Yanks Abroad reports that Landon Donovan's agent failed to deny a Sky Sports report concerning a possible move by the American to the EPL.
They then report this:

Donovan was recently quoted by the English media giant as saying, "The older I get and the more I play, the more I'm yearning for that highest level I can play at.

Click to continue reading...

It looks like David Beckham will make it to the 2008 Olympic Games as he will be part of the big 'London in eight-minutes' performance during the closing ceremony (London hosts the next Olympic games).
It appears 'Beckham will enter the stage in a double-decker bus and jump off the bus.'
Wow! Click to continue reading...

Ronaldinho still believes he can play at the top level in Europe so he will not be moving to LA. And with these words, Ronaldinho's representatives kill Alexi Lalas's dream of a modern day Cosmos franchise (original Spanish article).
It appears the Galaxy offered the Brazilian €32m of $50m-per-year, with half coming from salary and the other half from image rights. Click to continue reading...

The city of Santa Ana is in discussion with Chivas USA to build youth fields on a piece of land currently used as a golf course. The team is looking at building 'as many as seven soccer fields and a 2,000 to 3,000-seat stadium' on the 102-acre site.
However, youth fields might just be the start of things as the team as not ruled out building a permanent home on the site. Click to continue reading...

The rumor is now official, DC United has a jersey sponsor.
Volkswagen has signed a multi-year deal with United that will be worth as much as $3.7million annually for the club. By Vee Dub's commitment to the top-level US league does not end with one shirt as they have also become the official automotive partner of MLS. Click to continue reading...

After a bit of a surprise 3-week sabbatical from this blog, it is funny where life will take you, I'm happy to be back. So what did I miss?
From the limited number of MLS matches I've seen, it looks like I've been absent for the start of a really solid season. Refs are calling fewer fouls allowing the game to achieve a much better pace then in the past. Click to continue reading...

England Coach Fabio Capello might show up in Dallas on March 15th* to see the LA Galaxy take on FC Dallas and decide if Beckham is fit enough to call into camp for England's March 26th match against France.
Last month Capello left Becks off the roster for their game against Switzerland because he was not playing any competitive games, so it is odd that he is being considered for the March 26th game since LA is still in pre-season. Click to continue reading...

After a year and a half away, Santino Quaranta wants to return to DC United, but does he have the maturity and discipline to make such a move happen?
Quaranta reputation as a slacker and a bit of a troublemaker, combined with his injury issues have lead to him bouncing between three teams in the last two seasons. Click to continue reading...

Houston 1-6 Gamba Osaka
Has Houston ever been tossed around the way they were last night against J-League Cup Champions Gamba Osaka? All over the pitch, the team looked the weaker side as Gamba's technical control combined with their lethal counter-attacks gave them the game. Brazilian striker Bare made the top defense in MLS look like amateur night with his unbelievable ability to sneak right past his mark and into one-on-one situations with Pat Onstad. Click to continue reading...

The first round of the Pan-Pacific Championship is over and if there was any surprise, it was just how poorly LA and Sydney played. Houston and Osaka put together quality performances so the final on Saturday night should be a good game.
LA Galaxy 0-1 Gamba Osaka
If LA fans were hoping to see a new look to their club, they were sadly disappointed. Click to continue reading...

The first ever Pan-Pacific Championship (PPC) tournament kicks off tonight when the LA Galaxy take on J-League Cup Champions Gamba Osaka at 11pm ET/8pm PT in Honolulu, Hawaii. Both teams are in their pre-season, so who knows what will come of this match.
MLS insists this is a very serious international competition, but with only five months to plan it out, no big reward at the end and three of the teams out-of-season, it is hard to see it as more then a friendly. Click to continue reading...

The city of Houston is giving itself an extra week to consider the proposal to purchase land for a Dynamo soccer stadium.
The City Council will look at the $15.5 million land deal on Wednesday but is expected to delay any decision to next week. If the city goes ahead with the purchase, they will acquire 5 blocks just outside of downtown currently owned by former Councilman Louis Macey. Click to continue reading...

The MLS Champions finally know who they will face in the inaugural version of the Pan Pacific Championships (PPC) next week in Hawaii as Sydney FC won the right to represent the Australian A-League after they were knocked out of the playoffs this past weekend.
Sydney FC is a tough team with some quality to it, however, they are in the middle of a major roster problem as they currently have only 16-players available for the trip. Click to continue reading...

The source might not be the most impressive but there is a report out of England that the red, white and blues will meet the three lions at Wembley on March 28 (hat tip SBI). Before the Mexico match this past week, US soccer boss Sunil Gulati hinted at a top 20 opponent ahead of the June 4th meeting in Spain. Click to continue reading...

The Beckham tour schedule has been released and he is hitting all the MLS cities this time around. The question, however, is will this sequel be able to live up to the hype of the original? Find out at a city near you for the light cost of a grade A soccer ticket.
And with nothing more to add, here it is, the Los Angeles Galaxy's 2008 schedule:
03/29 - Saturday @ Colorado Rapids 7:30 pm
04/03 - Thursday San Jose Earthquakes 7:30 pm
04/13 - Sunday Toronto FC 3:00 pm
04/19 - Saturday Houston Dynamo 7:30 pm
04/26 - Saturday Chivas USA 7:30 pm
05/03 - Saturday @ Real Salt Lake 7:00 pm
05/10 - Saturday New York Red Bulls 7:30 pm
05/18 - Sunday @ FC Dallas 2:00 pm
05/24 - Saturday Kansas City Wizards 7:30 pm
05/31 - Saturday @ Toronto FC 3:30 pm
06/07 - Saturday Colorado Rapids 7:30 pm
06/14 - Saturday @ San Jose Earthquakes 7:00 pm
06/21 - Saturday Columbus Crew 7:30 pm
06/29 - Sunday @ D. Click to continue reading...

Major League Soccer has released their full 2008-season schedule. Each of the 14 teams will play 30 regular season games. All teams will play each other twice (one home, one away) for 26 matches. The other four matches will be played against different intra-conference teams with a premium placed on rivalries. Click to continue reading...

Former Houston Dynamo Joseph Ngwenya has landed in the Austrian Bundesliga, but is this just a quick stop in route to Bayern Munich? Here's the speculation:

The group of people trying to help Ngwenya's career include German coach Jurgen Klinsmann, who was impressed by the striker's performance when they met at Major League Soccer side Los Angeles Galaxy.

Click to continue reading...

Alexi Lalas again had to state the obvious today as he told Sky Sports News that Beckham, "...wouldn't be put out on loan to another club - that is not an option - and David is not for sale at any price."
Although Lalas words might not be enough to convince many that Beckham is indeed still the center of the Galaxy's universe, the team also announced today that they will tour Asia this March as part of their pre-season. Click to continue reading...

Fox Soccer Channel will host their first-ever MLS doubleheader when the new season kicks off on March 29. FSC will air both the Houston Dynamo-New England Revolution MLS Cup rematch at 7:30pm (ET) followed by the LA Galaxy-Colorado Rapids 'we both missed the playoffs' match at 9:30pm (ET).
The network will begin their broadcast at 7pm with a 30-minute pre-game show and will conclude with a 30-minute post game after the LA-Rapids game. Click to continue reading...

In recent days, the LA Galaxy have opened up a lot of salary space putting to their plans to land someone big. Turns out their eyes were on 'little fish' Carlos Ruiz.
FC Dallas has made it official, Ruiz is no long a member of the team. In return for the trade, FCD got 'an undisclosed amount of Allocation money and LA's natural second round pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. Click to continue reading...

Devastated by his inability to land a coaching job in the US, Juergen Klinsmann settled for the top spot with little known German side Bayern Munich. Klinsmann had desperately wanted to take control of either the US men's national team or the LA Galaxy, but he failed to impress either of them, forcing him to turn tail and run back to Germany. Click to continue reading...

Clint Mathis is taking another stab at European football as has left the LA Galaxy and signed with Greece side Ergotelis. His last gig in Europe didn't end so well and his second stand in MLS was mostly a wash. Perhaps a chance with a team that is interested in having him play will motivate him to return to form, as it was obvious MLS bored him. Click to continue reading...

The San Jose Earthquakes have an old friend back for their new team as goalkeeper Joe Cannon has joined the squad. With Ryan Cochrane, Clarence Goodson and now Joe Cannon working the back, the 'Quakes should have a solid foundation in defense, which is good since they don't have much up top.
And what did LA get in return for Cannon? Click to continue reading...

Landon Donovan has suggested he might end his playing days in Australia's A-League.
"My wife and I have talked about that (coming to play in Australia). Not now but maybe one day. I have got a couple more years at the Galaxy ... it might be a while (but) I love it here," he said.
He called the 80,000 strong crowd that watch the Galaxy take on Sydney FC 'awesome' and though they played a great game. Click to continue reading...

After a disgusting first half, England looked reborn in the second thanks in large part to the work of Beckham (sub at the half) and Peter Crouch. They were down 2-0 at the half way mark, but they were able to fight back into it thanks to a pk and a fantastic cross from Beckham to Crouch's chest, but in the end a horrible night by Wyde Bridge and Scott Carson, combined with plenty of other poor play are the reason England will not be in Switzerland/Austria next summer. Click to continue reading...

The traveling madman that is Clint Mathis has again hit the road, this time landing back in LA with the Galaxy. After a decent season in New York, Mathis will now head to the home of Beckham and Donovan to see if he can make anything happen on the West coast.
In return for Mathis, New York got LA's natural third round pick in the upcoming 2008 MLS SuperDraft. Click to continue reading...

We might know by the end of the day if a German or a Dutchman will guide the Galaxy next season. Rumor has it that Alexi Lalas and the LA franchise have narrowed their options for manager down to Juergen Klinsmann or Ruud Gullit.
Klinsmann is the constant shinning hope of US soccer organizations as he was a fantastic player, had a great spell coaching Germany in 2006, lives in America and knows the US game. Click to continue reading...

Pele believes that the way David Beckham was introduced to the US audience was 'very, very bad' because he was introduced as 'a scorer of goals.'
But Beckham is not the only problem he sees for MLS as he also believes that the current salary cap is hurting the game.

Pele believes MLS players' salaries need to be raised to the level of American football or baseball players.

Click to continue reading...

Frank Yallop will no longer be Alexi Lalas's whipping boy as he has said 'good bye and good luck' to the Galaxy in favor of guiding the reborn San Jose Earthquakes again.
Yallop told LA's players after Sunday afternoon's charity exhibition match against Hollywood United. This move comes right before the Galaxy start their post-season world tour. Click to continue reading...

NY 1-1 LA
I'm not sure what game the folks over at MLSnet were watching last night, but it must have been a little different then the one I saw as they say 'Galaxy win again' (as of noon ET).
To be fair, the blurb below the headline as well as the linked article mentions the tie, but it is an interesting slip. Perhaps the Fire are correct in assuming the MLS wants LA in the playoffs more then Chicago. Click to continue reading...

The final weekend of the 2007 regular season is here and there are still a number of questions as to what which two teams will earn the final playoff spots. In all, four teams have a chance but only Chicago and Kansas City hold their destiny in their own hands.
Anyway, here is the way the playoff picture currently looks:
Current standings:
7 - Chicago - 37pts
8 - Kansas City - 37pts
9 - Colorado - 35pts
10 - Columbus* - 34pts
11 - LA - 33pts
Schedule:
Chicago hosts LA on Sunday
Kansas City travels to Dallas on Saturday
Colorado hosts Salt Lake on Saturday
LA hosts New York tonight and travels to Chicago on Sunday
Tie breakers**:
Chicago beats KC with 2 wins from their 3 matches
Colorado beats Chicago on goal difference (they tied both games)
LA beats Chicago with 1 win but they still have one game to play
KC beats Colorado on goal difference (they tied both games)
LA beats KC with 1 win and 1 tie from their 2 matches
Colorado beats LA with 2 wins from their 3 matches
So how do they get to the playoffs? Click to continue reading...

Jurgen Klinsmann has announced that he is ready to return to the world of full-time soccer management, but where will he end up. Will it be is old club Tottenham Hotspur or is Chelsea calling or could Alexi Lalas pull off a huge coup and land him in LA? Let's see, if I was a soccer manager, which club would I go for?
In other news, Eddie Johnson had a bit of a shopping spree over the weekend as he purchased $85,000 in jewelry while in LA. Click to continue reading...

It seems that not all the stars cheer for Beckham and the LA Galaxy. Morrissey attended last week's derby between LA and Chivas USA and decided to seat in and cheer for the Goats. He even purchased a jersey to wear during the match.
We'll let you know if Chivas's arsenal stops eating meat and looking really, really sad; lord knows it would be the first time. Click to continue reading...

Los Angeles Galaxy (17pts) vs. Chivas USA (40pts)
11pm ET/8pm PT
TV: ESPN2
So this is officially the night that the LA Galaxy live or die in 2007. The reality of the matter is that no matter what happens in this outing, LA is not going to reach the playoffs, however they could still keep from being an embarrassment. For Chivas, a win tonight puts them at the top of the West and since they have a very favorable schedule remaining, makes it next to impossible to imagine them not taking the conference. Click to continue reading...

David Beckham's knee injury will cost him 4-6 weeks of play. The injury is a 'ligament strain' in his right knee.
He is under going tests today to learn the extent of the injury. If it is as serious as suspected, Beckham will probably miss both the September 8 and 12 Euro qualifiers for England as well as league matches through early October. Click to continue reading...