As has been widely reported in the futbol blogosphere, the Galaxy made a trade today with Chivas USA, sending a conditional 2010 draft pick and allocation money down the hall in return for striker Alecko Eskandarian. To make space on the roster, the team cut holding midfielder Josh Tudela on the day his 2009 contract was to be guaranteed.

U.S. Men's National Team forward Charlie Davies is in serious but stable condition at Washington Hospital Center MedStar Unit after a car accident early Tuesday morning.

A 22-year old woman, identified as Ashley J. Roberta of Phoenix, Md., was fatally injured in the crash and died on the scene.

A Few Moves(not a complete list)

As July 1 approached, the time when players contracts would be guaranteed if they were on the roster, MLS clubs made moves. I haven't listed the players waived or released to make roster room, but some of the new additions are...

26 yr old Alecko Escandarian has moved across the hall as he was picked up by LA from Chivas USA.

The Los Angeles Galaxy have landed forward Alecko Eskandarian, acquiring the player from Chivas USA in exchange for allocation money and a conditional draft pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. In order to make roster space for the new addition, the Galaxy have terminated the contract of midfielder Josh Tudela.

From the the LA Galaxy front office, the team bolstered their attacking core today by acquiring forward Alecko Eskandarian from Chivas USA in exchange for allocation money and a conditional pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. The 26-year-old forward has 28 goals and 12 assists in 122 games during his seven-year MLS career.

Chicago's Patrick Nyarko and Seattle's Osvaldo Alonso battle again this weekend. (Getty Images)

We steam roll into another weekend of soccer here starting with one game tonight along with a full slate of games tomorrow. Week 19 is the final week before the league's All-Star break next week.

The Scene: The 2004 MLS Cup Final was played in the HDC, the Cathedral of American Soccer, and nearly 25,000 folks were on hand to watch DC United take on the Kansas City Wizards in a classic matchup. In the end, DCU would win their fourth crown (their first since 1999) by a score of 3-2.

First-choice goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts needed 10 stitches to close a gash on his eye brow suffered in a 85th-minute clash in the comfortable win Wednesday against the Chicago Fire. Ricketts was removed and replaced by Josh Saunders.

Club officials said they'll know more about Ricketts' status after a scheduled training session in D.

The Galaxy are desperate for goals.

Oft-injured Chivas USA forward Alecko Eskandarian, who has scored just six goals in 18 games since joining the club from Real Salt Lake in January 2008, was traded today to intrastadium rivals the Galaxy.

To make room for the 26-year-old forward, the Galaxy waived midfielder Josh Tudela who has played 23 games for the club since being selected in the 2007 SuperDraft.

Picture by Saed Hindash from the Star Ledger

And those words are: Don't get cocky.

That's 4 wins in a row for the Galaxy, which is not the longest win streak since 2006. (The dismal 2007 season featured a 5 game winning streak from September through October.) All of a sudden the team is tied for third in the West and sitting pretty in a playoff spot (granted it has still played a game more than most of the West) and it is surging rather than falling.

Image by Victor Decolongon of Getty Images

And those words are: Should've taken three.

I can't remember the last time my frustration from a Los Angeles Galaxy performance was based on the fact that they clearly outplayed their opponent for an entire game, but could not deliver the death blow.

Stealing on old bit from the late Big O and Dukes Show, we will spend the next month or so playing "River or Life" with members of the DC United organization, starting with the front office, and then moving on to the players, by position. In an offseason that is bound to include multitudes of changes throughout the club, this will be a great way to show the team who we the fans want to see return next year.

Just as promised, even if it is a day behind normal schedule here. Plenty of solid goals this past week in Major League Soccer. I particularly love some of the combinations in plays like the Columbus game between Jason Garey and Steven Lenhart.

By the way, what was with Rob Stone's Max Bretos call on the DeRo goal?

Photo by C.J. Guntner

And those words are: Getting there.

In the normal MLS scheme of things I wouldn't be so cautious about a win on the road over the New England Revolution, but the fact is that if not for the Red Bulls' epic FAIL of a season, New England's struggles would be much bigger news.

Eric Brunner trade turned into a solid deal for Columbus. (Getty Images)

Since we are nearly done with the 2009 regular season I figured it was high time we started looking back at the best deals that were made that shaped this season into what it has become. I say going into every year that there will pretty much be a trade that shakes up things a bit when it happens and really helps push a club towards the playoffs instead of an early start to winter.

Davy Arnaud did it again.

The Kansas City midfielder delivered another long-range blast and helped his Wizards post a second straight victory, this time knocking off previously unbeaten Seattle.

Arnaud and the Wizards are well-represented in this week's MLS Best XI, Worst XI and Team of the Week.

Fifth game of the season, fifth different starting lineup of the year for Chivas USA in this clash of the MLS teams with the two best records coming into the weekend.

There's about 50 traveling Sounders supporters here, borrowing the L.A. Riot Squad's usual spot in the stands for the night.

Chivas just keeps on keepin' on. They are six points clear of Seattle, although the Sounders have a game in hand.

Last weeks injury list for Chivas USA read like this...

OUT:
DF Bobby Burling (sports hernia surgery);
FW Alecko Eskandarian (R hamstring strain);
DF Ante Jazic (concussion);
GK Dan Kennedy (R knee sprain);
FW Ante Razov (R ankle surgery);
DF Claudio Suárez (L calf strain);
DF Lawson Vaughn (L ankle surgery);
QUESTIONABLE:
MF Bojan Stepanovic (left leg contusion);
MF Sasha Victorine (L knee surgery);
PROBABLE:
FW Justin Braun (R knee sprain);
FW Maykel Galindo (sports hernia surgery)

Galindo, Victorine and Braun played, in fact, Braun scored the game's only goal.

Lovely cool evening here at Home Depot Center and throughout the South Bay, which is maybe one reason why Landon Donovan is barbecuing on the beach ill and has stayed at his Manhattan Beach home this evening. Maybe he has Beckhamitis?

That means the same XI for Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena that dispatched MLS leaders the Houston Dynamo last time out aside from goalkeeper Josh Saunders who replaces the Gold Cupping-Donovan Ricketts.

The Los Angeles Galaxy might have lost forward Alan Gordon shortly before Saturday night's game, but they immediately found out what they have gained in Alecko Eskandarian: A heck of a scoring threat. With a chance to make an impression, the newly acquired striker didn't disappoint. Eskandarian scored the game's only goal on a precision left-foot volley early on, leading LA past New England, 1-0, at The Home Depot Center.

For the last couple weeks, Superliga and CONCACAF Champions League action has affected MLS rosters. Now it's the Gold Cup.
But as they say, the show must go on.
Colorado with its second-straight loss might be most affected by the personnel blows. And in case you haven't noticed, the Galaxy -- led by welcome addition Alecko Eskandarian (above) -- has jumped up to a fourth-place tie with the Rapids in the Western Conference.

New England Revolution were very disappointed with Saturday night's loss to Los Angeles. The Revs went down early, conceding an eighth-minute goal to Alecko Eskandarian. They rebounded quickly, attacking with numbers and putting pressure on the New England defense, but they were ultimately unable to find a way past an outstanding Josh Saunders and the Galaxy defence.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

The Chicago Fire is considered one of the deepest teams in Major League Soccer and will now have that depth tested as the Easter Conference power is forced to deal with the loss of star striker Brian McBride.

Luis Angel Landin is one of the new faces in MLS. (Getty Images)

I guess you could really say its just been a rather slow week in terms of news. Sure rosters were finalized on Tuesday night for the rest of the year and the league announced their big break next summer but other than that it's been rather calm in Major League Soccer this week.

Goal.com's Kyle McCarthy takes a look at Week 7 in MLS and provides picks for all the games. If he's correct, it'll be a happy weekend for all area MLS fans.
The game I think most MLS fans are looking forward to, though, is Seattle-Chicago. At this point, both those teams are legit MLS Cup contenders.

The last time these two clubs met in a 2006 friendly in Seattle, Alecko Eskandarian scored in the 1-1 match.
Thanks to a loyal MLSR Reader for the following:

Just got confirmation from inside source at DC United that it will happen.
Sunday, August 9th, 2009, 3PM at FedEx Field (where the Redskins play)
Tickets will be:
Mid-field will be 70
Corners will be 60
Behind the goals will be 50
Just wanted to give you a heads up.

Real Madrid continues to shine. City isn't doing bad either. The big four are remarkably quiet, especially United and Chelsea...

• Gallas staying at Arsenal.
  
• Inter gets Materazzi to re-up.
  
• Is Barcelona closing on Villa.
  
• Xabi Alonso eyed by Juventus.
  
• Bayern sets a Ribery price.

A young Revolution without six regulars, victims of their marathon schedule, and fielding a team with no outfield player older than 26, fell 1-0 to the Galaxy Saturday on a goal by debutant Alecko Eskandarian. It was the Galaxy's second consecutive home one goal win.

Quotable: "To get these last two wins at home are very important," said Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena.

It didn't take Alecko Eskandarian long to make an impact with his new club.

The well-traveled striker scored a goal in his first match with the LA Galaxy and it proved to be the game winner in a 1-0 LA victory against New England. The victory moved the Galaxy into a tie for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference at the halfway point.

After week 16 the numbers look like this...

5 year comparison WK 15 118 GP YTD Avg +/- GP Avg +/- Avg +/- GP 2005 23,776 6 14,568 14,807 107 2006 13,158 -44.66% 6 14,724 1.07% 14,632 -1.

I blame the holiday weekend for getting me off to a late start here this week. Plus throw in the fact that I am a homeowner now all the trips to Home Depot and places like that are easily killing off any spare second over the weekend. Oh well, no time to bitch and moan about that but time to get down to business once again this week.

Photo by ISIphotos.com

Alecko Eskandarian wasted no time making an impact with his new club and the result is another Galaxy win and another LA move up the SBI MLS Power Rankings.

And those words are: I'll take it.

The Galaxy put together their longest winning streak of the year at three, all 1-0 victories, all against tough teams (Houston, New England, Chivas), though you could argue that this is turning out to be a kind of lost season for the Revs. The scoreline is starting to remind me of the increasingly iconic 2-0 result that the US MNT always seems to get in huge games.

It was a dream start for Los Angeles Thursday, when Alecko Eskandarian scored a beautiful goal just two minutes into the game. Following a flick over his defender, Eskandarian hit a volley from distance that found the top right corner of Danny Cepero's goal.
You might have expected this highlight reel goal (which found it's way onto SportsCenter's Top 10 plays) to be the best you'd see on the night.

TEAM USA GOLD CUP
Up Next - Quarterfinal Match:
-Sat Jul 18
USA v Panama - 7pm Central on FSC
Venue: Lincoln Financial Field - Philadelphia PA
dN
The Philadelphia Inquirer writes about the type of players on the current USA team.
dN
John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News says the USA team is building depth.

First things first: the Galaxy's Alecko Eskandarian is on Drew Carey's "The Price is Right at 10 a.m. on CBS (sorry for the late notice).

In other momentous MLS Cup related news:

*Seattle introduces - the Galaxy dog.

*Former Galaxy midfielder Ned Grabavoy is a hero in Salt Lake City after scoring the PK that put them through to the final - but may not play Sunday against his former team.

For the fourth straight game 3-0 Chivas USA is dressing all 18 of the healthy players on the club's roster, but Coach Preki makes just one change to the starting lineup, restoring right back Mariano Trujillo to the first XI after he sat out last weekend's game against the Columbus Crew with bruised ribs.

Galaxy 0 Chivas USA 0

This is a typical derby with almost as many cards - five yellow and one red, the latter for Chivas USA's Pablo Nagamura who received a second yellow for deliberately bringing down Landon Donovan, (who did his best to sell the foul and draw the ejection) just before the half ended - than shots on goal (7).

I'll be working on my Press-Enterprise column this morning, and right now I'm leaning towards writing on the early trends in MLS this season. I'll probably also write about the local teams as well since they've got trends of their own to discuss.
One of the two major early trends this season is the high number of red cards.

Chivas USA have announced that it has launched MyChivasUSA.com, a social networking site designed for fans of the Red-and-White. The site offers users an online community where they can set up a personal page, interact with Chivas USA team members and other fans, and share photos, videos, and other content.