Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy already know what they are up against on Sunday, Nov. 14 when they take on FC Dallas in the 2010 Major League Soccer Western Conference Finals.

“Dallas has been a terrific team on both sides of the ball this year," Arena said. "[Goalkeeper Kevin] Hartman’s had a fabulous record, goals against. The defense has played well but what continues to catch everyone’s eye is their quality going forward. Ferreira you could argue has been the best player in the league this year. He’s a terrific player. The combination of [David] Ferreira and whoever they choose as their forward has been outstanding.”

But it's more than just Hartman and Ferreira that makes FC Dallas the complete package, and a match for the home side.

“Their flank play, the combination of players they use whether it’s been [Atiba] Harris, [Marvin] Chávez, Brek Shea, the Brazilian [Jackson Gonçalves]...They’ve been outstanding in those categories,” Arena said of their depth. “The experience of [Daniel] Hernandez holding in the midfield...They have a team, I’ve said this before, they’re very good in every position on the field.”

The Los Angeles Galaxy defeated FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas 1-0 on May 20 before taking down the Hoops 2-1 at the Home Depot Center on Oct. 24. FC Dallas will be looking to exact payback for their regular season setbacks on Sunday.

“Dallas are incredibly athletic all around the field,” Galaxy captain Landon Donovan said. “They’ve got the best play-maker in the league on their team. They’ve got guys wide in the back and wide in the midfield who are just horses and just run and run and run.”

"They have good quickness and speed," Arena added, "and you could see that [Saturday], especially in the first half against Salt Lake. They were outstanding going forward on the break.”

FC Dallas defeated Real Salt Lake 2-1 in the first leg of their Western Conference semifinal at Pizza Hut Park. The Hoops then held RSL club to a 1-1 draw in Sandy, Utah to prevail 3-2 on aggregate.

Los Angeles shut out the Seattle Sounders 1-0 in the first leg of their Western Conference semifinal. The Galaxy also won the second leg 2-1 to advance 3-1 on aggregate.

“It’s going to be a very challenging game like it was two weeks ago,” Donovan said. “We’ve got to have the same effort, same mentality and if we do that, we think we can win.”

The Galaxy's No. 10 pointed out that the Oct. 24 victory over FC Dallas should provide more than enough motivation to deliver more of the same.

“It’s valuable that they played that game like it meant something to them,” Donovan said. “We know exactly what it’s about. Mentally there’s a little bit of advantage knowing we beat them.”

A key part of the Galaxy success over Dallas has been the play of goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, the 2010 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. The Big Cat from Montego Bay, however, opted to keep his feet on the ground heading into this weekend's contest.

“One game at a time,” Ricketts said. “Hopefully come next week we do the job on the field and I'll think about the MLS Cup when it comes, but one more game to go before that. We have to focus and not get ahead of ourselves, and keep doing what we’re doing right now.”

Ricketts has shown his durability and mental toughness against the Sounders. In the first leg, he hurt his shoulder making a save and in the second leg, a cleat from Alvaro Fernandez hit his right knee.

Nonetheless, he was able to finish both games, making stop after stop, while gaining plenty of help from the revitalized back line of Omar Gonzalez, A.J. De La Garza, Sean Franklin and Eddie Lewis.

“Eddie played well last week," Arena said. "He was pretty rested. Todd didn’t get into practice until about Thursday. We felt Eddie was a little fitter, a little more prepared to play in this game.”

“I never leave games unless something is broken," Ricketts said. "No chance. It was painful initially, but as the game went on it got a little bit better.”

The win-at-all-costs mindset was something the Galaxy's No. 1 took to heart.

“At this stage of the season, it's whatever you have to do to win,” Ricketts said of the mindset. “Maybe it's not attractive, and maybe you guys won't like it, but once we get the win, that's OK.”

And offensively, there is no doubt that Donovan, David Beckham and Edson Buddle need to work their magic down at Victoria Street.

“This season has been going well with scoring goals,” Buddle said. “Our team is getting me the ball in the right positions so it makes my job a lot easier.

“This time in the playoffs, things are going to be tight. I expect that but I was still able to get good contact on it. That’s why I found the net.”

Kickoff between FC Dallas and the Los Angeles Galaxy is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

Favorites? What favorites?

When asked of LA's role as favorites to win the 2010 MLS Cup, Arena chose not to buy into the idea as easily.

“I don’t know whether we’d be the favorite in the west or the east right now,” Arena said on Sunday after LA eliminated Seattle. “None of these games have favorites right now. The home field hasn’t held up that well. These games are hard to play in as evidenced by this past week.”

“We were very aware of the fact that all the other top seeds lost,” Galaxy captain Landon Donovan said. “We didn’t want that to happen.”

One word you need to know, says Donovan: Parity.

“All those teams are playing the best in the league right now and that’s why they’re there,” Donovan said. “We all said Colorado was playing as good as anybody going into it, San Jose has something about them that’s working right now and certainly Dallas beating, in my opinion, the second-best team in the league in a two-game series says a lot about them.”

“If there are any favorites, none of them are around from the favorites I heard about, so I guess there aren’t any favorites,” Arena said.

Well said, that manager. And it seems to be true, especially with the Columbus Crew, New York Red Bulls and Real Salt Lake unable to make use of their opportunities to seal the deal.

“Who knows? This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen,” Arena said. “You always think if it’s an advantage to play the first game, second game – who knows? All I know is that Dallas had a terrific performance against Salt Lake, San Jose against New York, and Colorado had a great effort to come back and get that goal against Columbus. Those teams did play well. Why the home field didn’t hold as well as people would have thought, who knows? I can never figure out any of this stuff.

“I’m going to make this bold prediction to counter some of the predictions I’ve heard through the media. I think a team from the West is going to win MLS Cup this year, and not only that they’re going to win the Western Conference as well as the Eastern Conference.”

So could that be playing into the hands of the Quakes or Rapids? Or will it be FC Dallas or Los Angeles conquering the QUakes or Rapids?

Such a clever question.


Introducing...the MLS Re-Entry Draft

On Tuesday, Major League Soccer introduced the Re-Entry Draft, a new park of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement between MLS and the MLS Players Union.

“If you ask a player to take a reduction in pay, he can negotiate that reduction, or make himself available to all the teams at his previous salary in Stage 1 of the Re-Entry Draft,” said Todd Durbin, MLS Executive Vice President of Player Relations and Competition.

So how does the first stage work? Well, it allows these 23/3 (options) and 25/4 (expiring contract) players to be made available to all other MLS clubs at the current option price or previous contractual salary. The order of selection by teams is based on reverse order of finish in the 2010 regular season, including the postseason.

Players who are not selected in the first stage of the Re-Entry Draft at their current option prices and contractual salary numbers will have a second crack at joining an MLS club.

The second stage of the Re-Entry Draft takes place a week later with no specific salary or option requirements that are part of the first stage. MLS teams that select unsigned players in Stage Two are then required to make concrete offers within seven business days. Players may agree to a new contract with MLS prior to Stage Twp of the Re-Entry Draft. Should no agreement be reached, the team that made the selection in the second stage will hold the right of first refusal on a contract with that player in the future.

Players who are not selected in either stage of the Re-Entry Draft can negotiate with any team on a first-come, first-serve basis.

“This is one of the major changes compared to previous years,” Todd Durbin said. “In previous years, if the player’s existing team offered him a lower salary, the player didn’t have many options. Now the players have more leverage in that negotiating process.”

And that's how it's done.

“It ensures that teams enter contract discussions with players promptly after each season,” Durbin said. “Because if they don’t, they risk losing the player to another MLS team.”

Players who do not meet the age and service requirements necessary to be included in the Re-Entry Draft and also have expiring contracts or options that are not renewed by their clubs, may be part of the Waiver Draft on Nov. 24 if they are released by their current clubs.

The time-line for the inaugural edition of the 2010 Re-Entry draft and other drafts is shown below.

MLS DRAFT TIMELINE

Nov. 24, 2010 – MLS Expansion Draft

Nov. 24, 2010 – MLS Waiver Draft (players not eligible for Re-Entry Draft)

Dec. 8, 2010 – Re-Entry Draft Stage One

Dec. 15, 2010 – Re-Entry Draft Stage Two

Jan. 13, 2011 – MLS SuperDraft

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Following the United's shortcomings in 2009, it seemed the club took major steps in rebuilding a team with the hope that it could return to its glory days. Evidently, this became anything but the case throughout the course of 2010, losing 20 matches in the process and only winning six. 

It was a season that just brought new lows and piles of bad news each and every day. 

As the club hits the post-season, here's a list of things that D.C. United should do to return with a stronger team than 2010...though shouldn't take too much. The first thing the club must to is to...

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She's one-half of the most famous marriage in sports, and she gets hotter and hotter with every year.

Her name is Victoria Beckham, but some people still think of her as "Posh Spice" from The Spice Girls.

Whatever you think of her, there's no doubting just how smoking hot she is. It's no wonder David Beckham snared her when he had the chance.

If you need convincing...

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On November 13, the Colorado Rapids and San Jose Earthquakes will play for the Eastern Conference title. 

Yes, as ridiculous as it sounds they are, in fact, playing for the Eastern Conference title, even though one team is based about 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean while the other is practically in the heart of the Rockies.

The fact that we have a match up for a geographic title with two teams clearly not in that geographic region is in part to MLS Commissioner Don Garber and his evident reluctance to move away from a conference driven format.  

If you look at the MLS playoffs, you'll notice that one side is the East bracket, while the other side is the West bracket. If one looks at the overall standings, it comes to attention that the clubs New York Red Bulls and Columbus Crew, the top two Eastern Conference teams finished the regular season in third and fifth-place, respectively.

The big deal? The MLS clubs Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders FC, clubs that had seasons just as strong, if not stronger than the east coast powerhouses, were literally being punished for playing the west. 

This is a result of the lack of equilibrium between the strength of the East and West Conferences: six Western teams qualified, while the only East teams in the playoffs were the two that automatically qualify.

Because of this disparity, MLS seeded the weakest Western teams (Colorado and San Jose) against Columbus and New York, respectively. As a result the Seattle Sounders, who finished fourth in the West, yet sixth overall, are stuck playing the Supporters’ Shield titleholder, Los Angeles Galaxy. Dallas, which finished third in the west, and fourth overall has to play the defending champions Real Salt Lake. Salt Lake has been unstoppable lately in both MLS action and CONCACAF Champions League action.

Rather than just docking the tables and giving each team a seed of one through eight, there’s much too much emphasis on conferences, causing the format to be something like this:

East Bracket

(3) New York vs. (8) San Jose

(6) Columbus vs. (7) Colorado Rapids

West Bracket

(2) Salt Lake vs. (4) Dallas

(1)Los Angeles vs. (5) Seattle

It’s simply unfair, and it has given weaker MLS clubs such as San Jose and Colorado a much easier path to title contention than stronger clubs like Seattle and RSL. If we want a fairer playoff system, a single table with seeds 1-8, will have to be enforced. 

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FC Dallas has had incredible success thus far in the MLS Cup playoffs, knocking off the reigning MLS Cup champs, Real Salt Lake.  

The news broke all over Salt Lake's local media about their aggregate loss. The underdog had defeated RSL. Dallas dethroned a favorite to win MLS Cup 2010 and a team that has dominated league play and CONCACAF Champions League play. 

So, what media praise did Dallas receive regarding their achievement?

Well, none...but there was a nice, modest, Associated Press story copied and pasted on the Dallas Morning News website under the "More Sports" tab.

Instead, DMN keeps you updated about every single football game that occurred in the nation, NASCAR and literally every other piece of news in the sporting world outside of soccer.

Dallas going to the Western Conference Final didn't even crack the top of Dallas sporting news.

It's understandable that the Dallas Morning News keeps a firm grasp on American football, since they still believe it's the only sport that exists. But when will it occur to them that a story about their soccer team going to the MLS Western Conference Final might be more important than their dearly beloved Cowboys losing another game? 

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When David Beckham was flying high with Manchester United, the phrase “Bend it like Beckham” became so popular that it was used as a title for a British film that enjoyed success, boosted by its title and a non-speaking appearance by the soccer superstar late in the action.

Beckham has carried the set piece to the same kind of advanced art as Sir Isaac Newton did science and Rembrandt did painting.  It was on display Sunday night before a throng of 27,000 at Home Depot Center in Carson, California as he boosted the Los Angeles Galaxy to a 2-1 win over the Seattle Sounders and a 3-1 edge in aggregate compilation.

The Galaxy under legendary mentor Bruce Arena one week earlier had won a 1-0 defensive struggle in Seattle against the Sounders, thereby securing a one goal advantage in the Western Conference MLS semifinal encounter going into Sunday’s rematch.  It would therefore require a two goal margin for the Sounders to win and a one score advantage to force overtime action.   

Anyone thinking that the Galaxy would therefore play it safe and move into a conservative mode from the beginning of play was proven wrong when the locals, now aided by home pitch advantage, began pressing the action from the outset.  

The difference maker was veteran international star Beckham, who at one point was feared lost for the entire season after sustaining an Achilles tendon injury.  For a time the only sports action that fans would see involving Beckham was viewing him at courtside of Los Angeles Lakers NBA games, but behind the scenes the pride and determined resolve were at work.

The result was seen Sunday night as Beckham recovered and was back to join U.S. World Cup performers Edson Buddle and Landon Donovan down the stretch and into the all-important playoff action.  Beckham’s set piece mastery was so acknowledged that he replaced a master in that same art in Donovan, who had replaced him in that key area when he was out of action.

The revealing key to first half activity was the corner kick statistic of 4-0 favoring the home team.  Beckham’s bending efforts from the corner generated a score on one of those opportunities and another on a free kick.  In the process the Galaxy’s ticket to host the Western Conference final was punched.

The first score of the march to the ultimate 3-1 L.A. aggregate triumph came after Beckham delivered a corner kick into the box.  Buddle, the MLS’s second leading scorer with 17 tallies in the regular season, generated a header from eight yards out that snuck past Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller and into the net.

The same combination of a niftily placed Beckham effort and a header into the net occurred shortly thereafter in the 27th minute.  This time Beckham sent a free kick into the box.  Omar Gonzalez positioned himself for a header that snuck past a diving Keller for the second and final L.A. score of the evening.  

Their backs against the wall with a 2-0 halftime score and 3-0 aggregate bulge confronting them, Sounders Coach Sigi Schmid knew that a shakeup was mandatory with the emphasis on launching an attack mode.  When the second half began Uruguayan World Cup player Alvaro Fernandez was inserted at midfield.  Eventually Nate Jaqua and Mike Fucito, both known for their aggressive, attacking play, would also be utilized.

There was a distinct difference between first and second half play as the Sounders went on the attack while the Galaxy defended, knowing that time and goal advantages were on their side.  The Seattle effort generated a tally to break a scoring drought that extended to last season’s playoffs, but it proved to be too little too late.

Midfielder Steve Zakuani, the team’s leading scorer during the regular season with 10 goals, achieved the breakthrough in the 86th minute.  The goal was realized after Jaqua cut the ball between two Galaxy defenders in the box and Zakuani blasted a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.  Hence Zakuani enters the history books as the first player to score a post-season goal for the Sounders in the team’s two years of existence.

There were several notable second half scoring efforts, with one by Zakuani, another by Fredy Montero, along with others by Ozzie Alonso, Jaqua and Fucito, but some shots missed the target while Jamaican veteran Ricketts, who was named the league’s leading goalkeeper for 2010, remained vigilant and held his ground, making needed saves and staying in the way, forcing attackers to work over or around him.

Ricketts recorded three saves on the night while Keller had two.

The Sounders ended the evening with a 13-9 advantage on shots.  The teams were even at 4-4 on goal and 5-5 on corner kicks.

Sounders defender Jeff Parke, who sustained an ankle sprain in last week’s match, was replaced by fellow veteran and former Galaxy star Tyrone Marshall, a Jamaican National Team player, who came close to generating a scoring assist in second half action.

By virtue of its triumph, Los Angeles will host FC Dallas in the Western Conference Championship Sunday, November 14 at 6 p.m. PT.

The Eastern Conference finale finds Colorado entertaining San Jose Saturday, November 13 at 6:30 p.m. PT.

The winners will meet in the MLS Cup 2010 November 21 in Toronto.

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The road to the 2010 MLS Cup will not go through Red Bull Arena. It will not go through Columbus Crew Stadium or Rio Tinto Stadium. It will not go through any venue east of the Rocky Mountains.

It will go through Commerce City, Colorado and Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

And it will also go through Carson, California and the Home Depot Center, where Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy host Schellas Hyndman's FC Dallas in the 2010 Major League Soccer Western Conference Finals.

Time to take a look at...the protagonists.


FC DALLAS

Schellas Hyndman's FC Dallas have a big chip on their shoulders. They were unable to solve the Los Angeles Galaxy in their regular season meetings, losing 1-0 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas and 2-1 at the HDC.

On Sunday night, the third time could be the charm for the Hoops.

FC Dallas finished the 2010 regular season with a 12-4-14 record (50 points), good for fourth place overall in the league and third in the MLS Western Conference.

The Hoops defeated Real Salt Lake 2-1 in the first leg of their Western Conference semifinal at the Oven. Goals by Jeff Cunningham and super sub Eric Avila paced FC Dallas to the win.

They then held Jason Kreis's club to a 1-1 draw in Sandy, Utah to prevail 3-2 on aggregate. Dax McCarty's 17th minute goal proved to be the series winner.

Cunningham and MLS league MVP candidate David Ferreira are the two players that the Galaxy will look to neutralize. Cunningham led FC Dallas with 11 goals in the regular season, while Ferreira has 13 assists and eight goals for the campaign.

Jair Benitez, Ugo Ihemelu, George John and Jackson Goncalves will need to put up a spirited performance defensively.

Brek Shea will need to step his game up, whether as a sub or in the starting lineup. Shea ended his 2010 regular season with five goals and four assists and will be counted on.

Also, look for Atiba Harris to be an X-factor offensively. He was the lone scorer in the Oct. 24 tie at Victoria Street and is dangerous with the ball.

Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman finished the 2010 regular season with a 10-1-8 record, 56 dives, a 0.62 goals against average and a 78.9 percent save percentage. The former Galaxy goalkeeper was between the pipes for the playoff series against Real Salt Lake and seems to have recovered from the injury dealt to him by New York's Thierry Henry earlier this season.

FC Dallas have yet to play in their first MLS Cup.



LOS ANGELES GALAXY


It seems like FC Dallas is, in a way, like that holiday specialty known to its frequenters as a McRib sandwich. No matter how it opts for something different, that old friend comes back to say hello in its own special way.

Sunday will mark the second time in four weeks Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy meet their old friends from FC Dallas at the Home Depot Center.

Los Angeles ended their regular season campaign as the best team in Major League Soccer, sporting an 18-7-5 record (59 points).

The Galaxy, thanks to Edson Buddle, shut out the Seattle Sounders 1-0 in the first leg of the 2010 Western Conference semifinals on Oct. 31 before closing the door on the Sounders 2-1.

First-half goals from Buddle and Omar Gonzalez were more than enough for LA on Nov. 7.

A key part to the Galaxy chances of returning to the MLS Cup will be the play of Landon Donovan and David Beckham on the wing. Their speed, defending and ball distribution will be a focal point for FC Dallas to stop.

Beckham had been instrumental in the Galaxy's home victory over Seattle and his skill with the set pieces could be a sign of worry for the Hoops. If the No. 23 gets the timing right on the corners and free kicks, Los Angeles could send the visitors packing early with Buddle reading the last rites.

Defensively, the back line of Eddie Lewis, Sean Franklin, A.J. De La Garza and Gonzalez frustrated the Sounders attack and will need to do it again on Sunday. De La Garza has stepped his game in taking over for Gregg Berhalter, and Gonzalez's ability to stop and sweep will force Ferreira, Cunningham and Harris to be creative in their offensive sequences. Watch for Juninho and Dema Kovalenko to add some added pressure in the midfield.

After shaking off an early second-half injury, Donovan Ricketts proceeded to deliver another scintillating performance. The 2010 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year finished the regular season with an 18-7-4 record, 79 saves, a 0.90 goals against average and a 76 percent save percentage. The Big Cat from Montego Bay will look to be in form and in good health heading into the Western Conference Finals.

Los Angeles has been in the MLS Cup for a few year now, sporting a 2-4 record. They won the 2002 edition off a golden goal from Carlos Ruiz over the New England Revolution and in 2005, they defeated the Revs in overtime 1-0.

The last two matches between the Los Angeles Galaxy and FC Dallas have been tenacious affairs. But this weekend, I expect the Galaxy to break open this contest. The play of Beckham and Donovan will be important, as will the performance of the backline to bend, but not break. Watch for Ricketts to upstage Hartman, should this divulge into a goalkeepers' clinic.

I like Dallas getting an early one before the Galaxy set things in order soon after. Let's try this scoreline.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. PT on Nov. 14 and will be televised by ESPN 2 and ESPN Deportes.

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Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy get to play one more glorified home game. That's right, the G's get one more home game to close out their season before the 2010 MLS Cup in Toronto beckons.

On a night where clear skies gave way to a playoff atmosphere of 27,000 strong, midfielder David Beckham was the talisman in helping the Galaxy prevail 2-1 over Sigi Schmid's Seattle Sounders to win the home-and-home 3-1 on aggregate.

“We heard for a week before we played them how happy they were to play us in this series," said team captain Landon Donovan, "and my guess is that they probably have some different feelings now.”

“It’s obviously a very good win for our team," Arena said after the match. "I thought we played very well in the first half. The second half, we were a little bit sloppy in the last 20 minutes.

"If we had been a little smarter, a little sharper, perhaps we would have gotten that third goal and really killed the game. Give Seattle credit, they never quit. They came at us right until the end. It was a tough battle for 95 minutes.”

For the most part, it was a solid performance by the backline until late in the contest, when the Sounders were able to get some shots in. Indeed, Steve Zakuani was able to earn a consolation goal in the 86th minute of play.

By then, the boys in Rave Green had a tough mountain to climb after getting buried 2-0 in the first half. In the 19th minute, a free kick from David Beckham found the head of Edson Buddle to make 1-0. Eight minutes later, a corner from LA's No. 23 found Omar Gonzalez for his third of the year.

“Great finishes," Donovan said on the service from Beckham. "Fantastic service from David. This is the best David has played since he has been a Galaxy player. He is inspiring everyone with the way he is running, the way he is defending, with the way he is talking on the field and leading. He has been fantastic.”

Gonzalez agreed with the sentiment.

“David does wonders with the ball," Gonzalez said. "so it is just great having him on this team. He really showed everyone why he is here.”

“Obviously, it is what I have done for many years," Beckham said, "but it is important to me to have players to put the ball on the top of their heads or on their feet. I know that if I put the ball in the right area, we have brave enough players, we have good enough players to score goals. It worked tonight. Some other games, it hasn’t worked, but tonight it worked.”

After the match, Buddle was all smiles after the fans argued his case to be league MVP.

“It feels good," Buddle said. "At the end of the day, the league makes the decision, but it’s good that the fans recognize the way I’ve been playing.

“This season has been going pretty well, as far as scoring goals. My team is getting me the ball in the right position and it’s making my job a lot easier.”

As for Seattle, this was just a babyshambles offensively. Franchise player Fredy Montero had numerous opportunities to finish, to equalize; heck, to even lead the match and perhaps force extra time and the lottery that is the penalty shootout.

Sanna Nyassi would also been better off as a forward than a midfielder on Sunday. Schmid put him out of position and his boys pay the price for his inept play.

There was also a little bit of the hype regarding Swiss import Blaise Nkufo heading into the second leg. After the second leg, the hype turned into "Blaise Who?"

Nkufo was stonewalled by the Galaxy defense. He never a chance to make anything happen, and I personally feel his best days are behind him.

Nkufo wasn't the only one hexed by the back line. Seattle's wingers were, too.

“It is having a collection of players behind the ball and being in good blocks," Arena said. "Also, having a good understanding of where their strength is, and their strength is certainly in Zakuani and Montero, but at times, Nkufo did a decent job of coming in underneath and getting them possession and letting them advance the ball.

"There wasn’t that particular tactic as much as we had to have a good combined effort in defending which we have gotten in this series, and I think that is the way we were able to neutralize Seattle’s attack.”

“It’s the playoffs," Donovan said. "That’s what it takes. We have guys with a lot of experience in how to play in games like this. Talk about the defense all you want, but we still scored two goals and had some chance to score more.

“I watched a lot of their games at the end of the year, and that was certainly their strength. Zakuani and Nyassi were playing very well, so we knew if we took that part of their game away, we would beat them. They didn’t do as well as they had in previous games and I would attribute that to how well we played."

Not only were the Sounders snakebitten by their futile effort at finishing the simplest of chances, Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts—who survived a collision in the 49th minute of play, a testament to his durability and reliability—was clutch.

The 2010 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, for the most part, stopped shots from threats like James Riley, Montero, Zakuani, even Nate Jaqua.

When asked about leaving the game due to injury, the Big Cat from Montego Bay dismissed the idea almost immediately.

"No," Ricketts said. "I never leave games unless something is broken, so no chance. It was painful initially, but as the game went on, it got a little bit better.”

Indeed, as the match got longer, Ricketts got stronger and turned in another sensational performance. Prophetic.

“We have seen him go down before," Donovan said of Ricketts. "Like all goalies, he puts his body on the line. He is tough and when all is said and done, he is a tough guy, but also we are okay with it because we have got a guy behind him (in Josh Saunders) who could start on most teams in this league.”

“We are finishing the way we started," Ricketts added. "Strong defensively. If you want to win a championship, you have to be strong defensively, so that is good.”

I do have a few things to muse about regarding these proceedings. Alvaro Fernandez, a second-half sub for Seattle, laid a studs-up tackle on Ricketts...and didn't get carded by referee Baldomero Toledo.

Earlier in the match, Toledo carded Beckham for a challenge on Riley, which was nothing more than a slight clip.

You know, the MLS officiating has not been one to be proud of, and the home fans stand testament to the sympathetic tendencies of Toledo towards the road team.

Of course, he did issue a yellow to Patrick Ianni in the second half, but come on; he has been letting the Sounders slide a little bit more that this author would want him to.

Another issue here: the ESPN camera crew gave a little bit too much love to the Emerald City Supporters. Um, there are two other bastions of supporters that deserve to be on the same footing.

One, there's the LA Riot Squad. Two, there's the Angel City Brigade. Okay, you can even throw in the Galaxians as well. Not smart by ESPN to pander to Seattle's traveling army and not give the home fans their seconds of fame.

As for Landon Donovan, could do a little bit better with his finishing. While it was nice to see Edson and one of the supporting cast members get on the sheet, the captain will need to play a key role in the outcome of the Western Conference Final on Nov. 14 against FC Dallas.

Both Beckham and Donovan got the job done on the wings, and this is most likely what the fans will see against Schellas Hyndman's club on Victoria Street. Good speed, playing simple quick balls, playing team defense and team possession. Fundamentals, readers.

“I watched a lot of [Seattle's] games at the end of the year," Donovan said, "and that was certainly their strength. Zakuani and Nyassi were playing very well, so we knew if we took that part of their game away, we would beat them. They didn’t do as well as they had in previous games and I would attribute that to how well we played."

Tristan Bowen is going to need to settle down. He doesn't seem to be ready for this atmosphere just yet, as if he's thrown to the lions in some way.

However, with time, Bowen will get used to this and he will settle down in his position on the Galaxy attack. I guess this is what I would expect from a young player, so with time, these jitters will dissipate.

A.J. De La Garza, who celebrated his birthday this week, was very impressive in doing the business of playing defense. Combined with Omar Gonzalez, he disposed, marked his man, and helped bring patience and confidence on the ball.

It's rising stars like De La Garza who can take the slack off old vets like Gregg Berhalter. Hopefully in the MLS SuperDraft or via the Academy, the Galaxy will pick up a left back who will make the back line stronger for the long haul.

And speaking of old vets, Eddie Lewis did his part filling in for Todd Dunivant. Hey, he got the job done in the first leg; why not have him finish them off in the second?

“Eddie played well last week," Arena said. "He is pretty rested. Todd didn’t get into practice until Thursday, so we felt Eddie was a little fitter, and a little bit more prepared to play in this game.”

Next week, the Galaxy face off against FC Dallas, and you'd better believe that for the Hoops, the third time could be the charm.

“From the last matchup we just played, not too long ago," Buddle said, "it’s going to be very physical and they have good chemistry. It’s going to be tough to get opportunities, especially in a semifinal game.”

In short: stay tuned.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PT/9:00 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN 2 and ESPN Deportes.

Chicken Thief No. 13 - Steve Zakuani...caught.

Zakuani was able to get open space late in the second half to salvage a goal for the Sounders in their 2-1 defeat. Unfortunately, the Galaxy FO sent in the LA County Sheriff's Department to handcuff the repeat offender.

Thus, the Pollo Campero chickens were sent back to the fans, and everyone in attendance got their coupons. Well done, that Sheriff's Department.


Beckham's road to redemption continues

Midfielder David Beckham had nothing but praise for the Galaxy's campaign thus far.

“We had a good opportunity last year," Beckham said. "Obviously, we didn’t go all the way and win the whole thing, so we are happy so far and we are performing well. I think the character is showing through.

"We still have two matches, obviously one more to go to get through to the final, and hopefully we can do that. We can only do that with hard work, character, and the professionalism that we have shown so far.”

When asked about being driven to succeed, the No. 23 shook it off as more of the same.

“It doesn’t make any difference," Beckham said. "I am always driven to be successful, and I am always driven to win. Obviously, having the injury was a disappointment, but my drive has never been an issue.

"I have always wanted success. I am 35 years old now and I still want it as much as I did when I was 18 and 19.”

Being match fit is important to Beckham, and the recent slate of matches make it seem like it's the preseason and not the postseason.

“I think obviously it is my kind of preseason," Beckham said. "I’m still trying to get fitness. It helps when I play the full 90 minutes. I’m still getting the aches and the pains of preseason.

"I felt physically good tonight. I think if I look after my body like I have done since I have been back, then hopefully I will continue to progress.

“It was a tough week recovering [from playing on Seattle's turf]. When you play on that kind of surface, especially after the injury that I had, it is going to take time.

"It was a good week because I got most days in training. I think there is only one day that I missed and the rest was good. Tonight was a good night for us.”

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Queens, NY - In a once in a lifetime opportunity, New York Cosmos fans competed in a penalty shot contest where the winner would meet the great Pelé.

Contestants arrived to Flushing Meadows Corona Park at Field 3 to participate in a single elimination penalty shoot-out. From 12 yards away, contestants had four open targets to choose from. If a contestant scored, he/she would automatically advance to next round. This would go on until the winner was declared.

With samba drums playing in the background, players lined up in orderly fashion and waited for their turn to kick. While the music harmoniously played on, the soccer fans in attendance behaved as if they were in a golf tournament, remaining silent out of respect for each contestant who was in the process of taking their shot.

To be honest, I don’t know who was more nervous, the penalty shot takers or the audience respectfully supporting them. The only time the audience would verbally react was when they were asked to make some noise after the contestant had taken his/her penalty shot. Once the bail sailed to its designated target, the audience would “ohh and ahh” the cruel feeling of rejection if the ball would not connect to its target.

After almost three gut-wrenching rounds of penalty shooting, a winner had yet to be determined. Just as it appeared that another round of penalty shots would take place, Matteo Mastrella scored the decisive penalty shot! Following his shot, a celebration kicked off with the audience clapping loudly and cheering Mastrella.

However, everyone present was made aware that one more contestant had to take his final and potentially-tying penalty shot. Almost instantly that feeling of relief was replaced with nervous tension, as the final contestant took his last possible tying shot to stay in the competition.

He took his shot and the kick was good, but the target was slightly off. With that miss, Matteo Mastrella was declared the winner of the 2010 Penalty Shot Contest.

Showing a wonderful display of good sportsmanship, the other contestants congratulated Matteo and cheered him on as his award was being presented.

When asked about his victory, Matteo replied, “I feel very glad because Pelé is an important figure worldwide. I’m also happy because I’m a fan of Lazio from Rome and of Giorgio Chinaglia. I know the Cosmos' history. I watched a game in Rome when Lazio played against the New York Cosmos in 1983. I have an appreciation for the New York Cosmos." 

On a day where contestants competed to meet Pelé, Shep Messing’s famous description of the New York Cosmos was vibrantly echoed on Field 3 of Flushing Meadows Corona Park:

“We transcended everything, every culture, every socioeconomic boundary. We were international, we were European, we were cool, and we were Americans from the Bronx. We were everything to everybody.”

Many years later, those sentimental words of the New York Cosmos ring true in 2010.

Cesar Diaz covers soccer for Latino Sports. Please e-mail him your questions and comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

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November 6, 2010—On a beautiful, crisp autumn Saturday, soccer was very much alive and happening at Flushing Meadows Corona Park (Queens, NY) Field #3 as the 2010 Global Peace Games for Children and Youth took place.

Founded by Judy McPherson (Founder of Play Soccer Non-Profit International), the purpose of the Global Games is to unite, motivate, inspire and encourage children to apply the education they receive through sport in their daily lives. Since 2001, over 300,000 individuals globally have participated in this unique event.

In honor of the Global Peace Games for Children and Youth returning for the 10th year, Judy was joined by the New York Cosmos and their fans, which consisted of the New York Cosmos Supporters Club, the Borough Boys and older and new generation of Cosmos fans.

New York Cosmos Chairman Paul Kemsley, along with Director of the New York Cosmos Academy East Giovanni Savarese and Cosmos Executive Director Joe Fraga, were in attendance to demonstrate their support to the Global Peace Games and the local organizations that helped organize this event.

Organized by local organizations, every organization participating in today’s Global Peace Games for Children and Youth will: (1) Receive special messages from the United Nations and FIFA, (2) Sign the “Manifesto for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence” and (3) Receive a Certification of Participation and this year’s full report of the games that took place in all participating countries.

While the children played soccer, parents supported their play and encouraged their children to play hard and smart. As Cosmos fans watched the series of ongoing soccer matches, they reminisced about the glory years of the New York Cosmos and the joy it had brought them.

Now with the eventual return of the New York Cosmos, fans expressed their eagerness to assist the team in any capacity. And judging from today’s event and the New York Cosmos organization commitment to support local causes like the 2010 Global Peace Games, Cosmos fans will have their opportunity not only to support the team but also the community in which they live in.

About Play Soccer Non-Profit International

Play Soccer Non-Profit International founded the Global Peace Games in 2001 to promote a global network of children and youth committed to a culture of friendship, understanding and peace—demonstrating leadership and solidarity towards the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s).

As reported in the U.N. Daily News from the U.N. News Service on September 20, 2010, “sport continues to gain recognition as a means to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals.”

The MDG’s are eight international development goals that all 192 U.N. member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015. These include: (1) eradicating poverty and hunger, (2) achieving universal primary education, (3) promoting gender equality, (4) reducing child mortality rate, (5) improving maternal health, (6) combating disease, (7) ensuring environmental sustainability and (8) developing a global partnership for development.

For more information, please go to: www.playsoccer-nonprofit.org

Cesar Diaz covers Soccer for Latino Sports. Please email him your questions and comments to him at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

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