After a frustrating 1-0 loss at home to the vastly improved San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders FC Coach Sigi Schmid showed creative aptitude in constructing a movie analogy.

Schmid saw the loss as a case of playing with motivation through a large part of a match but losing concentration over the short haul with the result being a loss.

“You close your eyes for part of a film and you lose its entire thread,” Schmid said.

He zeroed in on the fact that the Sounders looked flat, listless, and lacked crispness as well as concentration early in the match, which saw the team lose twice in a row at the Xbox pitch of Qwest Field before the home faithful for the only time in the team’s history.

“We played poorly in the first 10 minutes,” Schmid said, “and then we rebounded.  The fact we rebounded did not enable us to win and that’s what counts.”

In addition to allowing the visitors from Northern California to score in the 11th minute on the game’s only score with a Chris Wondolowski left-footer, there was other evidence Schmid cited of poor concentration in other phases of play.

One point he made was the tendency of his players to spend too much time contesting calls. “The time you spend arguing with officials is time off the clock that should be devoted to scoring goals.”  He expanded the point in noting that when glances are made toward officials the team also loses focus, making it more vulnerable to attack.

Another criticism regarding concentration related to the physical condition of midfielder Steve Zakuani, who was nursing a sore shoulder.  “With his teammates knowing about his injury, why did one or more of them not come forward when he took the ball out?  They should have thought about that and given him some help.”

“Right now things are not falling our way,” Schmid conceded.  “Obviously the players are disgusted.  We need to finish what we start.”

Schmid has made a profound point.  It is one thing to put in time on the training field leading to a match.  It can be a different proposition to have just the right mental focus to enhance victory chances.

A veteran soccer coach who became UCLA head mentor at the early age of 27, and later became a professional legend at Columbus Crew, Sigi Schmid knows how to win soccer matches.

He knows that the mental aspects of  the game are every bit as important, and in some respects even more so, than the physical factor.

Expect plenty of words directed in the area of mental concentration during the brief period between now and Wednesday night’s friendly at home against highly regarded Boca Juniors of Buenos Aires.

After that expect more of the same leading to the resumption of MLS play next Saturday against Colorado.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

The San Jose Earthquakes have improved mightily this season through outstanding defense.  Today on the Xbox pitch of Qwest Field before 35,953 onlookers, the visitors scored once early in the contest and made the goal stand up for a 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC.

The San Jose improvement has been meteoric.  Last season the defense was porous as the Northern California team yielded an MLS high of 50 goals.  With today’s victory San Jose sits in second place in the Western Conference behind only the high flying L.A. Galaxy.

The San Jose surge has resulted in four straight triumphs, all via the shutout route.  The loss marked the only time that the Sounders have dropped two straight contests at home.  They remain winless this season against Western opponents going into their next league competition next Saturday at Colorado.

The win put the Earthquakes at 5-2-1 with 16 points.  The loss moved the Sounders under the five hundred mark to 3-4-3 and 12 points.

Chris Wondolowski came into the action as San Jose’s hot point producer with four goals.  In the 11th minute Bobby Convey served a ball headed by Brandon McDonald and Bobby Burling that reached Wondolowski.  His left-footed boot rolled just inside the back post.

While this was not a case of stoppage time blues with the Sounders, who have seen that pattern occur with unnerving frequency, it was accompanied by a highly familiar tendency.

The Sounders ultimately emerged with decisive edges in shots, but coach Sigi Schmid was not about to advance that element in support of a silver lining behind the cloud theory.

“Too many times we have been victimized by lapses of concentration,” Schmid said at the post-match press conference.  “It is like watching a movie.  You close your eyes during a few brief periods of time and you lose the entire thread of the film.”

More will be revealed in a corresponding story about Schmidt’s comments, but to expand his movie analogy, this was clearly a case of a re-run that the Sounders mentor has seen too many times and would love to promptly eliminate.

The bottom line was that San Jose had just a single shot on goal early in the contest by forward Wondolowski and made it pay off.  The visitors had two corner kicks by midfielder Bobby Convey and as many saves by goalkeeper Joe Cannon.

On the other hand, forward Steve Zakuani alone had three of a total seven shots by the home team.  Sanna Nyassi and Zakuani each had a shot on goal while Nathan Sturgis had three corner kicks.

The Sounders move back quickly into action on Wednesday night, hosting international power Boca Juniors of Buenos Aires.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

West Long Beach is a football hotbed, and for a reason. My neighborhood is known for having a strong devotion to Chivas Guadelajara, Club America, Pumas UNAM, Atlas, and other mainstays in the Primera Division de Mexico. I see high school students don these jerseys, juggling replica Jabulanis while chatting about classes, relationships, and football.

However, there are others in my neighborhood who follow the clubs in Argentina. When you think of Argentine football, the two biggest clubs that come to mind are River Plate and Boca Juniors. Sure, there are other well known teams like Independiente, Estudiantes de la Plata, Newell's Old Boys, Racing, Lanus, San Lorenzo, and those sides, but it's the Superclasico power duo of Boca and River that have drawn the most attention.

On Sunday at 5:00 p.m. PT, Roberto Pompei's Xeneizes will tangle—er, tango with Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy at the grassy dance floor known as the Home Depot Center.

No introduction is necessary on what makes Boca Juniors a club worth celebrating/scorning in Argentina.

Boca have tallied up 23 Argentine Primera Division crowns, six Copa Libertadores, four Recopas Sudamericanas, three world club titles (Intercontinental Cup), two Copas Sudamericanas, one Copa Oro, one Supercopa Sudamericana, and one Supercopa Masters. Their 18 international titles ties AC Milan for the most.

Boca Juniors were awarded the title "Campeón de Honor" in 1925, due to a highly successful tour through Europe in which the club played Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Real Sociedad for a 15-1-3. Combined with their 41 professional titles, and 7 amateur champions, that makes it 49. This goes to show you why Boca Juniors are known as El Rey de Copas , the King of Trophies.

And they have also created some great players such as Juan Román Riquelme, Nicolás Burdisso, Carlos Tévez, and Fernando Gago, among others.

The shield that constitutes Boca's insignia is updated every time a new championship is added. With every new Primera Division crown, a new gold star enters the blue.

Roughly 40 percent of all Argentinians are fans of the club. As a results, they get their own coffins and a cemetery. The Galaxy, sadly, don't have that option yet. Give them a few decades.

But enough about trophies and fans. Let's take a look at the match. This is the makeup of the team touring the States.

Goalkeepers: Javier García, Josué Ayala, Sebastián D’Angelo

Defenders: Gastón Sauro, Leandro Aguirre, Hugo Ibarra, Leandro Marín, Luciano Fabián Monzón, Ezequiel Muñoz, Breyner Bonilla (Colombia), David Achucarro.

Midfielders: Jesús Méndez, Cristian Erbes, Matías Giménez, Nicolás Colazo, Gastón Rossi.

Forwards :Pablo Mouche, Lucas Viatri, Nicolás Blandi, Orlando Gaona Lugo (Paraguay), Sergio Araujo.

Many of the top stars on the club such as Palermo, Riquelme, and Federico Insua will sit this one out because of the Albiceleste's final preparations for South Africa. That's not to say this Boca Juniors side is not dangerous its own right.

Watch for Luciano Monzon to play a key role in Boca's defense. Monzon was a member of the Argentine U-23 team that won the gold medal at Beijin a couple years ago. Also, Javier Garcia is a rising young keeper and will be one to watch at Calle Victoria.

This should be a contest that will prove to be a critical warm-up to the May 29 match between the Galaxy and Columbus Crew.


Prediction:

With the watered-down rosters on both sides, I am going to say that Boca wins, but it will be a more even contest than it would otherwise be. Let's try this scoreline.

Boca Juniors 3, Los Angeles Galaxy 1

The match will be televised by Fox Sports West and Galavision. Now for some...

Ins and Outs

Inter's trebles paints Milan black...and blue

So, Bruce Arena, did you say hello to Jose Mourinho for me while you were away?

That's because Mourinho's Inter Milan defeated Louis van Gaal's Bayern Munich 2-0 in the 2010 UEFA Champions League final in Madrid.

"Generally these games tend to be a little on the conservative side because there's so much at stake," Arena said on the match. "I think everybody probably was looking for a final of Barcelona-Manchester United, but I think Bayern Munich-Inter Milan is the next best thing."

Or Manchester United vs. the MLS All Stars. Can't beat that. Or...maybe not.

Have fun painting the town black and blue, you nerizzuri-clad Inter Milan fans.


Blitzkrieg in Cleveland dooms Die Nationalelf

You can't blame the fans for getting that feeling that they were let down for not seeing a close, tenacious friendly betwen Pia Sundhage's USA women and Silvia Neid's Germany counterparts at Cleveland's Paul Brown Stadium.

It was nothing but a blitzkrieg of an ambush as the USA demolished Germany 4-0 off of a brace by Abby Wambach, Heather O'Reilly's first goal in 15 tries, and another by Kristine Lilly.

The USA earned their first off a Wambach penalty in the 31st minute. Six minutes later, a scramble in the box found O'Reilly, whose finish facilitated by Shannon Boxx healed the 14-game itch.

But it was the two goals in two minutes in the second half that all but sealed the deal for the USA. Lilly's 130th career goal was followed up by Wambach scoring on the transition from Lori Lindsey.

It was almost a hat trick for Wambach late in stoppage time, but her would-be third goal was called for offsides.

That's not to say the USA's defending wasn't holding its part. Hope Solo was clutch in the net, making save after save after save. Every chance Germany had was either called for offsides (with a good deal of that coming at the expense of Inka Grings) or denied by the USA's No. 1.

Hey Silvia, seems to me that the vacation you promised Die Nationalelf couldn't have come any sooner.

Prelim work for the G's at the Champions League

The Los Angeles Galaxy will be facing the Puerto Rico Islanders of the USSF Division 2 Pro League in the Preliminary Round of the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League. The Islanders qualified as the champion of the 2010 CFU Club Championship, defeating Trinadad and Tobago's Joe Public FC.

The first leg of this series will be scheduled for July 26 at the Home Depot Center. The second leg will take place at Bayamon's Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium on the weekend of August 3.

The winner will join the winner of the 2010 Bicentenario Liguilla between Toluca or Santos Laguna, CD Olimpia of Honduras and the winner between Club Xelaju MC of Guatemala and one of these teams from El Salvador: CD FAS, CD Aguila and AD Isidro Metapan.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Supporter is a title used proudly by fans throughout the world.  Athletes thrill and frustrate us with their actions and achievements on the field of play.  Many supporters like to create a hierarchy of support.  "I am hardcore", and "I support through thick and thin" are mantras we all proudly repeat throughout our life.

There may not be an athlete on earth today more deserving of your support than Joe Vide.  When you strip away the titles and jerseys that divide us, it is true that sports fans have a common theme.  We appreciate and take enjoyment from the games we love.

Vide is a former MLS star who has gone head to head with world greats such as David Beckham.  Vide now faces his most difficult opponent.  Diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Vide has had the plug pulled by a medical insurance company, and turns to the soccer world for support that could save his life.

As a supporter, it is a thrill to know we contribute to success on the field, roaring our team on to a goal or creating a hostile environment for the opposition.  In the case of Joe Vide, you have the chance to offer support that is more relevant, and more life changing than anything you have done previously. 

A recovery by Vide would be a true triumph for the American soccer community.  It will present the American soccer game with a Lance Armstrong figure, an inspirational recovery that can inspire millions of others through times of difficulty.  If you doubt the wide reaching impact such a triumph can have, look around today and see if you spot a yellow rubber wrist band in support of Armstrong.

Vide was an ACC champion with the University of Virginia, and battled to make in the MLS, the pinnacle of the American game.  His ball winning ability and no quit attitude gained him roster spots with the San Jose Earthquakes, New York Red Bulls and D.C. United.  He will now fight again, and you could have a life changing impact through spreading the message of support. 

If you wish to contact or offer support to Joe Vide, he can be reached via his website, set up by former Virginia teammate Will Hall;

http://www.thefriendsofjoevide.org/

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Begin Slideshow

Source: Click Here

Begin Slideshow

Source: Click Here

New York Red Bulls 1 Columbus Crew 3

Harrison, N.J. – No Schelotto, no Rogers, no Marshall, no problem. The Columbus Crew shrugged off the absence of their three World Cup stars to produce a 3-1 win at Red Bull Arena. 

The Red Bulls started well and for half an hour this was a tense affair, both teams giving away little. The midfield units went toe to toe in a game of much possession and only sporadic penetration. The opening goal came in the 35th minute, when the movement of Eddie Gaven allowed him to be wide open in front of goal, converting a Frankie Hejduk cross with a smart header past Bouna Coundoul.

The Red Bulls were stung by the goal and quickly carved out an opening in retaliation, only for Ubiparipovic to strike the post. In the 39th minute, Columbus struck a huge blow by taking a somewhat against the run of play 2-0 lead. A Gaven corner found a wide open Andy Iro, who powered a header into the net to send the travelling Crew fans into raptures.

The Red Bulls came out after half time and responded well to the 2 goal deficit. The home side pressured further up the field, added width with a change of shape and asked more questions of Columbus. Five minutes into the second half, a through ball to Dane Richards saw the Jamaican forward beat Iro for pace, only to see his shot rebound off the goal post. In the third Red Bull effort of the night to find the woodwork, Juan Pablo Angel struck a 60th minute free kick against the cross bar.

The Red Bulls second half play was rewarded in the 81st minute. Full back Carlos Mendes pushed up the flank to cross from deep.  Crew goalkeeper Will Hesmer found himself in no man’s land as rookie Tony Tchani headed in his first career goal.

As the home crowd prepared for a nine minute onslaught, the Crew quickly burst their bubble. A defensive mix up presented Emilio Renteria with a breakaway chance, he ruthlessly converted to suck the air out of the home crowd, and send the Crew home with a valuable three points.  The Crew are now in first place in the Eastern Conference, with two games in hand over New York.

Scoring Summary

CLB – Eddie Gaven 2 (Frankie Hejduk 2) 35

CLB – Andy Iro 2 (Eddie Gaven 2) 39

NY – Tony Tchani 1 (Carlos Mendes 1) 81

CLB – Emilio Renteria 1 (unassisted) 83

NY – Coundoul, Albright (Mendes 71), Petke, Ream, Borman, Hall (Wolyniec 68), Ubiparipovic (Tchani 65), Miller, Stammler, Richards, Angel.

CLB – Hesmer, Hejduk, Brunner, Iro, O’Rourke, Gaven, Carroll, Moffat (Zayner 57), Ekpo (Renteria 68), Lenhart, Garey (Oughton 89).

Att: 11,940

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Landon Donovan? We don't need no stinkin' Landon Donovan!

Edson Buddle? We don't need stinkin' Edson Buddle!

Though their presence would have made the Los Angeles Galaxy's 1-0 victory over FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park on Thursday a bit nicer, it was not needed for Bruce Arena's club, who are unbeaten at 8-0-2 (26 points) and consolidate their hold on Major League Soccer and the MLS Western Conference.

Who would have thought that Mike Magee's patience would result in a goal in the 17th minute that would see G's earn some humble revenge for the 6-3 shellacking last season?

Early in the season, Magee's finishing has seen him squash every chance he had to get on the score sheet for the year.

Leave it to a blown assignment early by the Hoops backline to allow Chris Birchall and Tristan Bowen succeed in scoring a textbook connection to Magee, who made no mistake in tapping it past FC Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.

Kudos to Donovan Ricketts for his efforts in the 58th minute. A chance by Jeff Cunningham to equalize was stymied by the Jamaican international. You're not going to get one past the Big Cat from Montego Bay when he bounces back from an injury in practice.

At the same time I ponder on top of the MLS mountain this rhetorical question: What is with Abbey Okulaja getting whatever face time he can get? Four yellow cards in one match? Glad it wasn't worse.

But in the end, the Okulaja affair was a mere sideshow in the main event: the test of depth for the Galaxy. They passed the first one through an early first-half strike and their trademark stingy defending.

No Landon plus no Edson equals no problems.

And with the win, Los Angeles is nine points ahead of the new leaders of the MLS Eastern Conference, the Columbus Crew.

A 2-0 win over the New York Red Bulls has seen Robert Warzycha's club rise to second overall in the MLS standings and have the chance inch a little closer against the Kansas City Wizards on May 23.

The Crew currently have three games hand over the Galaxy.

Los Angeles travels to Columbus Crew Stadium on May 29. Kickoff against the Massive is scheduled for 4:30 pm PT.

Ins And Outs

Landon Donovan Goes With the FLO.

With the 2010 FIFA World Cup just three weeks and change away, the Galaxy's Landon Donovan has been named spokesman for FLO TV's national ad campaigns this week.

FLO TV is a mobile television subsidiary of San Diego's Qualcomm Incorporated, and will offer ESPN's non-stop coverage of the action from the Rainbow Nation. (Quite a sensation.)

You can see the ad in which Donovan juggles Jabulani while watching footage from a FLO TV personal television on Donovan’s Facebook page, FLO TV’s Facebook page, and www.FLOTV.com.

And don't forget to check out the UFC action, too. Oops, wrong subject. Moving right along...

Bruce Almighty...Making Another Call?

That's right, he is.

After the match, Arena took a flight to Madrid, Spain to prepare for some Fox Soccer Channel work. That's because Arena will be working as an analyst for Friday morning's broadcast of the UEFA Champions League final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.

Have fun covering the action at the Santiago Bernabeu, and say helo to Jose Mourinho for me. Finally...

It Takes Two to Tango, but Only the Galaxy to Play Boca (on Sunday).

The Los Angeles Galaxy will divert from their MLS adventures and focus their attention to a Sunday friendly with Club Atletico Boca Juniors at 5pm PT.

The match will be televised by Galavision and Fox Sports West. A full match preview will follow later this week.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

T-180 minutes to kickoff: Today marks the first time that the Galaxy play Thursday night football in Major League Soccer, and it's on the road against FC Dallas at Frisco, Texas's very own Pizza Hut Park, known by many as "The Oven."

T-170: A little info on "The Oven." The 21,193-seat complex got the name because of the summer climate during afternoon matches and the stadium's location below sea level. Add the enthusiasm of supporters' groups such as the Inferno and FCD Nation, La Raza Latina, and El Matador, and you have the ingredients for a rather appetizing unique home field advantage (no pun intended).

Pizza Hut's corporate headquarters are located in nearby Addison, a suburb of Dallas. No surprise that they bought the rights to the name from its former moniker, the [exhaustive] Frisco Soccer & Entertainment Complex.

T-160: FC Dallas was one of the original MLS teams that kicked off the inaugural 1996 season, playing at the Cotton Bowl for their first six seasons. As the Dallas Burn, they earned a U.S. Open Cup in 1997. However, the Burn were not one of the best teams in the league, and it was not until 2005 that they tasted glory again. A season at Southlake Carroll's Dragon Stadium and a final season in the Cotton Bowl gave way to the move to The Hut (another nickname for their stadium) and a rebranding to their current name.

Now as FC Dallas, they earned their first MLS Supporters' Shield in 2006 and were runners-up in the U.S. Open Cup in 2005 and 2007.

T-150: FC Dallas's chief rival is the Chicago Fire. The battle for the Brimstone Cup began in 2001, and was inspired from the team names on both teams at the time: Fire and Burn. Quote Virgil from the Aeneid: "The more the kindled combat rises high'r, The more with fury burns the blazing fire."

Dallas has dominate this series since 2002.

T-140: Another trophy FC Dallas battles for is a howitzer cannon called "El Capitan." This trophy goes between to the winner of the Texas Derby between the Hoops and the Houston Dynamo. FC Dallas reclaimed El Capitan on May 5 with a 1-0 win at Robertson Stadium.

T-130: Finally, there is the Lamar Hunt Pioneer Cup, contested between the Hoops and the Columbus Crew. Both teams are owned by the Hunt Sports Group, and this match takes place during the preseason. Dallas defeated Columbus on March 20 by the score of 2-1.

T-120: Holy cow, I realized something: If Dallas defends their Cup, they already got a Treble. You lucky DFW denizens...

Time for the lineups.

T-60: An hour to go before kickoff. FC Dallas's next three matches include a May 27 road test with Chicago in the Brimstone Cup, a June 5 home match with the San Jose Earthquakes, and then a June 26 home tie with Chivas USA.

T-30: Los Angeles's next three matches outside of their May 23 friendly with Boca Juniors include a May 29 road test with the Columbus Crew, a June 5 match at home against Houston, and a June 9 contest at Sandy's Rio tinto Stadium to take on Real Salt Lake.

T-7: Our match referee today is our good friend, Mr. Abbey Okulaja. Peter Balciunas and Adam Gamer are our linesmen and the fourth official tonight is Chris Penso.

FIRST HALF START: 5:36 P.M. PT

1' - We're off. It's time to see what this Galaxy's depth is made of as they head into the gauntlet that is...The Oven.

2' - Throw-in for Dallas. Nabbing some on-campus concessions.

4' - Diving save from Kevin Hartman. The Galaxy are coming out firing, and reset the rotation.

5' - Great to see the Big Cat from Montego Bay, Donovan Ricketts, return from the injury in practice last week. He saves the volley from Jeff Cunningham.

7' - The Hoops will be content to be patient early on as Todd Dunivant throws it in past the touch line.

8' - Jeff Cunningham was off on the timing. That delivery by Atiba Harris on the transition nearly paid huge dividends for the Hoops.

9' - Juninho has to be kicking himself for squandering his own possession there. Offsides on Cunningham.

11' - Just early on, and it's scoreless.

12' - Ugo Ihemelu, a former member of the G's, had to clear that out of danger. Dunivant is dangerous when he has the ball. Corner time.

13' - Bowen was off on that one. This is sure to be a learning curve tonight. Bruce Arena looks on, and realizes that somewhere in the depth of his footballing mind...he ponders the same thing.

14' - Too long, and here's Ricketts with the latest goal kick.

16' - Long ball, and Hartman resets.

17' - Chris Birchall clears that, and here they come...

17' - GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 18 Mike Magee Assist 17 Tristan Bowen
Magee finally opens his scoring account, and he was onsides, too. Lack of depth? What lack of depth? That's just the FC Dallas defense collapsing on the Galaxy counterattack, brothers and sisters.

20' - Nothing fancy; just a 1-0 lead to L.A.

21' - In other action, the Columbus Crew are leading the New York Red Bulls 2-0.

22' - Dallas on the attack. They are no stranger to equalizers. Can they get one here this half?

23' - Foul on Michael Stephens, says Abbey Okulaja. This is Dax McCarty with the free kick. Snatched up by Mr. Ricketts for a goal kick.

24' - Another foul, this time on Chris Klein for tripping up Benitez.

25' - Good challenge by Gregg Berhalter, stopping FC Dallas' counter. The captain lays down the law for the men in white. Hartman with another goal kick.

26' - Dubious challenge by Omar Gonzalez, and Bruce is not too pleased, as expected. Set piece time.

27' - Magee gets tackled, and it was a clean one by Benitez. Play on, says Okulaja. Hmmmm.

28' - A pass for Zach Loyd is Texas-sized. Throw in. Here come the Hoops once again.

Yellow Card 3 Ugo Ihemelu
FC Dallas

29' - Dunivant butchered that corner. Yeesh. Goal kick for Hartman.

30' - This is Michael Stephens. Magee was offsides. And when you argue the call, you will pay. You can call that with Braille, Mr. Okulaja.

Yellow card 18 Mike Magee
Los Angeles Galaxy

The fans got their own oversized yellow cards too. The cheeky spectators...

33' - A shot by George John goes wide. Corner for FC Dallas. The Inferno get some face time. DFW's footballing hardcore optimists.

34' - Yellow card 26 Michael Stephens
Los Angeles Galaxy

That's three already, and we are in the 35th minute. Hey, if Okulaja is not careful, Don Garber in the MLS Commisioner's Office may have to give him a yellow card for hogging too much attention on tape delay.

37' - There is going to be some physical play. Juninho and Gregg Berhalter laying down the law.

38' - High shot by Harris. Goal kick.

40' - Good shot by Birchall, but an even better save by Hartman. He wants in on the scoring feast, but the white Soca Warrior will need to add a little more scotch bonnet to his shot to do so. Offsides, FC Dallas.

41' - And Brek Shea with the tackle on Dunivant draws the wrath of Okulaja.

Yellow card 20 Brek Shea
FC Dallas

This is going to get ugly with the people on record tonight. And Shea also kicking the ball in frustration probably made the reasoning card more for dissent, rather than the foul on Dunivant.

43' - A.J. De La Garza with the throw-in. Hoops maintain possession, and here is Hartman with the goal kick.

44' - All in all, I'm not too disappointed by the Galaxy this half, but the chippy play leaves more to be desired as Ricketts grabs that for a goal kick.

45' - Gonzalez with the throw-in. Adjustments will need to be made during the break. One minute of added time, says Mr. Chris Penso.

45' + 1' - Great defense from Dunivant, and Ricketts saves that shot from Shea off the Benitez delivery. It's halftime.

SECOND HALF START: 6:40 P.M.

46' - The second half begins. Can the Galaxy add to this lead, or will FC Dallas's equalizing touch confound the visitors from Victoria Street?

47' - Here comes Brek Shea, but the pass from Ihemelu is too long. The long-ball obsession can be bad if you live and die by it.

48' - I have observed that the Galaxy prefer to pass a little shorter. Obvious comparison. Throw-in for FC Dallas, but the defense clamps down.

49' - It's still Columbus leading New York 2-0 in the 2nd half.

50' - Counter for the G's after Ricketts saves that.

52' - More than 50 minutes into the match, and it's 1-0 Los Angeles.

54' - And Omar Gonzalez is there to make a good stop on Shea. Brek's not getting the breaks tonight.

55' - L.A. on the counter. Bad pass on the wing by Juninho.

56' - Goal kick for Ricketts.

57' - In other news on the march, the Seattle Sounders FC are named Professional Sports Franchise of the Year. Is it because they gave fans a refund for the 4-0 drubbing L.A. dealt them?

58' - A series of diving saves from Donovan Ricketts. He does some serious work this minute. Let that be a lesson to not overdo things during training. Best of the night.

59' - And that was a rough foul by Daniel Hernandez on Michael Stephens. Set piece time.

60' - Didn't try to volley it high with the distance, and here comes FC Dallas. And Benitez with the foul. Okulaja already dished out four yellows. No need to be a hog yet again, Abbey.

61' - Although in Benitez's defense, the threat of simulation may have watered things down.

62' - Throw-in for the Hoops. Here come the G's. Some good passes, but FCD is there to force them back in their own third.

63' - Now here is the first sub of the match.

Substitution FC Dallas
IN 12 Eric Avila
OUT 9 Jeff Cunninghanm

64' - Pass for Atiba Harris is too long. Goal kick for Ricketts. Bowen in need of some rehydration. They don't call this place The Oven for nothin'. (Hey, I made a rhyme.)

Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 84 Clint Mathis
OUT 17 Tristan Bowen

65' - Dallas back on the attack. Set piece time from Dax McCarty.

66' - Too high and too far right. Goal kick for Ricketts. That's the lowdown in The Oven right now.

68' - Dallas still has time to figure out the defense of the Galaxy. Schellas Hyndman looks like Ebenezer Scrooge with a tan out there. Bruce Arena, however, is hoping that they consolidate their lead and not just sit on their one-goal advantage.

69' - In short, still anyone's game. Brek Shea provides that as his shot misses the far right post. Dangerous ball. Ricketts was beat, too.

Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 28 Sean Franklin
OUT 7 Chris Klein

Welcome back, Sean...

71' - More solid defending from the Galaxy.

72' - Substitution FC Dallas
IN 18 Marvin Chavez
OUT 20 Brek Shea

Here comes the Honduran international, on loan from CD Marathon.

73' - Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 9 Jovan Kirovski
OUT 18 Mike Magee

Wholesale changes, perhaps to get some fresh bodies in ahead of the friendly with the Boca boys.

74' - Goal kick for Ricketts.

75' - Fifteen minutes and stoppage time to go, and it's still 1-0 to the Galaxy.

76' - That was too long for Juninho. And here comes a corner.

77' - Substitution FC Dallas
IN 21 Bryan Leyva
OUT 19 Zach Loyd

78' - Too long by Ihemelu. Throw-in for the G's. And the frustration continues.

79' - That was quite a tackle from FC Dallas on Clint Mathis by Bryan Leyva, but no foul. Goal kick for Ricketts.

80' - Hoops on the attack, but the Galaxy counters.

81' - I am not a fan of the Galaxy playing bunkerball for the rest of this game, but if they have to melt the clock without the services of Donovan and Buddle, well...it's a safe option.

82' - FC Dallas has had a good deal of the possession, but they still haven't been able to crack this defense.

83' - Terrible pass down the middle by the Galaxy. Offsides on FC Dallas. But still, squandering the transition, and the counterattack is just deflating when you are bidding to consolidate your lead.

85' - Goal kick for Ricketts. Offsides on Jovan Kirovski.

87' - Corner for the Galaxy. This is Clint Mathis. Taken short for a throw-in.

88' - They are going to melt this clock a little bit. El Matador with some smoke bombs.

89' - Sean Franklin commits the foul on Benitez.

90' - Corner for FC Dallas. The wireless connection here at Devry University's Long Beach center is betraying me.

90' + 1' - Four minutes of stoppage time.

90' + 2' - Goal kick for Ricketts. Seven shots for the Galaxy, only six for FC Dallas.

90' + 3' - Mathis for a foul on Ihemelu, he has a smug expression. Another shot goes wide. This has not been FC Dallas's night. That 6-3 scoreline from last year was going to be some karma coming back, and biting hard. Goal kick Ricketts.

90' + 4' - One more corner, taken short, and Okulaja blows the whistle. That is a wrap.

And stay tuned for my take on this match on The View and Bleacher Report.

Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Source: Click Here

Begin Slideshow

Source: Click Here