So the Los Angeles Galaxy continue to prepare for another season in Major League Soccer. And while the rest of the team is going through the gauntlet in Arizona as part of their training, midfielder David Beckham is wrapping up training with Tottenham Hotspur F.C. in London before rejoining the club.

As the Galaxy's No. 23 prepares to rejoin his teammates back in the states, the question is posed: has David Beckham really made an impact on U.S. soccer?

If you were to ask me this difficult question, the answer is...No. And here's why.

I remember when it was 2007 and this then-new quirk we like to call the Designated Player Rule was born. The first player to be signed under this rule, which allows teams to compete for star players in the international market, was Mr. Beckham himself. That's why this rule is given the moniker of "The Beckham Rule."

But that was really the only major contribution Beckham made to American soccer, aside from the various youth clinics and the many philanthropic and PR obligations he, his wife Victoria and some of his Galaxy teammates took part in.

When Beckham made his first appearance in an international friendly against Chelsea, all he could get was a few touches and never really got into form until later on. Never mind that he was relatively ineffective at turning around the fortunes of the club in 2007 and 2008.

Then you take into consideration his loan to Milan, which ended with a torn Achilles tendon that caused him to miss the 2010 FIFA World Cup (which he still attended as a mediator for Fabio Capello's England national team).

That brings me to this opinion of the man: Beckham seems to be past his years in terms of performance. He still knows how to score, but his career with the Galaxy has been hampered by injury, reducing him to nine goals in 48 appearances. He isn't as fast as he used to be, nor is he as agile and athletic as he used to be. Age catches up with you.

But why do people still get excited here in Los Angeles whenever Beckham touches the ball, provides or scores?

I remember September 11, 2010 like it was yesterday. That was the day Beckham finally returned from injury and came in as a substitute in LA's 3-1 victory over the Columbus Crew. I see young girls in the stands screaming his name, going all wild as if he were the fifth Beatle.

And then I shake my head. Many fans expect Beckham to replicate the same skill and finish he had as the swingman for Manchester United or with Real Madrid.

News flash, everyone: he isn't. This is a player who didn't make a huge splash, but just a ripple. Personally, I too was hoping for Mr. Beckham to replicate the same heroics fans at the Bernabeu and Old Trafford had been accustomed to.

It's not just there anymore.

That's not to say that David Beckham is not good, period. He still has the experience to draw upon, and the proven leadership to go with it. David Beckham is still a good footballer.

But he's not a great one. Beckham's not a player that has made an impact on American soccer the way his teammate and current Galaxy captain Landon Donovan has.

David Beckham had his chance to make that impact America was hoping for when he donned the strip of the G's for the first time four years ago.

But he let it slip away due to nagging injuries, infighting with teammates, and the overall underachievements of a Los Angeles Galaxy side who deserved better during his time here.

From extraordinary to ordinary. That is David Beckham today.

And as his contract with the team begins to wind down, does Mr. Beckham have a little left in the tank to make an impact on soccer in the U.S.? Voice your take on this question on the View from Victoria Street and Bleacher Report.

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He's back.

Nearly 16 months since the life-threatening car accident have gone by without a first-team match, let alone a “Stanky Leg” goal celebration, for Charlie Davies. But a 12-month loan to D.C. United from FC Sochaux in France means that he is finally ready to start his comeback.

Davies trialed with D.C. for a week, and he proved that he can still play soccer.

He’s still a little rusty, but his skill, his speed and the attention he’ll bring to the club are exactly what United needed. He’ll boost attendance, as well as the minuscule goal total the club posted in 2010.

It’ll be an interesting situation for him. He’ll be in America, where the same media that gave him much publicity when he was vying for one of the final spots on last summer’s World Cup squad will be hovering, analyzing everything he does on the field.

He’ll be playing in D.C., around where that horrific accident took place.

He’ll be playing in RFK Stadium, the same stadium where fans gave a tribute to Davies in the ninth minute of the U.S. World Cup qualifying match the night after the crash.

But Davies told the media it didn’t scare him.

“I’m definitely ready for games to be closely watched, and my performance especially under a microscope,” he said. “There were other opportunities in Europe, but I need to be in the best situation and the best environment for me, and I think that’s here with D.C. United.”

There’s a lot of excitement and optimism that is hard to overlook. He plays with blazing speed that terrorizes back lines, and he hustles and fights for balls to make plays for his team.

Fans were calling for him to start for the United States before the accident, and they sure will be rooting for him to make a successful comeback.

This is only the beginning of a long road back, but you have to start somewhere. The excitement that Davies will return to the pitch, though, is high, and it will be a journey worth watching.

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Lousy performance leads to 4-2 preseason defeat to Colorado Rapids

Aside from the obvious, there is another reason why the Colorado Rapids are ranked first in the Bleacher Report Preseason MLS Power Rankings and why MLSSoccer.com may be jumping the gun in its own rendition.

It's called consistency.

Gary Smith's defending MLS Cup champs looked like they had not missed a beat from their successful campaign last year, as they defeated Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy 4-2.

Conor Casey looked as if his form from 2010 didn't change much, as he scored a brace in the 19th and 25th minutes for Colorado.

Also scoring for the Rapids were Caleb Folan in the 76th minute and Stephen Emory in the 79th minute. Emory was also responsible for Folan's goal.

Landon Donovan scored on a penalty kick in the 58th minute, while Adam Cristman evened the tally at 2-2 in the 64th minute off a delivery from Frankie Hejduk.

Up next for the Galaxy will be a couple of matches against the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps.


Donovan puts on brave face in spite of setback

Despite the Galaxy getting their first taste of humble pie, Donovan put the whole Arizona camp in perspective.

“We always feel like this is a team that should be very competitive,” he said. “There’s no reason we shouldn’t be optimistic.

“There’s an old adage: if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. But there is something nice about having fresh faces, having young faces in there, guys who are really hungry to make an impact. And to have young guys who got a lot of minutes last year and now have another year under their belts.

“Then having some older guys who understand what it takes to win in this league. Between Juan Pablo, Frankie and Chad, they’ve been around some good teams over the years, and they know what it takes to win.

“I think we certainly got deeper, and all things considered we got younger, and I think we got more competitive, and I think we’re going to need that with our schedule this year.

“I think I’ll feel more refreshed in a couple of weeks as we get a little deeper in and I fully get my legs under me,” Donovan said. “But it is nice to be starting from square one.

"In the past, to use the soccer game as an analogy, in the past I felt like I was starting in the first third or the middle third of the season every year. I felt like I was always trying to maintain enough strength and stability to get me through the season.

“This year, I have the opportunity to build my body the right way, get myself prepared the right way, not only endure a long season but be successful at a high level throughout the entire season and not fade at the end of the year."

Of course, a win against the team at the top couldn't hurt, either. But could this defeat turn out to be nothing more than a ruse...or is it really a flesh wound?

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"I love people, and I love passing on what I know. My philosophy is: if you have talent - use it." - Wayland Moore

A few weeks ago I engaged in a conversation with my friend and mentor Miguel Algarin (Tio); owner and co-founder of the Nuyorican Rican Poets Cafe. During our conversation Tio had inquired if there was a piece that I was most proud off.

To be honest, I never took a moment to consider which article was my Article of Articles.

Slightly embarrassed, I told him no. Feeling the need to save face, I told him that my Article of Articles would have to be one of the New York Cosmos. It didn't have to be my best article but it had to be the one that I was most proud off.

Following our conversation, I stayed up all night asking myself what would my Cosmos Article of Articles be about.

It must have been around four in the morning when it me. After 15 minutes of staring at the New York Cosmos logo the same way Bobby Fischer stared at a chessboard, I simply wondered who was the artist responsible for creating the New York Cosmos logo 40 years ago. A question so obvious and simple but yet I neglected it.

Once rested, I spent the next few days rereading every book I had on the NASL in hopes of finding my answer. During that span, I was expecting David Tossell's Playing for Uncle Sam and Clive Toye's A Kick in the Grass to arrive by mail. 

After a few days of reading, I finally found my answer. Chapter Seven, page 49 of Clive Toye's book was where I discovered that the artist responsible for creating the New York Cosmos logo was Wayland Moore. Clive mentioned that Mr. Moore was an excellent artist artist based in Atlanta.

Now that I had the name I was looking for, it was time to find Wayland Moore.

Once I found the Wayland Moore Online Studio, I simply sent him an email in hopes that (1) he was still alive and (2) he would grant me an interview.

A week later, I received an email from Mr. Moore and he agreed to grant me an interview and he would gladly answer all my questions.

Feeling that I won my Golden Ticket, I told my main contact from the New York Cosmos about the news, and said if she had any questions about the Cosmos logo, I would have no reservations asking.

A few days later, I spoke with Mr. Moore and it was one of my most enjoyable experiences of covering soccer. To be honest, we didn't really touch on soccer because Mr. Moore had informed me that he'll mail (not email) me his replies with the week.

The enthusiasm in his voice as he told me his experience of seeing Hank Aaron round the bases on the day he broke Babe Ruth's home run record was awesome. The pride in his voice was evident when he informed me that the Atlanta Braves jersey Hank Aaron wore that day was Mr. Moore's design and it's in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Listening to Mr. Moore's touching recollection of Hank Aaron's monumental day made me honored that he took time out his schedule to talk to me. I had that seem feeling when I received his package because the contents in it were amazing.

Here are the questions that Mr. Moore answered:

When did you realize that you wanted to be an artist?

Age seven or eight. Drew cartoons from the newspaper. Age 11 or 12 started private art lessons until graduation from high school. Due to my size 6'4", I played sports, had the opportunity to play college football—did not, instead majored in Art at the Ringling College of Art in Sarasota, FL.

Many years later, I covered three Olympics for large sponsors. They were the 1980 Winter, 1984 Summer, and 1996 Summer Olympics. I guess as an athlete, I would have never been involved with the Olympics.

I designed the uniform worn by the Atlanta Braves when Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's Home run record.

How did you meet Clive Toye?

I was involved in youth soccer with Phil Woosnam. He introduced me to Clive about the time the Cosmos started building a team. From our meetings, I designed the Cosmos logo.

Are you a soccer fan?

Yes! Yes! Coached youth soccer because I had three children that played. This year, my oldest son David and his soccer team of 1977, Hartwick College of Upstate N.Y. will go into the college soccer Hall of Fame. They won the championship in 1977.

Did you follow the NASL and meet any of the players?

Always!!! Being a Sports Artist, I knew them all and keep up with some to this day.

What was your involvement with the Atlanta Chiefs?

I designed the uniforms and logo for the Chiefs. I painted all the program covers.

How does it feel knowing that 40 years ago you created the most historic and recognizable logo in American Soccer?

Clive Toye always said this logo (Cosmos) of yours will stand the test of time. Seems he was right.

What was your inspiration behind your New York Cosmos logo?

First it must be recognizable at a glance, it must show movement of soccer. Clive picked the colors because their colors are bright and fit the great outdoors of stadiums.

I read in your website that you taught art to federal inmates and I wanted to know what was your motivation behind it? How can one get involved?

First, Cesar, don't get caught doing something that you shouldn't. I have always, and to this day, gave my time to teach, speak, and just try to give others a helping hand.

Do you have any books on your artwork and poetry for sale?

I have one book of poetry that the studio sells. A book on my world of art is being written now—by a female professor and book critic that works with a couple of publishers in New York. I will keep you informed.

NY Cosmos: How did New York City influence the design?

Very much so, notice the colors are not Red, White, and Blue. Instead these colors I used seem to cross more boundaries. The logo is simple and to the point with shapes creating movement from the soccer ball.

NY Cosmos: What is the inspiration behind the shapes and color?

Shapes create movement to the ball while the colors depict colors of other nationalities.

NY Cosmos: What do you call the three "blade" shapes on the logo?

Movement... at first I was thinking of using the shapes as the Boroughs of New York but that complicated the visual design.

NY Cosmos: Why those colors for the blades... in that order?

To include nationalities and the colors helped make a pleasing design.

NY Cosmos: Which font did you use originally and why?

The font was simple and easy to read on a uniform.

While I'm glad to have found the artist who created the Cosmos logo, I'm more honored to have met the humanitarian that Mr. Moore is. Because of his generosity and the wonderful conversation that we had, I'm more proud than ever to have been a lifelong New York Cosmos fan.

While I'm always going to be proud of the team's accomplishments, I'm also going to be proud of the fact that I met Wayland Moore. If you have a favorite team, how often do you get to meet the artist behind the logo?

As a result, I now have my Article of Articles!

Thank you Mr. Moore.

To see the items that Mr. Moore sent me please go to Covering Soccer on Facebook. 

For more info on Wayland Moore, please go to Wayland Moore Online Studio.

Cesar Diaz covers Soccer for Latino Sports. You may follow him 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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Dog days in Arizona

Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy arrived for training in both Scottsdale, Arizona and the Athletes' Performance Facility on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe.

The first day began with some drills and possession work, as well as a 25-minute scrimmage before the team hit the weight rooms at ASU for some heavy lifting.

Team captain Landon Donovan hopes the players will be able to gel together as a unit, with the season opener against the Seattle Sounders at Qwest Field a month away.

“We’re still lacking understanding on the field,” Donovan said. “My belief has always been the things you do off the field then cultivate themselves on the field.

"Guys in groups hanging out after training, whether it’s sitting by the pool, going to dinner, watching TV, playing cards…those kinds of things allow for discussions about soccer to take place. You can understand people and talk about things that are important. Trips like this are crucial to that kind of team building.”

Defender Todd Dunivant was pleased with last year's camp in the Grand Canyon State, and is optimistic that he will see more of the same...and some.

“It was good for us last year,” Dunivant said. “It continued to push us forward and it was really good training for us."

“I hope it helps us continue to jell. We have a lot of new faces this year, and there’s a lot of integration we have to deal with in the team. We’re just trying to get things down by opening day.”

Arena knows that days and days of practice and conditioning will be essential to building on last year's success.

“We need to work on everything,” Arena said. “There’s not any one area we don’t need to get better. We’ve been together only three weeks, and just two on the field. We’re a long way from where we want to be.

“We just want to continue to take a step forward. We want to be able to analyze all of our players and have a feel for where they are. All of the little things, and hopefully move forward in a positive manner to be ready come March.

“To be away from LA is good. To be away for a couple of weeks and get the guys a little bit more concentrated and to get to know each other a little bit better. That happens when you go away as a group. That will help build team spirit as well.”

With midfielder David Beckham set to wrap up his own training at Tottenham Hotspur F.C., Arena looked forward to the opportunity of having a full-strength squad for the latter stages of camp.

“Last year at the start of camp, we didn’t have Beckham, and we didn’t have (Landon) Donovan,” Arena said. “We’re a little bit better having Donovan around, and we’re going to be getting David back in a couple of weeks, so that’s a plus.

“We’re still not obviously near where we want to be in terms of match fitness, but it’s getting a little bit better every day. We want to get a little bit sharper of the ball. We want to have a better tactical understanding of some of the things we want to do but that’ll come. That’s why it’s called preseason.”


Down goes Cuba...

Meanwhile, at Montego Bay, LA Galaxy home-grown player Jack McBean saw playing time off the bench as the USA defeated CUba 3-1 at the 2011 CONCACAF U-17 Championships.

Alfred Koroma, Andrew Oliver and Esteban Rodriguez were on the score sheet for Wilmer Cabrera's boys.

Up next is a match with Panama on Feb. 18 at the Catherine Hall Stadium.


Agreeing to terms

This week, the Galaxy announced that they agreed to terms with all of their SuperDraft and Supplemental Draft selections.

SuperDraft selections Paolo Cardozo and Hector Jimenez, as well as Supplemental Draft picks Dan Keat, Ryan Thomas and Dustin McCarty each signed with the Galaxy prior to the start of the club’s 10-day preseason camp in Arizona.

Contracts for Cardozo and Keat will each be finalized pending the receipt of their ITCs.

In spite of being highlighted on Bleacher Report and the View from Victoria Street earlier this year, goalkeeper Zach Johnson, the club’s third-round Supplemental Draft pick out of West Virginia University, did not join the club in preseason, electing to pursue other professional opportunities.

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The common, collective goal amongst Major League Soccer clubs is usually the same season-in and season-out: win the MLS Cup, the award given to the champions of MLS for that year. 

For Hans Backe and Red Bull New York, the tables have turned. This morning, in an interview with the New York Post, Backe declared that New York's primary goal entering 2011 will be to win the MLS Supporters' Shield, winning the Cup is nothing more than a "nice edition". 

Immediately following the news, Backe received praise and awe amongst the hardcore fans, and raised the question amongst the American soccer community: is the MLS Cup the truest way to determine the league champion, or is obtaining the most points over the regular season the real champions? 

It's an enduring debate amongst the MLS community, fitting in with the argument of conference vs. the single table, open league vs. closed league models and academies vs. draft. Primarily because they are the last of their kind. These few differences MLS has with the rest of the world are the remaining Americanizations in MLS, and will likely continue until either the league disbands or docks them for good. 

What's interesting about this, is that the debate is not being ignited by a rowdy hardcore soccer purist, but rather, a coach in the league itself. One who is openly stating that the Shield is league title, while the Cup is a cute post-season tournament. If anything, Backe probably envisions the U.S. Open Cup as more prestigious than the MLS Cup Playoffs; I do too. 

Obviously, a lot of his thought behind the Shield comes from his past coaching experience in Europe, where at the end of the regular season: that's it. You finish in first, you're the champion. Second? Sorry, better luck next year. 

As he stated, the Shield does deserve more emphasis, and probably needs to become the primary award for MLS. Teams need to vie for the Shield, and not slack off thinking the Cup is there for them. What needs to happen is the thought that the Cup is the consolation prize.

Changing the American soccer landscape into that mindset would not be the most difficult, since most are engaged to European's sports structure, but to owners, a different story. However, Backe is likely getting leeway due to his impressive turnaround, and how trophy-starved New York is, any title is something.

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Jack McBean Is In

Los Angeles Galaxy forward Jack McBean, signed by the club as a Home Grown Player in late January, was named to the USA Under-17 National Team squad for the CONCACAF U-17 Championships in Jamica.  He is one of 20 players named to the squad by national team manager Wilmer Cabrera.

The USA opens group play on Feb. 14 against Cuba and will continue group play on Feb. 18 against Panama.  The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, where either Costa Rica, El Salvador or Haiti awaits.

Quarterfinal winners advance to the FIFA U-17 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Mexico from Jun. 18 to Jul. 10.

McBean officially joined the LA Galaxy Youth Academy program last summer at the age of 15, debuting at the SUM U-17 Cup in Houston, and immediately helped make the Galaxy U-16 squad one of the best in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.

McBean scored nine goals in his 10 games with the club, including a hat trick against South Carolina United FC at the annual Winter Showcase in Arizona.
While at the Showcase, he also played in one of the Academy Select games, which brings a number of the nation’s top young players together on the same field.  In that game, McBean scored just five minutes after entering the match, leading his team to a 2-1 win.


On Assignment at Soccer Nation

A number of players were in Long Beach on Saturday for the annual Soccer Nation Expo presented by Cal South at the Long Beach COnvention & Entertainment Center.

Team captain Landon Donovan, former Galaxy midfielder Kyle Martino, Galaxy goalkeepers Donovan Ricketts and John Saunders and assistant coach Curt Onalfo were prsent.


Partnership Between Donovan and Angel key

When asked of Juan Pablo Angel's role with the club, Donovan noted one important aspect that all forwards must have.

“He’s just dangerous,” Galaxy captain Landon Donovan said of Ángel. “The beauty of having Edson [Buddle] last year was that once teams realized that what he was doing was real—it wasn’t just luck, it wasn’t just he was taking a few shots and they were going in—it takes a lot of pressure off of the rest of us.  Juan Pablo’s the same way.”

Edson Buddle signed with FC Ingolstadt of the 2.Bundesliga in the offseason as part of the club's ongoing fight to avoid relegation.

“[Angel] scores goals where a ball drops loose in a box and he pounces on it, he makes a good run in front, and he can score with his head, from both feet," Donovan said. "He can score from distance and he’s good at taking free kicks, so he’s got it all from that standpoint."

"He’s a little bit like Taylor Twellman was where he just wants to score.  He just has something in him that drives him to get to the ball and put the ball in the net. Sometimes that’s inexplicable.  You don’t know why that is."                          

“You want a guy who wants the ball always … and wants the ball in a good position and puts himself in good positions so he can be dangerous," Donovan said. "Edson became very good at that last year ... and Juan Pablo does that, too.”

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While the New England Revolution fans have been waiting for news of a big dollar, big name Designated Player (DP), the team has instead added a couple experienced, if not front of mind, French internationals: Ousmane Dabo and Didier Domi.

The first question across many Revolution fans’ minds: who?

Tip of the tongue names or not, there is little doubt that the team is improved by addition of these players, each of which has an impressive resume that includes top European leagues and clubs. 

While we don’t know how much of a hit either of them is to the team’s salary cap, this is clearly the beginning of a number of moves that will leverage the cap room opened up with Taylor Twellman’s unfortunate early retirement and the jettisoning of pricey Edgaras Jankauskus. 

With news of other signings to come soon, one can also surmise we are also seeing use of some salary-dropping Allocation money, since the Revolution likely had access to more of that this year having missed the 2010 playoffs.

Given the spending, there is a segment of fans that will undoubtedly bemoan the lack of a “big name” signing thus far as a continuation of disinterest from the front office because that is what those fans are now programmed to say. 

But the reality is that calendars and financing are working against any Designated Player signings by the Revolution until at least mid-year, when there will be European players out of contract and their addition would only cost the team half a year’s salary against the cap space.

It is OK to ask some hard questions about on-field and off field impact of these new signings, including things like, how will the newly acquired 30-plus-year-old legs hold up on the Gillette turf and cross-country flights? Or, after four years of Greek soccer (good, not great), what is Domi’s current level? And, are the Revolution going after the large (ahem) French fan base in greater Foxboro?

It is pretty unreasonable though, to think that these players have nothing to offer since they are not DPs. There are more leaders in MLS that are not DPs than those that are and—outside of Beckham—they weren’t household names. Even Juan Pablo Angel, perhaps the poster child of a successful DP in terms of consistent production, was only known by the core soccer fans that follow MLS.

So while we don’t know what the Revolution’s new French contingent will bring, their addition would appear to be a step in the right direction in terms of quality and experience. And while (nearly) nobody in New England knew who these guys were a few weeks ago, that has absolutely no bearing on their usefulness to the team.

That’s why I am puzzled by the lack of any “unveiling” of the players that amounts to more than just a press release and web posting. 

Dear Revolution…where are the cheesy, but common, pictures with the Revolution brass—you know, the kind with big grins from the player and team officials as they hold a Revolution jersey with the newly added player’s name emblazoned across it?

I’m giving the team the benefit of the doubt that logistics prevented such an unveiling of Dabo and Domi as important new signings, but if was anything else, it was a missed opportunity. At least get out that picture with the big (if practiced) grins—even if it happened behind closed doors.  

If we get scarved, hand-shaking, smiling pictures with rookies from Superdraft (whose importance will nearly certainly dwindle over time) we should get it for experienced internationals. If you want fans to think these players are difference makers and we want other players who are watching across the globe to be interested in coming over, we should treat them as difference makers from Day 1.

The fan base is yearning for optimism, and these signings have provided some. 

As long as you don’t claim that you’ve signed Thierry Henry, feel free to throw some gas on the fire and let’s see some fanfare.

Initial opportunity lost, but there is a whole season to make up for it.

C’est la vie.

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Tim Leiweke has been a busy guy lately.

Last month, the AEG president and Galaxy owner unveiled a massive project for a new NFL stadium to be built in downtown LA.

This week, he spoke to reporters in England via conference call and revealed that David Beckham’s training loan to Tottenham is possibly just the beginning of a new partnership between the clubs.

“We have an existing relationship now,” said Leiweke. “Strategically you’ll see more of an alliance between us and Tottenham.”

According to a report on ESPN Los Angeles, this partnership has the potential to include “player movement between the clubs.”

As Leiweke put it, “We are beginning to think outside of the box on football, whether that’s David Beckham training with Spurs or maybe players from Tottenham coming to Galaxy.”

Leiweke, who is also involved in the Houston Dynamo and the Chicago Fire, also hinted there might be a summer friendly played between the clubs.

Leiweke also said he encouraged Beckham to go on loan with Tottenham in order to bolster the Galaxy’s relationship with Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman.

“There are other examples of conversations we’ve had with Daniel,“ he said. “In how to take that kind of cooperation and extend it to our team in the United States.”

Galaxy midfielder David Beckham has been on loan training with the London club throughout the winter and has just extended his stay until February 22nd, when he is to report back for preseason training at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

LA Galaxy kick their season off away against Seattle Sounders FC at Qwest Field on March 15th.

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Another day, another draw 

It seems that SuperDraft selection Paolo Cardozo may be better than advertised. 

Yesterday, Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy played the San Jose Earthquakes to a 1-1 draw at the Home Depot Center. 

Ike Opara scored for San Jose in the fourth minute of play, but Mike Magee scored on a set piece from Cardozo in the 84th minute. 

Up next for the Galaxy is training camp in Arizona. The team departs on Sunday, Feb. 13, with the camp scheduled for Feb. 14-22. 

Training includes matches against defending MLS Cup champions Colorado Rapids on Feb. 16 and expansion side Vancouver Whitecaps on Feb. 20 and 22.

2011 schedule arrived

On Thursday, the club announced their schedule for the 2011 MLS regular season, which comprises of 17 home and 17 road games. The season begins with MLS First Kick 2011 at Qwest Field on Tuesday, Mar. 15. 

Six matches will be aired by ABC/ESPN and another five will be televised by the Univision family of networks (Univision, Telefutura and Galavision). 

The Galaxy's longest home stand is in July, when they host Seattle on Jul. 4, the Chicago Fire on Jul. 9 and the Columbus Crew on Jul. 20. 

The club's longest road trip will be in April, when they face D.C. United on Apr. 9, Toronto FC on Apr. 13 and the Fire on Apr. 17. 

More information on the Los Angeles Galaxy's 2011 regular season schedule can be seen here.

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