not Used: Donovan Ricketts, Omar Gonzalez, Dema Kovalenko, Jovan Kirovski.

Puerto Rico Islanders: Bill Gaudette; Scott Jones, Marco Velez, David Horst, Richard Martinez; Osei Telesford, Christopher Nurse, David Foley (Kendall Jagdeosingh 78’), Josh Hansen (Logan Emory 87’), Noah Delgado (Kevon Villaroel 72’); Nicolas Addlery.

Subs Not Used: Cody Laurenti, Alexis Rivera, Sandy Gbandi, Jonathan Fana.

Notes:
• With the loss, the Galaxy now trail the two-leg aggregate goal series 4-1.
• The return leg of the series will be played on Wednesday, August 4 at Juan Roman Loubriel Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. That game will kick off at 5 p.m. (PT) and be shown live on Fox Soccer Channel.
• Because of the away goals rule in the series, the Galaxy must win in Puerto Rico by more than three goals in order to advance. They can also advance with a three-goal victory, but only if they score more than four goals in the match.
• If the second leg ends 4-1 in favor of the Galaxy, the series will go to 30 minutes of extra time.
• The winner of the series will be placed in Group D of the CONCACAF Champion’s League, along with Toluca of Mexico, Olimpia of Honduras and the winner of the Xelaju of Guatemala and FAS of El Salvador Preliminary Round series.
• Bruce Arena made five changes to the starting lineup he used against San Jose in Thursday’s 2-2 draw. Josh Saunders started in goal in place of Donovan Ricketts, while Chris Birchall, Gregg Berhalter, A.J. DeLaGarza and Eddie Lewis all returned to the starting lineup in place of Todd Dunivant, Omar Gonzalez, Dema Kovalenko and Michael Stephens.
• The 2-0 score at halftime was only the 10th time this season that the Galaxy had been held scoreless in the first 45 minutes of a match, in all competitions (24 games).
• The four goals given up by the Galaxy were the most the club has allowed in a single game in all competitions since losing 6-3 to FC Dallas at The Home Depot Center on Sep. 12, 2009.
• That defeat was also the last time that the Galaxy lost by three goals or more in a game.
• That loss to Dallas was also the last time the club lost at home, in all competitions, including international friendlies. During that stretch, which spanned 16 home games, LA went 13-0-3.
• After not allowing a goal in 656 consecutive minutes in MLS regular season, postseason and U.S. Open Cup play between April 4, 2009 and July 7, 2010, Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Saunders has now allowed six goals in his last 140 minutes. He allowed two goals in the second half of the 2-0 loss to Seattle in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals on July 7 and four goals tonight.
• The Galaxy outshot Puerto Rico 23-9 and had nine shots on goal compared to seven for the Islanders.
• Puerto Rico goalkeeper Bill Gaudette made seven saves to record the victory.
• The attendance for today’s game was 6,873.
• The Galaxy are back in action on Sunday, August 1 when they host the Chicago Fire at The Home Depot Center. That game kicks off at 4:30 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.

Champions League is Underway

The Galaxy's quest for their second CONCACAF title are underway as the club hosts the Puerto Rico Islanders in first leg of their Preliminary Round series of the CONCACAF Champions League at The Home Depot Center

Bruce Arena is going for the win here in the first leg with a near full strength team on the field. Here is how the Galaxy line up.

------------Buddle----------Gordon------------

Donovan-----------Juninho------------Franklin

--------------------Birchall---------------------

Lewis----Berhalter-----Leonardo----DeLaGarza

--------------------Saunders--------------------

Subs: Ricketts, Gonzalez, Alex Cazumba, Kovalenko, Stephens, Kirovski, Bowen.

And here is how Puerto Rico head coach Colin Clarke lines up the visitors.

---------------------Addlery---------------------

Foley---------------Hansen---------------Delgado

------------Telesford--------Nurse---------------

Jones----------Horst-------Velez----------Martinez

---------------------Gaudette----------------------

Subs: Laurendi, Rivera, Villaroel, Emory, Gbandi, Fana, Jagdeosingh

Ready for the Islanders

The Galaxy take their first step into international competition in more than four years tonight when they host the Puerto Rico Islanders in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round series.

Led by former FC Dallas head coach Colin Clarke, the Islanders feature eight players with past MLS experience, including midfielder Josh Hansen, who had two goals for the Galaxy in five Reserve Division games with the club in 2006.

While Puerto Rico has a former Galaxy player in their team, the Galaxy also have a former Islander in goalkeeper Josh Saunders. We caught up with Josh and Bruce to see what they had to say about tonight's game.

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Monday, July 26, 2010

This Week Inside the Galaxy: 2010 - Episode 14

In this week's episode, we take you to the red carpet of the ESPY's, held at Nokia Live in Downtown L.A. last week, to hear what other athletes and analysts-- Darrell Revis, Marcellus Wiley, Jalen Rose, Lori "Lolo" Jones, Kenny Mayne and others-- had to say about Landon. We also caught up with the man himself and take a look back at last Thursday's dramatic comeback against San Jose.

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Thursday, July 22, 2010

Locker Room Reaction to 2-2 Draw with San Jose



LA Galaxy Head Coach Bruce Arena
On the team’s performance:
“It was a poor start to the game. For whatever reason, we came out and were sloppy for the first couple of minutes. We positioned ourselves to chase the game. I tell you – I thought we played extremely well tonight. We created chances. In the second half, we were absolutely dominating. We created some chances; hit the post a couple of times. I’m told that one that went off the post was a handball coming down. It happens. I don’t like coming away with just a point at home, but given the circumstances and how we had to scrap to get that point at home—I can’t complain. We certainly punished ourselves at times, but on the whole we were good and incredibly dominating in the second half. I hope it’s a lesson to our guys. We were sloppy at the start of the game and it almost cost us more than a couple of points tonight. I’m obviously satisfied getting an equalizer at the end of the game and I’m more than satisfied with the way we attacked tonight and created chances. I’m disappointed the way we came out and started the game and certainly not pleased to give up a goal on the corner kick. Overall, there was an awful lot of good things out there and a couple issues we have to sort out. We have 40 points at this point of the season; it’s not the worst thing.”

On Leonardo:
“Leonardo was excellent tonight. What more can I say? Gregg [Berhalter’s] been really good. Leonardo has a great game today. He was really good. Perhaps, Gregg not being available to start attributed to the sloppy organization of our backline at the start of the game. Leonardo was excellent today.”

On getting players back from injury:
“We have a lot of games ahead of us. There is no other way to get some guys minutes. Kovalenko hasn’t played in a long time. We have no other way to move him a long, to get him ready to play and contribute. Leonardo is an excellent defender. We need to put him in there. There are going to be situations in the next couple of months where we will need to rotate our centerbacks, our holding midfielders and we have to play these players. There is no other way to get them into position and we move forward to help our team. You can’t have a situation where six weeks down the road we have a suspension, an injury and we are expecting those guys to step on the field and not miss a beat. They have to play. It kills me to have to take Gregg out because he’s been excellent, but he understands the situation. It’s something we are trying to do as we move our team forward.”

LA Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan
On the result:
“It’s a game that we should have won. We were the better team, we created a lot more chances. Getting scored on early was difficult to come back from, but we did a good job and you had to think if anyone was going to win it had to be us. Our resiliency was good, it was a good test for us, something we haven’t dealt with a lot this year, going behind a goal and then a goal again, so all in all it’s still okay and we can’t really be mad because we played well and just had a few mistakes.”

On the team’s attacking play:
“We had 22 shots, 15 shots in the second half, 10 corner kicks, we hot the post – I think we created a lot good chances and on another night we would have won.”

On the team’s mindset trailing by a goal late on:
“We had a lot of pressure on them, we kept going and at that point you keep hitting balls in front of the goal and you try to make a play. Sometimes it doesn’t happen, but tonight it did happen. Tristan did a good job of hitting a shot/cross hard at the goal, Edson did a good job to follow and I was in the right place. When you put yourself in the right position, good things happen.”

LA Galaxy forward Edson Buddle
On his 12th goal of the season:
“It went it. It was a tough ball. It skipped and was bouncing. It went past Alan [Gordon] and a defender. I had to have a quick reaction and get it on target. I was lucky to get a foot on to it.”

On being behind a goal:
“We found ourselves behind early and showed some character coming back. We didn’t want to be down a goal at home, but we definitely wanted to play out the game. We had to create some positives out of it.”

LA Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez
On LA’s second goal:
“I think that we started playing well, just passing the ball and opening them up. We did a lot to come back and then we dug ourselves again. Late in the game, we had reserves come in and they did great. We opened them up and started getting crosses in, and got our second goal.”

LA Galaxy midfielder Dema Kovalenko
On returning to the lineup:
“I’m not where I want to be. I know my game and how I play, I don’t have the bite that I usually have but you know what, it feels great just to be with the team again. Sometimes you feel a little bit not part of it when you’re not playing and it had been difficult so I’m glad to get in and get 60 minutes.”

On the team’s depth:
“We said before the season, no matter who we play, we want to win. So (Bruce) is going to put the best 11 on the field and whoever he picks will be ready. (Bruce) has been here. We don’t 11 guys, we have 24 on the roster and today guys stepped in and did a good job. It’s not easy for him to only dress 18, there are guys that are disappointed but that’s the coaching staff’s job and they have to pick the best guys to give us a chance to win.”

San Jose Earthquakes Head Coach Frank Yallop
On tonight’s game:
“I thought we defended great in the box to be honest. We didn’t give them any looks. I think that a lot of the time if you try to break out too quickly against a team like LA they will punish you with gaps so we made sure we were compact and got our head or foot to everything. If you look at the chances that they had it wasn’t the glaring chances they missed. I thought us on the break, we could have broke a little better we could have scored another one. They had a lot of pressure, a lot of balls went into the box and eventually it kind of cracked.”

On the team’s performance:
“The team is getting a little settled we’ve got good results. So what we are trying to do is now we are compact and strong as a unit and now we are trying to add to that and be a good football team. I have loosened my reigns a little bit on the team and let them express themselves a little more and I think it has worked. I wanted to make sure this season that we are difficult to beat and we have proved that and I think now we have only lost four games out of fifteen and that is a good record in this league. It is not easy to win games or as easy to lose but what is good is that now we are starting to express ourselves a bit more and we have some good players. I thought Bobby Convey was outstanding tonight, I thought Cornell Glen was dangerous all evening, I thought the two center backs were brave and strong it was a good performance by us.”

San Jose Earthquakes Midfielder Bobby Convey
On tonight’s game:
“Any points help us on the road. It is disappointing to lose in the last 30-40 seconds after putting in so much work, but unfortunately it did happen and a point against LA away is still good. Obviously everyone is disappointed. We played pretty well and obviously we scored on our chances.”

On his goal:
“It was an open goal, it was early on. Cornell [Glen] hit it towards the back post the goalie misplayed it and it is always good to score two minutes into a game especially away. It gives everyone confidence and it gives a team energy and I thought that it really set a good tone for the rest of the game for us.”

On the draw:
“I think their record is a bit unrealistic because they played three more games than we have and I don’t think they are as good as everyone thinks they are. They had a good run and they have good players but I felt we lost the game they didn’t win it. We lost the points because I thought we played well on the road it was a good game it was god for us it is really disappointing to tie at the end but it was a good point against LA on the road.”

On the team’s performance:
“It is not a matter of winning or losing it is a matter of playing and I thought we stayed with them toe to toe and at times we had the ball more often and played well. It is not necessarily Western Conference and Eastern Conference. This shows that we can play against any team and show we should into any game thinking we are going to win.”

San Jose Goalkeeper Jon Busch
On tonight’s game:
“I thought it was a good game. I thought it was two good teams going toe to toe. It was entertaining both ways obviously we got off to a very good start played some good soccer there we chances both ways they are a good team but not a team that we are scared of. I thought we played very well and are unfortunate not to get out of here with three points we did what we need to do to come into their place and almost take out three points.”

On the team’s performance:
“We got our two goals. I am disappointed in myself obviously the guys worked hard to get me two goals and I thought on the second one the ball ate me up a little bit and all I could do is keep it out but I couldn’t get up to get on the rebound and I am disappointed in myself in that. But other than that I think the guys played great. Like I said we had three points for the taking but we will take one knowing that we could have gotten out of here with three.”

San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Brandon McDonald
On his goal:
“It feels good not necessarily scoring against my old team but to put us up in the lead and give us a position to win the game and take home the three points.”

On his role in the team:
“There are a lot of characters on our team. My position and my role on this team is to be someone to help defensively and [Sam] Cronin is probably the guy in the front in the midfield that helps out more attacking. My role is to sit there and help us secure our backline and come away with victories.”

On scoring against his former team:
“You want to come back and prove a point. It feels good expressing yourself in front of the fans that supported you while you were here and come away proving what you are able to do.”

Late Donovan Goal Rescues 2-2 Draw for Galaxy

LA Galaxy 2, San Jose Earthquakes 2
Thursday, July 22, 2010
The Home Depot Center – Carson, Calif.

Scoring Summary:
SJ – Bobby Convey 1 (Unassisted) 2’
LA – Edson Buddle 12 (Todd Dunivant 2, Landon Donovan 11) 59’
SJ – Brandon McDonald 1(Unassisted) 72’
LA – Landon Donovan 3 (Unassisted) 90’

Misconduct Summary:
SJ – Bobby Burling (Yellow Card) 54’
LA – Landon Donovan (Yellow Card) 70’
LA – Sean Franklin (Yellow Card) 89’
LA – Juninho (Yellow Card) 93+

Lineups:
LA Galaxy: Donovan Ricketts; Sean Franklin, Leonardo, Omar Gonzalez, Todd Dunivant (Eddie Lewis 77’); Dema Kovalenko (Tristan Bowen 60’), Landon Donovan©, Juninho, Michael Stephens; Edson Buddle, Alan Gordon (Jovan Kirovski 81’).

Subs Not Used: Josh Saunders, A.J. DeLaGarza, Gregg Berhlater, Chris Birchall.

San Jose Earthquakes: Jon Busch; Jason Hernandez, Bobby Burling, Ike Opara, Ramiro Corrales©; Bobby Convey, Sam Cronin, Brandon McDonald, Joey Gjertsen (Arturo Alvarez 53’); Chris Wondolowski (Scott Sealy 67’), Cornell Glen (Ryan Johnson 91+).

Subs Not Used: Joe Cannon, Steven Beitashour, Brad Ring, Javier Robles.

Notes:
• With the draw, the Galaxy are now 12-2-4 on the season and remain alone in first place in the Western Conference. The Galaxy now have 40 points and are 10 points clear of Real Salt Lake at the top of the Western Conference and nine points ahead of Columbus for the best record in MLS.
• The Galaxy are the first team in MLS to register 40 points on the season.
• LA is now unbeaten in their last 11 home games, going 9-0-2 in those 11 games, dating back to a 6-3 home loss to FC Dallas on September 12, 2009.
• Bruce Arena made three changes to the team that won 2-1 at D.C. United on Sunday, July 18, bringing Dema Kovalenko, Leonardo and Michael Stephens back into the team. They replaced Gregg Berhalter, Chris Birchall and A.J. DeLaGarza, who all began the game on the bench.
• Arena made just one change to 18-man squad from the win at United, bringing Tristan Bowen onto the bench in place of Alex Cazumba.
• Kovalenko was making his first appearance in an MLS match since April 1. After starting the first two games of the season, he had missed the last three months with a right hamstring strain. He played 60 minutes before being replaced by Tristan Bowen,
• Bobby Convey’s 2nd minute goal for the Earthquakes was the fastest goal allowed by the Galaxy this season and just the third allowed by the club in the first half. The last time the Galaxy allowed a goal inside the opening two minutes of a game was on April 4, 2009 when Conor Casey scored the second fastest goal in MLS history, tallying after just 16 seconds in a 3-2 Colorado win at The Home Depot Center.
• The Galaxy have now allowed a goal in the opening 10 minutes of four of their last five regular season games against the Earthquakes.
• Edson Buddle tied the score at 1-1 in the 59th minute with his MLS-best 12th goal of the season. He has now scored in each of the last two games and in six of the seven home games that he has played in this year.
• Nine of Buddle’s 12 goals have come at The Home Depot Center.
• Landon Donovan and Todd Dunivant each assisted on the goal. For Donovan it was his MLS-best 11th assist, while it was Dunivant’s first.
• Dunivant is the 11th different player to register an assist for LA this season.
• Of Donovan’s 11 assists, seven have come on goals by Buddle.
• When Dunivant came off the field in the 74th minute, in came in Eddie Lewis, it was the first time all season the Galaxy did not have Dunivant on the field for an MLS game. Dunivant leads the team in minutes played with 1,607.
• Landon Donovan scored his third goal of the season and his first at The Home Depot Center in the 90th minute.
• That goal was the Galaxy’s latest of the season. The last time that LA scored in the 90th minute or later was on September 12, 2009 in a 6-3 loss to FC Dallas. Edson Buddle scored that goal.
• The Galaxy have now allowed a goal in each of their last four regular season games. The last time LA allowed a goal in four straight contests was from July 16 until August 15 last season. LA went 2-1-1 in those four games, winning 3-1 at New York, drawing 1-1 at Kansas City, winning 2-1 at New England and losing 2-0 at home to Seattle.
• The Galaxy went into halftime trailing 1-0. This was the first time this season that the club trailed at the half. Coming into the game, LA was 11-0-0 when leading at the half and 1-2-3 when tied at the break.
• The Galaxy allowed the game’s first goal for just the third time this season. They are now 0-2-1 in those three games.
• LA came from behind to earn a point for the first time since July 25, 2009 when they erased a 1-0 deficit to draw 1-1 at Kansas City.
• Prior to tonight’s game, the last time the Galaxy allowed more than one goal in a home game was September 12, 2009 when they lost 6-3 to FC Dallas at The Home Depot Center.
• Tonight’s game was the Galaxy’s first game this season that they allowed a goal in each half.
• The attendance for today’s game was 17,712.
• The Galaxy are back in action on Tuesday, July 27 when they host the Puerto Rico Islanders in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round series at The Home Depot Center. That game kicks off at 7 p.m. (PT) and can be seen live on Fox Soccer Channel.
• The Galaxy are back in MLS action on Sunday, August 1 when they host the Chicago Fire in a game that kicks off at 4:30 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.

Back Home For First Time Since July 4, Galaxy Look to Knock Off Rivals

For the first time since July 4, the Galaxy are at home where they will face off against the San Jose Earthquakes. This is the first meeting of the season between the two longtime MLS rivals who sit in first and fifth place in the Western Conference.

With another game looming on Tuesday night, Bruce Arena has made three changes to the team that beat D.C. United 2-1 on Sunday, with Dema Kovalenko, Leonardo and Michael Stephens all returning to the first XI. They replace Gregg Berhalter, Chris Birchall and A.J. DeLaGarza who all begin the game on the bench.

Here is how the Galaxy will lineup tonight...

---------------Buddle------------Gordon----------------

Stephens-------------Juninho-------------------Donovan

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

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

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

Subs: Saunders, Berhalter, DeLaGarza, Birchall, Lewis, Kirovski, Bowen.

And here is how former Galaxy head coach Frank Yallop will line up his team...

----------------Glen-----------Wondolowski--------------

Convet--------------------------------------------Gjertsen

-----------------Cronin--------McDonald------------------

Hernandez------Opara---------Burling------------Corrales

------------------------Busch------------------------------

Subs: Cannon, Beitashour, Ring, Robles, Alvarez, Johnson, Sealy

All Eyes On California Clasico

It was a quick turnaround from Sunday to today, but here is a batch of stuff to get you ready for tonight's game against the San Jose Earthquakes.



Also, check out Larry Morgan's notebook on Landon Donovan and Co. going up against their former coach.

And if you like stats, don't miss to read MLSSoccer.com's preview.

Monday, July 19, 2010

Locker Room Reaction to 2-1 win vs. D.C.

MLS 2010 QUOTESHEET
SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2010 - LA GALAXY 2, D.C. UNITED 1

LA GALAXY HEAD COACH BRUCE ARENA
On the game
“You’re going to lose games along the way, and the way you respond in the next game is important. Our response was really good tonight. I thought we went out in the first half and set the tone. The conditions were going to be unbearable at some point tonight and they were. I think it was really challenging obviously for both teams, and I’m happy the way the team came out on top. Give D.C. a lot of credit - I thought they played real hard.”

On the friendlier road reception
“I like playing at home. I’d rather be at home. Certainly both those players [Donovan and Buddle] deserve positive responses - they’ve done great in the league this year.”

LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER LANDON DONOVAN
On the game
“The game was a difficult game. I think we knew that. D.C. are a team that are fairly desperate to get points at this point in the season, and they put everything they had into it. We made a few good plays, and on another night if we’re a little better we score a few more goals, but it’s a good win for us.”

On facing Andy Najar
“I was very impressed with him. I’ve heard a lot about him. I’ve only seen some tape and highlights, and I thought he did very well. Obviously the goal was well taken, and I’m surprised how well he did in the air, and technically I thought he was very good, and he plays a lot older than he is. I was impressed.”

On snapping the losing streak
“We haven’t been used to losing at all this year, and last week we lost in Seattle in the Open Cup, and then in New England, so we needed to stop that, and I say all the time that winning is a habit, and we got out of the little things we do right last week, and this week we did them right, and we did them well. And when you do that, we have enough talent that we’re going to win.”

LA GALAXY FORWARD EDSON BUDDLE
On his goal
“Sean [Franklin] got free somehow down the right side, and he played a ball across, and it had enough pace where the defender had to slide, and I was lucky that he blocked it a little bit and put it in my stride. There was a little bit of spin on the ball so the defender was able to catch up and made a good block on it - and I was fortunate enough again to get the ball back, I get clear and take a touch, and put it on target. And it found the back of the net.”

On the game
“We lost two games on the road, and we wanted to come out here and get some points, and we knew it wasn’t going to be easy especially facing the humidity, but we talked about it all week, and we tried to stay focused and compact, and I think guys on defense did a really good job of staying together and not getting stretched, and we were able to pull out a victory.”


D.C. UNITED HEAD COACH CURT ONALFO
On the first goal
“First [goal] I attribute to an exceptional effort from a very good player in the league, Edson Buddle. He used his ability of making a play out of nothing and score a great goal. Having said that I think we can prevent it and can probably make a save on the play.”

On the second goal
“The second [goal] is an error, another youthful error. Giving a ball away in a bad spot and our players are trying to recover from it and Julius [James] lunges and the ball I assume hits his arm and they call a penalty kick. Now all of the sudden the momentum has just shifted after we had scored a great goal off a set piece where Andy [Najar] just rises above everybody and is a brilliant ball from Pablo [Hernandez] who an excellent performance. Those are moments in the game where you got to continue with it you feel the momentum, we have an opportunity to make a 2-1 right before that play and we didn’t. So again, it’s a lump and it’s devastating.”

On Chris Pontius’ injury
“[Pontius] got fouled badly in the first play of the game, he kind of fought through it. I was told at half-time by a medical staff that they think it’s a broken foot. I have to wait to figure that out so we have to make a sub at halftime because of that, then we have another injury later in the game - two subs, two injuries - and in the last one we tried to push the game.”

On the loss
“Again it came down to a couple of mistakes. It was an even game. I felt that in the first half we started slow, I think we dropped off too much. Our back line was too deep. We adjusted that and made that better after 15-20 minutes and all of the sudden we started getting some outside back involvement, started getting a little bit of the game. But overall I think it was a very even first half, except Edson Buddle makes an offensive play. In the second half we come out motivated and ready to get back in it. Credit to our guys for fighting back in, you get the equalizer and you have the momentum and then we make an error and we shoot ourselves in the foot. That’s my assessment of the game.”

On Jordan Graye
“[Graye]’s a young player and that’s what you get. At the end of the day he’s playing left back. He is our third left back. We have Marc Burch - broken foot, we have Rodney Wallace - broken leg. He’s a fourth round draft pick who has had some very good games for us. He’s made some errors that have cost us, and unfortunately that’s what young players go through. Just like every one of our players I care about him and I want him to learn from it and we’re going to do everything possible to help him.”

D.C. UNITED DEFENDER DEVON MCTAVISH
On Los Angeles
“I don't even know what to say. [LA] is a good team. They have some good players and veteran leadership, and they are okay with you keeping the ball for the majority of the game. They had some guys that stepped up and made some big plays. [Edson] Buddle turned nothing into a goal, and all of a sudden we were down 1-0. We were then fighting the whole game, and playing against a team like LA that defends as a unit, it's tough to go down a goal like that. “

On coming back
“We fought back, but we had a mental lapse and we were down 2-1 again. It was a solid effort on our part, I know our guys played hard. But in the end [the result] is just not good enough. It's just not good enough unfortunately. “

D.C. UNITED FORWARD SANTINO QUARANTA
On United's struggles
“I've played here a long time, and when you go down to a man on our roster talent-wise we don't have a problem. I think other teams are more organized. As a forward, I watch the other team's forwards during the game, and they take time to turn and check different pockets. I don't know if I ever had time to turn tonight. I think that we shoot ourselves in the foot, we don't finish our chances, we find ourselves behind all the time. We pushed forward [after tying the game], but within minutes [the Galaxy] were in the lead. And there you are, fighting to get back in the game. It's tough.”

On the team's morale
“We are young, but we keep making the same mistakes over and over again - it's almost the definition of insanity. For the guys in this locker room this is really difficult. I don't know if everyone knows this, knows what is going on here, but I do. The coaches [know what is going on] and so do some of the older guys. There are consequences for our actions. You know, I'm not scoring, and I need to look at myself in the mirror. In the end, there are consequences for being the worst team in the League. This is not what we strive to do here.”

D.C. UNITED MIDFIELDER STEPHEN KING
On the loss
“You know, soccer is a cruel game. I thought everyone worked very hard tonight, but unfortunately it was not enough. [LA] is a good team and they played like it tonight. We just have to get back to work in training and make sure that we are ready for the next game.”

On United's Open Cup match on Wednesday, July 21
“Having an Open Cup game so soon after this loss is a good thing. We need to get back to work, that is the only way we will put these result behind us - by setting things right. We still have something to play for, and we all know how important the [Open Cup] is. If we win we are in the competition's semi-finals, so we are all going to work hard to make sure that happens.”

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Galaxy Earn 2-1 Road Win Over United

Click here to view highlights.

LA Galaxy 2, D.C. United 1
Sunday, July 18, 2010
RFK Stadium – Washington D.C.

Scoring Summary:
LA – Edson Buddle (Unassisted) 38’
DC – Andy Najar (Pablo Hernandez) 54’
LA – Landon Donovan (Penalty Kick) 58’

Misconduct Summary:
DC – Julius James (Yellow Card) 58’
DC - Carey Talley (Yellow Card) 84'

Lineups:
LA Galaxy: Donovan Ricketts; A.J. DeLaGarza, Omar Gonzalez, Gregg Berhalter, Todd Dunivant; Sean Franklin, Chris Birchall, Juninho (Michael Stephens 62’), Landon Donovan©; Edson Buddle (Eddie Lewis 77’), Alan Gordon(Jovan Kirovski 90').

Subs Not Used: Josh Saunders, Leonardo, Alex Cazumba, Dema Kovalenko.

D.C. United: Troy Perkins; Devon McTavish, Dejan Jakovic(Carey Talley 68’), Julius James, Jordan Graye; Andy Najar, Stephen King (Branko Baskovic 73’), Clyde Simms, Chris Pontius (Jaime Moreno 46’); Santino Quaranta, Pablo Hernandez.

Subs Not Used: Bill Hamid, Kurt Morsink, Thabiso Khumalo, Danny Allsopp.

Notes:
• With the win, the Galaxy are now 12-2-3 on the season, leaving them with 39 points. They remain alone in first place in the Western Conference, nine points ahead of second place Real Salt Lake who fell to Dallas 2-0 on Saturday night and have 30 points from a 9-4-3 record.
• The victory also improved the Galaxy’s all-time record to 208-159-78 to become the first team in MLS history to register 700 points in the regular season.
• Bruce Arena made four changes to the team that fell a week ago against the New England Revolution on July 10, bringing on Landon Donovan, Alan Gordon, A.J. DeLaGarza and Omar Gonzalez, who returned from serving his one game suspension for yellow card accumulation. They replaced Tristan Bowen, Leonardo, Alex Cazumba and Michael Stephens.
• Tonight marks Alan Gordon's first start since May 5 against Colorado when he scored his first goal of the season in the Galaxy ‘s 1-0 win over the Rapids. He now has three starts in nine appearances this season.
• This was the first game back for Gonzalez after serving his first career suspension due to yellow card accumulation after playing all 30 regular season games last season and the first 15 games of the 2010 campaign.
• Edson Buddle gave the Galaxy a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute, running onto the end of a Sean Franklin cross from the right flank and hitting a low first time shot that was saved by United goalkeeper Troy Perkins.However, Perkins was not able to hold onto the ball and Buddle knocked in the rebound from just outside the six yard box. The goal was the MLS-best 11th of the season for Buddle. This is the third time in Buddle’s career that he has scored 10 or more goals in a single season, also doing so in 2003 and 2004 with Columbus and in 2008 when he had a career-high 15 goals in his first full season with the Galaxy.
• The goal from Buddle also marked the club’s first unassisted strike of the season following 24 assisted goals and an own goal.
• Andy Najar’s goal for United was just the eighth goal allowed by LA this season and the sixth in the second half.
• Landon Donovan scored his second goal of the season in the 58th minute, converting from the penalty spot. The last time he scored a penalty kick was May 6, 2009 against Real Salt Lake in extra time to earn a 2-2 draw. All-time, Donovan has scored 12 goals from the spot since joining the Galaxy in 2005. It was his first penalty kick goal the season for club.
• Sean Franklin created the penalty kick in the 58’ minute streaking up the right side and in to the box. He fired a low shot that was deflected off the arm of a sliding Julius James. Marking the first penalty kick awarded to the Galaxy this season.
• The Galaxy scored the game’s first goal for the 12th time this season. They are now a perfect 12-0-0 in those games. Additionally, LA went into halftime with a 1-0 lead, marking the 11th time this season that the club has led at the half. They are 11-0-0 in those games.
• The attendance for today’s game was 17,688.
• The Galaxy are back in action on Thursday, July 22 when they host the California rivals San Jose Earthquakes at The Home Depot Center. That game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. (PT) and can be seen live on ESPN2.
• For more about today’s game, please visit www.lagalaxy.com.

Ready for Kickoff in D.C.

It is a very hot and sticky 92 degrees in the nation’s capital as the Galaxy are ready to take on D.C. United at RFK Stadium. The Galaxy will continue their search for the club’s 12th win of the season, matching their total from 2009 when they won the Western Conference and Bruce Arena will make four changes to the team that lost to New England 2-0 in their last league game in order to achieve that feat. Omar Gonzalez returns from suspension and Landon Donovan is back as well following a little time off to rest, they are joined by Alan Gordon and A.J. DeLaGarza in the starting eleven.

Here is the complete Galaxy lineup...

--------------Buddle-----------Gordon-----------------

Donovan-------------Juninho---------------Franklin

-------------------------Birchall----------------------------

Dunivant----Berhalter----Gonzalez----DeLaGarza

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

Subs: Saunders, Cazumba, Leonardo, Kovalenko, Lewis, Stephens, Kirovski

And here is how the host D.C. United lineup...

--------------Quaranta--------Hernandez--------------

Pontius-------Simms----------King--------------Najar

Graye--------James--------Jakovic--------McTavish

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

Subs: Hamid, Talley, Boskovic, Morsink, Khumalo, Moreno, Allsopp

Saturday, July 17, 2010

In the Nation's Capital, Final Preparations


On a balmy afternoon in Washington, D.C., the Galaxy took the field for the final time before tomorrow's match against D.C. United at RFK Stadium. The heat and humidity were high as expected with the temperature hovering around the low 90s during the training session.

Assistant Coach Cobi Jones led the players on a warm up that increased in intensity in order to slowly warm up the players' muscles despite the heat. Then, it was on to 5v2 with two groups featuring the Serie A and Ghanaian Third Division.

Next, the players split up into two teams of eight for a possession game that featured Juninho and Chris Birchall each taking turns as the neutral player. In spite of the weather, the players were able to maintain a high level through the exercise.

Finally, it was the finishing touches reviewing freekicks and cornerkicks before the team headed to RFK Stadium for a quick walk through on the match field. It was in good condition considering there was a game on Thursday night. In fact, the field will have one last mowing tomorrow morning before the game.

For a preview for tomorrow's game be sure to check out TWIG below and LAGalaxy.com.





This Week Inside the Galaxy: 2010 - Episode 13

In this week's episode, we take a behind the scenes look at the THINK Together field trip to a Galaxy where the kids got to see a training session at The Home Depot Center. Bruce Arena, Sean Franklin and Omar Gonzalez preview tomorrow's road match against DC United.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Galaxy Travel To D.C.; Where To Watch in LA


Earlier today, the team traveled to our nation's capital to take on D.C. United. Even though it's been awhile since Bruce and Dave last coached for D.C., RFK Stadium continues to be a special place for them.

If you're looking for a place to watch the game, the Galaxy are hosting a viewing party at Locals Sports Bar & Grill in West LA.

Some of the specials being offered Galaxy fans include, $6 "Raging Cozmo" and $7 "Beckham Burger and Fries." For more details, go to lagalaxy.com/pubs.

If you're looking to make a day out of it, the LA Grove, Brea Tar Pits, Beverly Center and a Roscoes Chicken' N Waffles are all nearby.

Another option is to host you're own "viewing party." The game is being being broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español starting at 4 p.m. with the MLS Saturday on FSC pre-game show.

FSC and FSE to Broadcast LA Galaxy-Real Madrid Friendly Live On Aug. 7


The LA Galaxy announced today that Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español will broadcast the LA Galaxy’s match against Real Madrid live to a national audience from the Rose Bowl on Aug. 7.

The match, which is presented by Pechanga Resort & Casino kicks off at 7:30 p.m. (PT), with the telecast beginning at 7 p.m. with a 30-minute pregame prior to kickoff.

The club also announced that KTLK AM 1150 and ESPN Deportes Radio KWKW 1330 AM will carry the match live on local airwaves in both English and Spanish, respectively. KTLK AM 1150’s broadcast will include a 30-minute pre-game show starting at 7 p.m., while ESPN Deportes Radio’s broadcast will have 30-minute pre-game show and post-game shows.

Might Berhalter Be Added To All-Star Team?


Defender Gregg Berhalter (see above) is not about personal accolades. As one of the leader in the Galaxy locker room, he's more concerned with team results.

But this week it seems that media wanted to know if Berhalter thought he was going to be on the MLS All-Start team when it's announced on Monday.

"I don't see why not," Berhalter said. "I've had a good year so far. As a team, we have the best defense in the league, so I think it's a good possibility. But I don't know what's in the mind of the coaches, so we'll see."

Earlier in the week, Edson Buddle, Landon Donovan, Omar Gonzalez and Donovan Ricketts were all named to the MLS All-Star First XI. The rest of the team will, including 10 coaches' picks and two commissioner selections, will be announced Monday at 10 a.m. on MLSSoccer.com.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Galaxy Raw --Week 16: All-Star First XI Edition

Galaxy Raw is your mid-week fix for all of the sights and sounds from training served up raw and unfiltered. In this edition, join us as we speak with MLS All-Stars Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle, Omar Gonzalez and Donovan Ricketts about their selection to the First XI as voted by the fans, players, media and coaches/general managers. Enjoy!

David Beckham on Yahoo.com


Earlier today, the World Interviewed David Beckham on Yahoo.com. No, seriously. Ninteen different countries took part in an interactive live interview with the one, the only, Mr. David Beckham.

Re-watch the interview (video above) or read the transcript (as posted on Yahoo's Twitter account) below.

Q1 from Korea: Did you see the Korean games-and if so, who was the best player?
A1 from Beckham: I don't want to single out one player-the strength of the Korean team is their unity!

Q2 from Taiwan: You spent time with the troops in Afghanistan-how did that inspire you?
A2 from Beckham: I've always wanted to, but never was able to. So inspiring to eat & spend time with those doing so much for us.

Q3 from HK: Who's the best teammate--and what do you like about HK?
A3 from Beckham: Played w/ so many greats--favorite is probably Gary Neville. About HK--I love the people!

Q4 form India: What was the most difficult moment in your life & how did you overcome it?
A4 from Beckham: I'd say the red card sendoff-really impacted me & my family. Most recently it was my injury prior to World Cup. It was the support from family, friends & supporters that helped me through it all.

Q5 from Malaysia: Will you plan to return to football in a managerial role--and if so with which team?
A5 from Beckham: I was happy to talk to the players & help on the bench. I love coaching kids & will always be involved that way.

Q from Twitter: Will you be in next Olympics as a player?
A: Really hope to still be playing by then!

Q6 from Singapore: Describe your perfect last game as player-location, team and what happens
A6 from Beckham: In Brazil, playing for England in 2014, I set one up and score the winning goal in the last minute!

Q7 from Yahoo! Answers winner in Australia: As a high profile couple, how do you & Victoria juggle everything?
A7 from Beckham: Our kids are our #1 priority, so that is always our focus

Q8: What's it like hanging with Snoop?
A8 from Beckham: Snoop is a great guy and a huge football fan. We've had some great times & love his new album

Q9 from Indonesia: About your tattoos-what are your favorite, what's your inspiration & will you get more?
A9 from Beckham: Favorite are my boys' names on my back & wife's name on my arm--will get moret

Q10 from Indonesia: If not a football player, what sport would you want to be a professional in?
A10 from Beckham: I'd love to be a basketball player for the LA Lakers--been a huge fan since we moved to LA

Q11 from Philippines: What 3 things could you not live without?
A11 from Beckham: How about 4? Brooklyn, Victoria, Romeo & Cruz (my wife and kids)

Q12 Will you plan to stay in LA?
A12 from Beckham: It's important for the kids to be settled & we love LA-blue skies, great weather. We'll be there for a long time.

Q13 from Canada: If you did not play football, what would you do professionally?
A13 from Beckham: I love doing cartoons and building Legos. Given those interests, I think an architect makes a lot of sense.

Q14 from Mexico: How did you meet Victoria & make her fall in love with you?
A14 from Beckham: Simon Fuller brought her to a game when she was in the Spice Girls (Posh) & I knew soon after I wanted to marry her

Q15 from Argentina: You've been involved in lots of charities. How has that impacted your life?
A15 from Beckham: We've been fortunate to help a lot of kids in the UK & have been really involved with UNICEF too

Q16 from Brazil: Do you think football will get instant replay?
A16 from Beckham: I know there is a lot of debate & the officials will take it under consideration and make the best decision.

Q17 from Spain: Who was the best player on Spain's team?
A17 from Beckham: While Sergio Ramos & the whole team played the best football, I think Casillas deserved the player of the tournament

Q18 from Facebook: What was going through your mind that goal in the 93rd minute vs Greece in 2001?
A18 from Beckham: I still get emotional & excited thinking about that goal-it shows how much results mean to people.

Q19 from Germany: How would you describe yourself in one word & why?
A19: One word: Determined. Something I instill in my kids and use to guide me personally and professionally.

Q20 from Italy: How was it wearing the AC Milan jersey playing against Manchester United?
A20 from Beckham: Was an amazing opportunity and to receive the applause and support when I returned was great.

Q21 from Italy: Always one of the most stylish men--what is your inspiration?
A21 from Beckham: Always been into fashion, but my icon would be Steve McQueen--he could pull off jeans & white t-shirt.

Q21 from France: If you weren't Beckham, who would you be?
A21 from Beckham: Steve McQueen...or Zidane. Zidane is the best player in the world.

Q22 from UK: You've had an amazing career. Do you have any dreams you want to fulfill?
A22 from Beckham: I still feel that I have a career left and would love to win more and play for my country

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Four Named To MLS All-Star First XI


Forwards Edson Buddle and Landon Donovan, defender Omar Gonzalez and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts were all voted to the MLS All-Star First XI by the fans, players, media and coaches/general managers, Major League Soccer announced today. Not only that, but all four of the players were the top vote getters in their positions (See Full Voting Breakdown Below).

The foursome will represent MLS in the annual All-Star Game on July 28 in Houston, Texas at Reliant Stadium against Manchester United.

This is Donovan’s 10th consecutive All-Star Game selection, while Buddle and Ricketts are each making their second All-Star appearance. Gonzalez, the 2009 MLS Rookie of the Year, is a first-time selection.

The First XI is not necessarily the starting lineup. MLS All-Star Head Coach Bruce Arena will select the starters based on player availability and tactical considerations. If First XI selections are unavailable due to injury, international duty or other commitments, Arena, in collaboration with host city head coach Dominic Kinnear of the Houston Dynamo, will select alternates for the game day roster, but all First XI players are All-Stars.

Due to the Galaxy’s CONCACF Champions League Qualifying Round game against the Puerto Rico Islanders on Tuesday, July 27 – the day before the All-Star Game – Arena and all Galaxy players named to the 23-man All-Star Game squad will arrive in Houston on the day of the game and are scheduled to play limited minutes.

GOALKEEPERS
Fans
Players
Media
Coach/GMs
Combined
Donovan Ricketts (LA)
2.34
15.76
16.43
21.98
56.51
Jimmy Nielsen (KC)
9.24
.12
1.43
0.00
10.79
Nick Rimando (RSL)
1.59
2.13
4.29
1.29
9.30
Kasey Keller (SEA)
2.29
1.30
0.00
.43
4.02
Stefan Frei (TOR)
1.39
1.18
0.00
1.29
3.86

DEFENDERS
Fans
Players
Media
Coach/GMs
Combined
Omar Gonzalez (LA)
1.27
3.35
4.52
4.97
14.11
Jamison Olave (RSL)
.59
1.41
4.05
2.41
8.46
Chad Marshall (CLB)
.76
2.52
1.19
2.98
7.45
Jonathan Bornstein (CHV)
1.02
.88
2.14
1.28
5.32
Wilman Conde (CHI)
.36
1.33
.24
2.98
4.91


MIDFIELDERS
Fans
Players
Media
Coach/GMs
Combined
Dwayne De Rosario (TOR)
1.42
2.42
3.49
3.33
10.65
Guillermo Barros Schelotto (CLB)
1.00
1.34
2.91
2.65
7.89
Kyle Beckerman (RSL)
.94
1.45
1.31
2.65
6.35
Javier Morales (RSL)
.48
1.31
2.47
1.54
5.80
Marco Pappa (CHI)
.36
1.17
2.18
1.71
5.42
Sebastien Le Toux (PHI)
1.21
.74
1.60
.51
4.06
Brad Davis (HOU)
.48
.90
1.31
1.28
3.97


FORWARDS
Fans
Players
Media
Coach/GMs
Combined
Edson Buddle (LA)
3.07
7.95
9.64
11.44
32.11
Landon Donovan (LA)
5.24
5.11
8.93
7.84
27.12
Juan Pablo Angel (NY)
3.07
2.22
1.07
2.33
8.69