With 16 out 18 possible points through six matches, Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy sit one point clear of the New York Red Bulls for the overall top spot in the Major League Soccer standings. However, the first major mountain for the Galaxy awaits: two road contests in twice as many days.

The action begins with a Wednesday night contest with the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City.

While the Galaxy proved that someone other than MLS Player of the Week Edson Buddle could score for Los Angeles this season, Arena didn't hide that Engine No. 14 was running smooth as silk.

"Who would expect anyone to have nine goals in six games? We know he's a very capable player," Arena said on Buddle. "He can certainly score goals. The combination of him and Landon [Donovan] has been excellent."

Buddle, Donovan and the rest of the Galaxy take on a Colorado squad sitting third on the MLS Western Conference table with a countdown record: three wins, two defeats, and a draw. Last Saturday, Gary Smith's Rapids dropped a 1-0 defeat to the San Jose Earthquakes and will look to rebound behind the reliable workhorse that is Conor Casey.

A dangerous threat on the attack, Casey leads the team with three goals on 13 shots and will be a focal point of the Galaxy back line. Omar Cummings is another man to watch for the claret and silver. With two goals on nine shots thus far, Cummings is capable to take steam off Casey in Colorado's attacking third.

The likes of Pablo Mastroeni, Marvell Wynne and Mehdi Ballouchy will be given a tough assignment in stopping the Buddlevan Connection. Buddle currently has nine goals to lead the league and is on pace to smash Roy Lassiter's single-season scoring record of 27 goals. Donovan leads LA in assists with five.

Matt Pickens has been solid on goal for Colorado, with a 1.00 goals against average on 17 saves. His counterpart, the Galaxy's Donovan Ricketts, has a 0.33 GAA with 13 saves.

“We do have two tough games now on the road and we’ve got to recover properly from [Philadelphia], get everything sorted out the right way and have the understanding of how we need to approach the first game in Colorado,” Arena said on the trip. "After the Colorado game, we’ll deal with the kind of thinking we need to have to get ready for Seattle."

He went on to say, “It’s not going to be easy. We know that. We’ve prepared ourselves for this and we’ll see how the team reacts to this challenge.”

Prediction:

While the pitch at Dick's is 120 x 80 yards, the thin air of the Rockies will shrink the field somewhat. Expect a quick pace from the first whistle. Given the form that Los Angeles is in, this isn't a match they can't handle and it be a hard-fought contest.

Los Angeles Galaxy 2, Colorado Rapids 1

Other Ins And Outs:

Youth Academy Update

The Young Stars of the LA Galaxy Youth faced a stern test in the Irvine Strikers. The U-16's drew 2-2 after surrendering a 2-0 halftime lead. The U-18's fell a goal down with ten minutes before going a man down to fall 1-0.

At Titan Stadium on the campus of California State University, Fullerton, it was a refreshing change of scenery against the San Diego Surf. The U-16's picked up a 1-0 victory off a Dyllan Steven goal in spite of finishing with 10 on the field. The U-18's were also victories, riding on late goals by Drew Lind and Chadd Johnson for a 2-1 win.

Next up for the Academy are the Nomads Soccer Club at San Diego's Kinsell field on Saturday, May 8. Kickoff for the U-16 match is at 1:45 p.m. while the U-18's kickoff at 4:00 p.m. PT.


More Plaudits For Edson

With the assist to A.J. De La Garza in the first minute of the Galaxy's 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union to go with his brace, Edson Buddle has scored or assisted in scoring all of his team’s goals, setting a new club record for most consecutive goals scored or assisted on to open the season.

Wonder why Bob Bradley hasn't made a decision yet regarding No. 14...

Hold On, A.J. Was Third, Not Second! Still, Top Three's Not Bad...
The Galaxy got off to their best start in nearly a decade on Saturday night when A.J. DeLaGarza gave them a 1-0 lead after just 51 seconds. That goal was not the second fastest, but the third fastest goal in club history and is tied for the 28th fastest in MLS history.

Clint Mathis scored the fastest goal in Galaxy history, giving LA a 1-0 lead over Kansas City after just 33 seconds on July 25, 1999 in a game that the Galaxy would go on to win 2-1. Brian Mullan scored the second fastest goal in club history on May 9, 2001, scoring 39 seconds into the Galaxy’s 4-4 draw at Tampa Bay.

Our sincere apologies, Mr. Mullan.

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