.....but I will.

LA hasn't won in 11 matches. The last time we tasted victory was a couple of weeks before I left for Spain! We were in first place at that moment. Now we're tied for last. Our coach Ruud Gullit quit the team because the American system was too restrictive for the way he wanted to coach.

The Galaxy looked sharper than they had in weeks last Saturday against the Revolution, which bodes well for the run they will have to make in order to get into the playoffs. However, this Saturday MLS has, in its infinite wisdom, decided to schedule league matches concurrently with a FIFA World Cup qualifier date.

Here we go - a depleted Galaxy team versus Salt Lake's finest.
Luis thinks former Galaxy player Clint Mathis can still do some damage. I'm thinking it might be Robbie Findley who hurts LA, but we'll see.
RSL: Nick Rimando, Chris Wingert, Nat Borchers, Jamison Olave, Ian Joy, Will Johnson, Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, Clint Mathis, Kenny Deuchar, Fabian Espindola
LA: Josh Wicks, Chris Klein, Sean Franklin, Troy Roberts, Mike Randolph, Eduardo Dominguez, Josh Tudela, Greg Vanney, Bryan Jordan, Edson Buddle, Alan Gordon.

Five changes for the Galaxy this evening after last week's loss to New England and no wins in the last three games.

Most fans will undoubtedly be pleased to know that even with an ankle injury to central defender Sean Franklin that was announced Wednesday the hapless Abel Xavier is nowhere to be seen.

Starting Galaxy lineup: Steve Cronin, Chris Klein, Sean Franklin, Abel Xavier, Mike Randolph, David Beckham, Alvaro Pires, Josh Tudela, Ante Jazic, Ely Allen, Edson Buddle,
Starting Earthquakes lineup: Joe Cannon, Adam Smarte, Ryan Cochrane, Jason Hernandez, Eric Denton, Ronnie O'Brien, Ned Grabavoy, Kelly Gray Ramiro Corales, John Cunliffe, Ryan Johnson.

The Galaxy (6-4-2), the highest-scoring team in MLS and sitting first in the Western Conference plays the Columbus Crew (7-4-1), which is lying second in the Eastern Conference.

The Galaxy have won four of their last five games propelled by the scoring exploits of Edson Buddle, who has eight goals during that stretch.

Last year, Chicago destroyed LA's playoff hopes in the final game of the year. This year, they could pretty much kill the Galaxy off - a little earlier this time around.
LD talks about doing "internal work". Sounds like colonics or something. LD gives a nod to Hispanic Heritage month, saying those were his soccer teammates when he was growing up.

How about them Wizards?
Anyway, the injury of Sean Franklin means the Galaxy have had to scramble to replace him. He's been their most consistent defender, rookie or no.
So who replaces him? Greg Vanney or Troy Roberts? The short answer is that both players are in the starting lineup.
Galaxy: Cronie, Kleiny, Troy, Vanney, Ante, Ely, Becks, Pete, Willie, Eddie, LD
Chivas USA: Guzano, Talley, Shavar, Jonny, 'Tiba, Sach, Jesse, Nags, Panchito, 'Te.

The official Galaxy blog is listing this lineup:

Buddle Ruiz

Donovan Beckham

-Vagenas Pires

Jazic Vanney Roberts Klein

-Cronin
Subs: Wicks, Dominguez, Franchino, Randolph, Tudela, Allen and Gordon.

The difference in this game is again the easily flustered Galaxy defense, who froze as Sacha Kljestan, proving why he was a deserving pick in today's announced MLS All-Star XI, ran menacingly at them to lay the ball back to Ante Razov, who sent an assured, perfectly-placed strike out of the reach of Cronin for the 113th goal of his career.

First off, the Galaxy has just drawn 2-2 with the New England Revolution, Landon Donovan getting both goals.

Sean Franklin and Troy Roberts started in the center of defense with Eddie Lewis on the left wing, by the way.

More on that game later, but for now....

Chivas USA has Zach Thornton in goal as usual, Lawson Vaughn is at right back, Jonathan Bornstein on the left and Bobby Burling and Jim Curtin in the middle.

Admit it. You wrote off the Los Angeles Galaxy, didn't you?

Bruce Arena took over too late to fix the problems this season, you figured. David Beckham is worn down from too much travel, and Landon Donovan can't do it alone. You're not even sure who's playing in goal for the Galaxy now -- the young prospect is hurt, the guy with the big hair didn't look so hot, and they just called up this guy from the USL.

Two team's, one season, different directions.

Passion, guts, determination - Chivas USA have embraced those qualities, the Galaxy have not. For the most part, that's the difference between the two franchises this season.

Reading between the lines, Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena appears to agree:

"This is not a project were looking at in the short term, but building this team up over the next couple of years and getting the right kind of characters on the field and by that I mean in terms of their personalities, their competitiveness and their ability.