This Week Inside the Galaxy - Set for Seattle

This Week Inside the Galaxy, we catch up with the new MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, Donovan Ricketts and look ahead to Sunday's second leg against Seattle.

Enjoy...

In Praise of Donovan

In this edition of Galaxy Raw, listen to what Donovan Ricketts' coaches and teammates had to say about the 2010 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.

Listening In

With the buzz around Sunday's game growing, Landon, Sean and Omar popped up on a number of different shows to talk about the game, the series against Seattle and the season so far.

Landon joined the Loose Cannons this afternoon at the start of their third hour today on AM 570. Is this the first edition of the soon to be famous MLS Report? Take a listen (he's the first guest and is on for about nine minutes) and find out.

Sean was one of six postseason performers to join Jason, Greg, Nick and Simon of ExtraTime Radio at MLSSoccer.com. Sean (who joins the program 58 minutes in) talked about making The HDC a fortress ahead of what he hopes is the first of two home playoff games and also handed out some stick to Simon Borg over his "questionable" 3-0 prediction in favor of the Sounders after the opening leg.

Earlier in the morning, Omar joined Steven and Kenny at World Football Daily to discuss his nomination for the Defender of the Year award, his international future and his hopes for Sunday against the Sounders.

Finally, for those of you that were watching the game in Seattle on Sunday (and we would guess that it was more than a few of you) you may have missed this interview with Landon Donovan on KNBC's The Challenge. Take a look...

Hearing Is Believing

Sit back, and enjoy.

Re-live Edson Buddle's game-winning wonder goal from Sunday's game in Seattle, a 1-0 victory for the Galaxy in the first-leg of the Western Conference Semifinal, and listen to how the radio voice of the Galaxy Joe Tutino called the action.

This is how Rolando Gonzalez and Armando Aguayo called it in Spanish:

All About the Defense

The Galaxy were back on the training field this afternoon under a sweltering sun at The Home Depot Center. Just three days removed from last weekend's win in Seattle, the club has begun to put together their game plan for Sunday's second and final leg of the series.

But while the guys were working hard during the session (and after as Gregg Berhalter and Chris Birchall led a group through extra fitness work), playing a series of 3v3 games in addition to the standard training regiments, the talk before and after training was all about Donovan Ricketts being named the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. While Donovan was quick to thank goalkeeper coach Ian Feuer and his teammates, those same teammates (and Feuer) were quick to praise the Jamaican international for the impact that he has had on the LA defense in his two years with the club.

We caught up with Bruce and Ian to get a coach's perspective on the play of the Galaxy #1, while also talking with the man himself and three of the defenders that play in front of him to see what they thought about Ricketts' honor and what they're looking for from the Sounders this weekend.

Here is what they had to say.

Bruce...

Ian...

Donovan...

Omar...

Todd...

A.J...

Donovan Ricketts Named Goalkeeper of the Year

Early this morning, Major League Soccer announced the first of their annual year-end award winners with Donovan Ricketts being named the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.

We'll have much more from Donovan today after training, but for now, here is the official press release announcing the Jamaican's honor.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LA Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts has been named the 2010 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. Now in his second year with the Galaxy, Ricketts has been nominated for the award in each of his two seasons in MLS, but this is the first time that he has won the award, which is given annually to the top goalkeeper in Major League Soccer.

Ricketts claimed the award over fellow finalists, former Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, who now plays for FC Dallas and Nick Rimando of Real Salt Lake, after garnering the most votes in polling of MLS players, general managers, coaches and members of the media. The 33-year-old Jamaican international joins Hartman, who was named the Goalkeeper of the Year in 1999, as the only two players in club history to win the award. This was the sixth time in the 15-year history of MLS that a Galaxy goalkeeper has been nominated for the award, while Ricketts joins current Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad as just the second foreign goalkeeper to claim the award.

“This is a tremendous honor to be named the Goalkeeper of the Year in a league with so many outstanding goalkeepers. I am grateful to have won this award and I would like to thank everyone who voted for me,” Ricketts said. “I would also like to thank all of my coaches and teammates, specifically my goalkeeper coach Ian Feuer and my fellow goalkeeper Josh Saunders for pushing me as hard as they do in training everyday and helping me to become a better goalkeeper.”

Ricketts set a club record with a 0.90 goals against average, allowing 26 goals in the 29 games that he played this season. He had a league-best record of 18-7-4 on the season and kept 11 clean sheets, tying a club record that was set by Hartman in 1999, while the 26 goals allowed by the club were the second fewest in MLS this season and the fewest in club history. A two-time MLS All-Star and the starting goalkeeper in this year’s All-Star Game against Manchester United, his 0.96 career goals against average is the lowest in MLS history amongst goalkeepers that have played 500 minutes or more. In the two seasons in which Ricketts has played for the Galaxy, the club has allowed 57 goals in 60 regular season games after surrendering 62 in 30 regular season games during the 2008 campaign.

On Sunday in the Galaxy’s postseason opener, Ricketts made a season-high eight saves, including seven in the first half, helping the Galaxy claim a 1-0 win in the first leg of their Western Conference Semifinal Series against Seattle at Qwest Field. In five career postseason appearances, Ricketts now has a 3-0-1 record with three shutouts, 19 saves and a 0.59 goals against average. In the MLS Cup Playoffs, Ricketts has allowed just one goal in his last 406 minutes of action dating back to the first leg of the Galaxy’s Western Conference Semifinal Series with Chivas USA last year.

“This is a tremendous achievement for Donovan and I could not be happier that he was named the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year,” said Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, who signed Ricketts from Village United in his native Jamaica in December 2008. “He has been an important part of our club’s defensive improvements over the past two seasons and he is fully deserving of this honor.”

Here is a list of all of the past Goalkeeper of the Year award winners...

Goalkeeper of the Year Winners
2010: Donovan Ricketts – LA Galaxy
2009: Zach Thornton – Chivas USA
2008: Jon Busch – Chicago Fire
2007: Brad Guzan – Chivas USA
2006: Troy Perkins – D.C. United
2005: Pat Onstad – San Jose Earthquakes
2004: Joe Cannon – Colorado Rapids
2003: Pat Onstad – San Jose Earthquakes
2002: Joe Cannon – San Jose Earthquakes
2001: Tim Howard – MetroStars
2000: Tony Meola – Kansas City Wizards
1999: Kevin Hartman – LA Galaxy
1998: Zach Thornton – Chicago Fire
1997: Brad Friedel – Columbus Crew
1996: Mark Dodd – Dallas Burn

A Final Look at the 1-0 Playoff Win in Seattle

With the team having the day off today, this is the perfect time to look back one last time at the playoff opening win in Seattle on Sunday night before turning the page to this weekend's second and final game of the series.

Look back at all the highlights from the game below and hear what a number of the guys had to say in the locker room after the game.

Additionally, enjoy this exclusive interview with the game's lone goalscorer, Edson Buddle, from the locker room shortly after the game ended.