Are the 2011 L.A. Galaxy the best team in the history of MLS?
Is David Beckham's MLS career over?
Those seem to be the questions everyone's contemplating after last night's 1-0 MLS Cup victory.
(Along with this lesser one: Did you ever think a player could be so awful that you'd pine for Chad
Barrett?
Galaxy 1 Houston Dynamo 0 from Home Depot Center
Champion: David Beckham lifts the MLS Cup trophy after what could be his final MLS game (AP
Photo).
Staff Writer Phil Collin has the game story.
Columnist Kevin Modesti has the big picture view.
If that video doesn't get you excited for a Galaxy season finale that is not about merely
winning a championship, but as Staff Writer Phil Collin rightfully observes leaving a legacy then
nothing will.
The game is perhaps the most important for MLS and soccer in general in Los Angeles and across
the country I argue today in a rare front page column.
Old reliable: Underrated Todd Dunivant, as Dane Richards and the New York Red Bulls would
testify, has been among the chief reasons for the Galaxy's smothering defense this season (Photo by
Getty Images).
The telecast from a sold-out Home Depot Center in Carson is set to start at 6 p.
Galaxy 3 Real Salt Lake 1
Best in the West: The Galaxy celebrate their Western Conference championship Sunday at Home
Depot Center (Photos by Staff Photographer Sean Hiller).
Supporters' Shield? Check. MLS Cup place secured? Check. Now just one more challenge awaits for
the Galaxy.
Four teams, two games and 16 days until MLS Cup 201 at Home Depot Center in Carson.
Staff Writer Phil Collin looks at the familiar foe the Galaxy will face Sunday (live at 6 p.m.
on ESPN), while sister paper The Salt Lake Tribune plays up the underdog role for visiting Real
Salt Lake. The Galaxy's opponent, by the way, still has injury doubts about its starting center
backs, although I'm sure the Galaxy has unspoken worries of their own whenn it comes to David
Beckham's status after his months-long back issue reappeared after that nasty challenge in the game
against NYRB.
Unwatchable? Don't look now, but Thierry Henry and the Red Bulls are one game away from
reaching the Western Conference final - if they can become the first MLS team to beat the Galaxy at
home this year (AP Photo).
I haven't yet heard whether those extra 5,000 tickets the Galaxy put on sale for tonight's
Western Conference semifinal against New York have sold out, but a capacity crowd must be all but
certain because after stirring the pot earlier in the week, players and coaches on both sides
Wednesday downplayed the sniping that occurred earlier in the week.
It is now exactly 22 days until MLS Cup at Home Depot Center and we have six hours of MLS
playoff soccer ahead of us today.
If the Galaxy needed to be reminded about the irrelevance of the regular season in Major League
Soccer, they need look no further than the Seattle Sounders' humbling Saturday night loss to Real
Salt Lake - that could have even be worse - and gives them a real uphill trudge in the return leg
to make the next round.
Well, thank heaven that's over with.
Chivas USA finished their season the way they had lived it with a static back four that gave
goalkeeper Dan Kennedy kittens against a Seattle Sounders team that was looking to settle in at a
stadium they hope to see a lot of in the next 30 days.
This was horrific "The Walking Dead" stuff and whatever Kennedy screamed at his defense during
this one was insufficient.
*Staff Wiriter Phil Collin has the preview of the 7 p.m. game (live on Fox Soccer and
Galavision).
Watch the Galaxy video preview:
More on Wednesday night's CONCACAF Champions League action is here and here.
In other soccer news this morning:
*There's no playoffs for D.
I had the feeling this supposedly intense season-ending derby would come off as an
afterthought.
And both teams played like it.
The Galaxy's unbeaten home record aside there was little at stake for either team in this
perfunctory performance unless you like counting shutouts or watching an old warhorse like Gregg
Berhalter finish out a career.
I opted to skip this one; Staff Writer Phil Collin got paid to endure it and filed this
report.
Here are the playoff standings.
Watch:
Galaxy 2 Real Salt Lake 1
Play that funky music white boy: The Galaxy's Chad Barrett celebrates his equalizing goal
Saturday in Carson against Real Salt Lake (AP Photo).
Staff Writer Phil Collin has the game story.
Notable: The Galaxy and RSL combined for 40 fouls - the visitors accounted for 24 of them.
The Galaxy keep finding ways to win when conventional wisdom suggests otherwise.
Missing key players, down to the last few seconds, a tie that was really a loss staring them in
the face and then the Galaxy score via the talismanic Juninho - he of the usually spectacular and
now golden of goals - in the final fading seconds to get the win they needed to stay in the
competition.
It's rare when both the Galaxy and Chivas USA are in action on the same day during the week in
different competitions.
But that's the case today when Chivas USA meets D.C. United at 4:30 p.m. (live on Prime and
KWHY) in MLS action and the Galaxy are in Costa Rica for their fourth CONCACAF Champions League
group game against Alajuelense (live at 7 p.
If, like me, you attempted to record the telecast of the delayed game on your DVR and were
screwed by Fox switching channels and times (that's the sort of care and attention a league/sport
gets when a network loses the rights to that property the next year, I guess) these YouTube
highlights might be as close as you get to seeing anything.
The last place Vancouver Whitecaps visit the first place Galaxy for the first time ever.
Kick off is at 7:30 p.m.; the telecast is delayed until 10:30 p.m. on FSN.
*Staff Writer Phil Collin has the game story.
*Former Galaxy striker Pete Vagenas can't wait to face his former team.
U.S. 0 Costa Rica 1
Staff Writer Phil Collin has the Game story.
The difference in the game in pictures
Missing in action: Landon Donovan and the U.S. rues another missed opportunity on goal Friday
in Carson (AP Photos).
Howards End: Rodney Wallace blasts the ball past Tim Howard for the goal that was the
difference in the game.
STARTERSI am curious to see if any of our big name soccer journalists will write the story of US Soccer
being fined by FIFA for abusive language from fans during the Gold Cup.
-Word came down from US Soccer to the biggest supporters group American Outlaws that abusive
language on a large scale will not be tolerated, and as punishment for what has already gone down
the Outlaws will no longer be allowed to hang their banners at USA games.
*The U.S.-Costa Rica game kicks off at 8 p.m. at Home Depot Center (live ESPN2). Plenty of
tickets are available. The 24,500-seat stadium may be around half full for the game.
Staff writer Phil Collin has the game preview.
Here's more on the philosophy of Jurgen Klinsmann and what we learned from his first game in
charge of the U.
STARTERSFor one of the 1st times ever MLS is complying with FIFA international dates and only 2 games will
be played this weekend, one of them a make up game. We are getting there.
dN
Michael Bradley has completed his transfer to Chievo in Italy from Gladbach in Germany.
Yeah, I though the city of Carson logo was apt for this blog post.
The U.S. Men's National Team camp is under way in Carson although Clint Dempsey is absent for
Friday's game, Jonathan Spector and Chris Pontius have replaced the injured Zach Loyd and Heath
Pearce and newcomer Fabian Johnson is as yet ineligible to play for the U.
*The Galaxy play the second game of the CONCACAF Champions League campaign against Costa Rican
side Alajuelense. With another small crowd in the offing at Home Depot Center tonight, the Galaxy
have offered all those who attend free parking.
Staff Writer Phil Collin has the capsule preview.
Galaxy 2 San Jose Earthquakes 0
Sixgun Keane: Robbie Keane came out firing on all cylinders with the opening goal on his MLS
debut Saturday in the Galaxy's win over the Earthquakes (AP Photos).
Staff Writer Phil Collin has the game story.
If you haven't seen Robbie Keane's goal yet, be sure and check it out below.
Galaxy guy: Robbie Keane joins the Galaxy (AP Photo).
*Staff Writer Phil Collin has the game preview.
*Here's the San Jose perspective from our sister paper the San Jose Mercury News.
*Earlier this year it was 0-0 in San Jose between the two sides with unlikely goalkeeper Mike
Magee getting the shutout.
Galaxy 2 Motagua 0
Staff Writer Phil Collin has the game story.
Quotable: "What we were lacking is precision and clarity," said Motagua coach Ramon Maradiaga
after a game in which his team was thoroughly outplayed.
Said Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena, underlining his team's complete domination:
"If there's anything out there to be critical about there was another goal out there
and we didn't take it.
Chivas USA 3 Houston Dynamo 0
Three and out: Chivas USA striker Justin Braun is subbed out by Coach Robin Fraser with just
three minutes left after scoring three goals in a game for the second time this season in
Saturday's win over Houston (Photo by Getty Images).
Goals by Justin Braun this season are like British buses; you don't see one for ages, then three
come along all at once.
Galaxy 1 Columbus Crew 0
*Phil Collin has the game story.
Watch:
*Staff Writer Phil Collin has the Galaxy-Columbus Crew game preview. The game is live at 7:30
p.m. on Prime.
Watch:
Click here for $10 tickets to the game.
*In the wake of the ratings success of the World Cup final, Los Angeles-based Fox Soccer Channel
has added to its schedule tonight's WPS game between Abby Wambach's magicJack and the Western New
York Flash, which is based in the Hermosa Beach resident's home town of Rochester.
Fun and games: Kaka and David Beckham share a moment Saturday at the Coliseum (AP
Photo).
While I was in Carson watching former Barcelona striker Thierry Henry and the Red Bulls play
Chivas USA, Staff Writer Phil Collin watched Real Madrid toy with the Galaxy.
The Cristiano Ronaldo goal was the highlight.
Marked man: David Beckham trains Friday at Home Depot Center ahead of today's game against
former club Real Madrid at the Coliseum (AP Photo).
*Staff Writer Phil Collin scored an exclusive interview with David Beckham as the former England
international and the Galaxy prepare to face Real Madrid today.
Staff Writer Phil Collin has the Galaxy-Chicago Fire game story.
Watch:
Are Chivas USA wishing they had signed Omar Bravo now?
Watch:
*Staff Writer Phil Collin has the Galaxy-Fire preview.
*Here is a game preview from a Chicago perspective.
*Check out a new way to get to the game.
*Relive the game between these two teams earlier this season.
*Chivas USA are in Kansas Cty where they will renew acquaintances with Omar Bravo.
Happy Independence Day.
Another Fourth of July in Southern California and another Galaxy game followed by the
traditional fireworks show that is usually among the region's biggest. Expect, as usual, a
correspondingly large crowd to the game and the area surrounding Home Depot Center as many
residents set up deckchairs and barbecues in nearby parks and await the free show.
Chivas USA 1 Chicago Fire 1
Staff Writer Phil Collin has the game story.
Watch:
Quotable:
"I thought we started off tentatively," said Chivas USA Coach Robin Fraser, "played a
little bit nervous early, too many turnovers. We certainly have been emphasizing performance and
execution and that sort of thing in front of our goals.
Much ado about nothing? Omar Gonzalez, Landon Donovan, David Beckham and Juan Pablo Angel
model the Galaxy's new "Punjab" dark blue and "Light Old Gold" third jersey, which was unveiled
Friday night at LA Live. The jersey, which isn't much different from the dark midnight blue road
jersey anyway, will be worn for the first time in a game at the Independence Day clash against
former Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid's Seattle Sounders (Photo courtesy LA Galaxy/Robert Mora).
Former Galaxy player Leonard Griffin out jumps Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez in a U.S. Open
Cup game Tuesday between the LA Blues and the MLS club at Cal State Fullerton (Photo courtesy LA
Blues).
*Staff Writer Phil Collin made the trek to Orange County for the U.S. Open Cup game between the
Galaxy and the minor league LA Blues and filed this game story.
High-flying David Beckham, high-flying Galaxy: This is the kind of play you see involving a
Brazilian named, um, Fred, I guess (AP Photo).
Phil Collin has the game story.
Full disclosure: Pressing family matters (thank you to the Galaxy PR staff for their kind words)
kept me from seeing virtually all of tonight's game except for the YouTube highlights.
*Chivas USA-Columbus Crew, 4:30 p.m. Saturday on Prime.
*New England Revolution-Galaxy, 5 p.m. Saturday on Fox Sports West and Galavision.
*Phil Collin previews both games here.
*The Galaxy have the Revolution seeing stars.
*The struggling Crew haven't scored in eons - and will be without their leading scorer against
Chivas USA.
Chris miss: Galaxy midfielder Chris Birchall takes one of 10 second half LA shots against
out-gunned Houston. The less than Dynamic Dynamo were officially given credit for one shot on
target all night (the Galaxy had three) but that was being generous (AP Photo).
A perfunctory win gets a perfunctory blog post:
*Reporter Phil Collin has the game story.
