Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy continue their 2011 Major League Soccer season when they take on Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California for the renewal of the Honda Superclasico, Major League Soccer's only city derby to date.

Yes, the one-sided Honda Superclasico. The Superclasico that has seen the Galaxy dominate with a record of 12-3-6. Chivas USA have yet to get their hands on the prize since 2007, the only year they dominated the rivalry.

But with the Goats issuing a warning with a 3-2 victory over the New York Red Bulls, this may have all the makings of a scintillating contest.

The Galaxy are currently 5-2-5 (20 points) and are first place in the league, while Chivas USA are 3-3-3 (12 points), good for seventh in the MLS Western Conference.

Los Angeles are coming off a 4-1 win over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, May 14 at Victoria Street.

"We just said that if we passed better we were going to create chances," Arena said earlier this week. "We continue to grow as a team and our passing is improving."

Team captain Landon Donovan leads the league with seven goals this season.

“It feels good to be on top of the league in points as a team and that’s the goal," Donovan said. "But it’s always nice to score, it’s always good to hit the net. Like I’ve said a million times, when you put yourself in good spots and are you are aggressive, the chances come. Sometimes they go in and sometimes they don’t, and right now they’re going in so we’ll just keep going.”

Midfielder David Beckham leads Los Angeles in assists with five this year.

“I think it was better for us once we got the possession because the guys have been on a road trip," Beckham said on Saturday. "It is tough for them to come into this game with a tough game on Wednesday and traveling on Thursday and not training until Friday and not doing much.

"It was some great performances tonight all the way from the back four, Josh [Saunders] obviously playing in goal, and I think it was Juninho’s best game of the season. Obviously Landon [Donovan] and Chad [Barrett] and it is great that Juan [Pablo Angel] scored tonight it is important. At first it started off difficult, we started slow. We went in and in the second half we came out we got the ball a lot more and obviously the early goal helped us out and we pushed on from there.”

The backline of Omar Gonzalez, Sean Franklin, Todd Dunivant and A.J. DeLaGarza will need to mark the likes of Alejandro Moreno and Justin Braun. Proper dispossession is a plus, specifically for Gonzalez.

Both Moreno and Braun have three goals to their credit.

Braun is especially dangerous as of late, having found his scoring touch last weekend against the New York Red Bulls. Moreno, Jazic and Pearce are the Goats' main facilitators, with two assists each.

Keeping possession will be important to the Galaxy's chances on Saturday, Dunivant argued.

“I think that’s a lot of what you are going to see going forward," Dunivant said. "We’ve wanted to play a lot more possession style, but that’s a big change because we haven’t been like that the last couple of years. It has taken time. And it’s going to continue to be something that we work on.

"If we can do that—if we have the ball, keep the ball—it puts them on their heels, get’s their forwards back defending and that means I’m not attacking and that’s good for us.”

Watch for midfielders like Nick LaBrocca, Michael Lahoud, Simon Elliott and Marcos Mondaini to generate space and create chances for Moreno and Braun.

Defensively, the backline of Andrew Boyens, Zarek Valentin, Ante Jazic and Heath Pearce will have a challenge stopping the power tandem of Juan Pablo Angel, Donovan and Beckham when they are firing on all cylinders.

Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy has a record of 3-1-3, a 75 percent save percentage and an 0.71 goals against average. His counterpart, Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, battled a stomach virus last weekend but should recover in time for this Saturday's match.

Ricketts owns a 3-1-4 record, a 79.3 percent save percentage, a 0.75 GAA and 23 saves to their credit.

Juan Pablo Angel snapped a long scoring drought on Saturday against Sporting Kansas City but needs to continue to produce. The search for consistency begins in earnest for the Colombian international.

"The team has changed its style of play from how it played the last couple of years," Angel said earlier this week. "We’re now playing a lot more possession ball. I’ve said it from the beginning, we were first working on correcting our defense, which we’ve done very well, and the next step was fixing the offensive part of our game, and that the moment we got some rhythm on our offensive game this team was going to be very dangerous. Tonight we showed it.

"Against Philadelphia, we played well in certain situations and all that was missing was converting on our opportunities. [Sporting] was the perfect game. The possession was the same, the way we distributed the ball was good and we converted the scoring opportunities we had.”

Miguel Lopez, Chad Barrett and Juninho are due for their share of opportunities. Watch for these three to make the most of their touches in space.

Prediction:
While Chivas USA should be credited with their biggest victory of the season, the Galaxy are a team capable of taking steam out of opposing sides building them.

What will be important is that the Galaxy put the pieces together like they did against Sporting Kansas City and get conversions from their power trio.

Another complete performance from the Los Angeles Galaxy is in order.

Los Angeles Galaxy 3, Chivas USA 0
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PT/10:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 21 and will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.


INS AND OUTS:
Youth Academy Update

It has been a disappointing week for the Los Angeles Galaxy Youth Academy's Under-16 and Under-18 teams, who could only manage a draw and a loss each over the weekend.

On Saturday, the Galaxy Youth Academy took on the Irvine Strikers. The Under-16s got flattened unceremoniously 3-0 while the Under-18s managed just a 2-2 draw.

On Sunday, the Young G's faced Pateadores. The Under-16's drew 2-2, but the Under-18s lost 3-2.

The renewal of the Mini-Clasico between the Galaxy and Chivas takes place on Saturday, May 21, before the SuperClasico derby involving the two senior sides.

Kickoff for the Under-18s is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET while the Under-16s kick off at 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET.

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The only thing missing tonight at Red Bull Arena was Hope. On the night that Red Bull Arena entered the Twilight Zone, Hope was nowhere to be found in Red Bull Arena. Their four-game unbeaten streak abruptly came to an end as the Red Bulls were humbled 3-2 by Chivas USA.

No matter how loud and proud the South Ward enthusiastically chanted, they simply sounded hopeless. While there was no Hope, there was plenty of Braun to to go around. In layman terms, whatever chances the Red Bulls had of winning against Chivas USA was gone because there was no Hope within the confines of Red Bull Arena.

When South Ward member, Hope sadly informed the rest of her colleagues that she wasn't going to attend the game may have inadvertently determined the fate of her beloved New York Red Bulls. It's understandable if some of you considers this to be absurd but the proof is in the pudding.

Just as the game was about to go underway, Red Bull Arena experienced a power surge. Was it a power surge or the spirits of the RBA expressing their sadness about Hope's absence? Who knows?

As a result, the game was delayed by 31 minutes. Once the game commenced, the sponsors of Philadelphia Union, Bimbo Bread appeared on the advertising boards. Eventually things returned to a sense of normalcy, soccer fans in attendance were treated to fantastic first half where a total of four goals were scored.

Chivas USA forward Justin Braun opened up the scoring register when he scored his first goal of the season in the sixth minute of the match when he blasted a well-curled shot into the back of the net from the top of the penalty box.

At the 21st minute, Thierry Henry continued his scoring onslaught as he scored his fifth goal of the season. Accepting a well-placed lob from Rafa Marquez, Henry needed only two touches before his equalizer pasted Chivas goalkeeper Dan Kennedy.

Despite the boisterous atmosphere generated by the South Ward, Justin Braun momentarily silenced them when he scored his second goal of the game in the 31st minute. Four minutes later, birthday boy Dwayne De Rosario tied the game two-all when he successfully converted a penalty kick.

The first half ended with both teams tied 2-2.

Despite taking nine corner kicks the second half, the Red Bulls were unable to find the back of the net. In addition, Red Bulls' defenders and goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul didn't have a solution for Chivas Justin Braun. Scoring his third goal in the 56th minute, Braun recorded a hat-trick while giving his teammates a 3-2 lead.

With the loss, the Red Bulls (4-2-3) matched their number of goals allowed with three. Nevertheless, they remain on top of the Eastern Conference. While a win would have provided some breathing room, the loss has the Philadelphia Union one point behind the Red Bulls.

For Chivas USA (3-3-3), they continue to play solidly for a team that started the season with two consecutive losses. Since March 26, the Goats have compiled a record of 3-1-3. Tonight's win have placed them in seventh place of the Western Conference.

While this game may have been a disappointment for Red Bulls' fans, their South Ward continues to deliver on their end. If you haven't been a game this season and you're in the NY/NJ area, please do so because the South Ward is the undisputed best fan base of any of the New York/New Jersey teams.

Hoping to rebound from this loss, the Red Bulls travel to Houston where they will face the Dynamo at the Robertson Stadium on Saturday, May 21. Following that game, the Red Bulls return to Red Bull Arena for their Wednesday, May 25, 2011 match against defending MLS Cup champions, the Colorado Rapids.

The only thing that remains uncertain is whether Hope returns to the South Ward to support her beloved Red Bulls.

Cesar Diaz covers soccer for LatinoSports.com. He also writes for 5 Points Press and USSoccerPlayers.com; your source for American Soccer news brought to you by members of the U.S. National Team. Easily accessible, you may reach Cesar at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and at Twitter at @CoveringSoccer.

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In this week's edition of the 2011 Major League Soccer Power Rankings, Schellas Hyndman's FC Dallas shoot to the top after a couple of impressive victories this week.

Meanwhile, the New York Red Bulls take a tumble after Chivas USA sends them crashing down to earth.

All this and more as Bleacher Report presents you with Week 9 of the 2011 MLS Power Rankings.

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The rumbles grow for Orlando City to be the cornerstone for a Major League Soccer franchise in the future.

The president of The Ruckus, Lori Conlee, released in a pregame game-plan e-mail a few weeks ago that she had it on credible sources that there is active talk between the City ownership group and MLS. I do not have access to these sources, so I consider this a rumor.

Recently, the website MLS:Rumors released an article that claimed Orlando City might be maneuvering around the New York Cosmos for the very next expansion, due to issues surrounding a potential stadium. But many consider MLS:R to be a dubious source of rumors, and they didn’t reveal the particular sources either.

However, recently the MLS website itself revealed that the league had contact with Minnesota Vikings owner Zygi Wilf about an MLS team in connection with his latest stadium plan for the Vikings in Arden Hills, Minn., to the north of St. Paul.

Many people look at the Twin Cities and see the barely-breathing NSC Stars of the new NASL. But Minnesota was one of the power markets of the classic North American Soccer League, posting well above-average attendance every year of its existence until becoming a victim of stagflation in 1981, yet another brilliant star that flickered and went out way too fast.

In 1976 through 1978, they were second in average attendance and peaked at 32,771 per game in 1977–less than 1,500 per game fewer than the Pelé-led New York Cosmos that year.

With Seattle lifting the taboo of placing a new MLS team in a football stadium (given the right experience, of course), it gives Zygi a glimmer of hope that his new stadium, if ultimately approved, will get Minnesota an MLS franchise.

But it’s hardly a shoo-in.

Seattle has a good experience with narrowing Qwest Field down so it feels intimate enough for a proper soccer experience. Vancouver will attempt to do the same when the Whitecaps move into BC Place following its roof replacement and renovation later this summer. Minnesota will have to do the same if they want MLS.

Also keep in mind, these are all new or recently renovated facilities. DC United is on the brink of moving to Baltimore because RFK Stadium is a piece of junk the team doesn’t have control of, and is losing money like a sieve.

Baltimore has proven more than willing to build them a new stadium. Although Gillette Stadium is actually slightly newer than Qwest Field (Gillette opened later in 2002; Qwest Field held USL Seattle Sounders matches earlier in 2002), Robert Kraft has made no effort to give New England Revolution fans an experience similar to the Sounders. It’s no surprise the Revs are now near rock-bottom in attendance. There is reportedly serious talk of building a new stadium closer to Boston.

You look at Qwest Field, and then you look at the Citrus Bowl. Do you honestly expect us to impress Major League Soccer with that dump? I don’t even expect us to impress them with the paltry $165-million renovation plan on the books. Even with that, it’s not supposed to start until 2020. By then, the S.S. MLS Expansion will have long since sailed.

We have only two options for sealing the deal on MLS expansion: either (A) scrap the boondoggle Performing Arts Center and divert the TDT money to completely replace the Citrus Bowl, or (B) find a place to build our own soccer-specific stadium.

Knowing the way politics works in this town (both as a life-long resident of 31 years and a degreeholder in Political Science), I have zero confidence that option A will ever happen for all the bluster earlier this year by Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs. So I am going to focus on option B.

Before I do so however, there must be justification to build such a facility beyond merely pursuing MLS. A smaller outdoor stadium with a capacity of 20,000 to 30,000 with covered sideline stands and all seats (or almost-all, with endzone bleachers for a supporters’ section) could attract future international friendlies.

International clubs from Europe and the Americas could come to Orlando for summer practice, and to play friendlies with Orlando City in a much more modern environment. We could also attract matches for the U.S. national teams.

Beyond soccer, such a facility could host smaller football events, such as the FHSAA High School Football state championships, or two of the things the ancient Citrus Bowl recently lost: the East-West Shrine Game and the United Football League.

It could also, in the future, be a home for other up-and-coming minor-league sports, like outdoor lacrosse (Major League Lacrosse) or rugby (USA Rugby League, which has a team in Jacksonville). It could also be used for outdoor concerts and other events, giving a different atmosphere than the Amway Center can provide.

It would not compete with Amway Center, but rather cater to events that require a different atmosphere. It might be a keystone if Orlando hopes to fulfill the promise made by Linda McMahon to return WWE’s WrestleMania to Orlando following the success of WrestleMania XXIV at the Citrus Bowl.

Even if we do not get Major League Soccer (for example, if they decide to stop expanding for the near future beyond 20 teams), such a smaller facility would still be a major advantage for Orlando City’s future, providing an unparalleled experience for the team and its fans.

The first important step is finding a place to plant a stadium, and there are actually a few established options if you get in somebody’s ear quick. Links to the sites referred to reference Google Maps.

First, we have the old Agere plant in Southpark Industrial Park on John Young Parkway, between the Beachline (SR 528) and Sand Lake Road (SR 482).

This site used to be the corpse of Orange County’s first attempt to diversify the local economy by jumping into the early tech boom of the 1980s. It was demolished late last year, and they just finished clearing and remediation of the site.

Believe it or not, the site is now owned by The Tavistock Group, the owners of Tottenham Hotspur and the investment group that originally passed up on MLS in Orlando because it was unsure of its financial model.

Eventually, Destination Parkway will be extended across Shingle Creek to the southern end of Southpark Circle, just north of the plant, providing a direct connection to Universal Blvd. and, eventually, International Drive. John Young Parkway connects to the Beachline less than a mile to the South. Consulate Road, which curves around the site, gives the site connections to US 441 and the Turnpike as well.

The actual footprint of the main plant building was about 225 x 150 yards. The physically-largest 20,000-seat soccer-specific stadium I’ve found, Rio Tinto Stadium in suburban Salt Lake City, is 210 x 165 yards. So the area has plenty of space for a stadium. I am unsure if they ripped up the parking lots along with the buildings; if they didn’t, then there’s already lots of parking there.

The primary issue would be traffic for day games. This area of John Young Parkway is the only portion of the road that is not yet six lanes. I am unsure when the space from the Turnpike to the Beachline will be widened, but it will happen eventually. But it's relatively easy access from two major expressways would be a help, especially if they widened Consulate Road around the site.

The thing is, I think I heard that Tavistock already has plans for this site, so it might not be an option anymore. The next option is Festival Bay Mall, on the corner of International Drive and Oak Ridge Road.

Even when the economy was good, this idea was foolhardy, with Belz Factory Outlet Mall right next door. Who would go to a tourist trap for a Ron Jon Surf Shop? Now that Belz has been redeveloped into the open-air Prime Outlets Orlando, Festival Bay’s fate appears to have been sealed.

It was bought late last year, and the new developer is slowly pushing tenants out as their leases expire; this is what happened to Cricketers Arms last month. No idea what they’ll do about Bass Pro Shops, Vans Skatepark or the movie theater—the only things anybody ever go to the mall for anymore.

The rumor I have is that they plan on redeveloping it into an open-air shopping center like Prime Outlets. But the north end of I-Drive is swimming in shopping centers, and this spot is right next to the biggest of them all, so there’s no guarantee that yet another shopping center will fare any better than Festival Bay did. Not to mention it’s not far from The Mall at Millenia, Millenia Blvd. is just off the right edge of the screen on Oak Ridge Road.

In terms of development, this place is even more perfect than the Agere site. Since it hasn’t been torn down yet, the parking is intact, and there is plenty of it. The footprint south of Bass Pro Shops is roughly 370 x 260 yards, so a large stadium could be built without disturbing Bass Pro Shops or the movie theater.

The big problem, again, is traffic, which would be more acute here since we’re talking about the tourism corridor. But the roads themselves are no worse than the roads around the Citrus Bowl. It’s relatively close to I-4 as well, just a short jog south on Kirkman Road. It’s easily accessible particularly from I-4 westbound, where you don’t even need to merge or change lanes once on Kirkman to get on I-Drive in the right direction.

There is also a third way. It might prove a bit controversial in Orlando: redevelop Tinker Field.

The footprint of Tinker Field is 210 x 170 yards; perfect to put in a soccer-specific stadium. It can use the parking currently utilized by the Citrus Bowl for events. The issue with this site is that redevelopment of Tinker Field is a very toxic subject.

There is a loud minority that wants to keep Tinker Field; it's why Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer had it put on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. But it is in an even sorrier state than the Citrus Bowl, making the latter look like Cowboys Stadium in comparison. The fact that it did not get any money from Downtown Master Plan 3 for at least some sort of renovation is laughable at the very least.

But before anybody shrugs off redevelopment of Tinker Field, I should note that it has proven very successful thus far in one of the new markets: Portland. The Portland Timbers played in PGE Park prior to its advancement to MLS.

Back then, it was a baseball stadium. Throughout the 2010 season, PGE Park was redesigned into a soccer facility. Now Jeld-Wen Field, it has become one of the most happening soccer facilities in this country. While it's unlikely Tinker Field as it is could be remodeled in such a fashion, it does open the possibility for replacement with a new soccer facility.

I may look at other sites in the future, but I emphasize these sites because they are relatively close to the urban core of the city. In fact, they are right smack dab between Downtown and the main tourist areas. They are relatively easily accessible from all parts of the metro area, and from the airport.

If we could convince a savvy entrepreneur to buy one of these plots and plant a stadium there, then what I see as Orlando’s final obstacle to a Major League Soccer franchise will have finally been overcome. It will only be a matter of time, and the proper words to MLS Commissioner Don Garber, before Orlando will finally realize the promise first expressed at the World Cup nearly 20 years ago.

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Perhaps Sporting Kansas City should change their poseur-oriented moniker and revert to the good old "Kansas City Wizards."

I mean, it sure helped Peter Vermes's men last season at the Home Depot Center, when they laid the hammer down on Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy by the tune of 2-0 on Aug. 28 of last year.

My, my, my, how the times have changed.

Sporting were taking on a Galaxy side desperate for a return to form. It didn't help matters that a certain Omar Bravo would be sidelined for a while due to sports hernia surgery.

Nor did the situation get ameliorated by the fact that Sporting was riding a three-game losing streak.

Make that four.

In spite of a 39th-minute howler from the Galaxy's Omar Gonzalez, who becomes Chicken Thief No. 3 (yes, even the home team's players can be held liable for stripping the fans of their well-deserved poultry from Pollo Campero), the tandem of Landon Donovan, Juan Pablo Angel and David Beckham bailed the defender out en route to a 4-1 victory at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., on a cool May evening.

If it weren't for that own goal, it could be considered the most comprehensive performance by the Galaxy to date. All right, it's close enough.

Then again, this is bottom-of-the-barrel Sporting Kansas City we're talking about here. Of course the Galaxy are expected to snap out of their hoodoo against the cellar-dweller of Major League Soccer, right?

It didn't seem that way for a good deal of the first half. Sporting benefited from some tenacious goalkeeping from Eric Kronberg—who was lucky enough to prevent a hat trick for Landon Donovan (more on him after the jump)—as well as some gutsy defending from one Aurelien Collin, who shined amongst the Sporting backline in my book.

He made some stops, did his dispossessions, cleared the ball and made things easy for Kronberg at times.

In the 39th minute, it looked like Sporting didn't miss much from last year. In fact, Sporting's Milos Stojcev should have been the chicken thief here, because that was a good look on goal.

Omar Gonzalez, for all that he has done, needs to work on positioning himself so that he clears the ball, rather than redirects it, and in the process, rob the fans of their poultry. It's just unacceptable, and he knows better.

Thankfully for LA, Sporting are a team that can't generate offense out of a wet paper bag. Kei Kamara, Graham Zusi and Davy Arnaud were neutralized at will, and for the looks Stephane Auvray and Teal Bunbury had, they could only fire wide, with too much elevation on the side.

The match would turn on its in the 44th minute, when Roger Espinoza fouled David Beckham inside the box.

Baldomero Toledo, who, for once, called a good game (although that yellow card to Juninho was unwarranted, but it was a right call nonetheless; the young Brazilian knows better than to foul in that position in the 78th minute of play), points to the spot, and Donovan converts.

Cool, calm, collected, easy as you like...1-1 heading into the break.

Enter the second half. And suddenly, things go south for the visitors as the Los Angeles Galaxy start to play like the Galaxy team of last year when they are on their game.

Solid passing, timely dispossession, stops here and there by backup goalkeeper Josh Saunders (who filled in for an ill Donovan Ricketts)...and a goal each from the three main players on the squad sealed Sporting's fate.

Just seconds into the match, Chad Barrett feeds Donovan a through ball inside the box and the No. 10 gets his brace with ease, fooling Kronberg, and placing him fourth all-time in MLS goals scored with 110.

But it didn't stop there. No, no, no. Not against this Sporting side. I think Juan Pablo Angel should play off the bench instead of start. He seems to find his scoring touch better when he is a sub in relief of Miguel Lopez.

On Saturday, it worked like a charm, as Barrett delivered a through ball to Angel, and as the Sporting backline asked for a raising of the flag, they wouldn't get it, as Angel scored his second of the season.

Beckham, though, would put the icing on the cake. Now it has been a set-piece lottery for No. 23. Either the set piece is headed in/finished by another white shirt or (more commonly) it is cleared/misses the target with style.

At 87 minutes in (which is, coincidentally, the same number of minutes it took Pali Blues to get their first victory of the season in the USL W-League this year, but that's a different story), Beckham hit the jackpot. In true vintage fashion, the curve, the trajectory, and the angle were spot on.

Kronberg was helpless to stop that shot. Pure class. Couldn't have drawn it up any better.

I do have a couple other gripes from this contest, aside from Gonzalez's brain explosion.

Miguel Lopez needs to do a better job of finishing the chances he gets off the delivery. Early in the first half, he had his share of looks, but couldn't get the mechanics right.

In another sequence, Lopez could have passed to a couple of trailing Galaxy attackers on his right side in the 15th minute of play, but was a little bit selfish. Should have passed to his right and settled for the assist because they had space to slip one past Kronberg.

Mechanics and unselfishness. That's what this promising up-and-comer needs to work on.

And, for the love of all things Blue and Gold, Landon Donovan, finish that chance in stoppage time. I mean, this is unacceptable to let a beaten keeper prevent you from getting your hat trick when defenders are rolling all over the turf, and you have space to bury it!

While getting a brace was fair enough, in all honesty, this had hat trick written all over it. What a waste. Que sera, sera.

Otherwise, with a three-game winless streak now turned into a three-game unbeaten streak in the space of four days with a three-goal victory, the Galaxy find themselves in good stead as they return to Victoria Street to take on Chivas USA.

Goats, the notice is out. Better read it while you have the time...

Kickoff between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA is scheduled for Saturday, May 21 at 7:00 p.m. PT/10:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

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Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy continue their 2011 Major League Soccer season when they take on Peter Vermes's Kansas City Wizards tonight at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

The Galaxy are currently 4-2-5 (17 points), while Sporting are 1-4-1 (four points) and are at the bottom of the MLS standings.

Both teams are riding three-game winless streaks and are in need of a pick-me-up.

Keep it here on Bleacher Report for continuing coverage of the 2011 Major League Soccer season. 

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Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy are struggling this season.

They are in need of a return to scoring form as they take on Peter Vermes' Sporting Kansas City on Saturday, May 14, 2011 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.

"The result [on Wednesday against Philadelphia] is very disappointing," Arena told reporters this week. " We should have won this game by two or three goals.  We missed a bunch of chances, the referee missed the penalty on the goalkeeper, we had plenty of chances to get to 2-0.  We made a mistake at the end and it cost us a goal, but having said that, we were certainly in position to score two or three goals. But it is disappointing."

The Galaxy are on a three-game winless streak, with a 2-1 defeat to FC Dallas and 1-1 draws against the top two teams in the MLS Eastern Conference: the New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union.

For Arena, a victory against the Union would have brought fresh wind in the sails of the G's.

"This is a game where we controlled the game and played pretty well, so there was no carry over," Arena said. "It was a game where we should have had three points.  Playing New York had nothing to do with the result tonight.  This is a game where we had too many chances not to have more to show for it."

Landon Donovan leads the team in goals with five this season, and must produce on Saturday for the Galaxy to gain an edge on their rivals in the ever-competitive MLS Western Conference.

"It's being more assertive and more aggressive but the ball sometimes needs to fall your way, and then when you get your chances you just have to take them," Donovan said. "Tonight one popped loose and I took it, but I’m being more aggressive and putting myself in spots where I can be dangerous and our forwards are doing a really good job of occupying defenders and giving me spots to make plays."

As for Sporting, they are at the bottom of the league, with a 1-4-1 record (four points) and are carrying a three-game losing streak.

Kei Kamara did he share of damage against the Galaxy last season and he will look to do the same this year. He leads the team, along with Teal Bunbury, in goals with three and is tied with Milos Stojcev in assists with two this season.

The play of Omar Bravo makes Sporting very dangerous. Do not let the record of this team deceive you: Sporting is very dangerous when Bravo gets his touches on the ball. He has two goals this season and will look to add to his collection against David Beckham and crew.

Opposing team defenses have had their way with the Galaxy this year, and therefore an area to pay close attention to is the Sporting back line of Matt Bedler, Roger Espinoza, Julio Cesar and Aurelien Collin. This is a back line capable of neutralizing a Galaxy attack susceptible to poor finishing.

Goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen has a 1-4-1 record, with a 62.9 percent save percentage, a 2.17 goals against average and 22 saves to his tally. His counterpart, LA goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, has a 3-1-4 record, a 79.3 percent save percentage, a 0.75 GAA and 23 stops.

With midfielder David Beckham getting some well-needed rest on Wednesday, it will be important that Galaxy's main provider connects on his set pieces off the long ball. Beckham leads the team with five assists this season. Do not be surprised if it's another go with the set piece slot machine once again for the Galaxy's No. 23.

Juan Pablo Angel has not lived up to expectations, with only one goal to show for it. Neither have Chad Barrett or Juninho, who have just two goals this season. Landon Donovan cannot do this alone. The No. 10 in the white strip is not the team's bailout package. The Galaxy will need to bail themselves out of their lack of form as a team.

Increased production will definitely take slack off the back line of Omar Gonzalez, A.J. DeLaGarza, Sean Franklin and Todd Dunivant. The passing and redistribution was there on Wednesday, but the defense cannot expect to hold on to a 1-0 lead if they have shown time and time again that they cannot. Consolidation should motivate the defense to dispossess Bravo and Kamara from  getting open and creating chances.

Prediction:
Someone is going to be Chicken Thief No. 3 between Bravo and Kamara, who used to play college ball at Cal State Dominguez Hills. (Mind you, a different field, but close to the pitch at Victoria Street). Nonetheless, the Galaxy are capable of snapping out of a lack of form. Watch for Beckham and Donovan to up the ante.

Los Angeles Galaxy 2, Sporting Kansas City 1

The match will televised locally by Fox Sports West. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET.

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Sometimes there are hard habits to break. In soccer, one of them is the habit of squandering precarious one-goal leads.

Just like at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C., Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy have made it a habit of blowing 1-0 leads.

At PPL Park in Chester, Penn. Wednesday night, the Galaxy let Philadelphia Union halftime substitute Danny Mwanga score an equalizer in the 84th minute to force another 1-1 draw, this time on the road.

At least one positive can be taken from this: unlike the match with the Red Bulls, the split was determined by the players, not the referee.

Carlos Ruiz did have a point in saying that the Galaxy are not the dominant team they were last season. Is Ruiz the second coming of Nostradamus? To a degree, of course he is.

Why? Because the Galaxy lacked the skill consistency to neutralize the pressure of Union attackers late in the contest. Never mind that in terms of finishing, Juan Pablo Angel can't score his way out of a wet paper bag.

Angel was denied his chances by Union goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon, who had to battle a groin injury in the second half. Stopping your fellow countryman at your age can do that to you, I know.

One can argue that David Beckham's absence dictated the outcome to some extent. But with the Union's lack of scoring punch, Los Angeles was more than capable of producing against a side that produces once in a blue moon.

A 1-0 lead is not going to work in this day and age, unless the opposition doesn't know the definition of production. Make no mistake, Peter Nowak's Philadelphia Union has this work in their own football vocabulary since they first came onto the MLS scene.

The cards were not as frequent during this draw, but they were still plentiful. Philadelphia incurred four, L.A. incurred three and six of those seven came in the second half.

The Galaxy fell short in the possession category. Arena's club is making a nasty habit of gaining possession early and giving it up as the match progresses. The Union had 51.3 percent of the ball, while the G's settled for 48.7 percent.

To their credit, the Galaxy's passing was better (74 to 71 percent), but I would imagine they would hang on to the ball more when they go through their sequences.

Perhaps the biggest issue Los Angeles needs to work on when they take on Omar Bravo, Teal Bunbury and Sporting Kansas City is winning the battle with the ball.

Philadelphia won the one-on-one battle 63 to 36 percent. Their defense methodically broke apart the possession and sequences the Galaxy generated. Winning the one-on-one's will be crucial to the Galaxy in snapping their three-game winless streak.

To only garner two out a possible nine points in the last three matches is a sign that things need to change for this team. Perhaps Arena would have been wise to start David Beckham after all.

The Galaxy's next match at home against Sporting Kansas City is scheduled for Saturday at 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET. The match will be televised locally by Fox Sports West.

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The new sign leading out of the locker room in every Major League Soccer stadium should read

"CAUTION: PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK. MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTS OR INJURY."

In the wake of the third severe injury suffered by an elite player, Major League Soccer showed that they are not as concerned as they should be with the safety of their players by suspending Chivas USA forward Marcos Mondaini only four games for violent, reckless and completely unnecessary play.

The suspension is actually only for three games with one additional game for the red card. He will also pay a fine of $1,500.

The tackle in question occurred in the first half of a recent match between Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake.

After being beaten in the run of play with a good piece of skill by Javier Morales, Mondaini chose to take out the frustration of the match on Morales' ankle.

As Morales set to shoot the ball from just outside the box, Mondaini slid in and took out his plant leg. He was several yards away from touching any part of the ball.

This incident is the third this season of players being severely hurt and out for the season.

Earlier this year, Seattle Sounder Steve Zakuani went down on another reckless tackle against the Colorado Rapids. He suffered a broken leg, and like Morales is likely out for the season.

FC Dallas star David Ferreira also underwent surgery to repair an injury suffered on a tackle.

Major League Soccer had an opportunity to send a message regarding this type of rough play, but did not do enough to change it.

Many have suggested that the penalty for the offending player should be just as long as the player that was injured, and Mondaini should be out as long as Morales.

To put this into perspective from other leagues, Los Angeles Laker Andrew Bynum drew a five-game suspension and a fine for an unsportsmanlike hit on Mavericks guard J.J. Barea.

The difference there is that Barea got up and is still able to walk.

Morales underwent surgery Monday and will not be able to begin training for at least four months.

If Major League Soccer wants to gain control of their league and clean up play to maintain the integrity of the beautiful game, they must be more proactive in handling their discipline.

Four games is not enough to change anything. The suspension should have at least matched that of David Mullan's if not longer.

They had a good chance to take care of it here, but did very little.

Would the outcome have been the same if it were David Beckham or Thierry Henry?

If you are an MLS player, as far as Major League Soccer is concerned, play at your own risk—you may be next.

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Bruce Arena’s Los Angeles Galaxy travel to Chester, Pennsylvania and PPL Park for a match with Peter Nowak’s Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer action.

The Galaxy are currently 4-2-4 (16 points) and are first in both the league and the MLS Western Conference, while the Union are 4-2-1 (13 points) and have three games in hand over the visitors.

Los Angeles is coming off a 1-1 draw at home to the New York Red Bulls, while Philly is looking to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat away to the Portland Timbers. The Galaxy will be without the services of David Beckham, who will be given some time to recuperate after a demanding draw at Victoria Street.

You can keep up to date on continuing coverage of action from Major League Soccer and World Football on your open-source sports network, Bleacher Report. 

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