And the countdown begins; T-180 minutes to kickoff: Ah, the dog days of summer. American football training camps are in full swing, the CFL up north is doing its thing (go Roughriders) the European teams are doing their tours,and MLS is going through their season while the SuperLiga is getting a head start on the CONCACAF Champions' League.

Now the mid-to-late July sun has finally appeared, and even though most people hate it, I love it. This type of weather reminds me of my days when I was in the Philippines as a youth, savoring the ins and outs of Makati City while getting mosquito bites along the way.

T-170: At the nation's capital, the temperature will hit a scorching  94 degrees Fahrenheit as El Scorcho runs amok down at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, the pit where the league laggards D.C. United are set to do battle against Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy.

T-160: The Galaxy have dropped three straight road contests, and are on a two-game losing streak (this includes the U.S. Open Cup). The urgency to turn the ship around could not be any more pronounced.

T-150: As for Curt Onalfo's club, the question is brought up: When will Onalfo be sacked? It's an interesting proposition brought up to the prognosticators among the Barra Brava, Screaming Eagles and La Norte factions of supporters, who discuss it amid singing the woes of their team this year.

T-140: New faces have arrived to the fold: Nery Castillo to the Chicago Fire, and the world-famous Thierry Henry to the New York Red Bulls.

T-130: In other action around the league—Kansas City Wizards fell to Chivas USA 2-0 before bouncing back against the Columbus Crew 1-0, and the Seattle Sounders defeated D.C. United 1-0.

Philadelphia Union dismissed Toronto FC 2-1, New England continues to get on the winning track with a 1-0 win over the Chicago Fire in SuperLiga play, the Columbus Crew defeated the New York Red Bulls 2-0 to rise to first in the MLS Eastern Conference, F.C. Dallas crushed Real Salt Lake 2-0, and the Colorado Rapids drew 1-1 with Kansas City.

T-120: Two hours to kickoff. In other SuperLiga action—the Revs defeated Pumas UNAM, Monarcas Morelia annihilated Chicago 5-1, Houston dropped Pachuca 2-1, Puebla FC defeated Chivas USA 2-1 and Morelia drew 2-2 with Pumas UNAM.

T-110: Some international friendlies were also in order. The Philadelphia Union shut out Celtic 1-0 and the San Jose Earthquakes played to a scoreless draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

T-100: Other matches going on today involved a friendly between the Sounders and Celtic, as well as SuperLiga action between Houston vs. Chivas USA and Puebla vs. Pachuca. Tomorrow, the Union faces Manchester United and SuperLiga play continues with New England vs. Morelia and Chicago vs. Pumas.

T-90: 90 minutes to kickoff. Line-ups.

T-80: It has been quite a drag that Danny Allsopp has not found his championship-winning form with the Melbourne Victory at D.C. United. Perhaps they need to replace Onalfo with Ernie Merrick?

T-70: D.C.'s next three matches include a U.S. Open Cup third round match with the Harrisburg City Islanders on July 21 at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Maryland, a July 31 match against Real Salt Lake at Sandy, Utah and an August 7 contest with the New England Revolution at Gilette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

T-60: Some home cooking will be on the house for the G's.

Los Angeles's next three contests include a July 22 match with the San Jose Earthquakes at the Home Depot Center, a July 27 home contest with the Puerto Rico Islanders in Carson in the preliminary round of the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions' League and an August 1 contest with the Chicago Fire, also at Victoria Street.

1' - Battle stations, battle stations. We're off a running . Can the Galaxy get back on track? Landon Donovan with a speculative looping volley. Goal kick, Troy Perkins.

2' - No here's the Big Cat from Montego Bay, Donovan Ricketts. Can he rebound from that awful display last Saturday?

3' - Devon McTavish with excellent defending on Todd Dunivant. Foul by Omar Gonzalez. Edson Buddle double-marked.

4' - Now here's Sean Franklin, looking to reset the distribution for their next sequence. Julius James with the clearance for D.C. United.

5' - Argentina's Pablo Hernandez will be a key component to D.C. chances today. Screaming Eagles and Barra Brava bounce devotively.

6' - Donovan with the throw, and here is Gonzales. Juninho is fouled by Hernandez. Free kick for Donovan and a good save by Troy Perkins.

7' - Our match official, Jason Hinault, will be wise to not be such a homer, as he give D.C. United a free kick. Missed wide right. Sportsmanlike move by Ricketts.

8' - It's a hot day today in the nation's capital. The quick transition needs to be there. And these guys need to be hydrated.

9' - D.C. United's RFK Stadium has a large wall on one of its goal ends that features some of the greatest players and people to have made an impact in the D.C. area. Combined with the rust, it seems as players are playing an industrial variant of the game in a football factory.

10' - 10 minutes in, and we're scoreless.

11' - Aln Gordon and Gregg Berhalter were off on the communication. Back come United. They have had some good touches so far.

12' - Clyde Simms fouls Landon Donovan by tackling him American style. American, as in the code.

13' - 30-39-25 record for Onalfo, 102-64-28 record for Arena. A tale of two coaches. Ay, ay, ay.

14' - Edson Buddle was off on the delivery from Dunivant. Goal kick, Perkins.

15' - A possession battle ensues. And the divets on the field are beginning to take place.

16' - And the Galaxy were nearly caught off guard and Omar Ganzalez clears a golden opportunity for D.C. United. Oh man, have they missed him!

17' - Another shot for Donovan sails into the hands of Perkins.

18' - This is great ball movement from the home side. 18 in, and we got ourselves some heavy action and chances. Still scoreless.

19' - Here Jordan Graye, looking to set something up. Gonzalez sweeps it up. Whoops. Santino Quaranta almost took advantage of the gift, but Clyde Simms couldn't. Goal kick, Ricketts.

20' - Gordon is kept at bay by James. Goal kick, Perkins.

21' - Here's A.J. De La Garza with the throw-in.

22' - Oh my goodness. How do you screw up a blown assignment by Troy Perkins? Unacceptable. What a bullet dodged. Malediction's delight!

23' - Can D.C. United adjust to the hot and humid conditions? Stay tuned.

24' - Offsides, Chris Pontius. He seems to be feeling a bit hurt right now. Thabise Kumalo could be coming in early for the D.C.

25' - 25 minutes into the contest, and it still socreless. Gregg Berhalter and Omar Gonzales put Devon McTavish on lockdown.

26' - Ricketts with the grab, but here comes D.C. again. You know, the Galaxy have had issues holding on to the football on the road, and it's showing again today.

27' - Here's Santino Quaranta, and there is no foul. Not going to fall for the simulation trick. A little bit better from him. In other action, Celtic defeated Seattle in the international club friendly 2-1.

28' - Some exciting football here at RFK Stadium, nothing too spectacular. But the passing leaves much to be desired.

29' - Goal kick, Troy Perkins. Already he has been bailed out early by Julius James.

30' - Back come the Galaxy. Devon McTavish with the clearance. The lack of finishing touch has been rearing its ugly head for the past few games on the road, and here it is again.

31' - Pontius is walking with a noticeable limp.

32' - Goal kick, Perkins. And Santino Quaranto got knocked. Back come D.C. and a shot by Simms is high and wide, and will go for a goal kick to Donovan Ricketts.

33' - The Washington banners wave in the stands as play resumes. Gordon with the armball. The Galaxy already have seven fouls to D.C.'s three,

34' - Ricketts really got upended making that save on Simms. He's all right, though.

35' - 35 in, and it's still scoreless. Goal kick for Perkins. The heat might make this a low-scoring affair, if not a scoreless draw, but there is plenty of football to be played.

36' - Ricketts with the save, but Julius James gets the ball as Juninho is shaken up. Stretch it out, young man.

37' - Bruce Arena may have to make some second half adjustments...again. Here's hoping they don't collapse...again. And back come D.C United...again.

38' - Sean Franklin with the ball, and here is Edson!

GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 14 Edson Buddle
And would you believe it; we are back on it again. Back save by PErkins, and perseverance give LA the lead in spite of a similarly brave effort by Dejan Jakovic, even it was all in vain.

39' - Handball by Gonzalez. Here comes a free kick to D.C.

40' - A solid save by Donovan Ricketts. Best of the night so far. A leaping grab.

41' - Goal number 11 for No. 14 of the G's. And they will need that goal, because Real Salt Lake won earlier this week, so a victory will do nothing but keep pace between the two sides. This could be a two-team race for the shield.

42' - No dice for Pontius. Goal kick, Ricketts. Gordon almost made it 2-0, but Perkins is there.

43' - We are 43 in, and it's 1-0 LA. They seems to be back online with Landon in the lineup. Still don't understand why Don Garber has to meddle around with the transfer rule. I'm Sepp Blatter has something to say about that.

44' - And that was a feed that should have made it 2-0, but Sean Franklin butchered that chance. Ugh.

45' - Foul on Chris Birchall. Free kick for D.C. That was a saveable chance for Ricketts. It will go for a corner. Foul in the box by D.C. And let's see how many minutes of stoppage time we get here.

45" + 1' - I'll just stick to this formula for stoppage time minutes. One minute for this half.

And we go into the break after a few opportunities wasted by D.C. to equalize. 1-0 to the Galaxy to the chorus of boos by the crowd.

Substitution D.C. United
IN 99 Jaime Moreno
OUT 13 Chris Pontius

So it won't be Thabiso Khumalo coming in; instead it's a D.C. mainstay in Jaime Moreno.

46' - The second half is underway. Consolidation or equalization, that is the question.

47' - Julius James is getting hounded, and is playing on his heels.

48' - Alan Gordon was off on the receiving end. Slid a little too early. Keystone Kops quality.

49' - Upping the tempo will be the agenda of the half for the Galaxy.

50' - 50 in and it's 1-0 G's.

51' - Devon McTavish with the throw-in. Out of bounds, Dunivant.

52' - D.C. United looks to squeeze the issue. Donovan with the foul and here is a free kick for the home side, Hernandez to take.

53' - Cleared, but here come United again. Eddie Pope got inducted into the D.C. United Hall of Tradition today. Congratulations to him. Dunivant with the throw.

54' - Hernandez with another chance.

GOAL! D.C. United 14 Andy Najar
And where was the defending on this? Atrocious! Enough said!

55' - Now the Galaxy need to be creative and actually show up. I called for this match to be draw. So far it is looking that way right now. This is a club that has been searching for answers the past few days, and they are still searching for answer.

56' - Edson Buddle's shot goes wide right. Speculative. Goal kick, Perkins.

57' - Nobody covered Santino Quaranta on the left wing, but he didn't help himself.

58' - Penalty!

Yellow card 2 Julius James
D.C. United

Now it's time for Landon Donovan to convert on the James handball.

59' - GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 10 Landon Donovan (pen)
This probably will be a goal festival tonight in the nation's capital with the way things are going now.

60' - We are 60 minutes into the contest and it's 2-1 Los Angeles, with James playing the role of the goat for the time being. Throw-in, Dunivant. A pass too far for Edson Buddle.

61' - That was only the second goal for Landon Donovan this season. He has played the role of the facilitator in Bruce Arena's system.

62' - Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 26 Michael Stephens
OUT 19 Juninho

63' - Two goals in five minutes. After D.C. United supporters were rejoicing at the Najar goal, they are ruining the handball by James. That Donovan pass was too high for Alan Gordon.

64' - Wide shot for Jordan Graye. Goes wide right, Ricketts was clearly beat off the ball.

65' - James butchers the header, and it's a goal kick for the Big Cat from Montego Bay. 65 in, 2-1 LA, fun times at RFK. (I made a rhyme, hey hey hey!)

66' - Ricketts and Perkins exchange goal kicks. The new seasons are set to start in Europe. Who do you like to win their league? Voice your opinions on b/r and the view.

67' - Buddleban connection offline, James offsides, back come the G's.

68' - Dejan Jakovic is bit beat-up, and hello hello hello, we could have another substitution on the way.

69' - Jakovic is back on his feet, and here comes the sub.

Substitution D.C. United
IN 8 Carey Talley
OUT 5 Dejan Jakovic

70' - We are now 70 minutes in. It's 2-1 Los Angeles. Gonzales marks McTavish well, and it's a goal kick for Donovan Ricketts.

71' - The Galaxy will be wise to add one more for their own sake. Wide shot of left of the mark for Franklin. GOal kick, Perkins.

72' - D.C. United is doing all the can to equalize here.

73' - Back come the Galaxy. Here is Ricketts...and another sub for D.C.

Substitution D.C. United
IN 27 Branko Boskovic
OUT 20 Stephen King

74' - Boskovic, the Montenegrin from Rapid Vienna, will look to energize the faithful at RFK.

75' - You are reading this Play-By-Play (and other miscellany) on b/r and the View, and the View. Birchall gets that set for Ricketts.

76' - Omalfo is not liking this. His club is down 2-1 to the Galaxy.

77' - LA will need to get some new blood in at this point in the game. Dunivant is held up, and we have a sub on the way

Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 6 Eddie Lewis
OUT 14 Edson Buddle

Eddie Lewis was recently highlighted in my "This is The Los Angeles Galaxy" series. Go check the primer on this veteran out if you can.

78' - Offsides, Boskovic. One of the D.C. fans has the shirt name of "Captain Hooligan, No. 52." Hello from the View, Captain Hooligan.

79' - Dunivant should have done it better. Hey, I made a tongue twister.

80' - It's crunch time here at RFK Stadium, and it's 2-1 Los Angeles. They will need to do all they can to hold on now, or better yet, add to their lead.

81' - Currently, in SuperLiga action, Houston is leading Chivas USA 1-0.

82' - D.C. moving the ball around, biding their time. The Galaxy need to go for the jugular here. They can't sit on a 2-1 lead.

83' - Back come D.C. United on the attack. Berhalter with the sweep on the Najar delivery. Jamie Moreno now with the ball. Corner for United.

84' - Boskovic to take. Cleared.

Yellow Card 8 Carey Talley
D.C. United

Studs-up tackle. Well deserved yellow.

85' - Free kick for Gonzalez. And Alan Gordon got knocked. Perkins with the goal kick. D.C wins possession.

86' - United on the counterattack, and its Ricketts who wins the ball. Goal kick for the Big Cat from Montego Bay.

87' - Santino Quaranta's through ball for Pablo Hernandez was all for naught. Goal kick Ricketts.

88' - Time is of the essence now for D.C. Meanwhile, the G's are looking to shut down the ordeal. This is some great possession work from the home side.

89' - Free kick D.C. This is where LA's defense need to show that they are back.

90' - Every on the Galaxy backline got beat on the rebound, as well as Ricketts. HErnandez had perhaps the best chance of the game—save stoppage time—to make it 2-2. Wow. That just epitomized the night so far for D.C.

Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 9 Jovan Kirovski
OUT 21 Alan Gordon

90' + 1' - Generally, those are the type of chances where the match is won or lost. Here. D.C. just ruined a chance to equalize. Ricketts lets that go. We have Three minutes of stoppage time.

90' + 2' - These last several minutes was what football is all about. Offsides, D.C. And Curt Onalfo, I pity you. And I kid.

90' + 3' - That blown coverage in the 90th minute will need to be talked about as they head back to Victoria Street. If I was Arena, I would do it.

That's a wrap.

Stay tuned for my take on this match on The View from Victoria Street and Bleacher Report.

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The transfer window for soccer opened earlier this month and, within that couple of weeks, MLS has doubled the amount of designated players in the league from the start of the season.

Six players have already confirmed the move to the States and a possible seventh coming in the person of Ronaldinho.

The real question from critics and MLS fans is will this further increase the quality of play and could these designated players make an impact on the league as a whole (or just the franchise they play for).

The highest profile signing so far has been Thierry Henry's move to the New York Red Bulls.

But, the question on the Henry signing would be if there were already two or three designated players on the Red Bulls roster, would Henry even consider going to a smaller market team in the league.

The answer to that question is easy. NO. Henry wants to shine on one of the biggest stages of MLS, and the Red Bulls can provide that. There would absolutely no way that Henry would play for a smaller market team like Columbus, Colorado or San Jose.

The good thing for MLS is that they are getting other international players to sign for teams not in New York or Los Angeles.

The Seattle Sounders secured the signature of Swiss forward Blaise Nkufo before the World Cup and he will join up with fellow designated player Freddie Ljungberg.

Montenegro international Branko Boskovic signed with DC United.

Spanish forward Mista has joined Toronto FC and two Mexican internationals, Omar Bravo (Kansas City) and Nery Castillo (Chicago), have signed as well.

But the question remains: Does this really improve the league as a whole?

On the subject of marketing and ticket sales it does because the Red Bulls will attract more fans than usual for away games with Henry (and so will the LA Galaxy having Landon Donovan and possibly Ronaldinho on their roster).

On the topic of making the league better as a whole, there are some question marks.

First, the designated players that were superstars at one time in Europe want to play in the big markets like New York and Los Angeles. That automatically puts the the other 13 teams not in those cities at a disadvantage.

You can also make the case that Guillermo Barros Schelotto in Columbus and Cuauhtemoc Blanco in Chicago made an impact, but they did not have as much fanfare as Beckham and Henry.

The only way teams outside of NY and LA can succeed with the designated player rule is to sign South American players, mid-level European players, and players from Mexico.

This is a disadvantage to those teams but since that formula has worked for Columbus and Chicago, other teams should go ahead and improve the quality of their team by using their designated player spots (just like the Crew and Fire).

So, the answer to the question is yes. MLS benefits in every way from the designated player rule and has been one of the better things that Don Garber and the MLS brass have done in the past couple years.

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Seattle Sounders Coach Sigi Schmid following the final team workout Saturday prior to Sunday’s nationally televised home friendly against Scotland’s Celtic FC said the words that soccer fans have been waiting so long to hear.

“We do feel confident that Blaise (Nkufo) will give his debut tomorrow,” Schmid said, “so it will be a nice day from that standpoint.”

In a joint teleconference with Nkufo Thursday in the District of Columbia the afternoon of the team’s crucial MLS match with D.C. United, Schmid revealed that Nkufo had just experienced his first workout with the team the day before, but was unsure whether he would see action that night.

Based on the limited amount of work Nkufo had in the form of the one workout after joining the team following a post-World Cup break, it was a certainty that the team’s new star player would not start.

Ultimately Schmid decided that holding out Nkufo would be the proper decision and so he watched the 1-0 victory over D.C. from the bench.

Now, having returned with the team to Seattle and obtaining more work, Schmid is prepared to put Nkufo on the pitch against Celtic FC.

The Sounders’ coach returned to the subject of Nkufo in the course of discussing the team’s busy July Schedule:

“It (the Celtic FC match) makes our seventh game in 21 days, so it’s a bit of soccer. But it is what it is. It comes along at this stage. We got some guys who haven’t played a lot of minutes. It gives them an opportunity to play.

“It also gives us the opportunity to get Blaise (Nkufo) out there, which is nice. So from that standpoint, it doesn’t come at the worst time and then we have got a week before we play Colorado, so that’s nice.”

Nkufo’s debut provides added interest for the Celtic FC matchup. In addition to recently performing for Switzerland in the World Cup, the 34-year-old player set an all-time scoring record at his last professional club, FC Twente in the Dutch League.

Kasey Keller sustained a right mid-front sprain in the second half of the 1-0 win over D.C. United. The veteran goalkeeper earned his fifth clean sheet of the MLS campaign while achieving five saves and finished the game despite the injury.

“Keller won’t play tomorrow,” Schmid said. “We are going to try and let him have some rest. He said it felt much, much better today. So we don’t think it’s like what he had at the end of last year, so we feel good about that.”

The coach then focused on the subject of the playing status of Nate Jaqua.

“(With) Jaqua, it’s just a day to day thing but the likelihood of him playing tomorrow is small, if at all,” Schmid revealed.

With Nkufo joining the ranks as a designated player, speculation continues to mount whether a trade may be in the works for Freddie Ljungberg. The Swedish midfielder also falls into the designated player category.

The Ljungberg speculation is further enhanced by the fact that the Sounders have been moving toward a youth-oriented midfield. Ljungberg missed both the FC Dallas and D.C. United games due to an ankle injury.

“I gave Freddie the weekend off,” Schmid said. “I know that we weren’t going to use him this weekend with the situation he was in. And so I just told him to have a weekend.”

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The questions in Guadalajara have been answered.

Omar Bravo Tordecillas of Los Mochis, Sinaloa has signed with the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer.

Over the past couple of weeks, confusion surrounded the Guadalajara fans as their second best striker in the history of their club was not added to the list of players that would compete in the incoming local tournament.

Omar Bravo Tordecillas has been with Chivas of Guadalajara since his early years as he was the result of their youth development program.

Since his debut in 2001, Omar Bravo's career has been filled with accomplishments, titles, and with his name is many history books in the club and international level.

His talent landed him in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany in which he was Team Mexico's top scorer with the two goals scored vs. Iran in his World Cup debut.

As a result of his performance in Germany, many teams showed interest in the Mexican striker.

Bravo's dream was to play in Europe, bit with so many offers on the table, Omar Bravo insisted to Chivas Management to facilitate his exit to join a European club.

This provided bad media and the relationship between Bravo and Guadalajara President Jorge Vergara.

After punishing the striker for publicly announcing his desire to leave and with Bravo becoming a free agent, the Sinaloa native signed a thjree-year contract with Deportivo la Coruña of Spain.

Omar Bravo was living out his dream, but this dream would soon come to grips with his difficult reality.

Coach Miguel Angel Lotina was not giving the striker many opportunities on the field and with the World Cup in South Africa around the corner, Bravo returned to Mexico only to realize how much the stay in Spain affected his performance.

It took Omar Bravo over a year to find a constant rhythm, and as previously discussed in another article, Bravo was no longer a fan favorite and his career began to exit the spotlight.

The spotlight is now back on Omar Bravo as he takes on the challenge to start off fresh, to try a different style of play, and try to conquer new horizons.

With speedy forward Kei Kamara as his future teammate in Kansas City, it seems that Juan Pablo Angel and Thierry Henry will not be the only Dynamic Duo in the MLS.

The news of this shocking transfer has just been made public in Mexico as of July 17, 2010.

Reactions are expected and so is Bravo's presence in the MLS.

With Cuauhtemoc Blanco's great performance in Chicago and Luis Angel Landin's lack of experience in Houston, Omar Bravo has the task to show his many talents and prove why the signings of Mexican player in U.S. soccer is beneficial to the league.

Omar Bravo will report with Kansas City in the next few hours to complete the signing process and will join the team as they prepare to qualify to the MLS Playoffs hoping to conquer the league.

Welcome, Omar Bravo, to a league full of growth and potential.

Welcome to the home of rising stars and beautiful displays of football.

Welcome to Major League Soccer.

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This is Part 24 in a series of articles on the players that make up the Los Angeles Galaxy.


Football shares a few parallels with life in general. One of those parallels is a significant one: Getting a chance to prove yourself isn't always a given.

For Yohance Marshall, it's a parallel he knows very well. Standing tall at 6'2" (1.88 m), this defender from Trinidad & Tobago has yet to shine on game day for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Currently, he is playing for the Austin Aztex in the USSF Division 2 Professional League on loan from the Gs. One day, his experience playing on the back line at House Park will translate to many memorable matches at the Home Depot Center.

Yohance Marshall was born on January 22, 1986 in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago. One of the most important cities in the Caribbean, Port-of-Spain is home to the pre-lenten Carnival, its main annual cultural festival and tourist attraction.

The city's major sporting venues the Queen's Park Oval, Hasely Crawford Stadium (the home of the Soca Warriors), the Jean Pierre Complex and various sporting fields on the Queen's Park Savannah. Port-of-Spain has also hosted concerts by entertainers like Beyonce, Chris Brown, Sean Paul, Rihanna, The Outfield, Cascada, Akon, Usher and Kumar Sanu.

Marshall's footballing career began at St. Anthony's College, a high school in Port-of-Spain. He starred on the national Under-17 team, and also was a fixture Under-20 and Under-21 teams while playing with the South Florida Bulls from 2005-2008.

An imposing presence on defence, Marshall helped USF reach the final stages of the NCAA Tournament in three of his four campaigns. He led South Florida to their first-ever conference final and captained the team to the title in his senior year.

After 73 appearances with the Bulls, Marshall was named an NSCAA Second Team All-American, a College Soccer News First Team All-American and an All-Big East First Team selection in 2008.

In March 2009, Yohance Marshall was signed as an undrafted free agent and made his season debut against D.C. on March 22. Marshall would earn his first start in the Galaxy's U.S. Open Cup playoff defeat to the Colorado Rapids.

In late March, Marshall suffered a medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprain and would not return to training for a month. As a result, Marshall would be loaned to the Aztex in late June.

Marshall made three appearances for the Aztex, making his club debut on June 27, a 2-2 draw with the Cleveland City Stars. They failed to impress in their first season, finishing a dismal 10th in the USL First Division.

In between appearing at a friendly against Boca Juniors earlier this season, Marshall continued to improve in his second season with the Aztex, who are competing in the USL COnference of the USSF D2 Pro League this season.

As of July 15, Austin are 9-2-5 (32 points), five to the good of the Rochester Rhinos for first in the conference. And as of this article date, Marshall has made 15 appearances for Austin this season in defense.

With the best record in USSF D2, Adrian Heath's Aztex share another parallel with Bruce Arena's Galaxy.

As a result, the Galaxy's No. 5 has been blessed to be part of two great clubs. But while Austin's No. 19 is enjoying the pleasure of making house calls at House Park, the question remains: When will Victoria Street call for Yohance Marshall?

Stay tuned.

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It was a must win on a hot, muggy night in our nation’s capital, and veteran goalkeeper Kasey Keller was the embodiment of true grit in a hard fought 1-0 win for the Seattle Sounders over host D.C. United before 13,716 fans at RFK Stadium and a national ESPN2 television audience.

Nothing would stand in the way of Keller’s successful pursuit of a clean sheet, not even injury.

Keller made five saves to earn his fifth shutout of the season, despite playing the final 25 minutes with a right mid-foot sprain that occurred on a challenge after he came out of the goalkeeper’s area.

In the late stages, coaches Sigi Schmid of Seattle and Curt Onalfo of D.C. United, both feeling an intense need for a win and three valuable points, poured substitutes onto the RFK pitch in pursuit of a late score.

The strategy worked for Schmid, as Sanna Nyassi was credited with an assist just one minute after entering the match. It was his first point in league play.

The scoring effort culminated in the 89th minute, as Fredy Montero crossed a ball from the end line on the right flank to a diving Roger Levesque at the far post. Levesque headed it past goalkeeper Troy Perkins for his first goal this season.

For Montero it was his seventh assist of the campaign, which places him in a tie for third in the MLS.

This was Levesque's first start since April 22nd. He has scored in three of the last four road wins and also scored in last year's Open Cup final in Washington, D.C.

As for Keller, in the 65th minute he vacated his box to make a tackle but stayed down with a foot injury. Play continued as Santino Quaranta blasted a shot on an empty goal that was headed away by an alert Patrick Ianni.

On the ensuing corner kick, Keller made a save at the far post on Pablo Hernandez's header.

Keller also made two stops on counterattacks by Andy Najar in the eighth and 51st minutes.

For Keller, RFK is a venue of satisfaction and accomplishment. The veteran goalkeeper remains undefeated at RFK Stadium with an 8-0-2 mark, which includes seven starts for the U.S. National Team.

The victory gives the Sounders a 5-8-4 record. Every victory has come against Eastern Conference opponents.

The team now sits only three points removed from third place in the Western Conference. Seattle has 19 points of the 45 point total that Coach Schmid estimates it will take to make the playoffs.

This victory marks the first in five matches for the Sounders dating back to a 3-0 home win over New England on June 5th. It was followed five days later with a 3-2 loss in Seattle to D.C. United.

The loss virtually rang down the curtain on any hope that D.C. United held of making the playoffs. It stands at 3-10-3 with 12 points. This marked the first loss for D.C. United in four matches and leaves the team in seventh place in the East.

Seattle held the overall advantage in shots at 15-10 and an 11-3 edge on corner kicks. D.C. United gained a 6-5 lead on goal shots.

Blaise Nkufo was officially added to the Seattle roster Thursday but did not see action. He had his first workout with the team Wednesday.

Sounders FC hosts Scotland's Celtic FC on Sunday in another ESPN2 match, a friendly on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. PT.

The Sounders launch another busy week starting July 25th, when Seattle meets the Colorado Rapids at home.

The CONCACAF Champions League play-in series begins July 28th against El Salvador's Metapán, also on the Seattle home pitch.

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Nearly a week has gone by since the World Cup has concluded and all soccer news is already back on the back pages of most sports sections.  One piece of news that came out today was Major League Soccer's (MLS) intention to not entertain any offers on Landon Donovan, thus temporarily ending any speculation that America's best player might be heading to Europe. 

After reading numerous blogs, and talking to a lot of my soccer fan friends, many are irate at the fact that Landon Donovan is being denied the opportunity to play overseas. He would most likely go back to Everton where he found great success last year on a ten week loan.  Many are saying that the MLS is stunting the growth of American soccer by not allowing Donovan to showcase his talents in Europe. 

Allow me to be the first to completely disagree with this statement!

On the surface, I can understand why people may feel this way.  They just saw Landon Donovan score one of the most important goals in American soccer history in a moment that will forever be captured in advertisements featuring our most patriotic moments in sports.  They saw Donovan almost kick the ball through the netting en route to a tie against Slovenia.  If Donovan were a stock right now, it would be buy buy buy!

Another point is the fact that any new soccer fan in the past decade, and let's admit, that's many of you (me included mind you), you have grown up watching Landon Donovan.   It's only natural to believe that this player, the unquestioned best American soccer player ever should be allowed to blossom in Europe and show the rest of the world that American soccer is on the rise.

But it is this last point exactly about why he should stay right here in the US of A.  Consider the fact that Landon Donovan is now 28 years old.  While that's still quite young age amongst us fans, that is teetering on being known as a wily veteran on the world soccer stage.  He will be 32 years old when we see our next World Cup in Brazil.

So I ask, does the MLS's decision of not letting a 28-year-old veteran soccer player really stunt the growth of American soccer?  I argue, that his staying here has far greater potential to positively influence the game!

When you have a hot commodity like Donovan right now, the MLS is rightly keeping him here, so he and the LA Galaxy can attract fans in any city they play in.  With Thierry Henry signing with the New York Red Bulls, the MLS now has two legitimate superstars in their two biggest markets.  That is a big deal for this league and they have every right to take advantage of it.

The ratings for the World Cup this year were at an all time high, with a final between two European nations generating a rating that nearly bested Game 7 of this year's NBA Finals.  Think of how many young soccer fans know who Landon Donovan is now.  And just think how many can convince their parents to shell out $50, go to their nearest MLS team's stadium, and see his new found hero in action?  

You never know, that 15-year-old kid, who has to decide between soccer and football now may side with the beautiful game, and play alongside Donovan in World Cup qualifiers in 2013.  It was that way in 2000 and 2001 when young kids like Donovan and DaMarcus Beasley came onto the American soccer scene.

And while fans are riled up about the fact that Donovan might not play in the English Premier League, it shouldn't be him you worry about not playing in Europe.  While I believe Landon should stay in the U.S., the same should not be said for numerous other stars you saw on this World Cup squad.

Players like Jozy Altidore needs to stay relevant in the European Leagues so that in four years, he will be a 24 year old player beginning to fully fulfill his potential.  Benny Feilhaber should find himself on a better roster in Europe to keep perfecting those through balls like he did so well in this World Cup.  Maurice Edu needs to crack the lineup in Rangers and stay there. 

And don't forget Charlie Davies, the forward who nearly died in a car accident last year and was kept off the team due to those injuries.  He is currently playing for Sochaux in France, and it's imperative he stays there so that he and Altidore can become a fearsome duo in Brazil.

Last but certainly not least is the real breakout star of South Africa, Michael Bradley.   His solid performance in every game, not to mention his highlight reel goal against Slovenia turned a lot of heads in this World Cup.  At the young age of 22, Bradley could become the team's new leader moving forward.  And if there was any athlete that needed to get playing time in the English Premier League, it is him, not Donovan.

As I conclude this little rant, it should be said that I have nothing against Landon Donovan.  He did a remarkable job this year, and exorcised any demons that he may have had from the disappointment in 2006.  I surely believe he has the talent to hang with any team in Europe. 

But when you talk about how he can best help American soccer, it won't be in the British isles, or the Bundesliga or Serie A.  It's going to be right here, making the MLS more relevant so more star power players like Henry will want to come play here.  The more marketable players you have on this continent, the more people come to see the games and the more they watch on ESPN.

The more people who watch these games, the more coverage it will get by the media and the more sponsorship deals the athletes and the league will get.  And the more attention the league gets, many more children will grow up wanting to follow in the footsteps of those players they see.

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Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy sure don't deserve to be at the top of Major League Soccer. Not a chance. Not after humiliating themselves 2-0 on the road at Gillette Stadium against the New England Revolution on July 10.

Then again, when you combine that with a similarly poor performance from the reserves against Seattle last Wednesday in the Open Cup quarters, it was simply a week to forget.

While it may be a stretch to say that the days of the Galaxy's reign at the top may be numbered, with second-place Real Salt Lake with a game in hand and just six points behind, LA's recent shortcomings on the road may come back to haunt them as they continue their Summer Gauntlet.

At the same time, this must to be a sign of hope for Curt Onalfo's D.C. United, the league laggards lingering near the bottom of the 2010 MLS standings.

Currently, D.C. is 15th overall and seventh in the Eastern Conference, just one point better than the expansion Philadelphia Union (although they have three games in hand over United).

They are winless in their last four league matches, two of them ending in defeat.

As for LA, Donovan Ricketts needs to snap out of his tendency to drop stinkbombs every once in a while.

Saturday's performance against New England was, without a doubt, atypical of his year so far. Ricketts currently has a 0.47 goals against average, and his save percentage dropped to 85.1 percent.

He will be feeling the heat from the ever-loyal Barra Brava, Screaming Eagles, La Norte, and the other D.C. United supporters groups at RFK Stadium.

"For me, I think I would say it's one of the original, true great soccer venues," Galaxy assistant coach Dave Sarachan said. "What makes it great is not only the physical layout but the people in that building.

"They do have a great fan base, and it resonates in there. You throw in the heat and usually the humidity and it's not an easy place to play.

"I love going in there. RFK brings back so many memories; some venues I'm not crazy about, but this one I enjoy going back to."

Sarachan was an assistant coach for D.C. United in 1997-99, and Arena coached D.C. United from 1996-1998.

"It's a great environment," Arena added. "When they have a good crowd in that stadium, it rocks. Over the years, [the pitch has] gotten beat up a little bit and it is getting [worn out after] years [of use], but when you step on the field it's still a special place for a game in MLS."

As you know, Edson Buddle and Landon Donovan have 10 goals and assists, respectively. A healthy Donovan should boost the chances for Los Angeles to get back on the winning track.

Defensively, Todd Dunivant has become the ironman of the team, playing all 1,440 league minutes so far.

It seems as if the team missed Omar Gonzalez's presence in the Revolution's defeat.

With the suspension already passed, the MLS All-Star selection will look to atone for the yellow card committed against Real Salt Lake in Sandy earlier this year.

As for D.C. United, it has been nothing short of a dismal season. Only seven players have scored for D.C. United, and four of them have managed just two goals. That's not to say D.C. do not have any threats on offense.

Adam Cristman and Wallace are the two players to watch for D.C. Cristman has chalked up two goals and an assist, while Wallace leads the team with two assists on the year.

Another player to look out for is Montenegro's very own Branko Boskovic. Boskovic made his mark as a member of Red Star Belgrade from 1999-2003 and Rapid Wien from 2007 up to this season.

This is the very first time I am actually going to call for a draw. I haven't been very pleased with the lack of form from this team as of late.

Sometimes the best teams in any league need to go through a lull before they build up steam, just like the Abney Park song.

By the way, that ragtag group of steampunk industrial musicians is from Seattle, that same city where D.C.'s midweek opponents hail from. A little trivia for you.

Let's try this result.

Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PT and will be covered by Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español.

Four to the MLS test with the Devils


Mr. Donovan and Mr. Buddle, Mr. Rooney of the Manchester United Football Club just called. He's inviting you and several others for a test match in Houston.

Oh yes, and he also added, "Do bring Mr. Gonzalez and Mr. Rickets as well." End of message. You've accepted? Splendid! I will relay the message to the guys, thank you.

Now then, as expected, Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle are called to the MLS All-Star First XI, while Omar Gonzalez and Donovan Ricketts get a look at a Manchester United side that will look to get their mojo back (as well as lick gaping English World Cup wounds) in the Premier League with this friendly on July 28 at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

“That’s great recognition for our four All-Stars,” said Arena, who will manage the MLS All-Stars. “They’d be the first to tell you that their teammates played a vital role in their selection and I’m sure they’re indebted to the work that their teammates have given in a positive way in the first half this season. It’s a nice honor and I think we all look forward to the game against Manchester United.”

“At this time of the year, you really realize what you’ve done,” Donovan said. “When you’re in the week-to-week-to-week-to-week grind of it, you’re just focusing on the next game. Now we get an opportunity to relax a tiny bit and kind of take stock to see what we’ve done, and to have four guys representing our team is incredible in the starting lineup. It’s really special.”

This year's edition will be Donovan's 10th All-Star game. Somebody immortalize his legacy in Oneonta, please?

“It’s a great achievement, and I’m very thankful and it shows some of the hard work I did in the offseason paid off to get to this point,” Buddle said on his naming to the All-Star XI. “It means everything, to be an All-Star especially in this league is not easy. I thank the fans first of all and I just have to continue to play well and score goals.”

“I’m just extremely happy to be voted in by my peers, coaches, the fans,” Gonzalez said. “I just want to thank everyone who voted and I can’t wait to play in my first All-Star game. There are a lot of great players in this league and to be named one of the best ones is incredible, being my second year. I’m just extremely happy right now.”

“Unfortunately, the 11 couldn’t go, but I think the four who are going will represent the Galaxy,” Ricketts said. “We are going as individuals, but we’ve made it together as a team. I can’t emphasize how much the team has helped everyone this season.

"It’s an individual award, but it’s a team effort to get this step.”

If only you didn't pay tribute to Robert Green last Saturday, Big Cat from Montego Bay...tsk, tsk.

Let bygones be bygones, chief. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN2 HD and TeleFutura.


Youth Academy Update

Nice try, SUSA-Everton and Lancaster Rattlers in your attempt to rewrite the script, but it's not going to work.

Speaking of which, if Lancaster's 20-0 shellacking at the hands of SUSA-Everton was intentional (and I note this because of the suspicion that there is something going on regarding this), then this author demands that the club folds and is also suspended for all they are worth.

There is no excuse for them not to show up, or even worse, CHOOSE not to show up just to give SUSA-Everton the title on goal differential.

If the Galaxy did not get the draw they needed against the Southern California Seahorses (and they did, 2-2, securing the Pacific Southern California U20M Division in the USL Super20 League), there has to be some type of inquiry as to perhaps something shady going on at UC Riverside.

I'm even going to go on a limb here and say that American Samoa's national team could beat Lancaster. The Rattlers have no business being in this competition if they can't show up ready to play.

Nonetheless, the Galaxy will do some postseason work, as they qualify for the Super-20 Finals. Congrats to the Galaxy Youth Academy Under-20's in securing the division.

The 20-team tournament (12 men’s teams, 8 women’s teams) will be hosted by the Chicago Fire at the Sportscore Complexes in Rockford, Ill. The tournament will begin Thursday, July 29 and run through Sunday, Aug. 1.

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