The Guardian had a great collection of photos from Wednesday's action. I wanted to share a few of my favorites...
1. Setting the scene
2. Shevchenko's last stand?
3. Flash!
4. Setting fire to the competition
5. Fun day for the French
6. Click to continue reading...

Tonight, tonight, to-ni-ight
Oh-oooooh
We could make it right tonight, to-ni-ight
Oh-oooooh
I already have loads of respect for the Riot Squad because of the hospitality that they showed the New York supporters at MLS Cup last year; anyone who treats me to tacos, beer and bike jousting after such a crushing defeat are my people for life. Click to continue reading...

Well, I'm at home for reasons that would bore the hell out of you, might as well fake liveblog it.
Preceding program - Who Killed the USFL? Fascinating. Probably not what an MLS fan wants to see.
Wow, a sellout! I mean, David Beckham. Not attendance. I talk a lot about how illegitimate Chivas USA is, how bad they are for MLS, how bad they are for soccer, and what a great day it will be when they finally dry up and blow away. Click to continue reading...

As far as I know this is the only English-language feed of Saturday's game (that is not on TV period, if you didn't know) in the Los Angeles area.

First I was informed this game was on at this pub, then it was off and now it's on again in part by the sound of it because the Galaxy are involved.

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David Beckham is starting it all over again. He's talking to LA Galaxy club coach and managers about his desire to be loaned out to AC Milan for another season. While Beckham's last visit to Milan lasted longer than agreed upon, he returned to a team who acted like they didn't want him back.

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Yay, qualifying roster is out. It's like Christmas. On Mars. With Jehovah's Witnesses.
But first, I think I should at least pile on this. I get very few Christmas cards from either the Angel City Brigade or the Union Ultras, but this is as weak as the Woody Allen Workout. I'm still willing to rant about the Legion-Riot Squad fracas of 2007, but neither of these groups were involved - and apparently the decision was more about West Ham-Millwall than Legion-LARS, which is even weaker. Click to continue reading...

Look at these nice friends I made at a soccer game in Mexico City!

Ok, so it was much more than a friendly little match. Here's my story of a day I'll never forget.

Carlo, Chris, and I arrived in Mexico City the day before the match. We took it easy, knowing the following day would be quite an experience.

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Ahead of tonight's match between FC Barcelona and another MLS team (the Seattle Sounders), here is a little post-game action from the FC Barcelona vs LA Galaxy match.
In English, we have Maxwell (talking about Real Madrid) and Stefani Miglioranzi (on Beckham being a great guy; on Beckham handling the incident well with the LA Riot Squad, LA Galaxy depth) in English y en Espanol. Click to continue reading...

The man on the left loves MLS and wants to spread that feeling as one of many things he told me in the videos below at halftime of the FC Barcelona vs LA Galaxy match:
"the opposite of love is not hate; it is indifference...and we have people that now care about what goes on on our field. Click to continue reading...

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Here are a series of impressions from my experience of the Galaxy - Barcelona match.

*****
Saturday morning at the Farmer's Market I frequent I met fellow futbol blogger Jennifer Doyle who writes From A Left Wing which explores the "cultural politics of soccer".

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Some Galaxy fans think a lot of us Angelinos are not really committed to soccer. While we turn out by the tens of thousands to see Barça, Chelsea, AC Milan and Inter, the fact is, most of us take a pass on making the drive to Carson and few of us really care that much about the whole Beckham/Riot Squad thing. Click to continue reading...

The Los Angeles Galaxy will play FC Barcelona on Saturday night at the Rose Bowl. We will see how David Beckham responds to his team's most "intense" fans.
Beckham received a $1,000 fine -maybe the price of one piece of underwear- from MLS for the way he confronted a group called the L. Click to continue reading...

-- The media can't stop writing stories involving Obama and U.S. soccer.
-- The L.A. Riot Squad guy that went after Beckham had his lifetime stadium ban rescinded.
-- In the big surprise league announcement, that many thought would be Montreal getting the next MLS expansion franchise, was awarding next year's all-star game to Houston. Click to continue reading...

It seems that all the news is about David Beckham these days. The snowball of events have lead up to a new $1,000 fine to Becks by the MLS commission. The MLS said that he acted inappropriately when he ushered a fan to come and meet him on the field. The fan then jumped onto the field and was promptly arrested.

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It's been five days since I posted, and a few nice new things have happened in the land of Toronto FC and Major League Soccer. For example, both Ali Gerba and O'Brien White made their debuts during Wednesday's friendly against River Plate. Also, you might want to mark July 24 on your calendar as the day "Major League Soccer fined David Beckham. Click to continue reading...

Alrighty, then. That'll teach him!

NBC Sports

MLS Rumors

Reuters

MLS Daily

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It's only $1,000, but I suppose it's the principle of the thing rather than amount. Hope he doesn't take it out of Brooklyn's weekly allowance:

NEW YORK (AP) -- David Beckham was fined $1,000 by Major League Soccer, which said his gestures toward taunting fans suggested that they leave their seats and come on the field.

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AAAAHHHHHHHH I AM ARTUR BORUC AND THIS IS A LIST OF THINGS THAT MADE ME ANGRY THIS WEEK:

1. GETAFE'S NEW KITS OHMYGOD THIS IS THE SCARIEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!!!!! THAT TITLE WAS PREVIOUSLY HELD BY A ONE EYED KITTEN THAT WAS GENTLY PURRING WHILE DRIVING A FORKLIFT RIGHT AT ME IN A DREAM I HAD ONCE!

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An international glare briefly dwelled on Major League Soccer in Week 18. Former England captain David Beckham made his LA Galaxy return against New York Red Bulls and the Galaxy raced into a 3-0 lead sparked by stunning strikes by Alecko Eskandarian and Landon Donovan, Beckham's most high-profile critic.

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It has taken me a bit to catch up on my RSS feeds lately, so when I checked through them today I found this gem from Paul Oberjuerge. Holy $hit that man can write! And he fleshes out his thoughts brilliantly.

From his post: Becks-Bashers Do Galaxy Proud

AC Milan is, of course, Beckham's real team, the one he wanted to play for so much that he bought himself out of his obligation to play the first half of the Major League Soccer season with the Galaxy.

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The LA Riot Squad has issued a statement regarding the incident between a member of their group and Galaxy midfielder David Beckham during last Sunday's friendly against AC Milan.
What/why were we booing?
We want to support our teams and our players, and we do that week after week. Click to continue reading...

You know it is noteworthy when Fox News picks it up.

More on the Goldenballs confronts Riot Squad member saga. I swear this will be the last I talk about it...that is unless it continues to happen. Hat tip to SF over at The Offside Rules for posting this earlier.

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There's something sarong about Becks' attitude

I know this isn't US Soccer related, but I find this situation pretty annoying. David Beckham abandoned his team for half a season. Instead of admitting he did in order to achieve his personal goals (pretty understandable), he tried to deflect heat by claiming all other players in his situation would have chosen the same path.

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It seems like an age ago, but we can only begin this weekend's roundup at Giants Stadium last Thursday, where David Beckham made his second Major League Soccer bow for LA Galaxy. In a relatively uneventful game for Beckham (he saved that for the friendly against AC Milan, during which he became involved in an angry confrontation with LA's Riot Squad supporters), the Galaxy swept aside New York Red Bulls, piling the pressure on Juan Carlos Osorio with a 3-1 win. Click to continue reading...

It has been a challenging week for David Beckham as he is finding his leg on the LA Galaxy field after being absent for most of the season. Beckham, who was on loan to AC Milan was able to play his old team during a friendly game between the two clubs yesterday evening.

David Beckham (L) from the Los Angeles Galaxy hugs Ronaldinho (R) from AC Milan after their friendly match at the Home Depot Stadium in Los Angeles on July 19, 2009

The match ended in a surprising 2-2 draw, but what was more shocking was the fact that Beckham played through the game despite being heckled and booed at.

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Gotta love when ego gets the way of things. As you all know by now LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham had a pretty rough go of things this weekend when LA hosted AC Milan. Instead of saying and doing the right things like he always does, Beckham goes out and does just the opposite and confronts some drunk Riot Squad members.

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Sometimes you pass through the turnstile into an altogether more unpleasant life, and Beckham's return to MLS has been very unpleasant indeed. The release of Grant Wahl's book, which I turned down an offer to review due to a lifelong passion for not reading anything with the word "Beckham" in the title, has been perfectly timed with Beckham's contractual obligation tour, i. Click to continue reading...

Welcome to all my new visitors who came to see the Toronto post. Be sure to check out the archives for all kinds of goodness.
So David Beckham throwing empty gestures at the home fans in a friendly against Milan in LA? Awesome. And a fan jumping out of the stands to take him on? Less so. Click to continue reading...

Los Angeles Galaxy coach and general manager Bruce Arena has issued a statement addressing the incident between David Beckham and the LA Riot Squad at the end of the first half in last night's 2-2 draw against AC Milan (pictured below).
"We regret the incident that happened at the end of the first half. Click to continue reading...

That's according to an official Galaxy press release quoting GM and Coach Bruce Arena that was issued this afternoon:

"We regret the incident that happened at the end of the first half of last night's friendly at The Home Depot Center. While it is important that our fans remain free to voice their opinions, they must do so in an appropriate manner.

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The following statement is from LA Galaxy General Manager and Head Coach Bruce Arena regarding the incident that occurred at halftime of the LA Galaxy's international friendly against AC Milan on Sunday night at The Home Depot Center.

"We regret the incident that happened at the end of the first half of last night's friendly at The Home Depot Center.

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The following statement is from LA Galaxy General Manager and Head Coach Bruce Arena regarding the incident that occurred at halftime of the LA Galaxy's international friendly against AC Milan on Sunday night at The Home Depot Center.
"We regret the incident that happened at the end of the first half of last night's friendly at The Home Depot Center. Click to continue reading...

In the weeks leading up to his return to Major League Soccer and the Los Angeles Galaxy, David Beckham claimed he was prepared for a hostile reception from some fans upon his return to the Home Depot Center. But judging by his actions in Sunday night's 2-2 draw against AC Milan - the team that he left MLS for nine months ago - Beckham hadn't expected the reaction to be quite so negative, especially from the team's most hardcore fans. Click to continue reading...

Becks picks fight with Riot Squad David Beckham had a half-time confrontation with LA Galaxy fans in his first home match since returning from his loan spell at AC Milan. Conveniently the match was against AC Milan, just to focus the anger of LA Galaxy's lamely named Riot Squad hardcore support. Becks version of events, which do [. Click to continue reading...

photo London Evening Standard

Beckham did not receive a kind reception from fans in The Riot Squad during the AC Milan match yesterday.

As long as he plays his ass off and keeps the drama down to a minimum then I'm fine with his return to the team. He is definitely fitting in much better (playing-wise) than he did at the end of last season.

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