With the preliminary roster for the U.S. Men's National Team being released earlier this week, nine Major League Soccer players were included. With training camp at Princeton beginning on Monday, six teams will lose USMNT players and two other teams will lose players (Andrew Boyens of New Zealand and New York Red Bulls, and Roger Espinoza of Honduras and Kansas City Wizards).

The biggest loss for any MLS team is obvious. The Los Angeles Galaxy are losing Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle. To show what a big part these two play, the Galaxy are promoting the game versus Toronto FC on Saturday as a send-off game.

The good news for the Galaxy is that they do have Alan Gordon. The 28-year old is experienced and is going to have to get the job done up front for the Galaxy in the goal scoring department. Mike Magee will also be looked to to but some balls in the back of the net.

The midfield loss of Donovan will not be too severe, as the Galaxy has MLS veterans in Clint Mathis, Eddie Lewis, and Chris Klein.

As for the other eight teams that will lose a player to World Cup rosters, only two teams will lose multiple players (Columbus and Chivas USA) and one team has not even seen their player in uniform (Blaise Nkufo in Seattle).

Let's start with Chivas USA and Columbus, who both lose two key players for the next month. Jonathan Bornstein and Sacha Kljestan will leave Chivas after the game against the Crew on Saturday. The biggest loss for the club will be Bornstein at the back. Starters Mariano Trujillo and Michael Umana will still be in the back line while Ante Jazic, Dario Delgado, and Marcelo Saragosa need to step up in Bornstein's absence.

Columbus is losing Chad Marshall and Robbie Rogers after their match against Chivas on Saturday. With the depth that the Crew have, these two players should be easily replaced. The Crew already have solid defenders in Gino Padula and Frankie Hejduk so all the other defenders have to do is not screw up. Rogers' loss is also not too big of a deal because the goal-scoring prowess of Guillermo Barros Schelotto is still there, as well as the youngster Steven Lenhart, who has started the past few games.

The other teams feeling a loss will be FC Dallas (Heath Pearce), Houston Dynamo (Brian Ching), Real Salt Lake (Robbie Findley), Kansas City Wizards (Roger Espinoza), New York Red Bulls (Andrew Boyens), and Seattle's Blaise Nkufo will join the team after his World Cup is over with Switzerland.

Houston and RSL will not have too much difficulty replacing their players, especially Houston, who has played without Ching for most of the season. The other three teams should also have no problem filling in the roster spot of their World Cup players.

All in all, the biggest impact that the World Cup rosters will have is in Los Angeles, where the Galaxy will be down three stars (including the injured David Beckham). The question surrounding the Galaxy will be how they fare in their four games before the World Cup (at Dallas, at Columbus, vs. Houston, at RSL), which are not pushovers.

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Yes, everyone saw it coming. I saw it coming, you saw it coming, your next door neighboor shedding a tear (or not) for the Seattle Sounders saw it coming...everyone did.

Ladies and gentlemen on the View and on Bleacher Report, welcome back to the USA Men's National Team...Edson Buddle.

You can hear church bells ringing in the distance (if not, picture the noise like this ). I bring you great news. The scoring hopes of a resurging footballing country may be saved. Say hello to fresh wind in your sails, noble Yanks.

Roy Lassiter, rest assured...your record is safe for now. Although I will say this...Edson might notch at least one more for good measure before taking off for the May gauntlet.

With Buddle, former Galaxy ace and now Puebla star Herculez Gomez, your usual suspect Landon Donovan and others named to the 30-man preliminary USA national team roster, I will now go on the record and say that Bob Bradley is doing whatever he can to save his skins. He needs Edson.

I will say it one more time. He. Needs. Edson. And at least as a trialist to see if his scoring touch translates nicely to the friendlies against the Czech Republic and Turkey in late May.

And to raise the stakes a little, I will predict that Buddle will stay on the roster if he scores at least once. It doesn't have to be in both matches, just once.

It's going to take a huge, history-changing, logic-defying error on Bradley's part to let Edson go if he scores two or three minimum at Rentschler and Lincoln Financial Fields, respectively.

“Both Edson and Herculez have had a very good season,” Bradley said in a conference call earlier this week. “Both have helped their teams a great deal. Edson has been the hottest goal scorer in MLS and has helped the Galaxy get off to a great start.

"Herculez was an important player with Puebla and scored a lot of goals. We feel that both of them have shown enough for us to take a look at them as we start the camp.”

“Nothing happens before the time,” Buddle said on the call-up. “Right now it’s happened and who knows why I never got called in before. Timing is everything and maybe it’s my time to show what I could do.”

Indeed it is your time, Edson Buddle. Now make the most of it and do your country proud.

But first, how about you take care of some business with a certain club up north?

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U.S. National Team coach Bob Bradley announced the 30-man provisional U.S. World Cup team that will head to Princeton, NJ, for its pre-World Cup camp today.   This is not an easy task, and Coach Bradley will inevitably have people pick away at his choices from every conceivable angle.

Choosing this team, and soon having to narrow the list to the 23-man FIFA limit, is a difficult task for any World Cup bound coach—at least as far as media/blogger critics are concerned.  

I do not plan to second-guess the coach...but that does not mean I don’t have some opinions on the choices—or on those left out.

Goalkeepers

Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan

Thoughts on the Goalkeepers

Frankly, this was the position with the least mystery.  The three choices are all capable keepers and probably well ahead of others that follow on the depth chart.  

No surprises.

Defenders

Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Steve Cherundolo, Jonathan Spector, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson, Jonathan Bornstein, Heath Pearce, Chad Marshall

Thoughts on Included Defenders  

Hard to say that there are any real surprises here.  

Bornstein seems to get more criticism than he deserves, but is a Bradley favorite.  Onyewu is coming back from injury and—if we are honest—didn’t look like a world-beater in his preseason friendly matches with AC Milan.  

Goodson and Chad Marshall are in a tough spot for making the 23-man limit, since others like Bocanegra and Spector are more versatile across the back line. 

Thoughts on Excluded Defenders

Edgar Castillo looked like a possibility for a while, but was never too likely to bounce Bradley-favorite Jonathan Bornstein. (Nor was it clear he should.)  

As a New England Revolution fan/watcher, I have a soft spot for Michael Parkhurst and Kevin Alston, but Parkhurst had not done enough to be here, and Alston isn’t ready for a World Cup.   (Watch this space though…)

Midfielders

Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Stuart Holden, Ricardo Clark, Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber, Jose Francisco Torres, Alejandro Bedoya, DaMarcus Beasley, Sacha Kljestan, Robbie Rogers

Thoughts on Included Midfielders

Donovan, Dempsey, and Bradley were obvious choices.  After watching qualifying and Gold Cup games, I believe that Holden, Clark, Edu, and Feilhaber were also all likely choices.  

After that, it gets a bit interesting.  

Many in the U.S. fan base will be glad to see Torres included, though he’s not a lock for the 23.   Beasley, Rogers, Kljestan, and Bedoya are bubble players right now.  Beasley brings experience, while Bedoya represents the future.  

Rogers is a bit of an enigma, having performed very well for the U.S. against lower-level competition, but not really looking like a game-changer against stronger opponents.  Kljestan is a positive offensive factor when on-form, which is never guaranteed.

Thoughts on Excluded Midfielders

Generally speaking, there were not huge surprises here.   Kyle Beckerman’s fate was probably sealed when Maurice Edu reached full fitness. 

Freddy Adu

If you’ve read my work before, you know I have a soft spot for Freddy Adu.  Seeing his pro-club teammate Eddie Johnson make the 30-man cut must be extremely hard on Freddy, who seems to be finding his form to some degree in Greece.  

I could argue that there’s more experience in Adu than Bedoya (or Rogers?), despite both showing promise, but that’s from an outsider’s view, so I’ll defer to the coach’s perspective.   

Forwards

Jozy Altidore, Robbie Findley, Brian Ching, Edson Buddle, Eddie Johnson, Herculez Gomez

Thoughts on Included Forwards 

Clearly, current form rules the day.   Buddle, Gomez and (even) Johnson have been scoring, and that is clearly the determining factor here.  

Jozy was a lock, though his season was more about promise than results.  Ching will need to prove he’s game-ready in camp to make the 23, but there aren’t many other forwards like him available.  Johnson would be a surprise to make the final cut, but that is what the camp is for.

Thoughts on Excluded Forwards

This was always going to be the most scrutinized group.

Charlie Davies

Coach Bradley did what he had to do.  The World Cup is not a place for sentimentality.  It is a place for the best team you can assemble—which at forward has a lot to do with form and confidence.  

It’s not a popular thing to say in U.S. soccer circles, but ever since that horrible accident took place, Charlie was always on the outside looking in. 

Jeff Cunningham and Conor Casey

Jeff and Conor must be wishing that the World Cup was in 2009, instead of 2010, because they were the hot properties of last year.  Thaven’t made an impact this year, while others have been shining for their respective leagues or teams. 

Kenny Cooper

Hindsight is 20/20 for Kenny Cooper, whose pro-club hopping was an over-engineered attempt to make this World Cup team, which failed on a number of levels.  

As he watches Edson Buddle (MLS), Herculez Gomez (Mexico), and Eddie Johnson (Greece) prove: It’s not where you play, it’s how you are playing.

Logic Trumps Emotion

The exclusion of Charlie Davies will clearly be the main discussion point following this 30-man roster selection.   But clearly Bob Bradley made the decision that he won’t be ready.  

That’s logic. 

My wanting Freddy to get another look? 

That was more emotional.

Now that the team is beginning to take shape, let’s get back to illogical commentary about the expected results.   How we’ll beat up poor injured England.  (Illogical.)  How if we don’t get far into the tournament, Bradley and Sunil Gulati are useless.  (Illogical.)

The next few months are logically going to be an emotional ride. 

Game on.

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No one really expected the Expansion Philadelphia Union to burst onto the pitch and take MLS (Major League Soccer) by storm in their inaugural season, but lax stretches of play through the first six games have prevented Peter Nowak’s side from producing better results.

Example one, 27th minute: In today’s 3-0 loss at Real Salt Lake, the Union carried play during most of the first half, but in the blink of an eye an errant back pass from defender Christian Arrieta to keeper Chris Seitz proved costly.

Instead of finding the comfort of his own keeper, Arrieta put the ball right at the feet of Salt Lake forward Alvaro Saborio, all alone behind the Union defense. A Jordan Harvey tackle prevented Saborio from scoring, but the deflection landed right in front of Real Captain Kyle Beckerman whose one time blast beat Seitz to the lower right corner.

Note to Union Defenders; need to do a better job of marking your man. Why was Saborio so wide open inside your own 18?

Example two, 51st minute: Arrieta was also indirectly responsible for Salt Lake's second goal.   Arrieta’s yellow card for rough play helped set up a Real free kick just outside the 18. The placement of the ball and Philadelphia’s use of a two man wall (Fred & Roger Torres) should have been enough to help protect the angle on the near post.

Operative words here “should have been enough”. 

First mistake, Torres ducked on the free kick attempt instead of perhaps heading it out. Second mistake, Sietz inability to hold onto the ball. The best keepers in the world have what I call soft hands; they catch the ball like they are trying to catch a raw egg. Sometimes it seems like Sietz has hands of stone. Heck, anyone knows that if you kick a ball off stone it’s going to bounce back.

Look, I do not want to continue to bash Sietz week in and week out, but so far this season, he has given up several soft goals. From my stand point as a goal keeper instructor, you cannot give up rebounds in your own 18, especially with your opponent standing right there.

In this case the opponent was Jamison Olave, who tucked the loose ball into the back of the net to give Salt Lake the 2-0 lead.

The third goal of the game in the 70th minute was simply a direct result of Salt Lake's hard work and ability to move through the Union Defense.  Alvario Saboreo on the give and go to Pablo Campos returned  a nicely played volley that end up on Saboreo's fore head and into the back of the net. 3-0 Real.

The loss was Philadelphia’s fourth in a row, a stretch in which they have been outscored by a margin of 10-3. Hopefully a return to the friendly confines of Lincoln Financial field for next Saturdays game against FC Dallas will help put an end to the winless streak.

Side Notes:  Philadelphia’s leading goal scorer, Sebastien LeToux made the trip to Sandy Utah and was dressed and available but Nowak decided to give the striker another week to strengthen his healing knee.  LeToux’s absence made way for the surprise start of 17 year old Jack Mcinerney who scored his first MLS goal in last week’s loss to the L.A.Galaxy.  Draft pick Kyle Nakazawa also got his first MLS Start today, playing at midfield for Stefani Miglioranzi who sat at a one game suspension following last week’s Red card.

Scoring Summary: 

RSL – Kyle Beckerman (Unassisted) 27
RSL – Jamison Olave (Javier Morales) 51

RSL – Alvaro Saborio (Pablo Campos) 70   

Philadelphia (1-5-0)

Salt Lake      (3-3-2)

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The Los Angeles Galaxy are a group of in-form footballers that have been chosen to accept a new mission this Saturday. On the Northwest Leg of the Revenge Tour (cue the corny strains of "Also Sprach Zarathustra"), they are on a quest to conquer Qwest Field in an afternoon battle with the Seattle Sounders Football Club.

With 19 points and a 6-0-1 record to start the year, Bruce Arena's men look to consolidate their hold on the 2010 Major League Soccer Western Conference and overall MLS standings against a Sounders side sitting fifth and sixth in the West and the league respectively.

Last year, Los Angeles managed a 1-1 draw with Seattle before suffering a 2-0 at the Home Depot Center later in the season. Sigi Schmid's club will have a tall task in stopping two threats: 1. Edson Buddle, and 2. anyone NOT NAMED Edson Buddle.

While Buddle leads the league with nine goals, other players like A.J. De La Garza and Alan Gordon have also rose to the challenge of taking the slack for the Galaxy's No. 14. A good deal of the credit goes to Landon Donovan. Leading the league in assists with six, LA's captain has embraced his role calling the shots rather than making them.

Galaxy defender Todd Dunivant was quick to point out the team's tenacity.

“It speaks to our professionalism,” Dunivant said in an interview with MLSSoccer.com earlier this week. “That’s kind of what these games are all about.

"We had a short turnaround and playing on the road, and it comes down to your mentality and whether the guys are ready. We have a lot of confidence right now.”

Zakuani leads the Sounders with three goals, while Montero's reliability has resulted in two goals and three assists on 23 shots thus far in the campaign.

Goalkeeper Kasey Keller has made 15 saves on a 1.08 goals against average and will face his sternest test yet. Look for Tyrone Marshall and Osvaldo Alonso to play a huge role this match.

Prediction:

The last couples of matches I was right on the money with the winning margin, but not the final score. Peculiar little factoid. Today, I expect the Sounders to give the Galaxy a test.

Watch for Los Angeles to score another breakthrough win and hush the masses clad in Rave Green. Montero and Zakuani will get at least one, but so will Buddle. Still waiting for Landon to open his account with a spot kick...

Los Angeles Galaxy 3, Seattle Sounders FC 2

Ins and Outs

Sueño MLS 2010. Who's Next?

Fifteen young, promising footballers became finalists in the 2010 edition of Sueño MLS, the quest for the next major professional soccer player. It's a search for a diamond in the rough among these young men.

“We take into consideration that this is not a team,” said Alfonso Modelo, the league technical director and a former MLS coach. “They are meeting each other for the first time. Plus, most of them are not playing at a top level or a top club. Some of them are not used to hard training sessions. So this is all new.

“But they have talent. Now they must try to make the right decisions. Do they anticipate? Do they read the game well? Will they improve? That’s what we’re looking for.

“I haven’t seen anyone stand out yet. But they are young. They all have good feet. And the talent level is pretty good.”

It is, and it's only a matter of time before the diamond in the rough is revealed. These are the finalists competing to follow in the footsteps of Chivas USA's Jorge Flores and River Plate regular Gabriel Funes.

Nelson Castro, defender, 14 – Houston, TX
Juan Contreras, midfielder, 16 – Dickinson, TX
Eric Martinez, forward, 15 – Houston, TX
Marco Ortiz, midfielder, 15 – Crowley, TX
Lorenzo Salazar, midfielder, 15 – Houston, TX
Oscar Barraza, midfielder, 16 – Elgin, IL
Juan Celleri, forward, 15 – Chicago, IL
Vicente Jaramillo, forward, 16 – Detroit, MI
Erick Jimenez, defender, 15 – Chicago, IL
Miguel Moncada, forward, 18 – Jackson, TN
Denis Alvarado, midfielder, 16 – Fairfield, CA
Javier Castro, forward, 18 – Pomona, CA
Victor Jimenez, forward, 16 – Anaheim, CA
Jonathan Navas, midfielder, 18 – Los Angeles, CA
Oscar Velazquez, defender, 14 – Las Vegas, NV

Not only will the finalists go through training sessions this week, but they will take on the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA U-16 sides and attend the match between Chivas USA and Houston Dynamo. Good luck, gentlemen.

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With all of the offseason movement for Chivas USA it was evident to most Chivas fans that it might take a few games for the goats to start putting it all together this season. But with just six games underway it looks like Chivas USA is starting to put things together a lot earlier then most would have anticipated.

Chivas USA faced a big hole this offseason in their defensive midfield when Jesse Marsch retired and when Paulo Nagamura left to play in the Mexican League, but that hole seems to have been plugged by rookies Blair Gavin and Ben Zemanski.

Last week against San Jose, Chivas USA head coach Martin Vasquez added Ben Zemanski (47th pick overall in this year's draft) to the starting lineup to combine him with his former teamate and first-round draft choice (10th overall) Blair Gavin. Adding Zemanski to the starting lineup in the midfield has paid huge dividends for Chivas USA defensively.

Zemanski and Gavin are essentially playing like a pair of midfielders that have been playing together for years, exhibiting great chemistry and an uncanny knack for knowing where the other is going to be and, as Chivas USA fans found out, that's because the pair played side by side for three years while at Akron College.

Real soccer fans know that most games are won and lost at the midfield but unfortunately defensive midfielders don't receive much praise or acknowledgment considering the value they bring to their teams. Chivas USA head coach Martin Vasquez drafted Gavin and Zemanski to fill the hole left by Nagamura and Marsch. And while the team started out a bit slow out of the gate with Gavin and Zemanski now starting in the midfield, the team is right back where it left off last season—in playoff contention.

Another area that has plagued Chivas USA for years is their lack of a shut down defense and that seems to have been addressed by the additions of Costa Ricans Dario Delgado and Michael Umana. Umana and Delgado are both above average stay-at-home defenders and playing them at the center back positions has also allowed Chivas USA to move Jonathan Bornstein to one of the bookend defender positions. In turn that has allowed Bornstein to assist in the transition of the ball upfield and that has helped out the offensive attack for Chivas USA.

Moving Bornstein away from one of the center back positions also puts him in a position that is better suited for him where he can better utilize his ball dribbling skills and agility.

MLS is a physical soccer league and with Bornstein standing only at 5'9", weighing in at 145 lbs., he was at a clear disadvantage against some of the bigger, stronger forwards in the league but out on the end he can rely on his speed and quickness which is what makes Bornstein an Olympic-quality soccer defender.

Chivas USA has also figured some things out on the offensive end and it all begins with Sacha Kljestan, the team's most talented player. Ever since head coach Martin Vasquez moved Kljestan from forward back to midfield, Kljestan has flourished and Chivas USA has started to score some goals.

To put it simply Kljestan is at his best when he is playing midfield and he has the option of passing or taking a shot at the goal. Kljestan is a play maker and he's already making some of the Chivas USA forwards look better then they actually are and if Chivas ever puts a real striker ahead of Kljestan the results could be devastating.

Kljestan is young, he's only 24, and at this stage of his game he reminds me a lot of a young Landon Donovan of the Los Angeles Galaxy. He has to play a withdrawn forward position or he has to attack from the midfield to be most effective. The opposition has a lot more to worry about when they have to worry about Kljestan taking a shot at the goal or making a pass to one of his teammates.

At this stage of his game I would say Kljestan is a better facilitator then he is a finisher. Matter of fact I don't think he's much of a finisher right now, period. But if he's running with the ball and he's got a striker running on his wing, he's definitely one of the best in MLS, if not one of the best in the world.

And finally Justin Braun was made to play forward in the MLS and head coach Martin Vasquez is starting to figure that out. And so is Kljestan for that matter...and, you heard it here first, look out for the Kljestan-to-Braun connection because I see this pair connecting more and more as the season continues.

Frankly Braun is not much of a dribbler but the kid is learning how to finish in MLS. Braun is made to play forward in MLS because he's big and strong. Braun is listed at 6'3" and 195 lbs. To put that in perspective last year Chivas USA played Jonathan Bornstein at center back and he's listed at 5'9" and 145 lbs. and he's considered to be one of the best defenders in MLS. Can you see how Braun can create some mismatches in front of the goal?

Braun is learning how to use his body in front of the goal and he's learning how to play within the confines of MLS. Now that his teammates and the offense are getting him the ball in front of the goal rather then forcing him to create his own shot out in space, the kid is starting to find the back of the net and that could spell trouble for the rest of MLS, particularly now that you have Kljestan orchestrating the offensive attack.

Chivas USA has a golden opportunity laid out in front of it and I'm not sure they even recognize it.

The Los Angeles Galaxy have their marquee player out for the season and while Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle are playing well the Los Angeles soccer community thirsts and yearns for a world class and big-time name a la David Beckham.

I've said it before and I'll say it again.  All Chivas USA needs to do to become one of the best teams in MLS is acquire a world-class striker and preferably not one past his prime. Now that the team has overcome the offseason losses of some key players and improved it's defense, which was always suspect, it's time for Chivas USA to address the biggest deficiency that has kept this team from advancing in the playoffs the past few seasons...the lack of a big-time scorer.

To read the rest of my articles on Chivas USA, please follow me on my blog at: Chivas Jersey .

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Holy effing cow. The commercials you see on the tube tout that "Every season starts at Dick's." For some lucky footballers, every scoring account starts at Dick's.

With that said, ladies and gentlemen of the sporting universe, I issue this edict: the 2010 Los Angeles Galaxy have diversified their scoring portfolio threefold. Meet the new scoring threat for the Gs: Alan Gordon.

Yes sir, I kid you not. Alan Gordon was the difference on Wednesday night against the Colorado Rapids (aside from the usual reliability of Donovan Ricketts and the defense making stop after stop in the Colorado attacking third).

In the 21st minute, Landon "The Facilitator" Donovan's delivery in the transition was timed on cue for Gordon to open his scoring account on Cinco de Mayo in LA's 1-0 shutout win at the confines of Commerce City's very own Dick's Sporting Goods Park, which-until now-had been a house of horrors for Bruce Arena's men. Tonight, they broke the mold and in the process solified their lead in the MLS Western Conference and overall standings.

Omar Cummings had to be the most frustrated of all the players donning the burgundy and blue. It was a horrid night for Colorado. Look at this: just about every chance that they had to equalize the 21st minute strike was either (a) sent wide left, (b) sent well high and over the crossbar, or (c) punched out or swept by the pursuing hands of Donovan Ricketts. It's a predictable sequence, and I don't think Cummings did a very good job to steal the show away from the billed USA national team audition matchup between Edson Buddle and Conor Casey. As a matter of fact, I believe he botched it tremendously.

That's not to say that the Galaxy didn't have their chances to close the ice chest on the pesky Rapids. Los Angeles had a great chance to do so in the 78th minute. That had to be a cringer. Cakewalk chance. And Clint Mathis doesn't look to have the speed like he did before. Convert these two chances, and you got yourself a 3-0 lead to cure the attendance of 9,882 (man, that's sparse!) to head for the exits.

At the same time, I think referee Edvin Jurisevic and his crew wanted some face time. He was unafraid to issue five cautions during the match, with two awarded to the Galaxy (6-0-1, 19 pts). That was a tribute to the physical play for both sides on Wednesday.

But regardless of the botched finishing by the Los Angeles Galaxy, and the string of howlers for Gary Smith's Rapids to go with the chippy physical play that drew the wrath of Jurisevic and company, Alan Gordon was all flash and cash, and had a bash trashing in smashing fashion the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.

Now it's time for some ins and outs from the day that was.

Did DC United actually WIN an MLS contest?

Wait a minute, I'm not seeing things am I? No I'm not. And get this: I even pinched myself in places I've never seen to confirm that DC United has done something that the Galaxy have been unable to do thus far this year, defeat the Kansas City Wizards. I was a fan of Danny Allsopp during his playing days with the Melbourne Victory football club, and he showed his instrumental ability in their 2-1 win over the KC.

My gosh. Better late than never, eh Danny Boy? Of course, Bill Hamid, mark my word, is the keeper of the future for DC. This upstart ain't no Troy Perkins. Stay tuned.

Goats running wild in the streets of Boston

Meanwhile at Gilette Stadium, Chivas USA was in the Cinco De Mayo spirit when they crushed the New England Revolution 4-0. Okay, they were one goal short of earning five, but it's still a rout nonetheless, with Jesus Padilla earning a brace on the road. To compound even more misery for the Buffalo Bills of Major League Soccer, Marko Perovic was sent off in the 28th minute. And Martin Vasquez gave the Union Ultras some rare face time on the East Coast for Comcast SportsNet...brilliant.

I will say this: going down a man and four goals is an insurmountable margin to rally from, if you ask me. I wonder if it's even been done in some foreign land's competition. If it has, please PM me on my profile and I will feature you in my next ins and outs.

FC Dallas: Los Capitanes de Tejas

Let us take the time this Cinco de Mayoto  tip our hat and raise our glass to FC Dallas, the best MLS team in Texas this year. Not even a red card to Jair Benitez could stop Ugo Ihemelu from earning the decisive game-winner at Robertson Stadium, silencing the entire Space City crowd. Impressive header, I will admit, from Ihemelu, the former Galaxy starter who was part of the 2005 MLS Cup champion side.

Sound off to Seattle, G-men.

This Saturday, the Galaxy will look to complete their road trip twin-around against the Seattle Sounders FC at Qwest Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and with the coalition of the Emerald City Supporters, the Gorilla FC, the Sounders FC Alliance, the North End Supporters. and the Immortal Fury forming one of the strongest supporters group blocs in the league, it will be one of the most intimidating atmospheres the Galaxy will face this season.

But the Galaxy won't be fazed by the intensity of the home fans. Rather, payback will be on their minds. Last year, the Galaxy managed a 1-1 draw at Qwest before losing 2-0 at the Home Depot Center. Steve Zakuani, Fredy Montero, and Freddie Ljungberg are dangerous threats for Seattle and will be tested by the tenacious Galaxy defense.

Seattle currently sits sixth on the overall MLS table with a 2-2-3 (9 pts) record and fifth in the MLS Western Conference standings.

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T-180 minutes to kickoff: I really wished that John Denver had never flown planes in the 1990's. Especially after imbibing alcohol, breaking his own vow not to drink again.

Why? Because he would most likely be alive to day, having toured the world 20 times or so, and became a minority owner of the Colorado Rapids, who the Los Angeles Galaxy face tonight at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, located in Commerce City, Colo.

T-170: Seriously. Rest in peace, good sir. I wanted to take the time during this play-by-play (and other miscellany) to talk a little bit about Commerce City. This is a northern suburb of Denver, located in Adams County. In this humble little town of 42,473, a Suncor oil refinery that produces 90,000 barrels of Texas tea juxtaposes with a greyhound racing track.

T-160: The Colorado Rapids used to play their matches at Mile High Stadium before making the trip to Commerce City and undergoing a transformation. Gone were the colors of green, gold and the Inter Milan schemes. Gone were the river and circle logos that dominated their first decade. In was a color scheme of burgundy and blue, relationships with Arsenal FC and CF Pachuca and a fantastic inaugural at Dick's.

T-150: Dick's Sporting Goods was founded by Richard Stack in Binghamton, N.Y. in 1948. It was $300 from his grandmother well spent in opening that first store at the corner of Court Street and Howard Avenue, and whoda thunk that his son, current Chairman and CEO Edward Stack transformed Dick's Sporting Goods into a major sporting goods retailer.

T-140: I will do my own juxtaposition: type this commentary on the match while watching the match and a class lecture at the Keller Graduate School of Management. Not sure if there is an online feed of this match aside from MLSSoccer.com, but I will keep my eyes peeled and my fingers working.

T-120: The lineups.

T-110: This is Cinco de Mayo, celebrating the Pyrrhic victory in the Battle of Puebla over the French. For Christ's sakes, the French still were able to defeat the Mexicans, and bring in this guy named Maximilian and his soon-to-be delusional vegetable named Carlota.

T-105: Three years after Maximilian was crowned...he was executed.

T-100: Other matches include DC United vs. Kansas City Wizards, Chivas USA vs. New England Revolution and Houston Dynamo vs. FC Dallas.

T-90: There will be a tape delay once again on the West Coast. I will do my best to bring it to you live instead.

T-80: Results from the league today: D.C. United get their first win of the season, a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City Wizards and Chivas USA blows apart the New England Revolution 4-0.

1' - And here we go.

4' - Warning shot by Edson Buddle to open the proceedings tonight. Matt Pickens will not have it easy guarding the net.

5' - Here's Landon Donovan with his first attempt. Ouch, that hit the woodwork. Unlucky. He is still looking for his first of the season, the No. 10 for the G's, the main facilitator.

8' - Colorado on the offensive. This is Omar Cummings. Ricketts, the Big Cat from Montego Bay, with the save.

9' - Set piece time for Mehdi Ballouchy. Attempt for Julien Baudet denied.

10' - Another shot for Edson Buddle. Great defending by the Rapids back line.

11' - Here is Donovan with the corner. Shot for Alan Gordon goes wide left.

14' - Michael Stephens, the rookie, with an attempt on goal. Boy oh boy, the Galaxy are testing Pickens left and right this half.

15' - Conor Casey with the hard challenge. Here is a corner from Donovan. Too high for Omar Gonzalez. Goal kick for Pickens.

16' - I do apologize for the lack of commentary early. I have only been able to get the connection from DeVry after I told the IT department to put by MAC address in the Restricted zone.

17' - But we are now live. Another corner goes is saved by Pickens. Bad shot by Stephens.

18' - Yet another corner. Tenacious defending in the box. Pickens takes that. Swell goatee, too.

19' - We are scoreless early on this match. Not so fast, Pablo Mastroeni. Here is a corner for the Rapids.

20' - Ricketts takes that one. Oh man, that almost cleared the line.

21' - Some arguing after the cheap shot on Donovan. Here we go again, he thinks. Set piece.

21' - GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 21 Alan Gordon Assist 10 Landon Donovan
The facilitation continues! Donovan's sixth assist results in Gordon opening his account.

22' - It's a well-timed set piece for Donovan. Here comes Colorado, and the Burgundy and Blue will be looking for the equalizer.

23' - No dice for Conor Casey. There's A.J. De LA Garza marking the leading scorer for the Rapids.

24' - The Rapids face a daunting statistic to buck: they are 0-45-14 when they are a goal down to begin a match. Yikes.

25' - So, ladies and gentlemen, let's see if that's what Colorado will do. Donovan is a bit shaken up but is otherwise all right. Rapids now on the attack. A shot by Omar Cummings goes wide. Goal kick for Donovan Ricketts.

26' - Sparse attendance today. Heh, now there is a new camera angle: the goal-end view.

27' - Throw-in for the Rapids. This Drew Moor. That cross is snuffed out. LA on the transition, but the official calls an offsides.

28' - Colorado is hoping the short passes will reel the G's in. Not so. Here is Todd Dunivant with the throw-in. Offsides Rapids.

29' - Free kick for Dunivant. And that was too far for Edson Buddle. Throw-in for Drew Moor. As you can see, the pace has quickened due to the Rocky Mountain air, shrinking the field a bit.

30' - Yellow Card 8 Mehdi Ballouchy
Colorado Rapids

Not a smart decision by Ballouchy, and even worse, a late tackle by Juninho.

31' - Yellow Card 19 Juninho
Los Angeles Galaxy

Crikey! The ref today wants some of the attention; he is handing off the cards at will tonight.

32' - Colorado on the offensive. Corner conceded. Juninho needed to make amends in a way. Ballouchy to take.

33' - Too high for Baudet. Goal kick.

34' - We are officially 34 minutes into the contest, and it's 1-0 Los Angeles after a 21st minute goal by Alan Gordon, ending the streak of Edson Buddle playing a role in the scoring. More portfolio diversification?

That feed for Casey went wide right. Good idea, bad positioning.

35' - Goal kick for Ricketts. Los Angeles is now on the offensive, but the Rapids back line holds. Here's the transition. Another high shot by Ballouchy, and the frustration mounts. Why not? They are taking on the top dogs in the league.

37' - Here is a goal kick for Ricketts, and the Rapids reset for their next series in their own half.

38' - So we are 38 minutes into the contest, and it's still 1-0 Los Angeles. Poor Omar Cummings. That goes array and over.

39' - Bad challenge on Landon Donovan there on Marvell Wynne.

42' - Big shot for Danny Earls, but it's deflected.

44' - Big chance for Buddle. Oh man, Pickens had to grab that one.

45' - Two minutes of stoppage time. And Pickens stops another one from Buddle.

45' + 2' - Bad luck for Omar Cummings once again.

45' + 2' - One last chance for the Galaxy, and the Rapids are there defensively. That'll do it for the first half.

The Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas are scoreless, so far. I am not getting anything from the lecture at DeVry today. This is why I do not like midweek matches when I have to listen to an annoying, pretentious excuse of a lecture while dealing with an assignment that I do not have a bloody clue of knowing how to complete.

However, this assignment is a different story. Enough of my ranting on this. It's time for the second half.

Substitution Colorado Rapids
IN 11 Colin Clark
OUT 15 Wells Thompson


46' - The second half begins. The Galaxy are now on the offensive. That pass across the grain goes wide right. Goal kick for Pickens.

47' - Curse you, Cinco de Mayo! Here come the Rapids. Good save by Ricketts.

48' - That was an ambitious one-time by Alan Gordon. The Canadian wants that brace. Buddle's already got four of them this year. Ricketts with the grab.

49' - Here we go with a little of the goal-end view. Colorado on the offensive. Too far a pass for Cummings.

50' - Pickens had to clear that offensive salvo by LA. This Galaxy wants to consolidate their lead. FC Dallas now leads Houston 1-0.

51' - Free kick opportunity as Greg Berhalter tugs at Cummings' jersey. Let's see what happens here.

52' - Wide left. Not well-taken by Jeff Larentowicz.

53' - The Rapids will look to equalize off this corner. Cleared. Colorado resets.

54' - Donovan is offsides. Here's Colorado again.

55' - Foul on the Rapids. Unfazed, the home side tries to shake things up. I am a fan of the patience from this club.

56' - Ugo Ihemelu's goal in the 79th minute gave FC Dallas a 1-0 victory over Houston today.

57' - They will be content to do some keeping away before it's the Rapids turn to make their move. A little jarabe tapatio, methinks.

58' - Great defending by the Galaxy back line, and here they go on the transition.

59' - The speed of the Rapids backs neutralizes that possession. Here comes Colorado.

60' - Excellent diving punchout by Donovan Ricketts. His best save of the night by far.

61' - The Galaxy will look to slow down the pace, the Rapids to speed it up.

62' - Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 9 Jovan Kirovski
OUT 19 Juninho

No pirate beard, just a clean shaven head. Much better from the No. 9.

So we are now over an hour into the match, and it's still 1-0 LA after the 21st minute by Colorado. Drew Moor had to keep his eye on a swivel.

63' - Another great save by Ricketts. Two stops in three minutes...not bad.

64' - That was a bad foul and Greg Berhalter is hurt. Clumsy challenge by Cummings. Free kick for Ricketts.

Yellow Card 14 Omar Cummings
Colorado Rapids

65' - The Galaxy attack is neutralized once again by a staunch Rapids defense.

66' - Buddle with the challenge. Sportsmanlike handshake afterwards. And the beat goes on. Too long for Edson, and Pickens resets for the Rapids, who go on the attack.

67' - Berhalter with the physical challenge on Casey, even though he get the ball as well. It's set piece time.

68' - Again, wide left. This has been the issue of the day for the Rapids. Set piece, wide left. Set piece, wide left. Good gracious, it's like a broke record, isn't it?

69' - That chance for the G's is snapped up by Pickens.

70' - Ricketts is there to take that one. Goal kick.

71' - Substitution Colorado Rapids
IN 7 Claudio Lopez
OUT 8 Medhi Ballouchy

Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 84 Clint Mathis
OUT 21 Alan Gordon

Bruce Arena looks on with anticipation.

73' - Here's Colorado again, with a golden opportunity...only to be snuffed out by Donovan Ricketts. Not a fan of the dark number and lettering, but oh well.

74' - The marking by the Rapids midfield has kept them in this game. No foul, play on, says the referee.

75' - A blistering one-timer by Buddle goes wide and tastes the side netting.

76' - It seems to me that the Galaxy defense is anticipating the Rapids' system and tendencies. This is great stuff heading into the final 15 minutes. Offsides on Danny Earls.

77' - And here comes another card.

Yellow Card 9 Conor Casey
Colorado Rapids

78' - Oh my goodness. How the bloody heck was that not slotted in. That should be 2-0 right there. Blunder of the night so far.

79' - I love the defense here from the G's back line. They continue to snuff out chance after chance after chance. Foul on the Rapids, and uh oh, looks like Mathis hurt himself a bit. No worries; he is up and back at it.

80' - A.J. De La Garza is feeling a bit winded. Can't wait for this match to end, and I can't blame him. Goal kick for Pickens. Ayayay.

Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 27 Bryan Jordan
OUT 20 A.J. De La Garza

81' - Ricketts with another scoops, and a here is a throw-in for the Rapids, who are still hoping for a comeback this late in the contest.

82' - Dubious passing right there. Colorado back on the attack.

83' - Casey is wondering, "When the heck are we going to crack this Galaxy defense?" Good question, fellow.

84' - Ricketts will be content to melt this clock. But when you are a mile above sea level, the speed is faster, the pace is quick, and the Galaxy will be wise to not let up this late.

85' - Here come the Rapids once again. Danny Earls couldn't control that ball. Good marking by Bryan Jordan. Goal kick for Donovan Ricketts. He's been getting quite a load of the saves, the Big Cat from Montego Bay.

86' - Donovan has to be a bit displeased, while Arena has to be thinking, "I think they should have done a bit better here." I know both of them are looking at the time and at the action with strong intentions, as is A.J. De La Garza.

87' - I've got nothing but rave reviews about the camera angles.

88' - A few more minutes and stoppage time to go. Still 1-0 to the Galaxy. Transition for Buddle was sniffed and he looked to be hurt for a bit. He gets up. And there is a yellow card for him. Cheeky.

89' - Yellow Card 14 Edson Buddle
Los Angeles Galaxy

90' - Corner for the Rapids. Gonzalez stops that. Here's another. That's wide left. And yet another one. Blimey. Pushed over the top.

90' + 1' - Three minutes additional time. Great defending, but superb marking. Clint Mathis doesn't have the speed like he had before.

90' + 2' - Here's another corner for the Rapids. Ricketts stops that one. He wants the clean sheet.

90' + 3' - And there is yet another save. Amazing. The Rapids have one more chance right here. All hands on deck. Last free kick for the Rapids, and Kirovski is up in arms. High and over. And that is a wrap.

Stay tuned for my take on this match on Bleacher Report and the View.

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With 16 out 18 possible points through six matches, Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy sit one point clear of the New York Red Bulls for the overall top spot in the Major League Soccer standings. However, the first major mountain for the Galaxy awaits: two road contests in twice as many days.

The action begins with a Wednesday night contest with the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City.

While the Galaxy proved that someone other than MLS Player of the Week Edson Buddle could score for Los Angeles this season, Arena didn't hide that Engine No. 14 was running smooth as silk.

"Who would expect anyone to have nine goals in six games? We know he's a very capable player," Arena said on Buddle. "He can certainly score goals. The combination of him and Landon [Donovan] has been excellent."

Buddle, Donovan and the rest of the Galaxy take on a Colorado squad sitting third on the MLS Western Conference table with a countdown record: three wins, two defeats, and a draw. Last Saturday, Gary Smith's Rapids dropped a 1-0 defeat to the San Jose Earthquakes and will look to rebound behind the reliable workhorse that is Conor Casey.

A dangerous threat on the attack, Casey leads the team with three goals on 13 shots and will be a focal point of the Galaxy back line. Omar Cummings is another man to watch for the claret and silver. With two goals on nine shots thus far, Cummings is capable to take steam off Casey in Colorado's attacking third.

The likes of Pablo Mastroeni, Marvell Wynne and Mehdi Ballouchy will be given a tough assignment in stopping the Buddlevan Connection. Buddle currently has nine goals to lead the league and is on pace to smash Roy Lassiter's single-season scoring record of 27 goals. Donovan leads LA in assists with five.

Matt Pickens has been solid on goal for Colorado, with a 1.00 goals against average on 17 saves. His counterpart, the Galaxy's Donovan Ricketts, has a 0.33 GAA with 13 saves.

“We do have two tough games now on the road and we’ve got to recover properly from [Philadelphia], get everything sorted out the right way and have the understanding of how we need to approach the first game in Colorado,” Arena said on the trip. "After the Colorado game, we’ll deal with the kind of thinking we need to have to get ready for Seattle."

He went on to say, “It’s not going to be easy. We know that. We’ve prepared ourselves for this and we’ll see how the team reacts to this challenge.”

Prediction:

While the pitch at Dick's is 120 x 80 yards, the thin air of the Rockies will shrink the field somewhat. Expect a quick pace from the first whistle. Given the form that Los Angeles is in, this isn't a match they can't handle and it be a hard-fought contest.

Los Angeles Galaxy 2, Colorado Rapids 1

Other Ins And Outs:

Youth Academy Update

The Young Stars of the LA Galaxy Youth faced a stern test in the Irvine Strikers. The U-16's drew 2-2 after surrendering a 2-0 halftime lead. The U-18's fell a goal down with ten minutes before going a man down to fall 1-0.

At Titan Stadium on the campus of California State University, Fullerton, it was a refreshing change of scenery against the San Diego Surf. The U-16's picked up a 1-0 victory off a Dyllan Steven goal in spite of finishing with 10 on the field. The U-18's were also victories, riding on late goals by Drew Lind and Chadd Johnson for a 2-1 win.

Next up for the Academy are the Nomads Soccer Club at San Diego's Kinsell field on Saturday, May 8. Kickoff for the U-16 match is at 1:45 p.m. while the U-18's kickoff at 4:00 p.m. PT.


More Plaudits For Edson

With the assist to A.J. De La Garza in the first minute of the Galaxy's 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union to go with his brace, Edson Buddle has scored or assisted in scoring all of his team’s goals, setting a new club record for most consecutive goals scored or assisted on to open the season.

Wonder why Bob Bradley hasn't made a decision yet regarding No. 14...

Hold On, A.J. Was Third, Not Second! Still, Top Three's Not Bad...
The Galaxy got off to their best start in nearly a decade on Saturday night when A.J. DeLaGarza gave them a 1-0 lead after just 51 seconds. That goal was not the second fastest, but the third fastest goal in club history and is tied for the 28th fastest in MLS history.

Clint Mathis scored the fastest goal in Galaxy history, giving LA a 1-0 lead over Kansas City after just 33 seconds on July 25, 1999 in a game that the Galaxy would go on to win 2-1. Brian Mullan scored the second fastest goal in club history on May 9, 2001, scoring 39 seconds into the Galaxy’s 4-4 draw at Tampa Bay.

Our sincere apologies, Mr. Mullan.

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