Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy woke out of a nightmarish 80 minutes to rally a goal down to tear the heart away from D.C. United 2-1 last Saturday at the Home Depot Center.

“I thought we played hard tonight and D.C. United played incredibly hard," Arena said after the match. "Getting the first goal didn’t make it easy for us. We had to fight and scrap, and that’s one of the few times this year we’ve been in that kind of position and come out with three points."

This week, the Galaxy will look to tear another into shreds, this time from that of the New York Red Bulls under the Friday night lights of Victoria Street and the Home Depot Center.

The top team in all of Major League Soccer—Los Angeles— is currently 15-5-5 (50 points) this season, but find themselves in a tight race with Real Salt Lake for the Supporters' Shield.

As for the Red Bulls, they are 12-8-5 (41 points), good enough for fifth overall and second in the MLS Eastern Conference behind the Columbus Crew.

And the Red Bulls have Thierry Henry. Oh yes, that Henry that put FC Dallas's Kevin Hartman out of commission for a while last week. That Henry. And of course, there's Rafael Marquez and Juan Pablo Angel to worry about to.

Did you know that Angel currently has 12 goals so far this year? Only two behind 14, scored by the Galaxy's Edson Buddle. Major firepower on both sides indeed.

If Lalas Hill does not get open after the possibility of Henry, Angel, Marquez, Buddle, Landon Donovan and David Beckham on the same pitch, it would be a travesty. The only time the hill has been open to the masses was on Independence Day in a match with the Seattle Sounders FC.

With the possibility looming large, Los Angeles cannot afford to be rusty at all.

“We didn’t play well tonight," Donovan said regarding the victory against D.C. United. "I don’t know what the deal was. I don’t know why. I wish I had an answer for it.

We didn’t compete like we have the last few weeks. We didn’t pass the ball well, our final decision in front of the goal was poor, and we had a bunch of really not good performances. We were fortunate to get something out of the game.”

Speaking of Donovan, the Galaxy's main provider has been getting his scoring touch going again. Donovan currently has 14 assists and seven goals. Two of those seven came in a brace against D.C. United on Saturday.

The goals also place him ahead of Cobi Jones as the Galaxy's all-time leading scorer.

“Cobi’s is the guy I have watched the most throughout my career, not only when I was young, but also since I have been in MLS and especially since I have been with the Galaxy," Donovan said on the record. "I have a lot of respect for what he has done and it is nice to join that company.”

As for Beckham, he was nothing short of impressed when asked about the team's newfound ability to rally from a goal down.

“It felt great to be part of that because I know we haven’t done it this season," Beckham said after the match.

"It is important to do that because we can’t expect to win every game easily...We kept it going. The character came through at the end and we have to prove that we got that character. We know it within the locker room, but we have to prove it to people.”

Aside from Angel's scoring touch, Estonia's Joel Lindpere has left his mark as the Red Bulls' main provider, with six assists this season.

While Marquez's presence will make things difficult for the Galaxy on Friday, the keys to the defense are in the hands of Tim Ream, who leads the club with 2,250 game minutes in 25 appearances.

Bouna Coundoul has a 1.43 goals against average, a 76.6 percent save percentage and 85 saves to his name. A clutch stopper, look for Coundoul to have a field night against LA.

Offensively, Salou Ibrahim (three goals this season) and Dane Richards (two goals and three assists this season) are other players to keep an eye out for.

The absence of Omar Gonzalez due to suspension on Friday will force wholesale changes to the backline.

“We are thin," admitted Galaxy defender Todd Dunivant. "Leonardo is close and A.J. [De La Garza] is close. We are going to need some center backs for next week. Omar is going to be gone, but Sean [Franklin] can play center back. We are going to have to make adjustments. That is what it is all about and we are going to get guys healthy.”

If Franklin is unable to fill it, the hole at the center back position could put some added pressure on Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts—the Big Cat from Montego Bay—to come up with big stops against the Red Bulls' attack.

Ricketts currently has a 0.79 GAA, a 77.6 percent save percentage and has 66 saves to his name against a 15-5-4 record between the posts.

Offensively, midfielder Jovan Kirovski has contributed to the cause with four goals and provides a viable third scoring option for the G's on Friday.

This will be a draw. A major draw. With the end result being such. It's a bend-but-don't-break type of deal for the Galaxy, who should be able to stand tall against the vastly improved Red Bulls.

But most importantly:

“It will be a good game," Donovan said on the match-up. "I think when the envisioned this league, they probably wanted to have something like this. Two big cities, getting after each other a little bit. Give New York a lot of credit. That has been a fabulous ownership group to really get that situation right.

They have one of the finest soccer stadiums in the country. They have invested deeply in that team and have done a great job. The acquisitions of Henry and Marquez, along with Angel and others, they have the star power for sure.

"It is a great game for the league. I am happy we are at this point in the season with the league and have this kind of opportunity. This league is moving forward at the right pace and I think next Friday will mean a lot to both teams.

It is going an evening to celebrate where this league has come. I think it will be a fabulous night for MLS. Our team has to play at its very best to win the game.”

Kickoff for this match is scheduled for 8 p.m. PT and will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes.

From Austin to LA...Marshall's A-OK!

Defender Yohance Marshall was back in the mix and earned his first-ever start in an MLS match for the Los Angeles Galaxy against D.C. United on Saturday.

“I think he did very well," Arena said on Marshall's performance. "He played with a lot of confidence to start the game which was good to see.

He is obviously confident from getting a number of games under his belt this year at Austin, and he played with us earlier this year against Boca and we could see that he was a player with a lot more confidence. We needed him tonight and he did a really good job.”

Defender Todd Dunivant was impressed by the hard work that came from honing his skills with the Austin Aztex.

“He has been out all year," Dunivant said of Marshall. "He comes in steps in and does a great job. He didn’t miss a beat. He played simple, played smart, played hard and did his job. It was perfect.”

Cooling the pregame jitters was a critical part to the young Soca Warrior's performance.

“I think every player is nervous to play," Marshall said, "so of course I was a little nervous but it is part of the game so you have to go on with it. Fight the nerves and go out and play to the best of your ability. I think [the Galaxy backline] stayed compact and talked to each other and we did pretty well tonight.

“It was a bit sudden, but this is my mother club so I was happy to come back.”

Welcome back, Marshall.

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Deep into the second half, the majority of the 20,094 in attendance were having a sinking feeling that the Los Angeles Galaxy would incur their worst loss of the season to date.

It was a matter of "Here We Go Again."

I personally believe it should have been this way. No, as a matter of fact, I'm going to go one step further in my slicing and dicing: I believe it should have been 2-0 in favor of Ben Olsen's D.C. United. And it should have been Danny Allsopp playing their chicken thief, if not Pablo Hernandez. (That honor went instead to Mr. Andy Najar; more on him later.)

But there is a reason why Johnson Lyndon of Carib Press refers to the Galaxy simply as, "The Comeback Kids."

That reason: a man by the name of Landon Donovan.

In the 81st minute, Omar Gonzalez—whose services will take a leave of absence of Friday against the New York Red Bulls due to a card from a tactical foul in the 39th minute of play—found Landon Donovan, and Clyde Simms has no one to blame but himself for giving up the equalizer in unceremonious fashion. Oh yes, that was the sixth of the year for Donovan.

And yes, the seventh came soon after, along with the first come-from-behind win this year. Gee whizniks, Landon; it took you 86 minutes to get the job done? I mean, I personally do not have any qualms, but why so long?

For the most part, though, this was just an ugly game of football from the Galaxy. The passing seemed to be broken up at will by a D.C. United defensive unit with nothing to lose whatsoever, and not even David Beckham earning more minutes seemed to help matters.

I ponder this possibility heading into next Friday's match against New York: Beckham will get even more minutes, but he will be subbed in and won't start. See, I was hoping that he would play the entire second half. But he only ended up getting about 40 minutes of action.

However, if Galaxy manager Bruce Arena (a.k.a. Bruce Almighty in some circles) does decide to give Beckham a start, I see him playing 60 or so minutes, and then he gets subbed out midway through the second. Beckham had a decent outing, but the long balls to Edson Buddle were too predictable.

Actually, the passing at numerous stretches in the game was a mixed bag of consistency vs. inconsistency. The back line were able to get a number of their sequences set, but the passing was not as crisp and consistent as last week. It was a bit of a dropoff, especially that this was against the worst team in MLS.

I have said this before, and I will say it again: this Galaxy side is still a ways away from the finished product.

At this point in the 2010 Major League Soccer season, the best sides in the league should be close to that finished product on both sides of the ball: solid finishing touches from the forwards, routine marking from the back line, the midfielders doing their part in the providing, textbook saves from the keepers, and so on and so forth.

This Galaxy team did not take a step forward, nor did they take a step back, in their win tonight.

But with the loss of Gonzalez to suspension for next Friday's tilt, what step will this LA Galaxy side take towards their race against Real Salt Lake, the Columbus Crew, FC Dallas and the rest of the league for the Supporters Shield?

Stay tuned.


INS & OUTS:


Chicken Thief No. Nine: Andy Najar

It seems to me that the Galaxy's just have a nasty habit of giving up too much space and allowing the least expected of scorers to deliver a screamer. D.C. United's Andy Najar made the defense pay for the space he got inside the penalty box. It's a huge drag when the lessons that were supposed to be learned at this juncture of the season still have to be issued in the form of refreshers at the weekly training grinds.

I'm afraid this is going to be the case.

As a matter of fact, they nearly paid for this in the first half. Fifth minute: Allsopp's shot misses the inside post. 22nd minute: Santino Quaranta whiffs on what should be an easy tap-in. 44th minute: Just a few more seconds and Hernandez would be the Chicken Thief. A poorly saved ball by Ricketts.

I don't know how long Ricketts will last walking this tightrope for the rest of the season. I'm really starting to wonder.


Moreno a no-show?

Apparently there was supposed to be a ceremony on Saturday honoring Jaime Moreno for his years of service to Major League Soccer before Saturday's match between the Los Angeles Galaxy and D.C. United.

However, Moreno didn't make the flight to the West Coast, and instead a ragtag dance team filled the void.

Makes you wonder if the celebrated Bolivian international prefers exit the limelight quietly, rather than a standing ovation.

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Real Salt Lake faced the Chicago Fire at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.

It was a decisive game for both teams since Real Salt Lake is in second place in the MLS Western Conference and the Chicago Fire is in fifth place in the MLS Eastern Conference.

Chicago Fire was also starting its first game under its new President Julian Posada, who deserves to be congratulated. The game started with Real Salt Lake dominating from the beginning until the end.

The team from Utah was great in its distribution, consistency, and organization when it came to playing a solid football/soccer game.

The only goal was brilliantly executed by Alvaro Saborio for Real Salt Lake with a right-foot kick towards the left side of the goal net within 45 minutes of the game.

The goal was the result of a penalty committed by Wilman Conde of the Fire against Ned Grabavoy of Real Salt Lake.

Conde was expelled from the game for his offenses against Grabavoy. It appeared that he did not learn his lesson when he received the yellow card during the beginning of the game.

The referee Jorge Gonzalez was fair since he awarded a yellow card for Kyle Beckerman of Real Salt Lake for misconduct of a lower degree. He deserves high marks for his professional behavior in this game.

The Chicago Fire was unable to play at the same tempo as Real Salt Lake and the situation worsened after the expulsion of Conde.

The substitutions within the team did not resolve the situation or help the team attempt an equalizer.

In the end, Real Salt Lake won the day and continues its advance towards the MLS Ranking.

Real Salt Lake 1-0 Chicago Fire

Rio Tinto Stadium Sandy, Utah

Most Valued Player: Alvaro Saborio

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The Chicago Fire have named Julian Posada as team president. He will also be in charge of the administration and planning of the club.

Julian Posada was born in Indiana to Colombian parents, and received his Masters of Business Administration from Northwestern University. He is also a graduate of Michigan State University.

Before his appointment, he worked as director general of "Hoy," which is a Latin magazine based in Chicago. He is also the president and founder of the Magazine "Cafe" in the same city.

Posada thanked the Chicago Fire for naming him as president, and considered it to be an honor as a supporter of soccer, especially the Chicago Fire, and as a businessman.

He also talked about the opportunities for Chicago and the Fire in an environment which has become receptive to soccer.

The Chicago Fire are currently in fifth place in the MLS Eastern Conference, with players such as Carlos Cobos and Nery Castillo.

While I am a supporter of CD Chivas USA, it is a pleasure to announce this news as a writer who was born in Ohio to Cuban parents. The news has left me speechless, and full of emotion since soccer and our community is growing.

My best wishes for the new president of the Chicago Fire, and the team itself.

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FRISCO, Texas—In a match where both teams couldn't afford to lose, the New York Red Bulls tied FC Dallas 2-2.

With tonight's tie, the 12-8-5 Red Bulls remain in second place in the Eastern Conference and now trail the Columbus Crew by three points. For FC Dallas, they extend their unbeaten streak to 15 games.

This was a game that may prove costly to Dallas as the regular season winds down. In the 28th minutes, team captain Daniel Hernandez went down to injury. A few minutes later, midfielder Brek Shea was given a red card for recklessly fouling Red Bull Chris Albright.

If that wasn't enough, goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, who prior to tonight's game led the league with a 0.58 goals-against average, injured his right knee when Thierry Henry attempted to kick a celebratory kick and accidentally injured him.

Despite the losses of Hartman, Hernandez, and Shea, FC Dallas was winning 2-1 due to goals by Milton Rodriguez and Eric Alexander. Playing with a man down, it appeared that FC Dallas was in control until an own-goal by Jair Benitez helped equalize the score for the Red Bulls in the 82nd minute.

For New York, they continued to move the ball well and aggressively attack the goalkeeper. For all the talk about Angel, Henry, and Marquez, it's players like Rookie of the Year candidate Tim Ream and Joel Lindpere who have been the most consistent in the team.

Along with their consistent play, Dane Richards has also elevated his game. With Dane Richards breaking down opposing defense, Tim Ream with his defensive play and Joel Lindpere making crisp passes towards the goal, the Red Bulls are syncing.

Earlier this week, Mehdi Ballouchy was traded from the Colorado Rapids for Macoumba Kandji. Making his Red Bull debut, Ballouchy scored his first goal in the first half of stoppage time. Ballouchy's goal tied the game 1-1 and ended FC Dallas' 416 shutout streak. 

Prior to tonight's match, the Red Bulls were 1-4-0 against the Columbus Crew, Los Angeles Galaxy, Real Salt Lake, and FC Dallas. Next up for the Red Bulls is the best team in Major League Soccer, the Los Angeles Galaxy. 

New York will have an opportunity to avenge their 1-0 loss to Los Angeles when they square off against them in the Home Depot Center on Friday, September 24, 2010.

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

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The frequent flyer Seattle Sounders played in San Jose, Costa Rica.  Their nearly 8,000 mile trip will be completed Saturday in Ohio’s capital city of Columbus.  They will confront the MLS Eastern Conference leader, the Columbus Crew, in a match set to begin at 4:30 p.m. PT.

Columbus holds great significance for Sounders coach Sigi Schmid.  It is the city where he achieved an MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield in 2008, his third season of coaching the Crew. Saturday's match is also a preview of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final, between Seattle and Columbus slated for October 5 on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field.

Sounders FC reached the halfway point of its CONCACAF Champions League group stage campaign in a 0-2 loss to CD Saprissa in San Jose, Costa Rica on Tuesday night, leaving the team with an 0-3 mark in its first three Group C matches.  Earlier the Sounders lost 2-1 to CD Marathón in Honduras and 2-0 to CF Monterrey in Seattle.

Sounders FC is last in its group, trailing Monterrey (3-0-0), Saprissa (2-0-1), and Marathón (1-0-2). The team is now 12-12-8 in overall competition and tied for fifth in the Western Conference of MLS at 9-9-6 with 33 points.

Seattle seeks to strengthen its hold on a playoff position at Columbus. It is tied with San Jose for the final two playoff wild card slots.  After going undefeated in seven matches, Sounders FC has garnered one point in its last two outings.

The next three matches involve one in Champions League play and two in MLS.  Both are on the road. Although undefeated in its last five league home matches, Seattle has not won a road contest since July 31.

After a brief return home, Seattle plays at Monterrey on September 22 and Chicago on September 25, logging another significant number of flight miles.

Last week, the Sounders battled MLS Cup holder Real Salt Lake to a scoreless draw at home. Columbus lost to the L.A. Galaxy 3-1 but is still in a position to earn an unprecedented third straight Supporters' Shield.

The Crew leads the East by four points and is tied with Real Salt Lake with the second highest points total, trailing the Galaxy by three. It hosts Joe Public of Trinidad and Tobago in a Champions League match on Tuesday.

Seattle owns the only win in the series, having snapped a record 22-game home unbeaten run by the Crew with a 1-0 victory on October 3, 2009. Two meetings in the Emerald City have ended in 1-1 draws.

The Sounders announced two roster changes on Thursday.  One player was removed from the disabled list while another was added.  

Midfielder Brad Evans was removed from the list and will be eligible to play October 2 when the Sounders face Toronto FC in Seattle.  Evans, 25, is in his fourth season of MLS play. He started 11 of 12 appearances this season with one goal and three assists. His last appearance was June 10.

Pat Noonan, who plays at midfield and forward, has been placed on the disabled list due to an adductor strain.

As a result of that roster move the 30-year-old Noonan will miss the remainder of the season. Noonan is in his eighth season in MLS and first with Seattle.  He signed with Sounders FC on March 31. Noonan has started eight of 12 appearances with one goal and one assist. His last appearance was in a starting role on July 15 at D.C. United as he played 88 minutes in a 1-0 win.

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It was a tough assignment in the first place, seeking to defeat a tough CD Saprissa squad on its home pitch of Estadio Ricardo Saprissa in San Jose, Costa Rica Tuesday night.

The task became increasingly difficult when, in the 38th minute, Seattle Sounders FC defender Leo Gonzalez incurred a red card for a high kick foul in the thigh towards Jairo Arrieta.  Playing with 10 men for the remainder of the round three CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage match, the result was a disappointing 2-0 loss.

The red card tragedy was made even harder to swallow in view of the fact that San Jose is Gonzalez’ home town.  This was his first trip back to Costa Rica in a year and the foul was incurred in front of friends and family members during a competition that he hoped would mark a successful homecoming.

The Sounders, desperately needing at least a draw and one point after coming into round three action winless, began fast.  The team pressed the early action against a strong Central American rival known for its ability to play possession soccer and keeping the ball away from the opposition.

After the red card misfortune with Gonzalez, Seattle was able to escape closing first period difficulty and retire to the dressing room with a scoreless tie.  It was in the second half that the home team was able to assert itself.  Using the red card to its advantage, Saprissa was able to tally twice and hold the Sounders at bay with successful possession domination.

On the evening Saprissa held a 15-11 advantage in total shots and a 5-3 on goal edge.  Corner kicks were even at 2-2.

Saprissa scored its initial goal in the 56th minute when David Guzman took Fernando Paniagua’s pass and delivered a scorching shot inside the far post past goalkeeper Terry Boss.  This was Boss' second competitive match for Seattle.  He had replaced an injured Kasey Keller for the second half at Dallas April 22.

Opportunity knocked at its loudest for the Sounders when a 67th minute scoring opportunity beckoned.  A driving Fred Montero was tripped inside the box by Saprissa defender Gabriel Badilla.  

Sounders midfielder Ozzie Alonso lined up to take the penalty kick.  At this point the evening’s dramatic pinnacle arose with the performance of Saprissa’s Fausto Gonzalez, who has been called “the crazy goalkeeper” without any aspersions being cast against his mental stability.

Gonzalez has drawn the name due to his antics prior to an opposing team taking a penalty kick.  It is not unusual for a goalkeeper to move from side to side, hoping to distract the penalty kicker as well as prepare himself for the kick at hand.  With Gonzalez that tactic is sped up and enhanced.  The crowd responded with loud cheers as Gonzalez darted from side to side.

Alonso delivered his kick and Gonzalez achieved a valuable save with one drive to his right.  

That was as close as the visitors would come to a score as Fausto Gonzalez emerged with a clean sheet on the evening.

The home team notched an insurance goal on a counter attack in the 82nd minute.  Josue Martinez found forward Allan Aleman, who slipped the ball past Boss for a 2-0 advantage.

The defeat dropped Seattle to 0-3 in Group C matches after sustaining a 2-1 setback to CD Marathon in Honduras and 2-0 to CF Monterrey in Seattle.  The Sounders have a chance for redemption when Saprissa visits the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field October 20.  

To be able to advance to quarterfinal status in Champions League action the Sounders will not only need to win regularly from this point forward, they will require help from other teams as Monterrey blazes a speedy trail currently with a spotless 3-0 mark and nine points.  

In overall competition Sounders FC is even at 12-12-8, and tied for fifth in the Western Conference of MLS play with 33 points and a 9-9-6 record.

Seattle’s road jaunt resumes with a Saturday MLS match at Columbus.  The Crew have won the last two Supporters’ Shields.  Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. PT at Crew Stadium.

Saturday’s match at Columbus not only marks competition between Seattle’s Sigi Schmid and the team he successfully coached just before moving on to the Emerald City, it provides a preview of the upcoming Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final slated for October 5 at Qwest Field.    

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Ladies and gentlemen of the View and of Bleacher Report, I have some interesting news to tell you on this wonderful Tuesday. We now have a new combination that will take the slack off the Buddlevan Connection.

I like to call it...drumroll please...the BK Double.

Now, with all due respect to Burger King, I did not mean their sandwich (which is actually called the BucK Double, and yes, that's how the phrase is actually spelled). B stands for Buddle, but K stands for Kirovski.

As in Jovan Kirovski.

Edson Buddle scored his 14th goal of the season while Kirovski added a goal and an assist in LA's 3-1 rout of Columbus. The goal was Kirovski's fifth of the season.

Now there's a tasty combination for you.

“Obviously, Edson is not a surprise there and Jovan has played there a fair amount,” Arena said after Monday’s training session at the Home Depot Center. “We just felt in training Jovan was going to be the best choice for the week.

“Wherever we play Jovan he brings us experience, a brain on the field. My analysis of our team is we needed that. We’ve needed smarter players on the field, and Jovan brings us that. We know that he’s probably not going to win a lot of foot races, but to have another smart player on the field who understands what needs to be done each and every game is critical.”

Kirovski had noteworthy praise when asked about Buddle's work ethic.

“He’s good on the ball, he’s clever, and both of us have pretty good size,” Kirovski said after the training session. “It’s great when we get the ball wide and we both get in the box.

“Bruce knows what he’s going to get out of us. It worked out well.”

Meanwhile, Buddle cited experience as a factor for Jovan's impression on the team's success.

“He’s confident on the ball,” Buddle said after training. “When I have the ball, I know I can play him the ball in any position, whether he’s open or in tight space, I know he can handle himself well, and that gives a player like myself a lot of confidence.

“He’s played a lot of games and he’s not intimidated by anyone. One of our strengths as a team is we feel confident with whoever is on the field. We’ll see, but things can change.”

The Galaxy take on D.C. United on September 18, 2010. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT and can be seen on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español.

Ins and Outs

Lucky 13 for Dema

Dema Kovalenko became the 13th Galaxy player to score this season in LA's 3-1 victory while becoming the second to score under the No. 21 jersey. Thus, only six field players and the three goalkeepers have not scored a goal for LA in an MLS, CONCACAF Champions League, or Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup game, or one of the club’s four international friendlies (better step it up, the rest of you...Birchall?).

The goal was also Kovalenko's first in the regular season since May 31, 2008, when he was playing under the red, blue and gold of Real Salt Lake.


On the verge of more superlative for the American Pele

With his league-leading 14th of the season, Edson Buddle is now one goal away from tying his personal best of 15 goals set in 2008 and one away from becoming the first in Major League Soccer history to score 40 goals with two teams.

Buddle scored 42 goals in 106 matches for the Crew from 2001-2005. His 87 goals are eighth-most in league history, behind Roy Lassiter, who is seventh with 88.


On the next exciting episode of "The Provider..."

Landon Donovan extended his lead over the Philadelphia Union's Sebastian Le Toux with 14 assists on the campaign, breaking his old career high of 13 assists in 2007. Furthermore, Donovan ties Martin Machon for second-most in a single season. Machon tallied his 14 assists during the 1999 MLS season.

The club record for most assists in a season is currently held by Mauricio Cienfuegos, who set the record in 1999. Donovan is currently third on the all-time club assists category with 60, behind assistant coach Cobi Jones (91 assists) and Cienfuegos (80 assists).


Welcome back, Marshall

After five months on loan to the Austin Aztex of the USSF Division 2 Pro League, defender Yohance Marshall returns to the club. Marshall appeared in 24 matches for Austin, tallying three goals en route to the second-best record in the league and their first-ever postseason berth.

Marshall was signed by the Galaxy as an undrafted free agent in March 2009 after playing four years at the University of South Florida. He has not appeared in a regular season game for the club, but he did appear in a U.S. Open Cup Play-In Game against the Colorado Rapids in April 2009.


Two yet to gain some time

Marshall is one of two players that has yet to see playing time as a member of the Galaxy. The other player is backup goalkeeper Brian Perk, who was claimed off waivers from the Philadelphia Union in early August.

Don't be surprised if you get to see those two in the regular season finale against FC Dallas. That is, if the race for the Supporter's Shield is no longer in the air and the G's end up on top of it all...


Here's to you, Jaime Moreno

The all-time leading goal scorer in MLS history, the Los Angeles Galaxy will honor D.C. United's very own Jaime Moreno in a pregame presentation before kickoff on Saturday at Victoria Street.

The 1997 MLS Golden Boot award winner, Moreno was also named to the MLS Best XI four times, seven MLS All-Star teams and was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI in 2005. Moreno was also a member of all of D.C.'s sides that won 12 major domestic and international championships.

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Seattle Sounders Coach Sigi Schmid might well have reacted to the schedule demands of his team by checking out his frequent flier miles.

Seattle’s location alone necessitates travel beyond what other teams endure.  Now couple that with international play beyond the challenging Major League Soccer schedule and the frequent flier factor becomes all the more evident.

Consider that a pair of homecomings and two significant matches await the Seattle Sounders FC on a journey of nearly 8,000 miles this week.

Sounders FC reaches the halfway point of its CONCACAF Champions League group stage campaign when it visits CD Saprissa in San Jose, Costa Rica on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. PT. The match will be carried nationally by Fox Soccer Channel.

Seattle then moves on to the capital of Ohio and a date with the Columbus Crew, leader of the MLS Eastern Conference, on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. PT.

The Sounders seek their first points in the Champions League after falling to CD Marathón of Honduras and CF Monterrey last month. Monterrey leads Group C with six points while Marathón and Saprissa have three each.

In MLS, Seattle (9-9-6, 33 points) is out to strengthen its hold on a playoff position. It is tied with San Jose for the final two playoff wild card slots.  The Sounders are currently   fifth in the Western Conference. After going undefeated in seven games, Sounders FC has one point in its last two outings.

Costa Rica is home to starting left back Leo Gonzalez while Columbus is the city where Sigi Schmid delivered an MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield in 2008, his third season of coaching the Crew. Saturday's match is also a preview of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final, between Seattle and Columbus, to be played October 5 on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field.

The next four matches, two in Champions League and two in MLS, are on the road. Although undefeated in its last five league matches at home, Sounders FC has not won away since July 31. After a brief return home, Seattle plays at Monterrey September 22 and Chicago September 25.

Last week, Sounders FC battled MLS Cup holder Real Salt Lake to a scoreless draw at home. Columbus lost to the L.A. Galaxy, 3-1, but is still in a position to earn an unprecedented third straight Supporters' Shield.

The Crew leads the East by four points and is tied with Real Salt Lake with the second highest point total, trailing the Galaxy by three. It hosts Joe Public of Trinidad and Tobago in a Champions League match on Tuesday.

Seattle owns the only win in the series, having snapped a record 22-game home unbeaten run by the Crew with a 1-0 result on October 3, 2009. Two meetings in the Emerald City have ended in 1-1 draws.

The Sounders community is experiencing delight in another context as advance ticket sales for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final between Seattle Sounders FC and the Columbus Crew have surpassed the record attendance for that event, set 81 years ago. The October 5 match begins at 7 p.m. PT on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field and will be nationally televised by Fox Soccer Channel.

More than 22,000 tickets have already been sold. The record attendance for an Open Cup final is 21,583 in 1929 between New York Hakoah and Madison Kennel Club of St. Louis. The record in the tournament's modern era, which began in 1996 when Major League Soccer teams joined, is 19,164 for the 2000 final between the Chicago Fire and Miami Fusion.

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Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy scored a breakthrough victory against the Columbus Crew to the tune of 3-1.

“It’s a much-improved performance by our team,” Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said after last Saturday's contest. “Hopefully it gives us the confidence to continue to move forward and try to be a better team as we go into postseason play.”

On September 18, it's back to the Victoria Street grindstone for the leaders of Major League Soccer as they host Ben Olsen's D.C. United, a side that has been out of luck since the season first started.

For David Beckham, it was a great time to make a return to MLS action after a long layoff due to injury. Could more minutes be seen from him next week?

“That was a perfect situation for me really,” Beckham said after the match. “The players had done so well through the game and it made it easier for me to come on. The pace was still a high tempo but it obviously calmed down. We’d kind of won the game by then and we played hard. It was a perfect situation for me to come on.

“Obviously, it felt great. I’ve never been out of the game for such a long time, and to get back out there in just under six months was a quick recovery. I’m happy with that."

Midfielder Dema Kovalenko will look to build on opening his scoring account next week.

“It feels good,” Kovalenko said of his first-half goal. “It’s been a while but honestly I don’t care. I’m just happy we got three points because it’s a big game, a huge game, and big win."

Edson Buddle continues to lead the MLS with 14 goals this season, and will look to add to his total, while Landon Donovan's continuing role as the Galaxy's main provider has paced him to a league-best 14 assists.

“We want to get the Supporters' Shield and we want to win at home,” said Buddle, who was removed due to cramps as a precaution. “Every game is important and we have to move on. We can’t just dwell on this game and definitely made a little statement. Hopefully we got things right and hopefully we can have the same type of game next week.

“We led the league all year and we wanted to hold onto that. Who knows what the mood would have been like if we would have lost that game and Columbus would have taken the lead?”

“Bruce talked to me a lot this week about winning my matchup and being the best player in my part of the field," Donovan said after the match. "I need to be the best player on the field every night when I play and that is my objective. Tonight I felt I did that. That needs to be the sort of effort I put out, and if I do that, we are going to win a lot of games.”

Last Saturday's match against the Crew marked the return of Juninho, who had to take care of personal matters in Brazil the past couple of week.

“He’s an excellent player," Arena said of Juninho. "We really missed him. It has been unfortunate that we have lost him for personal reasons for a number of games this year, and we have missed his presence in the center of midfield. Tonight he played well, and obviously it’s great to get him back.”

Los Angeles is currently 14-5-5 (47 points) and takes on a D.C. United side that, in spite of defeating Toronto FC 1-0, has a league-worst 5-16-3 record (18 points).

Danny Allsopp, the former Melbourne Victory striker, leads D.C. United in goals with four this season. Andy Najar is a player of the future, and will be the main man to watch. There aren't a lot of providers on D.C.'s end, but Rodney Wallace has a club-best two assists this year.

Defensively, the play of Julius James, Carey Talley, and Jordan Graye will have their hands full with a full-strength Galaxy side at Arena's disposal. Goalkeeper Troy Perkins has made 54 saves to go with a 1.69 goals against average, and a 66.7 percent save percentage.

D.C. United will essentially be playing for pride for the rest of the campaign as a way to prepare for next season. Curt Onalfo was sacked earlier this season, pushing Olsen into a caretaker manager position.

As for the Galaxy, 13 different players have scored for Los Angeles. Aside from Buddle's 14, Landon Donovan has chipped in five goals, while Jovan Kirovski notched his fourth of the season on Saturday against Columbus.

Michael Stephens and Sean Franklin are secondary providers for Los Angeles's 4-4-2 system. Stephens has seven assists on the year, while Franklin earned his fifth on Saturday night.

Defensively, Omar Gonzalez has proven to be a priceless asset to a backline that is looking to experience a resurgency in stopping opposing attacks. A workhorse in the defensive third for LA, Gonzalez's 2,070 minutes are the most in the club. Look for Franklin, Todd Dunivant and Leonardo to clamp down on the chances Allsopp, Najar and Santino QUaranta will get in their attacking third.

Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts—the Big Cat from Montego Bay—has a 77.2 percent save percentage, a 0.78 GAA and 61 saves.

Los Angeles has had a nasty habit of doing poorly against the lesser teams, while performing reasonably well against the teams at the top of the table.

With Beckham making a presence on the pitch, one can expect that the galaxy will regain the ability to take care of business against the lesser teams as well.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT and will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español.

Godspeed, Eddie Lewis

Galaxy midfielder Eddie Lewis will be retiring after this season is done and dusted.

“For me, this is it,” Lewis said. “This is going to be my last season, and it’s been great.

“I felt as if I needed one more year to personally fulfill some of the things I wanted to fulfill. As well, as I wasn’t ready to give it up. I feel like this will be a great transition year. We have a lot of good young players coming through—the foundation is set in the team now.”

This is sure to be added incentive for the G's to send him out a winner.



As for the USA's FIFA World Cup ambitions...

It was a matter of going through the motions after the conclusion of a three-day, five-city visit by FIFA’s World Cup inspection team.

“We were able to show FIFA the things they needed to see,” Gulati said in a conference call earlier last week. “It’s impossible not to be impressed by some of the magnificent NFL stadiums on this trip.

“We did have some private conversations about some things I thought we can make improvements in. The stadium width issues and the sight lines, the quality of the playing surface is not what we would have at the World Cup...we discussed that.

“We’ve always known in an open society like the US, there are things we can and can’t do. We had a frank discussion about government guarantees.”

At least we have a scapegoat in the form of three letters of the alphabet should the bid fail: NFL.

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