Black and Red United give DC winger Andy Najar five-stars for his performance on Saturday. Hard to argue.

MLSTalk praises Peter Nowak as the Arsene Wenger of MLS. I am totally confused about the comparison. Both successful yet flawed coaches? Both European?

Former Union netminder Brad Knighton helped his Carolina Railhawks to their 10th straight win, earning his 5th shutout of the year in the process.

Black and Red United give DC winger Andy Najar five-stars for his performance on Saturday. Hard to argue.

MLSTalk praises Peter Nowak as the Arsene Wenger of MLS. I am totally confused about the comparison. Both successful yet flawed coaches? Both European?

Former Union netminder Brad Knighton helped his Carolina Railhawks to their 10th straight win, earning his 5th shutout of the year in the process.

With the Seattle Sounders on their best form of the season and being as healthy as they've been all year, you would think that projecting the starting lineup would be getting easier. And it is. But there are still a few questions heading into Monday's game against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The biggest is who starts as the center midfielder next to Osvaldo Alonso?

What's in team form? Is it 4 wins in six games without a loss? Or ten games without a loss? Or is form getting 64 points in last 34 with a +18 goal differential? Either way, that's the Seattle Sounders right now. This team isn't just hot now. It has been hot for quite some time. Despite changes scattered throughout the standard XI and substitution pattern, Sigi Schmid's squad has been as good in 34 matches as FC Dallas (current PPM leader) is pacing in its half season.

Every week the New England Soccer Today crew will look beyond the standings to rank each of the 18 Major League Soccer (MLS) teams. This week Brian O'Connell and Sean Donahue contributed rankings. Comments are followed by the ranker's name and the rank they gave that team.

1.

I couldn't watch the San Jose game until the last few minutes, so imagine my surprise when I turned it on to see this. Mike Magee can't pick up the ball! That's a handball!! Well, not that night.

Who would have thought that for a number of weeks keeper would be the most exciting position on the field for the Galaxy?

The Los Angeles Galaxy have been forced into starting their third goalkeeper tonight versus the Seattle Sounders. Brian Perk sits as the potential starter for at least one game for the Galaxy because of Donovan Ricketts' broken forearm and John Saunders' red card last game.

Drafted 49th overall in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft, Perk did not start a single MLS or USOC game for the Philadelphia Union.

The Brotherly Game Shares Their Knowledge of Brian Perk

Brian Perk has never played in a MLS game. Until last week's appearance against the LA Blues, there's a pretty good chance he had never even donned a MLS uniform. The Brotherly Game shares what they know about Perk from his days with the Philadelphia Union.

For the 16th consecutive season and the second against Seattle the Galaxy are at home for Independence Day. How many of you have attended every game?

The Galaxy boast a 10-game unbeaten streak, the Sounders have four wins in 11 days and something has to give between two teams separated by just four points in the MLS standings who meet each other again July 12 or 13 in the Pacific Northwest in the U.

Two of the top teams in MLS will square off tonight at Home Depot Center as the first-place Los Angeles Galaxy faces the red-hot Seattle Sounders (10:30pm, ESPN2).

The Galaxy will play with third-string goalkeeper Brian Perk after losing Donovan Ricketts to a broken arm and Josh Saunders to a red card suspension.

A tie on the road against the best team in the league should feel satisfactory. But facing a third-string goalkeeper, drawing a penalty and generally outplaying the Los Angeles Galaxy for much of the match, the Seattle Sounders 0-0 tie does not feel as satisfying as it probably should.

The big reason for that is probably Fredy Montero's failed penalty.

BY ADAM SERRANO

The LA Galaxy had to reach deep into its bench, but was able to continue its 11-game unbeaten streak with a 0-0 draw against the Seattle Sounders on Monday night.

Third-string goalkeeper Brian Perk performed admirably in his MLS debut, making two saves including the definitive play of the game on a Fredy Montero penalty kick in the 18th minute.

There's been another change at the top.

Despite not losing, the Los Angeles Galaxy has made way for FC Dallas to take over the No. 1 spot in SBI'S MLS Power Rankings. FCD, on the heels of its 2-0 win over Columbus, extended its torrid streak to 9-1-3 in its last 13 games and trails the Galaxy by two points in the race for the Supporter's Shield but has two games in hand.

TeamCurrent RankingLast RankingRecord (W-L-T)Last FiveComments 119-2-9T-T-W-T-TFourth straight week in the top spot for the Galaxy.

Good morning everyone and a happy belated 4th of July. The Seattle Sounders played the LA Galaxy to a 0-0 tie this weekend and were a bit unlucky not to get the full three points. Young LA goalkeeper Brian Perk did well in his first MLS game to keep a clean sheet including a good PK save against Fredy Montero.

Fourth of July matches are often hidden and buried from our psyche. There is just so much other stuff going on in the average American household. What shouldn't be forgotten is that the Seattle Sounders had more chances in the first 30 and last 15 than the Los Angeles Galaxy did. While the Galaxy controlled the 45 minutes within that period.

Loads of great highlights from Major League Soccer this week from Portland's Nagbe's wonderstrike to Brian Perk's stand up performance between the sticks for LA. Voting closes at 11:50pm PT on Thursday.
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Brian Perk's diving save on Fredy Montero's penalty kick not only earned the LA Galaxy a point in their 0-0 draw with Seattle on Monday, but it also took home MLS Save of the Week honors for Week 16.

Perk's magnificent stop in the 18th minute helped keep the Sounders off the scoreboard and propelled LA to their 11th straight match without a loss.

Seattle Sounders have lifted the hearts of their supporters to new heights, winnning convincingly against LA Galaxy (including Landon Donovan) in the US Open Cup, winning in Portland, and most recently defeating the Colorado Rapids in Seattle. Sounders were slightly unlucky in Los Angeles on July 4th when Montero had his penalty kick saved by MLS noob Brian Perk.

Seattle Sounders have lifted the hearts of their supporters to new heights, winnning convincingly against LA Galaxy (including Landon Donovan) in the US Open Cup, winning in Portland, and most recently defeating the Colorado Rapids in Seattle. Sounders were slightly unlucky in Los Angeles on July 4th when Montero had his penalty kick saved by MLS noob Brian Perk.

Seattle Sounders have lifted the hearts of their supporters to new heights, winnning convincingly against LA Galaxy (including Landon Donovan) in the US Open Cup, winning in Portland, and most recently defeating the Colorado Rapids in Seattle. Sounders were slightly unlucky in Los Angeles on July 4th when Montero had his penalty kick saved by MLS noob Brian Perk.