CONCACAF Champions League (CCL)

The Galaxy opened their group stage play with a 2-0 win over Club Motagua of Honduras at the Home Depot Center. Adam Cristman and Landon Donovan each had a goal for the Galaxy with Cristman playing in the role usually occupied by Juan Pablo Angel.

The first domino for the Galaxy fell the day after Edson Buddle signed with a German club when LA announced early this morning they had signed 26-year-old D.C. United reserve forward Adam Cristman, right, in exchange for the Galaxy's first round pick in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft.

Cristman has had three MLS clubs, including the New England Revolution and the late Kansas City Wizards, in four years and two serious injuries including a fractured metatarsal that required lengthy stays on the sideline.

Reporter Phil Collin filed this update for today's newspaper.

Phil also offered up these bonus quotes

Here's LD on the quality of this year's new pickups:

"The benefit of having guys like Chad (Barrett) and Adam (Cristman) and Juan Pablo (Angel) and now Miguel (Lopez) is you have guys who can pull off plays on their own so you don't have to depend on David (Beckham) making a killer pass or me pulling off a play.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

By ADAM SERRANO

Landon Donovan played all over the pitch last season. Whether at forward, in central midfield or out wide, Donovan played a variety of roles for the Los Angeles Galaxy in the club's Supporters Shield run.

Another week of former Wizards updates, the season is winding down for the those in Europe. Herculez Gomez looks to be on the move again in Mexico, as rumors link him with a move to Tecos this offseason. In other news, former assistant coach, Kris Kelderman has been named the new head coach at University of Wisconsin, Green Bay.

By Thera Reyes, getting her first taste of Beckham and MLS in Manila

Two years ago, it would have been unheard of to have an international football team come to Manila. Heck, football fans even recently travelled to Malaysia to watch Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool for their Asian tours.

Another week of former Wizards updates. A day late after the Sporting KC home game last night. The European season is winding down, and another former Wizard has appeared. Diego Walsh has apparently signed with the Charleston Battery, meaning there are 3 former Wizards playing in Charleston as he joins Stephen Armstrong and John Wilson.

The Los Angeles Galaxy reserves are on the board.

Rookie Paolo Cardozo set up both Gregg Berhalter and Adam Cristman, and the Galaxy held on for its first MLS Reserve League victory, a 2-1 result over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Monday.

Cristman's goal in the 73rd minute from the top of the penalty area proved to be the game-winner after Whitecaps rookie Omar Salgado sliced the Vancouver deficit in half with a goal in the 77th minute.

Quick update for you tonight on former Wizards. As mentioned on the Sporting KC radio show on Tuesday, Nick Garcia doesn't look like he'll become a current Wizard again as he is no longer in training. Here is the rest of this week's update.
Still looking for:
Nick Cardenas
AJ Godbolt
Willy Guadarrama
Santiago Hirsig
Michael Kraus
Ryan McMahen
Ivan Trujillo
MLS
Jimmy Conrad - Chivas USA - Did not dress in Chivas' 2-1 loss to Dallas.

THe LA Galaxy were given a lesson in finishing last night as Real Madrid opened their pre-season with an impressive 4-1 victory over the LA Galaxy.

Real Madrid is one of the best teams in the world, and even with a strong line-up, the Galaxy could not hang with the Spanish giants. Madrid won 63% of the tackles in the game, had 60% of the possession and had 20 shots on goal to LA's 8.

By JONATHAN VERA

LOS ANGELES, Calif – Real Madrid came back to LA with the same agenda as last year: to beat LA. And they did just that as Cristiano Ronaldo and company unleashed a 4-1 clinic on the Galaxy Saturday night at the LA Coliseum.

Clubs can protect 11 players ahead of the 10-round draft for the Montreal Impact, which will join MLS next year.

A team can only lose one player.

Wonder if Impact Coach Jesse Marsch will take a player from his most recent former club, Chivas USA? Will he bring home Canadian Ante Jazic, a solid addition to any expansion team's backline?

Adam Cristman is heading west to be with the Galaxy. (Getty Images)

After losing Edson Buddle to a German side yesterday (good for you Edson), the Galaxy are starting to sound like a desperate team here. No knock on this deal today but they have gone out and traded for striker Adam Cristman from D.

Adam Cristman is heading west to be with the Galaxy. (Getty Images)

After losing Edson Buddle to a German side yesterday (good for you Edson), the Galaxy are starting to sound like a desperate team here. No knock on this deal today but they have gone out and traded for striker Adam Cristman from D.

By JOHN BOSCHINI

Chivas USA forward Justin Braun and Dallas defender Ugo Ihemelu have been released from the U.S. National Team camp due to injuries and will miss the team's upcoming friendly against Chile on January 22.

Braun is out for a week after four stitches were required to close a cut on his Achilles' tendon and Ihemelu was unable to shake off nagging hip and groin injuries.

Time for another former Sporting KC update. The Mexican league has kicked back off, so Herculez Gomez is back in action. Will John's time with the Missouri Comets also appears to be over now as well. Nelson Pizarro is still out there, he's been brought on to the San Diego Sockers from the San Diego Fusion.

Time for another former Sporting KC update. The Mexican league has kicked back off, so Herculez Gomez is back in action. Will John's time with the Missouri Comets also appears to be over now as well. Nelson Pizarro is still out there, he's been brought on to the San Diego Sockers from the San Diego Fusion.

*The club will play the expansion Portland Timbers Feb. 8 and the San Jose Earthquakes Feb. 10 at Home Depot Center, although there's no word whether fans will be able to peer over a fence and watch or the games will be behind closed doors.

The Galaxy will also play three games against MLS opponents while training in Arizona from Feb.

BY ADAM SERRANO

The Los Angeles Galaxy are going "all-in" in 2011.

After falling short of the MLS Cup the last two years, the Galaxy have loaded the roster with a number of veterans to make another serious play for the Cup in 2011. Veterans Juan Pablo Angel and Frankie Hejduk will look to make major contributions to a potential Galaxy title run and build upon a team that fell in the Western Conference Final last season to FC Dallas.

Major League Soccer returns Tuesday as the Seattle Sounders host last season's Supporters' Shield-winning LA Galaxy in front of what is sure to be raucous crowd at Quest Field.

"There's a lot at stake because obviously they are the team that knocked us out of the playoffs, so we want to come out and we want to play well for that reason," Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid said.

Back for another week of former Wizards updates this week. A week of international games for many former Wizards, including Khari Stephenson, Sunil Chhetri, and Yura Movsisyan. In other former Wizards news, former Wizards midfielder, Amir Lowery has signed with the Montreal Impact to play in for the NASL side next season.

All effort and no ball sums up the entire Galaxy-United match.

We always miss players when they are away, but we could have won the game at the end of the day. I don't think we didn't play well because of missing Landon. – David Beckham

The only one good thing about tonight is that we lost these games at home last year.

Time for a week of former SKC Wizards updates. First some congrats to two goalkeepers, Kevin Hartman for recording his 100th MLS shutout over the weekend, and to Neal Kitson for scoring a goal in Rochester's 2-2 draw. Herculez Gomez has a new club as he has moved to play with Tecos in the Mexican first division.

Another week of former Sporting KC Wizards updates. The international season has basically wound down, but the US is in full swing with lots of former Wizards playing. Here's this week's update.
Still looking for:
Vicente Arze
Nick Cardenas
AJ Godbolt
Willy Guadarrama
Santiago Hirsig
Michael Kraus
Ryan McMahen
Ivan Trujillo
MLS
Jimmy Conrad - Chivas USA - Did not dress in Chivas' 2-1 loss to Houston.

This week's former SKC Wizards update is here. Nick Cardenas is back on the radar, having played for Sporting KC in their reserve game on Monday, and is apparently still in training now. May have a shot at at least a short term contract with Daneil Cyrus now out. Here's the rest of this week's update.

Another former SKC Wizards update a day late due to the game last night. Some big news involving former Wizards this week. First, the big announcement that one of the greatest Wizards of all time, Jimmy Conrad is hanging them up and taking a job with the Chivas USA staff. A smart move for Conrad who hasn't played since early this season due to a concussion.

Another former SKC Wizards update a day late due to the game last night. Some big news involving former Wizards this week. First, the big announcement that one of the greatest Wizards of all time, Jimmy Conrad is hanging them up and taking a job with the Chivas USA staff. A smart move for Conrad who hasn't played since early this season due to a concussion.

Remember Chinatown? It is a great movie about water rights, land development, and conspiracy, starring a young Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. There is an iconic, incest revealing scene in which Nicholson is trying to determine Dunaway's relationship to this girl. He keeps slapping her and with each slap she switches from "my sister" to "my daughter.

Remember Chinatown? It is a great movie about water rights, land development, and conspiracy, starring a young Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. There is an iconic, incest revealing scene in which Nicholson is trying to determine Dunaway's relationship to this girl. He keeps slapping her and with each slap she switches from "my sister" to "my daughter.

Another week of former SKC Wizards updates. Nick Cardenas is still getting looks from the Sporting KC coaching staff and I'd expect him to be invited to preseason this coming year. Two other former Wizards have taken coaching jobs under Jesse Marsch with the Montreal Impact. Preston Burpo has been named the team's goalkeeper coach, while Mike Sorber has joined as an assistant coach.

It didn't take long for Adam Cristman to realize that he was in the midst of something special this year.

Only weeks into his first season as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy, the fifth-year striker witnessed something he hadn't seen since his rookie year: the hallmarks of a team destined for greatness.

The list for the Re-Entry Draft is out. Any interesting targets for United?

Ante Jazic: To old (36 before 2012 season starts) and too expensive ($115k salary), but plays a position of need. This would be an extreme reach, even at a reduced salary in Stage 2.

Bobby Boswell: Way too expensive ($210k salary) and we're probably set with McDonald and Jakovic in the middle of defense, but .

*The Galaxy announced this morning that the club has re-signed starting defender/midfielder Sean Franklin as well as Bryan Jordan of Temple City and reserve striker Adam Cristman for the 2012 season. The Galaxy also announced they have signed MLS veteran Pat Noonan and goalkeeper Nick Noble. Here's more on the

By JOEY SAMUEL

While the retaining of David Beckham's services remains up in the air for the Los Angeles Galaxy, five other players saw their contract situations get a lot clearer on Friday.

Sean Franklin and Bryan Jordan re-signed with Los Angeles, while Adam Cristman's option was picked up, allowing Bruce Arena to keep key parts of the deep squad that won the 2011 MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield.

Better. Possibly.
We all remember the YouTube greatness of one Cristian Castillo, don't we? Assuming Brasesco pans out (though that's a mighty big assumption considering our recent forays south of the border), we've at least got some reasonable depth at the back if we include the recent addition of Daniel Woolard and the signing of Ethan White to a homegrown contract.

Photo by Perry McIntyre/ISIPhotos.com

BY ADAM SERRANO

Oguchi Onyewu is returning to the Low Countries.

The United States national team defender is joining Dutch club, FC Twente on loan until the end of the season from AC Milan.

"The Vasectomy, where balls go to die, Chad Barrett!" du Nord

"Chad Barrett can't hit the side of a barn with a cruise missile." Our own Nathan HJ

It seems that everything is changing and everything remains the same. Last year the Galaxy had a fairly solid back line, an unsettled midfield, and a shaky strike force.

By AVI CREDITOR

After putting last season's historically bad campaign in the rear-view mirror, D.C. United is aiming for a fresh start with Ben Olsen at the helm of a team on a mission.

With a bevy of new faces in camp and a fresh attitude to boot, expectations of a vast improvement are abound in the nation's capital.

Here, as promised, is a short gallery by Staff Photographer Brad Graverson from the first day of Galaxy practice on what was a beautiful day at Home Depot Center.

Look ma, no eyes (open): Juan Pablo Angel, who has been given the No. 9 jersey (Jovan Kirovski, in a classy move, has given up that number and will wear No.

Rapids striker Conor Casey scored the opening two goals of the game six minutes apart to give Colorado a 2-0 lead after just 25 minutes on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe.

Landon Donovan scored from a second half spot kick and Adam Cristman pulled the Galaxy level six minutes later, but the Rapids responded by scoring twice more in three minutes to seal the Galaxy's first preseason loss.