Bleacher Report’s Jo-Ryan Salazar talked with Tony Meola ahead of the USA’s international friendly with Argentina on March 26.

Q: Give us your take on the state of soccer in the USA. How has it improved since you hung up your cleats?

A: Well, it’s only a couple of years ago, but over the course of a 20-year career, it has grown in leaps and bounds. And I can say the biggest improvement was on the player pool side, the number of players on our national team our coaches were able to choose from. And that was never…that wasn’t always the case.

[Current U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach] Bob Bradley has the nice luxury [of being able] to choose from…I gotta think it has to be 70 or 80 players for the team, where other [former] national team coaches like [current Los Angeles Galaxy manager] Bruce Arena had a list of guys prior to Major League Soccer and players having a home where they can build on, and mold, their skills on a daily basis.

The other coaches didn’t have that chance, and certainly, the players relished that opportunity to give them a platform [to showcase their] wares every week. Some guys have come out of Major League Soccer that we would have not known about otherwise.

Q: Tony, recently you’ve done some work with Allstate. Tell us what that’s all about.

A: Well, I’ve been partnered with Allstate since its inception, and what we’re doing is a series of events around the U.S. national team games, Major League Soccer games and Women’s Professional Soccer games. We’re kicking it off at the Meadowlands here in New Jersey with the USA vs. Argentina.

Q: So basically you are covering all the bases with your work.

A: Yeah, we’re gonna try to get all the entities, you know, some of the events here. We’re pretty excited about tonight. It’s a special one for me, given that I’m from New Jersey. We’re gonna surprise a team at their training tonight, and what that team doesn’t know is that I’m heading there, but Allstate is kind enough to [provide] home and away uniforms for players and the coaching staff. So we’re pretty excited about that.

Then tomorrow, we’re going to be at the Allstate Fan Zone, which is located at the stadium, to meet and greet some fans. We’re going to have a raffle there, where people prior to the game will sign up for the raffle. We’re going to give them a private tour of the stadium.

It’s going to be a couple of great events for the fans, and this is part of Allstate giving back to the community. It’s exciting.

Q: Tony, there are many great goalkeepers plying their trade in Europe, in South America and elsewhere. Who are your top five goalkeepers in the world, at this moment, right now, and why?

A: I think…it’s kind of hard to say, but [Chelsea’s] Petr Cech right now is sort of [one of my top five], even though he’s probably a little older, got a couple of years left. He’s at the top of his game right now, and I still think [Aston Villa goalkeeper] Brad Friedel and [Everton’s] Tim Howard do a great job and are as good as any of the goalkeepers in the [Premier] League. I also look over Italy, and Gianluigi Buffon has been doing it after so many years, guys like that.

I think the one thing that I look for with goalkeepers is longevity: Guys who do it over and over for a long period of time, and I think that those many years [of experience] are marks of great goalkeepers. The guys that have a great game, a great month or a great year…there’s a reason these guys stick around for so long: They are great.

And I just saw another good German goalkeeper just re-signed at Arsenal today [in] Jens Lehmann. He just came out of retirement at age 42 and he had a great career there. I’m not sure how it will go [for him], but currently he looks like he’s going to give it another run.

But you have to keep yourself in shape, give yourself an opportunity and of course, a colleague of mine who I have great respect for and enjoy watching and enjoy being with as a teammate is [Seattle Sounders goalkeeper] Kasey Keller and all the things that he’s done. So we’ve been lucky here. Around the world, those are some of the guys I look at.

Q: Finally, what are your thoughts on the game? What's your prediction on the outcome, and if you were still suiting up, what would you say to the players as they take on one of the best teams in the world in Argentina?

A: Well, I look at it at a game like this and I don’t think this is a great game for goalkeepers, and I’ll tell you why. We have two teams [in the USA and Argentina with] world-class players who can play and there’s nothing, there’s no recourse, for getting after each other. It doesn’t matter, you’re not getting knocked out of a tournament, so I think this is going to be a wide-open game.

I think it’s going to be end-to-end, guys will get at each other, run at each other, they will attack, and from the league’s standpoint it’s not the best type of game to play in. But you look at the timing. Both teams should be prepared. The guys that are in Europe obviously are, with the way of their season, if not more, while the MLS guys are just coming off preseason, so they should be as sharp as anybody. They may need a little bit more [work] with the schedule and all, but for the most part I think it’s gonna be a wide-open game.

Q: If you were to give a scoreline, what would it be?

A: Well, I gave every other contest 2-1 USA, so I’m going to give the same thing here.

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Bleacher Report’s Jo-Ryan Salazar talked with Tony Meola ahead of the USA’s international friendly with Argentina on March 26.

Q: Give us your take on the state of soccer in the USA. How has it improved since you hung up your cleats?

A: Well, it’s only a couple of years ago, but over the course of a 20-year career, it has grown in leaps and bounds. And I can say the biggest improvement was on the player pool side, the number of players on our national team our coaches were able to choose from. And that was never…that wasn’t always the case.

[Current U.S. Men’s National Team Head Coach] Bob Bradley has the nice luxury [of being able] to choose from…I gotta think it has to be 70 or 80 players for the team, where other [former] national team coaches like [current Los Angeles Galaxy manager] Bruce Arena had a list of guys prior to Major League Soccer and players having a home where they can build on, and mold, their skills on a daily basis.

The other coaches didn’t have that chance, and certainly, the players relished that opportunity to give them a platform [to showcase their] wares every week. Some guys have come out of Major League Soccer that we would have not known about otherwise.

Q: Tony, recently you’ve done some work with Allstate. Tell us what that’s all about.

A: Well, I’ve been partnered with Allstate since its inception, and what we’re doing is a series of events around the U.S. national team games, Major League Soccer games and Women’s Professional Soccer games. We’re kicking it off at the Meadowlands here in New Jersey with the USA vs. Argentina.

Q: So basically you are covering all the bases with your work.

A: Yeah, we’re gonna try to get all the entities, you know, some of the events here. We’re pretty excited about tonight. It’s a special one for me, given that I’m from New Jersey. We’re gonna surprise a team at their training tonight, and what that team doesn’t know is that I’m heading there, but Allstate is kind enough to [provide] home and away uniforms for players and the coaching staff. So we’re pretty excited about that.

Then tomorrow, we’re going to be at the Allstate Fan Zone, which is located at the stadium, to meet and greet some fans. We’re going to have a raffle there, where people prior to the game will sign up for the raffle. We’re going to give them a private tour of the stadium.

It’s going to be a couple of great events for the fans, and this is part of Allstate giving back to the community. It’s exciting.

Q: Tony, there are many great goalkeepers plying their trade in Europe, in South America and elsewhere. Who are your top five goalkeepers in the world, at this moment, right now, and why?

A: I think…it’s kind of hard to say, but [Chelsea’s] Petr Cech right now is sort of [one of my top five], even though he’s probably a little older, got a couple of years left. He’s at the top of his game right now, and I still think [Aston Villa goalkeeper] Brad Friedel and [Everton’s] Tim Howard do a great job and are as good as any of the goalkeepers in the [Premier] League. I also look over Italy, and Gianluigi Buffon has been doing it after so many years, guys like that.

I think the one thing that I look for with goalkeepers is longevity: Guys who do it over and over for a long period of time, and I think that those many years [of experience] are marks of great goalkeepers. The guys that have a great game, a great month or a great year…there’s a reason these guys stick around for so long: They are great.

And I just saw another good German goalkeeper just re-signed at Arsenal today [in] Jens Lehmann. He just came out of retirement at age 42 and he had a great career there. I’m not sure how it will go [for him], but currently he looks like he’s going to give it another run.

But you have to keep yourself in shape, give yourself an opportunity and of course, a colleague of mine who I have great respect for and enjoy watching and enjoy being with as a teammate is [Seattle Sounders goalkeeper] Kasey Keller and all the things that he’s done. So we’ve been lucky here. Around the world, those are some of the guys I look at.

Q: Finally, what are your thoughts on the game? What's your prediction on the outcome, and if you were still suiting up, what would you say to the players as they take on one of the best teams in the world in Argentina?

A: Well, I look at it at a game like this and I don’t think this is a great game for goalkeepers, and I’ll tell you why. We have two teams [in the USA and Argentina with] world-class players who can play and there’s nothing, there’s no recourse, for getting after each other. It doesn’t matter, you’re not getting knocked out of a tournament, so I think this is going to be a wide-open game.

I think it’s going to be end-to-end, guys will get at each other, run at each other, they will attack, and from the league’s standpoint it’s not the best type of game to play in. But you look at the timing. Both teams should be prepared. The guys that are in Europe obviously are, with the way of their season, if not more, while the MLS guys are just coming off preseason, so they should be as sharp as anybody. They may need a little bit more [work] with the schedule and all, but for the most part I think it’s gonna be a wide-open game.

Q: If you were to give a scoreline, what would it be?

A: Well, I gave every other contest 2-1 USA, so I’m going to give the same thing here.

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With the United States Men's National Team squaring off against the Argentina National Team in a friendly match tomorrow night at 7pm ET at the New Meadowlands Stadium, fans are looking forward to this epic encounter.

Also looking forward to this matchup is none other than former United States Men's National Team Goalkeeper of the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, Tony Meola.

In addition to representing the United States, Tony was also one of the founding players for the New York Metrostars when Major League Soccer started in 1996. From 1996-2006, Tony played for the New York Metrostars and the Kanas City Wizards (now Sporting KC), where he won the 2000 MLS Cup & Cup MVP, before finishing off his MLS career with the New York Red Bulls (formerly the New York Metrostars).

This reporter had the privilege and honor of talking with United States Goalkeeping legend Tony Meola, who took a moment out his busy schedule for a brief phone interview. 

Question: Where are you watching the United States-Argentina match tomorrow?

Tony: Well I'm here with representing Allstate and I'll be watching it from the box with my friends. It's about 70 yards away from where I want to be (laughing). Prior to the game, I will be at the Allstate fan zone signing some autographs from 4pm-6pm. We're a raffle where some lucky fans will win a quick tour of the New Meadowlands Stadium.

Question: What's your prediction for tomorrow?

Tony: I would like to see the United States chances, because it's a friendly and given the guys that Bob Bradley brought back along with the stadium's atmosphere tomorrow, I'm predicting a United States 2-1 victory over Argentina.

Question: Being a former member of the United States Men's National Team and a founding player of Major League Soccer, what is your assessment of both?

Tony: Obviously, the strongest National team was the 2002, but this current National Team is a product of Major League Soccer.

There was a time when the player pool was only 25-30 players but Bob Bradley now has the luxury of the currently player pool where there was somewhere around 120 guys who played in National Team games during the last two World Cups.

It's an awful lot of guys to choose from and now he has the opportunity to bring in more young guys like Juan Agudelo and Tim Ream of the New York Red Bulls.

Question: When you were young, who did you follow?

Tony: I was always a big fan of the Italian National Team and Napoli. There was a time when I played with Roberto Donadoni when he came to the Metrostars from Milan. He told me that Napoli had some crazy, passionate fans but they were the greatest in the league and he always had a great time going to Napoli for a match. Another team I also followed was Boca.

I always thought the Boca-River Derby an interesting one. When I played for Kansas City, I had a chance to see Boca and River play at Boca, when Maradona first returned to the stands after all his problems. It was another experience I never experience in my life. People were crying and trying to get a good look at him at the stadium.

Question: Speaking of derbies, Is New York/New Jersey ready for a second MLS team?

Tony: That's the question everyone is asking around here. I believe both teams will be 25 miles apart and if it's the New York Cosmos, it'll definitely attract some old-time fans. Yeah, I'll like to see it because it'll be interesting to see the different fanbase. If the New York Cosmos can pull it off, the NY/NJ Derby would be great. 

Question: Do you have a website/Twitter/Facebook account where your fans can follow?

Tony: Not at the time but I will. Hey, I'm old school (laughing), if you send me an email, I can reply back. If fans wish to follow me tomorrow, they may do so through Allstate, while I'm signing autographs.

Questions: Final Comments?

Tony: 2-1 United States because it's a friendly game and the game should be open. There's no reason why both teams shouldn't just go at each other and have fun because there's nothing to lose tomorrow.

Cesar Diaz covers Soccer for Latino Sports. You may follow him on Facebook at Covering Soccer and at Twitter at @CoveringSoccer and @LatinoSports143. Please email your questions and comments to Cesar at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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Self-inflicted is a term that usually indicates something gone wrong. That is certainly the case for Major League Soccer this weekend. 

Why would they schedule a full slew of games while the national team has two games on home soil? The lack of attention to these fixtures is even more disgraceful as there will be two, count them two, MLS kickoffs that will take place while the U.S. is actually playing Argentina on Saturday night.

Would it not make sense to use the spectacle of a U.S. vs. Argentina clash to focus the soccer population in their markets? Or has business gone so well that now the MLS can push forward with their fixtures regardless of what else is going on out there?

This is just a quintessential example of why the American soccer culture is still lagging. Last time I checked, every top flight league in Europe takes a break when internationals take place.

There is a respect for the national team and what it represents; a showcase event to pit each nation’s best in an event meant to instill pride in one’s country and their system of soccer. Or at the very least, a chance to slay a giant and celebrate the glory of a conquest every now and then.

I guess what I am trying to say is that MLS has really blundered and will continue to be frowned upon as long as they make idiotic decisions. One has to wonder how the concurrent scheduling of league and national team matches is perceived abroad. Is there one positive that can even be introduced?

The answer is a resounding no! This just illustrates the lack of sophistication in the suits that make the decisions to run the game. Where does U.S. Soccer weigh in on this? 

As long as we have decision makers that have no knowledge, or perhaps regard, for the nuances of a soccer culture, the US will continue to be looked down upon, and rightly so, by the true soccer cultures of this world.

I wonder if I am a voice in the wilderness on this subject, but doesn’t this just scream out “wrong” to anyone? Is there a positive?

The U.S. has made great strides in my lifetime, and it is inevitable that they will continue to rise in stature and capability on the world’s stage, but every now and then something comes along that just really makes me wonder.

Self-inflicted is more than something gone wrong is this case, it is sheer ignorance.

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"I'm not talking to myself. When you talk to yourself, you are alone. No one hears you. You happen to be with me. You hear me. Therefore, I am not talking to myself." - Capt. "Howling Mad" Murdock

In an event hosted by the Borough Boys SC at Legends Bar NYC, press, fans, and Borough Boys members were treated to a Q&A session with the New York Cosmos front office.

Borough Boys president Nick Laveglia introduced to the audience Joe Fraga and Dan Cherry III, who along with Cosmos Academy East Director Giovanni Savarese, who were ready to answer any questions about the New York Cosmos.

While everything from the stadium plans, the Cosmos Academies, their deal with Umbro, the "Beckham" rumor, the Cosmos Copa, and potential sites were all addressed, last night was more about questions and answers.

Last night was about both sides declaring to each other, "We love the Cosmos and we want them back!"

As corny and cheesy this may sound, that's what it was all about. Now I understand some of you want a more professional assessment, so in layman business talk, "Last night, a synergy was developed amongst the New York Cosmos front office and the Borough Boys."

On one side, you have the New York Cosmos, who are working diligently in becoming the 20th team for Major League Soccer.

Despite the misconception some may have of the New York Cosmos not being the New York Cosmos, the majority of their staff are soccer fans and New Yorkers who have their own personal history with the New York Cosmos.

As a result, they understand what New Yorkers want and expect from their soccer club.

Nothing was more honest than seeing Joe Fraga and Dan Cherry explain to the audience that they've met with the Wilpons as well as other parties.

In addition, they have looked into the Bronx, Manhattan, and Randall's Island as potential sites other than Queens.

Most in the audience appeared relieved to hear that David Beckham will not be involved with the New York Cosmos because his contract stipulates that if he wants to be part of franchise, it can't be in New York or California.

In addition, the audience clearly heard Joe Fraga insist that the New York Cosmos is a well-funded organization and their money is in-house.

While the audience, for obvious reasons, wasn't provided the actual plans, they have a better idea of the challenges the New York Cosmos are currently facing and will have to eventually address.

Variables such as zoning, the Community Boards, meetings with the politicians and Major League Soccer are things the New York Cosmos are dealing with.

The best part about last night was when Savarese passionately spoke about the 600 children the New York Cosmos are educating in their Academies.

It appeared the audience was temporarily enchanted when Giovanni informed them that the players are playing the 4-3-3; the same type of offense they're expecting from the future MLS team.

He also stressed the importance of developing not only good players, but good citizens that when they're off the pitch, their players will make the right decisions in their lives.

He also pointed out the reality that most of the players will not achieve the professional level, but they will be good enough to obtain a college scholarship for their education.

On the other side, you have the Borough Boys SC. Their members consist of all cultures, genders, and ages. Some have seen the Cosmos play, while others have heard tales or watched them on YouTube clips.

Despite the generational difference, everyone is committed to doing their part in assisting the New York Cosmos in any way they possible.

Personally, I wish I had the time to interview them all, because I believe their stories are just as important as the team's history.

Not only do I find their stories stimulating, but they have serious talented members that once they find their flow, they're going to be one of the most electrifying supporters club to follow.

For more information about joining the Borough Boys or simply following them with their latest updates of the NY Cosmos, you may do so on the supporters club's 5 Point Press media outlets: This is Cosmos Country, Facebook & Twitter.

After the Q&A was over, I was asked by a couple of audience members (who read my articles) for my opinion of last night's event. If this was a play titled, "The Eventual Return of the New York Cosmos," I would say the first act has concluded.

While the Cosmos have yet to be declared the 20th MLS team, one important thing that was obvious from last night's Q&A is that they all love the New York Cosmos and want them to return.

Cesar Diaz covers Soccer for Latino Sports. You may follow him on Facebook at Covering Soccer and at Twitter at @CoveringSoccer and @LatinoSports143. Please email your questions and comments to Cesar at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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In retrospect, it likely was destiny. The NFL labor dispute is now having an impact on another sport.

As players are not currently limited to contractual terms, and free agents can't sign new contracts in the NFL, a high-profile player is flirting with another sport.

Maybe it was also inevitable that person would be one of the flamboyant receivers from Cincinnati. As much as we might have expected it to be Terrell Owens, the player formerly known as Chad Johnson and temporarily as Chad Ochocinco is trying his hand…well, legs…at Major League Soccer.

Kansas City of the MLS has given Ochocinco a four-day tryout to determine if he might have a role with their squad. The first day of his workout was hardly perfect, as he was panting and looked exhausted following Day 1. It is possible that his conditioning has waned over the last two months, but it is more likely that there is a bit more running in soccer than the manner in which Ochocinco plays football.

"Exactly what I expected," Ochocinco said. "I would be a little winded being that I haven't ran at this pace or this level since the end of our season of football. It was fun. I didn't expect to come in here and be Superman."

This appears to be more than just a publicity stunt, as Ochocinco said he will join the team if he is invited. "I would play for free," he said. 

It is quite possible that dollar figure has a pretty high correlation with his value on the field. However, the field, the marketing aspect can’t be ignored. 

Ochocinco would be wearing his signature “85” jersey for Kansas City. The attention and sales associated with him could be huge. It certainly has been so far, as 40 media representatives lined the practice field Wednesday morning. 

That figure might not seem odd if one were comparing it to a Bengals or Chelsea practice, but the reporters present for a normal MLS practice could all carpool to the stadium. In a compact car.

Ochocinco definitely has a passion for the game, and he isn't without skill. Family pressures forced him to focus on football at the end of high school, as there was a potential for an NFL career. 

There is some soccer-rust that needs to be fixed, but his size and athleticism on the field were obvious.

"The time I've had off from the game of this football has been a very long time," he said. "There's no way I can make up that ground, the years I've been away from the game. But I do have a love for it."

His coach in the other football, Marvin Lewis, wasted no time in taking a shot at Ochocinco. "How does he do at anything?" Lewis told reporters. "What has he ever done that he's completed? What circle has he ever connected in any way?"

Ochocinco responded as expected via Twitter, bemoaning Lewis' relationship to fellow Bengal Carson Palmer.

The reception has been a little more warm from Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes. He dedicated his assistant coach, Zoran Savic, to Ochocinco for the day.

"He was a little bit hesitant early on, a little bit tentative," Vermes said. "But I think now he's got a good feel for what a day goes like for us. You can see he's very coachable. I wouldn't try to make any determinations at this point."

Don’t expect to see Ochocinco making a significant impact on the pitch, but his potential impact to MLS coffers is impossible to ignore. His efforts, and the diatribe with Lewis, also make his return to the Bengals even less likely than they were.  

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The Sounders are off to a slow start. True enough. But we are in year three of the franchise, and can anyone argue with the success of the previous two years? Despite an incredibly slow start last year, the Sounders still made the playoffs, admittedly exiting early.

The team brought home its second Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and this time in front of a home crowd. But we are hungry for more. The fans want the boys to bring home the big prize—the MLS championship. Here are five reasons why this year it'll be possible.

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Landon Donovan out for an Argy bargy
Real Salt Lake may be counting their blessings—they get a handicap.

Los Angeles Galaxy team captain Landon Donovan will be unavailable for Bruce Arena's club as they take on Argentina in an international friendly on March 26.

Donovan was one of 24 names on Bradley's roster released Wednesday for friendlies March 26 against Argentina in East Rutherford, N.J. and March 29 against Paraguay in Nashville.

According to ESPN's Scott French, seven local players are on the US roster for the friendlies with Argentina and Paraguay, including Carlos Bocanegra (Alta Loma/Alta Loma HS and UCLA) and Jonathan Bornstein (Los Alamitos/Los Alamitos HS and Cal Poly Pomona/UCLA), and midfielders Michael Bradley (Manhattan Beach), Maurice Edu (Fontana/Etiwanda HS), Benny Feilhaber (Irvine/Northwood HS) and Sacha Kljestan (Huntington Beach/Huntington Beach HS).

Also on the roster is former Galaxy striker Edson Buddle, now with Germany's FC Ingolstadt.

Here is your list of players on the USA men's national team.

GOALKEEPERS
Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton/England)
Tim Howard (Everton/England)
David Yelldell (MSV Duisburg/Germany)

DEFENDERS
Carlos Bocanegra (Saint-Etienne/France)
Jonathan Bornstein (UANL Tigres/Mexico)
Timothy Chandler (FC Nuremberg/Germany)
Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96/Germany)
Jay DeMerit (Vancouver Whitecaps)
Oguchi Onyewu (FC Twente/Netherlands)
Tim Ream (New York Red Bulls)
Jonathan Spector (West Ham United/England)
Zak Whitbread (Norwich City/England)

MIDFIELDERS
Michael Bradley (Aston Villa/England)
Clint Dempsey (Fulham/England)
Mikkel Diskeruud (Stabaek/Norway)
Landon Donovan (L.A. Galaxy)
Maurice Edu (Rangers FC/Scotland)
Benny Feilhaber (AGF Aarhus/Denmark)
Stuart Holden (Bolton/England)
Jermaine Jones (Blackburn/England)
Sacha Kljestan (RSC Anderlecht/Belgium)

FORWARDS
Juan Agudelo (New York Red Bulls)
Jozy Altidore (Bursaspor/Turkey)
Edson Buddle (FC Ingolstadt/Germany)


Is the MLS Cup moving back to Victoria Street?

On Sunday, during the match between the Los Angeles Galaxy and New England Revolution, there was talk of Major League Soccer and the Anschutz Entertainment Group of bringing the 2011 MLS Cup to the Home Depot Center.

“I think [AEG PResident/CEO TIm Leiweke would] like to see it here,” MLS Commisioner Don Garber told LAGalaxy.com's Larry Morgan. “It’s not yet decided, but Tim’s always good for comments that get us all excited on the press side and me frustrated on my end.

“We’re hoping to get an announcement for MLS Cup soon. We’re negotiating with AEG about bringing the Cup here. We’re not finalized yet, but I think this would be a great place for MLS Cup.”

THe Home Depot Center is tied with RFK Stadium for the most times hosted, with three. Victoria Street hosted the MLS Cup in 2003, 2004 and most recently in 2008.


The rise of Juninho

In 2010, Juninho showed flashes of brilliance, scoring two goals in his rookie year. This season, the Brazilian on loan from Sao Paulo has scored that same amount in as many games.

Being more aggressive with his chances has improved his gameplay.

“We’ve encouraged him to be more aggressive, to take more chances going forward, shoot the ball more,” Landon Donovan told MLSSoccer.com's Luis Bueno. “He’s done a great job contributing that way.

“He came in really sharp and he’d been training with São Paulo for awhile before he got here. Through the preseason he’s been as consistent as anybody.”

“He’s showing that he’s a more dangerous player in and around the penalty area as well,” said Galaxy manager Bruce Arena. “Overall, he’s been very good on both sides of the ball. He just looks like a more mature player at this point.”

It also helped that he came into training camp match fit.

“He’s fitter,” Arena noted. “I think last year he really struggled to play 90 minutes effectively. He has that. He’s maturing physically. He’s still young, 22 years old. He knows the league, knows the players and he’s doing a better job of getting forward.”

Donovan welcomed Juninho adding another dimension to the Galaxy's offensive arsenal.

“It makes it more difficult when teams put a lot more emphasis on David and [me], when he gets forward and can be effective in that way,” Donovan said. “It makes it difficult to defend us.”

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Bruce Arena's footballing troopers known as the Los Angeles Galaxy prepare themselves for a suicide mission when they travel to Sandy, Utah and Rio Tinto Stadium to take on Jason Kreis' Real Salt Lake on Saturday, March 26.

Like the Galaxy, Real Salt Lake scrapped it out in the rain to open their season with a 1-0 victory thanks to the leg of Kyle Beckerman.

While the elements will not be as severe on Saturday, the importance of the Galaxy finishing their chances on goal will be stressed this week.

“On the night, our team played very well,” Arena told LAGalaxy.com. “Obviously conceding a goal in the opening minutes put our backs to the wall and I think our team responded well. We got a goal back and probably had another goal, although the referee doesn’t agree with that. We could have scored a bunch of goals.”

One goal in particular that did not go in coincidentally came from the same culprit who equalized for LA: Juninho, who currently has two goals in as many games.

“The one that [New England Revolution goalkeeper Matt] Reis dropped, that’s not a foul,” said Landon Donovan to LAGalaxy.com. “I don’t think anybody in here could claim that was a foul, including Reis. When you see his reaction, it’s pretty obvious.”

“You can’t reward the goalkeeper for dropping the ball,” Arena added. “I don’t understand that at all. Perhaps the other ones were offside. You can’t argue that. We created a number of chances but didn’t get the second goal, whether legitimate or not. We didn’t get it, so we don’t get the three points.”

The importance of staying onside will be key, because this is a Real Salt Lake team that can capitalize on the blown chances committed by its opponents.

Last season, Alvario Saborio led the team in goals with 12 while Fabian Espindola and Javier Morales added six. Morales was also the club's leading provider with seven goals.

Goalkeeper Nick Rimando was stellar last Saturday against the San Jose Earthquakes, making five saves. His stopping ability will be a focal point of the Galaxy's attack.

One of the biggest monkeys on the Galaxy's back is the inability to win at Rio Tinto Stadium. Los Angeles has never won a single match at Rio Tinto since April 2006 and is 1-3-4 on the road against RSL all-time. Compounding matters even further, RSL have been undefeated in their last 35 games at Rio Tinto in all competitions.

So if the Los Angeles Galaxy cannot connect on their passes and their chances, they will find it very difficult to get clicking.

However, there is reason to believe that if someone other than Juninho is able to bury at least one goal in the back of the net, the Galaxy could escape with a win.

That person could be David Beckham. It could be Landon Donovan. Heck, it could even be Juan Pablo Angel.

Regardless of whoever steps up, the Galaxy cannot expect the young Brazilian to bail them out every night. LA will win this game because the veterans are finally waking up and the defense is rising up to the challenge posed by Saborio, Morales and Espindola. But it won't be easy.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET and will be televised locally on tape delay by Fox Sports Prime Ticket.

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Major League Soccer kicked off it's 16th season in Seattle Tuesday night and it's opening weekend delivered a plethora of action, goals and story lines.

No story line however, came as big or as heartwarming as the one from RFK Stadium in the Nations Capital.

Charlie Davies' Dream Comeback for DC United

Seventeen months ago, as Charlie Davies lay in a hospital bed following an awful car crash in Northern Virginia, speculation was not when Davies may make his soccer comeback, but whether he would be able to recover from the horrific injuries at all.

During the long road to recovery, Davies joined DC United on a season-long loan from his club Sochaux. He began his debut for his new team on the bench of their season opener against Columbus Crew.

It was the first competitive game Davies had been part of since that fateful day in October 2009, and it could not have gone much better.

DC were already enjoying a good start to the game when fellow newcomer Josh Wolff opened the scoring.

Chris Pontius was felled in the box in the second half, resulting in a DC penalty. The ball was placed on the spot by Charlie Davies, who had only been on the field 10 minutes, and was calmly stroked to the keepers left to give him a comeback goal.

Davies wasn't finished either. A slip by Chad Marshall allowed Charlie a one-on-one chance against Crew 'keeper William Hesmer. Marshall rounded Hesmer before slotting into the bottom left corner for his second goal and a dream comeback into first team football.

Crew's consolation goal came via a Robbie Rogers penalty kick in the 79th minute. 

New Beginnings for Two MLS Franchises

MLS has introduced a new team to the league every year since 2005. For this season, it introduced two: Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers.

Vancouver's MLS debut against Toronto marked the first ever Canadian derby game in the League (which will grow next year with the introduction of Montreal).

Many have predicted a basement finish for Toronto this season. They opened true to expectations, getting soundly defeated by the Whitecaps at Vancouver's temporary home of Empire Field.

Vancouver's new Designated Player, Eric Hassli, earned the honor of scoring the franchise's first MLS goal before doubling his tally later in the game. His second goal simply padded the scoreline for the British Columbia side, who were already leading 3-1 thanks to additional goals by Dunfield and Harris either side of halftime.

Toronto's goals came courtesy of Dwayne De Rosario and Maicon Santos.

Portland's expansion debut however, was not quite as memorable.

Colorado jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after just 30 minutes, holding out for a 3-1 win.

Kenny Cooper entered the history books as the first Timbers player to tally an MLS goal with his deflected free kick with 10 minutes to play. For Cooper it also marked his first goal in MLS since June of 2009 after two injury hit seasons in Germany with 1860 Munich.

Jeff Larentowicz, Omar Cummings and long range Jamie Smith strike got the goals for the Rapids.  

Difference in Fortunes for LA and Seattle as They Play in League Opener

After week one, the Los Angeles Galaxy and Seattle Sounders are the only two teams to have played multiple games, and both sit at opposite ends of the standings.

The league showcased the season's opening game in front of nearly 37,000 fans at Quest Field in Seattle. However the majority of those 36,443 left the game disappointed over a 1-0 defeat to their Western Conference rivals thanks to a 58th minute goal by Juninho.

Seattle had the chance to make up for this defeat just four days later as they were hosted by the New York Red Bulls and 21,000 fans at Red Bull Arena.

Unfortunately for the Sounders, they were at the wrong end of the same scoreline with the only goal of the game coming from New York's 18-year-old prodigy Juan Agudelo, who scored his first ever goal in MLS.

The Red Bulls might have opened the scoring earlier in the game, but new captain Thierry Henry saw his penalty kick saved by veteran goalkeeper Kasey Keller in the eighth minute.

More worrying for the Red Bulls is that Henry announced afterward that he suffered a hamstring pull during the game. This put into question the Frenchman's availability for next week's game against Columbus, a game in which New York may already be missing up to six players due to international duty.

LA enjoyed an extra day's rest after the opening game, but could not overcome the New England Revolution at the Home Depot Center, drawing the game 1-1.

Juninho was again the LA hero, scoring his second goal in two games to cancel out Shalrie Joseph's opening goal.

LA currently leads all teams in MLS with four points, tallied by virtue of playing the extra game.

The Rest of the Week One Round Up

Chivas USA 2 - 3 Sporting Kansas City

The team formally known as the Kansas City Wizards opened up their first season under their new name of Sporting Kansas City on the road, something they will be doing for their first 10 games of the season until new stadium, Livestrong Sporting Park, is opened in June.

Omar Bravo notched up two goals for KC on the night which proved to be the difference between the two teams.

Rookie C.J. Sapong had opened the scoring in just the second minute, before Bravo's two goals, either side of a Jimmy Conrad header, gave Sporting a 3-1 league.

Ben Zemanski's late goal for Chivas set up an nervous finish for Kansas, who ultimately held out for the 3-2 victory.

Houston Dynamo 0 - 1 Philadelphia Union

New boys Philadelphia enjoyed a winning start to their second season in the league, with an surprising win away at Houston.

Two of the Union's stand out players in 2010 were involved in the only goal of the game as defender Danny Califf turned in a rebound from a Sebastien Le Toux shot in just the fifth minute.

FC Dallas 1 - 1 Chicago Fire

The Brimstone Cup rivals made an explosive start to the game with the ball hitting the back of the net three times on the opening 18 minutes.

Zach Loyd's 10th minute goal for Dallas was disallowed, but Diego Chaves's 17th minute strike did count as the Uruguayan reacted to a rebound in the six yard box to score his first goal for the Fire.

Chicago's lead lasted all but a minute as Dallas responded with a goal of their own, a sublime back heeled flick by Milton Rodriguez from a cross by Loyd on the left hand side.

Dallas held on for the draw despite losing defender Brek Shea to a red card in the 55th minute. Shea earned a straight red card after being adjudged to have illegally upended Gaston Puerari as the last defender.

San Jose Earthquakes 0 - 1 Real Salt Lake

As one of the favorites for the championship heading into the season, Salt Lake opened up their campaign the same way they did last year, by taking 3 points from San Jose.

This year's opening game was far from being as convincing as last year's 3-0 effort. Salt Lake had to withstand a barrage of Earthquakes attacks, particularly in the final 20 minutes, just to hold onto the win. In the end, San Jose managed eight shots on goal to Salt Lakes two.

However, the statistic that always matters the most is the goals scored. Kyle Beckerman's 63rd minute goal separated the two sides in a windy and wet day in Northern California.

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