The third weekend of MLS offers "Rivalry Day," the first-ever matchday dedicated specifically to the regional rivalries sprinkled throughout the league.

Starting with the New York Red Bulls hosting D.C. United for an Atlantic Cup clash and finishing on Sunday with the SuperClasico between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA, the weekend is full of appetizing matches. 

Arguably, the main event comes in the form of a Cascadia Cup clash between longtime foes, the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers.  The Sounders are coming off an impressive 3-1 victory over Mexican side, Tigres UANL, in the CONCACAF Champions League.  The Timbers' last game was a loss at home at the hands of the Montreal Impact, 2-1.

It should be a glorious weekend for the many supporters and passionate fans that make MLS tick.

We start with the Red Bulls welcoming their neighbors to the south, D.C United.

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In an exciting week of CONCACAF Champions League matches, Seattle Sounders FC and the Los Angeles Galaxy were able to best their opponents and advance to the semifinal round of the tournament. Having two teams represent MLS this far into the tournament is a great achievement for the league and has never been done since the competition was reformatted in 2008.

Both the Galaxy and Sounders couldn't have made it this far if it weren't for key contributions from some of the team's youngsters. Seattle had the help of newly signed Homegrown player DeAndre Yedlin, while LA's own Homegrown products, Jose Villarreal and Jack McBean played huge roles for the Galaxy.

Yedlin and the Sounders had to overcome and 1-0 loss to Tigres UANL from the first leg of the quarterfinals in order to advance.

The second leg did not start well for Seattle even though they were playing in the safe confines of CenturyLink Field. Tigres added to their aggregate lead in the 23rd minute with a goal from Elias Hernandez, but just before halftime, Tigres' Manuel Viniegra received his second yellow card of the match and was sent off.

Seattle pulled off the miraculous comeback and scored three goals in the second half, while keeping Tigres off the scoresheet to advance 3-2 on aggregate. In the process of doing so, history was made as the Sounders became the first MLS team to eliminate a Mexican team from the CCL.

The first of Seattle's goals was from 19-year-old right-back DeAndre Yedlin. The University of Akron product signed with Seattle in January of 2013 and became the first Homegrown signing in the club's history.

Yedlin scored from a volley that deflected off a defender to beat the goalkeeper. It was his first professional goal and was most definitely a sort of redemption for him.

In the first half, DeAndre was easily pushed off the ball near the corner of the Sounders' defensive third, which led to Tigres' only goal of the game.

What's surprising about the young defender is that he was thrown into MLS and CONCACAF games and has held his own. In fact, he's already turning heads with only two games under his belt, and it's not because of his eccentric hairstyle.

For the Galaxy, 19-year-old forward Jose Villarreal had already garnered attention last season with limited playing time, even winning the Galaxy's Goal of the Year award.

In the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship just a few weeks ago, Villarreal played a crucial role in helping the US advance to the finals against Mexico. He scored three goals in four games and was named to the tournament's Best XI.

Villarreal scored the second goal in a 4-1 victory over Costa Rican club Herediano and did so in incredible fashion. He led a counterattack with Robbie Keane, had the confidence to brush off Keane's calls for the ball, pirouetted to lose his defenders and struck the ball into the bottom left corner of the net.

With the match all but decided at 3-1, 18-year-old forward Jack McBean came on as a substitute and scored from a quick restart after a free kick was given to the Galaxy.

McBean was left somewhat unmarked, but his goal showed off his clinical finishing and technical ability. The goal was his fourth of this year's CCL, which is good for second most in the tournament.

LA went on to advance to the semifinals thanks to a 4-1 aggregate lead.

Yedlin, Villarreal, and McBean are all young talents that are examples of the success of MLS' Homegrown system. It's hard not to think that they will become the stars of the league in a few years, but looking ahead just a few months, all three have a good chance of being called up for the U-20 World Cup in Turkey if they continue to perform well.

And who knows? We may very well be looking at the future of the US men's national team.

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Seattle Sounders FC vs. Portland Timbers FC– CenturyLink Field, Seattle.

SEA 1, POR 1

Johnson, 13'; Wallace, 90'

Full Time Report:

The Seattle Sounders jumped to an early lead through striker Eddie Johnson. Steve Zakuani streaked down the left flank, launched a low cross into the penalty area, and the American striker tapped the ball home from just outside the six-yard box in the 13th minute.

Portland began to settle and come into the game about 25 minutes in. They had chances through set-pieces and crosses but were unable to convert.

The second half played out with Portland dominating the possession. They worked the ball around but found it difficult to break through a stoic Seattle defense. 

Finally, in the 90th minute, the Timbers broke though on an Rodney Wallace header. Andrew Jean-Baptiste put a hopeful ball into the box, and Wallace was there to head it home. 

Portland will be buzzing on the way back to Oregon. Seattle will feel as though they clutched defeat from the jaws of victory. 

Lineups:

Seattle: Gspurning; Yedlin, Traore, Hurtado, Burch; Martinez, Rose, Alonso, Zakuani; Ochoa, Johnson; 

Subs: Hahnemann, Gonzalez, Scott, Caskey, Rosales, Carrasco, Martins

Portland: Ricketts; Zemanski, Jean-Baptiste, Silvestre, Harrington; Chara, Jewsbury, W. Johnson-C; Valeri, R. Johnson, Nagbe;

Subs: Kocic, Miller, Tucker-Gangnes, Wallace, Alhassan, Piquonne, Valencia

Substitues:

Seattle:

61':Mauro Rosales for Samuel Ochoa

70':Obafemi Martins for Mario Roberto Martinez

81':Steve Zakuani for Alex Caskey

Portland:

70': Frederic Piquionne for Jack Jewsbury

80': Rodney Wallace for Darlington Nagbe

89': Jose Valencia for Ryan Johnson

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Tony Meola is a U.S. soccer legend—no question about it.  The New Jersey native was the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. national team's 1994 World Cup run and played many years thereafter in Major League Soccer for the MetroStars, the Kansas City Wizards and the New York Red Bulls.

One of the best athletes in the University of Virginia's history, Meola played his college soccer for former U.S. national team head coach and curent L.A. Galaxy head coach, Bruce Arena.

Meola's pure athleticism and fearlessness were key aspects in his success as a professional goalkeeper.  His presence for U.S. soccer was a critical part of the growth of the game in this country.  Along with the rest of his teammates during the 1994 World Cup, Meola and company set the stage for the start of MLS.

Still involved in the game, Meola has teamed up with Allstate to bring his knowledge and legend to lucky groups of youth soccer players.  Currently visiting Seattle ahead of the Sounders' rivalry match with the Portland Timbers, Meola, alongside Allstate representatives, surprised some players on Seattle United.

Meola dropped in on a practice session and provided a special “Good Hands® F.C." soccer clinic for the team.  Meola was in charge of practice and offered a unique experience for some young soccer players: the chance to learn from one of the best goalkeepers in U.S. soccer history.

In addition to expert coaching tips from Meola, Allstate also provided tickets to Seattle's upcoming match with the Portland Timbers as well as new soccer gear for the players.  This was definitely an afternoon these young people, many of whom struggle financially and might not be able to afford the equipment required to play soccer, will not forget.

After explaining what he did for the players on the Seattle United team with Allstate, Meola and I covered a wide range of soccer topics.  From his thoughts on the MLS Rivalry Week, 100 years of U.S. soccer and what tactics he would employ for the current national team, Meola offered a fantastic and intelligent insight into the beautiful game.

Here are the questions and answers from my interview with the exceptional Tony Meola.

Bleacher Report: You have teamed with Allstate and you are in Seattle. Can you go into a little bit about what you are doing with the kids and your involvement? 

Tony Meola:  This is Allstate's third year with sponsorship with both the National Team and Major League Soccer.  This is also my third year with Allstate in this sponsorship. Essentially, what we do is go around to different cities in the country, based around different events: World Cup Qualifiers, All-Star Games, MLS Cup, the last few years.  We try and engulf ourselves a little bit in the community for the weekend.  The night prior to each game we attend, is a community event. What we do is what I call barging in on one of the practices of the local teams.  They don't know about it and I don't know the name of the team before going in.  They take part of an Allstate clinic and at the end, they are given free uniforms, soccer balls, shinguards, bags and tracksuits.  Allstate provides everything they need to get through the season and ultimately a ticket to tomorrow's game.  These are needy groups, groups that aren't necessarily as fortunate as some of the others.  So we get the opportunity to help out a little bit.  

Bleacher Report: Sounds like a fantastic venture.  Anything specifically that is your favorite part of teaming up and doing this type of work?

Tony Meola: Yeah, I do.  I ask all the guys who's going to the game, in this case it will be the Portland Timbers coming into Seattle for Rivalry Week and there are rarely any hands that go up.  And you always ask before, who wants to go to the game, and they eventually all raise their hands.  They have no idea in an hour they will find out that they are going to the game.  That's the coolest part for me.  

Bleacher Report: Anything else we should know about the program? 

Tony Meola:  Tomorrow I'll be outside in the Allstate Fan Zone.  Starts at 2 p.m. local time.  The game is at five tomorrow.  I'll be at the Allstate Fan Zone signing autographs. 

Bleacher Report: On the topic of that game and MLS Rivalry Week, I wanted your opinion on how you think the Timbers vs. Sounders rivalry stacks up when compared to the classic American sports rivalries?  Yankees, Red Sox?  Ohio State, Michigan?  

Tony Meola: Most people know this rivalry from MLS, but this rivalry has been going on for quite some time.  What they've done to translate it into Major League Soccer is amazing.  They have great support on both sides, they've got great fan bases that travel to both locations.  And prior to the game, I don't know how these people make it through the games cause they must be exhausted by the time the games actually get there.  They're pretty enthusiastic, they obviously love their teams, they are knowledgeable about their teams, and I think what MLS is trying to do is pretty neat: developing this rivalry week, where fans can build traditions around these teams.  I know in some places it is harder than others, but for the most part they have done a pretty good job.

Bleacher Report: It seems like, on the surface, a lot of current players don’t take rivalries as seriously as the fans.  As a former player, when you played against a Mexico or a D.C. United, how did you feel about the other team, and the other players?  Was there a bit of a hatred there?  How would you describe that?     

Tony Meola: There was definitely respect.  I always respected the guys I played against.  But I didn't like Mexico, I didn't like D.C. United.  Those were our rivals for a reason.  They were fun to play in for sure.  For sure, the fans really enjoy it.  They enjoy to brag about their teams.  And now with social media, the way all these Supporter's groups are connected and having the Supporter's Shield, everyone is looking for the upper hand. 

Bleacher Report: On MLS, currently who is your favorite player to watch and why?

Tony Meola:  I can't pick one right now; I can pick two, though.  The first one is Graham Zusi, for Sporting K.C.  Just because I enjoy the way he plays the game.  I enjoy watching young kids come up through the system.  The other one would have to be Robbie Keane.  He's just exciting to watch.  His enthusiasm about the game is contagious.  We've spoken to guys on his team, Mike Magee, Omar Gonzalez, on our show and they all say the same thing about him, his enthusiasm is contagious.  Even when I'm watching the game on TV, he's compelling me to stay there with him. 

Bleacher Report: Which team do you think plays the best brand of soccer?

Tony Meola:  Hard to pick one, here.  It'd have to be either Seattle or L.A. for me, right now.  Sporting K.C. would have been in there last year.  They've got to find their feet a little bit with some new players.  I think they will eventually get to it.  But I think right now, Seattle and Los Angeles, for me,

Bleacher Report: Best goalkeeper in the league?

Tony Meola:  That's a tough one.  I hate statistics for that position.  I just think they're very misleading, although you have to have them.  It's sort of an indicator.  I'm a big fan of Nick Rimando and what he does.  I think he is the total package.  He's got the leadership.  He's won championships, he's played in big games, he's a good shot-stopper, he's very good with his feet.  So he's the full package. 

Bleacher Report: I would like to transition to the USMNT.  The team is celebrating 100 years as a federation.  When you were playing at Virginia for Bruce Arena, did you know, at that time, that he was a special talent?  Was there something specific about the way he prepared, communicated, or saw the game that you found unique?

Tony Meola:  Well, I don't know that I knew then, honestly, but I look back at it and Virginia wasn't on my radar until Bruce Arena walked into my house.  There was something about the minute I met him, him and I clicked.  We were both on the same page.  I liked what he had to say.  And, of course, looking back on it, he made all the right steps and deserves everything.  I can't say I knew it then, because I didn't know that much.  But I do know that when he walked in my house, that was the guy I wanted to play for.

Bleacher Report: Biggest goal in the country’s 100 year history, for you?

Tony Meola:  Paul Caligiuri's goal in 1989.

Bleacher Report: Biggest save in the country’s 100 year history, for you?

Tony Meola:  Brad Friedel, PK save against Korea, 2002. 

Bleacher Report: Are you a big tactics person?  If so, what is your preferred formation for the U.S. against Costa Rica and Mexico in the upcoming qualifiers?

Tony Meola:  I am, for me any formation that involves only one defensive midfielder.  Whether you want to make it a 4-1-3-2, or any version of that.  Even if it's a 4-4-2 with one holding guy, I just think when we line up with three defensive midfielders we are setting ourselves up for lack of opportunities up front.  I think we have better players that can get the job done.  I understand you wanna protect, but we're at home now.  It's a must win for us and we have to score some goals. 

Bleacher Report: Who would be your preferred central midfield pairing be at this point?

Tony Meola:  Michael Bradley.  And next to him, Mike Bradley.

Bleacher Report:  Who, next to him?

Tony Meola: Michael Bradley.

Bleacher Report: Assuming Landon Donovan returns, where would you play him?  And where would you play him relation to Clint Dempsey?

Tony Meola:  I would play him out wide right and I'd play Clint just behind the forwards.  I would play a 4-1-3-2.

Bleacher Report: How big of a blow to the team's confidence is having Tim Howard out of the lineup?

They will obviously miss Tim's presence but I think Brad {Guzan} is ready to step in and do a great job.  I don't think when the game starts they'll miss a beat in that position.  I also think in a lot of ways it could act as sort of a rallying cry behind Brad and a motivator to pick up the pieces for a guy that has been really a leader for what seems like it's going on 10 years now. 

Bleacher Report: 100 years without a World Cup title for the United States.  Do you expect to see one one in your lifetime? 

Tony Meola:  I hope so.  I also hope to see the next 100 years.

Bleacher Report:  If they do win, do you know how you would celebrate?

Tony Meola:  No, but I got a couple of years to figure that out, I guess, right?

Bleacher Report: Both Tim Howard and Brad Friedel have scored goals from the goalkeeper position in the Premier League.  Did you ever score from the goalkeeper position?  If so, how?  If not, what would your dream goal from the goalkeeper position be?

Tony Meola: No, I have not but it would definitely be on a 25-yard free kick.  It wouldn't be from a punt or a corner kick, coming up to head a ball, It'd be from the opportunity to take a free kick. 

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This Saturday, Major League Soccer has scheduled its first-ever “Rivalry Week.” The day will feature seven of the league’s top rivalry games starting at 12:30 p.m. ET with the New York Red Bulls vs. D.C. United match and concluding with the Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders match at 8 p.m. ET with five other games sandwiched in between.

The center-piece of this day-long soccer fiesta will be “The Breakaway”, a two and half hour show that MLS is deeming as their version of the NFL’s “Red Zone” show. “The Breakaway” will run concurrently through four of the mid-day matchups.

While there are many tantalizing matchups on the docket for Saturday, particularly the game between Seattle and Portland, the Red Bulls-D.C. United game is definitely the one not to miss. Here’s why.

Mike Petke v. Ben Olsen

One of the best storylines coming out of the New York-D.C. game is the coaching matchup between former teammates Mike Petke and Ben Olsen.

Petke and Olsen played together for parts of three seasons with D.C. United, winning the MLS Cup in 2004 together.

Although Olsen struggled a bit in his first full season as D.C. United manager in 2011 with the team going 9-13-12 (win-loss-draw format), Olsen turned things around radically for the club in 2012 leading the team to a 17-10-7 record, second place in the Eastern Conference and the Eastern Conference finals in the playoffs.

It would not be surprising if Petke, in his first year as coach of the New York Red Bulls, faces a similarly difficult first season.

The Red Bulls have squandered first-half leads in both of their games so far this year and have looked poor doing it. In Week One, the Red Bulls lost a two-goal lead away to the Portland Timbers in a match that striker Thierry Henry looked like he didn’t want to be playing in.

In Week Two, the Red Bulls, once again up in an away match, let San Jose score two goals in the final ten minutes.

Petke’s comments after the San Jose match show that he may already be feeling the pressure. After the game, Petke called out his players saying, "We need guys to man up and take control and battle. That’s what we need, especially late in games.”

The Red Bulls 2012 season was deemed a failure by many pundits and Red Bulls’ fans alike. However, in 2012, much of the blame was dropped at the feet of Rafa Marquez. So far in 2013, Thierry Henry is off to a poor start and Tim Cahill has yet to produce. Whether or not Petke can get his star-studded team to perform remains the team’s biggest question mark.

What happens with Roy Miller?

Roy Miller had what can only be described as a shocker last Sunday night against the San Jose Earthquakes.

First, in the 83rd minute, Miller was beaten on the back post as he failed to track his runner and Adam Jahn put away the equalizer.

Then, in the 90th minute, Miller was called for a handball after stopping another effort by Jahn with Miller bringing his hand above his head for the block.

To make matters even worse, Miller then encroached on the ensuing penalty which Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles saved, so the kick was retaken. Chris Wondolowski scored on his second chance and New York went down in defeat.

To make matters even worse than that, on Wednesday, Miller told MLSSoccer.com that he encroached on the first penalty on purpose saying “I did it so that if [Wondolowski] made it, he would have to do it again and then he [would] miss. I had the unfortunate luck that Luis saved the initial attempt.”

Miller’s statement, however, makes no sense because encroachment by the defending player on a penalty that is scored does not force a retake.

Seeing if Roy Miller retains his starting place in New York’s lineup remains to be seen.

The D.C.-New York Rivalry Just Keeps Getting Better

Finally, D.C. United and the New York Red Bulls have one of the oldest and best rivalries in Major League Soccer.

In 2012, that rivalry showcased some of the craziest and most bizarre storylines of the season as the two were matched up in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

In the playoff series, D.C. United, because it was the higher seed, was supposed to have the advantage of playing the second leg of the home-and-away series at home.

However, D.C. gave up that advantage and hosted the first leg because of the after effects of Hurricane Sandy.

When the first leg took place in D.C., it turned out to be an absolutely jaw-dropping affair. The game ultimately ended 1-1 on two separate own goals and featured one of the stupidest red cards in the history of the game. And, all of this happened in a ten-minute span.

First, in the 61st minute, Roy Miller, fired home a D.C. United cross into his own net.

Then, just four minutes later, D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid somehow bungled the ball into his own net on a New York corner kick.

Six minutes after that, D.C. United right-back Andy Najar committed an act of madness picking up two consecutive cards by fouling the Red Bulls Joel Lindpere from behind and then, while being carded for that offense, threw the ball at the official.

In the second leg of the matchup, when D.C. finally did travel to New York four days after the first leg, the New York leg of the series was once again cancelled.

This time the delay came in the form of a massive snowstorm. MLS kept hope alive until just before kickoff that the game might be played and MLS Commissioner Don Garber was even out of the field shoveling off the snow as it came down.

Eventually, the game was called off and rescheduled for the next day, but D.C. United manager Ben Olsen still managed to heat the rivalry up even without a game being played. He stated that D.C. wanted to play the game, “My concern is that my boys wanted to play, and I thought it was a playable field at this point.”

In contrast to Olsen’s willingness to go at it despite the weather, then New York Red Bulls coach Hans Backe was repeatedly and publicly pleading that the match be cancelled saying, “It’s a different sport… it’s, in a way, a joke and all about luck. It’s a conference semifinal; it has to be more serious.

Olsen’s will to play fired up D.C. United supporters, especially the group of 700 fans who made the trip by bus only to see the game cancelled again. United players, before going back to the locker room once the game was officially called off, went into the stands to thank their traveling fans.

The next day, when the game was played, the wildness of the Eastern Conference semifinal matchup continued.

In the 69th minute, Bill Hamid was shown a red card after taking out Red Bulls forward Kenny Cooper on a breakaway. Cooper scored the ensuing penalty, but it was called back for encroachment and the second attempt was saved.

Still, with the series tied 1-1, New York had a man advantage with 20 minutes to play in regulation, plus extra time.

However, New York only kept that advantage for all of six minutes. In the 75th minute, Rafa Marquez, who was already carrying a yellow card, went into United winger Chris Pontius with a studs up challenge. Marquez received his second yellow and gave D.C. United a reprieve from the man-down situation.

Then, in the 88th minute, United winger Nick DeLeon found the winner with a beautiful finish, ending New York’s season and adding another great chapter to this wonderful rivalry.

Make sure to catch the first installment of this year’s D.C. United vs. Red Bulls matchup this Saturday.

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Gus Johnson. It's a name more closely associated with the NFL and March Madness, but Fox Sports wants Johnson to be the lead announcer for the 2018 World Cup.

The idea came from Fox Sports president Eric Shanks in October 2011. FIFA had just awarded the 2018 and 2022 broadcast rights to Fox, and as Richard Dietsch of SI.com wrote, "Shanks wanted to do something bold with his soccer coverage."

We're now almost 18 months into this process and Johnson has already had some pretty high-profile matches to call, including Real Madrid vs. Manchester United in the Champions League. Johnson is also scheduled to call the FA Cup final on May 11, as well as the Champions League final on May 25. He will be on site for both.

With all that in mind, here are four reasons why Johnson should be calling MLS games.

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Soccer in America has been a roller coaster ride in recent decades.

In 1994, the FIFA World Cup was held in the United States. US Soccer president Sunil Gulati tried to bring it back in 2022, but the tournament was awarded to Qatar.

The explosion of EA Sports' FIFA video game franchise has helped propel the sport into the lives of millions of younger fans who would have otherwise been unexposed.

The Internet has been immense in helping the sport grow stateside.

Twitter has made the players of the US Men's National Team instantly accessible. Youtube has been fantastic in showing the brilliance of Lionel Messi and Ronaldo.

The problem with soccer in America is not that the sport is not liked. It's that the domestic league is viewed as inferior and looked down upon by many fans in the country.

I am not one to suggest that the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are not miles ahead of the Los Angeles Galaxy in terms of quality. But I do believe the Reading, Celta Vigo and TSG Hoffenheim would have trouble beating an average MLS side.

The MLS is one of the most competitive leagues in the world. The gap between the top and bottom teams is not similar to the chasms between the same teams in the European leagues.

This should be viewed as positive. It makes the MLS much more interesting to watch, and the product on the field is more entertaining because of this.

Last season, the top MLS team, the San Jose Earthquakes, finished with 66 points. The 10th best team in the league, the Columbus Crew, finished with 52.

That's a 14 point gap.

In last season's Bundesliga, the same gap was 39 points. In the Premier League it was 42 points. In La Liga, the gap between the top team and the team that finished 10th was an astounding 51 points.

There is great quality in the MLS as evidenced by the fact that there are two MLS sides in the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals.

On March 16th, NBC Sports will be broadcasting 12-and-a-half consecutive hours of MLS soccer for the first time in the network's history.

I implore you to watch.

The MLS is doing great things. There is quality within the league. Don't be surprised when the league is considered to be in the upper echelon of soccer within the next two decades.

Soccer has a future in America. Right now, that future is clouded by the branded likes of Real Madrid, Manchester United and Barcelona.

The MLS has a lot to offer the soccer-loving community of the states, but the fans must embrace the league if they ever want a top-quality product, domestically.

Jake Little is a Los Angles native and LA Galaxy season ticket holder. He can be found on twitter @jakelittle

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The Los Angeles Galaxy secured a 4-1 victory over Costa Rican side Herediano to secure a spot in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League.

This is the first time in the club's history that they have made it to this stage of the tournament.

The atmosphere at the Home Depot Center was marvelous throughout the night. The visitors brought a sizable amount of support, but the home fans' enthusiasm dominated the entire 90 minutes.

Omar Gonzalez opened the scoring for the Galaxy on a set piece that came after Bruce Arena's side bossed the early minutes.

Similar to their season opener against the Chicago Fire, Robbie Keane and his colleagues found a way to control possession without letting the visitors ever truly threaten.

Gonzalez, Keane, Jack McBean and Jose Villarreal would all put the ball in the net by the time the night was over. 

The outstanding play of Villarreal, who held the ball up well and took his chance marvelously, was one of the many positives to take from the match. 

Galaxy goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini seemed much more relaxed than he did against Chicago. His command of the penalty area was improved and it appears as though the relationship between him and his defenders is going to do nothing but get better.

McBean was another bright spot for the Galaxy. The midfielder came on in the closing minutes and scored a fantastic goal just seconds from time.

The depth of the Galaxy is going to serve them well as the season endures.

Unfortunately the home side did have a brief lapse, allowing Herediano to score a well-taken goal to make it 3-1.

This goal is cause for concern primarily because the defending was non-existent.

Even so, the Galaxy played a fantastic 90 minutes, and they will go into this Sunday's L.A. Derby with a superb amount of confidence.

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They're back!

The Earthquakes got back to their 2012 form in a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls.

They obviously needed a game to work out the rust. They lost the season opener 2-0 to Real Salt Lake one week prior. However, they had their never-say-die attitude back in full swing on Sunday. 

The Quakes looked sharp early with a couple quick chances being swept away by the Red Bulls defense. However, it was New York who got the scoring started. Eric Alexander scored off a Thierry Henry cross in the 16th minute. 

There weren't a lot of opportunities for either side until late in the game. In the 83rd minute, rookie substitute Adam Jahn put a Sam Cronin cross into the back of the net. Cronin received a through ball from captain Ramiro Corrales and sent a left-footed cross across the goal for the outstretched foot of Jahn.

The Earthquakes weren't finished yet. Chris Wondolowski scored on a penalty kick in the 90th minute to secure the victory for San Jose. 

The penalty was set up by a headed effort from Jahn that bounced off the arm of Red Bulls defender Roy Miller in the box. Wondo's first attempt was saved by keeper Luis Robles, but the Quakes were given a second chance thanks to encroachment by Miller. Wondo didn't miss a second time, sending Robles the wrong way as he tucked the ball into the back of the net. 

We may only be two games into the season, but there are few things to learn from this game. 

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Three Major League Soccer teams and several U.S. Men's National Team players engage in moral combat for the second legs of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals this week.

All of the MLS teams enter the second leg with everything to play for.

Seattle Sounders FC and USMNT forward Eddie Johnson host USMNT midfielder Jose Tores' Tigres de la UANL.  Tigres won the first leg at home 1-0. Without an away goal, the Sounders need to win while not conceding an away goal.  If Tigres score, the away-goals rule put the Sounders in the position of needing to win by at least two goals. Coming home to one of the best home crowds in MLS will boost the Sounders' confidence.

USMNT midfielder Brad Davis scored the lone goal in the Houston Dynamo's 1-0 first-leg win over Santos Laguna and USMNT forward Hercules Gomez. The Dynamo possess the opposite circumstance of the Sounders, any away goal puts the pressure on Santos to win by more than one on their home pasture. MLS teams typically struggle in Liga MX climes, however, so the Dynamo will need something special to keep their first-leg margin.

The LA Galaxy still miss USMNT superstar Landon Donovan, but USMNT halfback Omar Gonzalez was dominant in their away leg at Herediano.  The sides played to a 0-0 draw in Costa Rica and the Galaxy hope to draw a friendly home crowd to pull out a win and advance to the semifinals.

Check back for updates as the results come in.

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