The thought of writing this post after the opening day game against DC United never entered my head. That was a slightly improved version of the meltdown season of 2008 defensive breakdowns, not much stability in the middle and an attack that put two in the back of the net, but looked frustrating doing it.

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Who are ya rooting for this weekend? We have the big-name LA Galaxy taking on small-market and workmanlike Real Salt Lake for the MLS Cup championship. The match takes place Sunday night at 7:30 p.m. CT from Qwest Field live on ESPN and ESPNHD. Make sure to tune in.
Former Wizards Chris Klein (Galaxy) and Yura Movsisyan (RSL) could play in the match. Click to continue reading...

Since the players aren't here yet, may as well eat at Dick's

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SEATTLE – Since it's mostly going to be an MLS Cup-centric week (after today's World Cup qualifiers, which Richard Farley told you about in the previous post), we may as well get the Pacific Northwest party started.

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And those words are: Western Conference Champions!

In another step in the worst-to-first journey that MLS Coach of the Year Bruce Arena has taken the team on, the Los Angeles Galaxy turned away a stiff challenge from the Houston Dynamo in 30 minutes of extra time with a 2-0 scoreline.

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Whatever happens tonight it's the last game of the season at Home Depot Center with a trip to MLS Cup 2009 in Seattle against either the Chicago Fire or Real Salt Lake in the offing for the winner.

Looks like another good playoff crowd gradually filling in with the temperature about 60 degrees and excellent for football.

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This match promises to be a dogfight. The season series between the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo featured exactly one goal and a lot of physical defending. If that sounds a lot like what Chivas and the Galaxy went through for the bulk of their five games this season, its not coincidence.

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The former Wizards season in MLS continues to wind down and while there weren't a lot of goals this week by players, there was some news involving former Wizards. First I've added two new players to the list, as the Jermaine Hue and the Jamaican league started up a little bit ago. And the Wizards 4th round draft pick this past year, Akeem Priestly is now playing in the top division in Azerbaijan. Click to continue reading...

And boy does he deserve it! The man is a miracle worker.

Good on ya, Bruce. Keep Klein in the line up for Friday and let's kick some Houston ass!

More on the story from Nick Green.

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The Conference Championships are now upon us, and I must say: "Could we have asked for anything more?" After all, these two games have more storylines than a Tarantino film (and they could end up being as violent). But, before I further tease this week's monumental matchups, I want to first take a look back at last week's amazing results.

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And those words are: Meeting the challenge.

Right. So before the first playoff leg I predicted a series score of 2-1. Then before the second playoff leg, seeing the kind of chaos the two teams were creating and the resulting goals, I predicted 2-1 for the game on Sunday.

So, looking at a 3-2 aggregate and a 1-0 second leg scoreline, you can see that I bloody well can't predict anything when it comes to these two teams.

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The Major League Soccer Playoffs wrapped up its Conference Semifinal round on Sunday, November 8, 2009 as the Los Angeles Galaxy faced Chivas USA. The score was 2-2 on aggregate heading into the second leg. Here's a recap of the match along with video highlights.

Los Angeles Galaxy beats Chivas USA 1-0 (3-2 on aggregate) Video Highlights (to be added later)

1st Half

The Galaxy came out aggressive and had chances early.

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Galaxy 0 Chivas USA 0

The Galaxy have had the better of this game so far and by all rights should be leading.

A 25-yard Chris Klein volley from a Landon Donovan cross in the 35th minute was perhaps the best Galaxy chance, requiring as it did an agile punch by Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton to send it over the bar.

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The Los Angeles 'Super Clasico' will determine a playoff winner for the first time as the LA Galaxy play host to Chivas USA at Home Depot Center in Game Two of their Western Conference playoff series.

The teams tied, 2-2, in Game One, and tonight the Galaxy will be the home team.

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Well, my laptop just died so I'm depending on the kindness of coworkers here to blog (sporadically).

Here's the scenario: if the Galaxy win they'll face the Houston Dynamo at home 8 o'clock Friday; if Chivas USA wins they'll travel to Houston for a Sunday game.

There's just one change for the Galaxy today: Chris Birchall has fallen ill (nothing serious I'm told), so Chris Klein replaces him in midfield.

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Year end award nominees are coming out, and while no Wizards players are up the big awards, 3 Wizards are nominated for 2 awards.
Davy Arnaud and Claudio Lopez are both up twice for goal of the year. Arnaud's first blast against Toronto on the opening week of the season is one of his two nominated goals. Click to continue reading...

Welcome back to the playoffs!

It has been three long and, to be blunt, disastrous years since the last time the Galaxy played post-season futbol. That year they peaked at the right time after basically backing in to the playoffs and ended up taking the MLS Cup from New England on Pando Ramirez's only goal of the season.

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Let's just post the press release:
Kansas City Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman received MLS Save of the Week honors for the final week of the 2009 MLS regular season for an outstanding save to deny D.C. United's Ben Olsen. Hartman won two MLS Save of the Week awards on the season, taking home the honor in Week 11 and Week 32. Click to continue reading...

Here's your end of the MLS regular season former Wizards, more and more former Wizards seasons are ending as the majority of those players play in spring-fall leagues.
MLS
Nick Garcia - Toronto FC - Dressed but did not play in Toronto's 5-0 loss to New York to end their season.
Taylor Graham - Seattle Sounders FC - Did not dress in Seattle's 2-1 win over Dallas. Click to continue reading...

Galaxy 2 Earthquakes 0

After a rather listless first half, an end to end move by the Galaxy in the 77th minute has appeared to seal the win.

Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts started the play, getting the ball to David Beckham, who passed to Landon Donovan, who in turn got it out wide to substitute Chris Klein on the wing.

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Lots of stuff for Wolff again this week, who is having a career year in terms of goals and minutes played.
Josh Wolff's goal was his 11th of the season, a career high in MLS play for Wolff.
Wolff's goal was his 73rd in MLS play in his career, tying him with Edson Buddle for 13th all time. Click to continue reading...

Another week with your former Wizards update. The USL season is almost over with the finals coming up this next week. The MLS season as well is starting to get close to the end of the season. We do have a first time appearance for Chris Konopka as he made his debut for Sporting Fingal.
MLS
Nick Garcia - Toronto FC - Toronto did not play this week. Click to continue reading...

Major League Soccer is now some distance beyond meaningless matches in 2009 - apart from one, which I'm sure you'll identify - and the playoff spots are starting to become occupied. One or two teams have slipped badly in recent weeks and they need to pick up their form quickly to avoid their season becoming a disaster. Click to continue reading...

And those word are: Gutting it out.

The Los Angeles Galaxy took three points at home from a determined Fire team populated with a large number of replacement for injured players. As has been the case all season, the defense provided the base from which the Galaxy was able to generate just enough offense to put the game away.

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Galaxy 1 Fire 0

The Galaxy took a deserved lead in the 42nd minute, a long Chris Klein pass up the right wing from his own half finding a sprinting Landon Donovan who left a sprawling Logan Pause in the dust before impudently chipping first-time over a helpless Jon Busch in the Fire net from 18 yards.

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The Los Angeles Galaxy takes on the Chicago Fire in a battle of second place teams on Friday, October 2 at 8PM. The game will be on ESPN2.

On paper this should be a tough, hard fought match between two teams that need to be peaking right now if they have hopes of going deep in the post-season.

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Another week of former Wizards updates. The USL playoffs are inn full swing right now. Still looking for a few former Wizards still, and since Carlos Marinelli hasn't even appeared for Argentinos Juniors at all, I'm doubting he actually signed for them, so he joins the list of former Wizards I'm searching for, along with Alex Zotinca, Doug DeMartin, Jose Burciaga, Neal Kitson, Scott Sealy, and Will John. Click to continue reading...

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And those words are: Not the time to tinker.

Let me be clear at the beginning. I'm not a coach, I've never been a coach, and I don't have access to the kinds and amounts of information an MLS coach has at his disposal, nor the skills to interpret it. But, having said that, I just plain didn't understand Bruce Arena's starting lineup yesterday.

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Much of this is old news, but I wanted to share just in case you missed it.

Cobi Jones marries his long time girlfriend.

Day on the Links charity golf tournament. Chris Klein all but accuses Eddie Lewis' group of cheating.

Mauricio Cienfuegos "interning" with Sigi Schmidt in Seattle.

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Here's another one of your weekly update on former Wizards. The USL regular season is now over, meaning all the former Wizards with Miami, Austin, and Minnesota are done for the season. I've also found out where Eloy Colombano is playing now. He's playing in the Argentine 4th division with Ferro Carril Sud. Click to continue reading...

AP Photo

And those words are: Getting it done.

One week after giving up the most goals in team history, the Los Angeles Galaxy put together perhaps their most complete game of the season (though the Fire game at Toyota Park is in the running), shutting out a talented Toronto FC side to become only the fourth team in MLS history to record a shut-out immediately after giving up six goals.

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Josh Wolff's goal was his 10th in league play, tying a career high.
It was also Wolff's 82nd in all competitions, tying him with Cobi Jones for 14th on that list.
Wolff's goal was his 40th in league play for the Wizards, breaking a tie with Chris Klein for second on that list.
It was also Wolff's 43rd in all competitions for KC, tying him with Chris Klein for 3rd on that list. Click to continue reading...

It was a fun one Saturday at CAB, as a sellout crowd watched our boys fight back to win 3-2 over FC Dallas. Hirsig and Conrad scored their first goals of the season. Hirsig's strike was his first in MLS. Lopez recorded assists 6 and 7, moving him into a tie for 6th in MLS. Josh Wolff scored the other goal, his 10th of the season. Click to continue reading...

Galaxy 1 Toronto 0

Better from the Galaxy this week (could it get any worse?) helped considerably by a brittle-looking Toronto defense.

David Beckham could have had a second goal just before the break, a Julian de Guzman headed clearance of an Eddie Lewis cross falling perfectly for Becks about 22 yards out.

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Josh Wolff's goal was his 71st career MLS goal, tying him with Ronald Cerritos for 14th on the all time MLS scorers list.
It was Wolff's 5th MLS (and in all competitions) goal against New York in his Wizards career, tying him with Preki and Chris Klein for the most goals by a Wizard against New York. Click to continue reading...

That's right folks, we come away from a daunting three-game in eight-day trip to the East Coast with six points. PV, for one, was not satisfied with the haul. He told multiple reporters after the game that he felt we should have taken all nine. Check out the notables below, with plenty on Josh Wolff's latest tally and Kevin Hartman's exploits. Click to continue reading...