Some people, based on appearance, cannot easily be pinpointed. Their appearances do not provide clues to their professions.

This cannot be said about Sigi Schmid, veteran MLS coaching legend who currently patrols the sidelines for the Seattle Sounders FC. Take a good look at Schmid and you see appearance mirroring profession.

Schmid has enough of that gray hair that coaches get from all those agonizing and tense moments when games are in a deciding stage, as well as the shock and disappointment when things do not go according to plan despite the most extensive preparation.

Then there are those lines of care, developed from years on the firing line. From exposing oneself to public opinion and the give and take of coaching in the MLS, a position sustained by making solid and correct choices.

In short, Schmid looks like a Major League Soccer coach. He has seen it all and last week there was an occasion to try any coach’s patience.

It was one of those moments that puts gray hairs on one’s head and lines of care on one’s face. Action ended last Thursday in Frisco, Texas with the scoreboard showing a 2-2 deadlock between host Dallas and visiting Seattle.

On some occasions a tie would be a favorable result with a valuable point earned in a road appearance, but this was a different circumstance.

ESPN commentators echoed what was observable from viewing the tape.

A Dallas player falls and two Seattle players stand nearby, but that is it. They are standing and not engaging in contact.

All the same, a foul was called and the ensuing penalty kick found its mark, resulting in a deadlock.

Sigi Schmid looked like the experienced veteran in the way he handled things. 

The first thing he did was instruct his players to back away. He recognized that they would be understandably upset over seeing a well-earned victory denied with a last moment penalty goal on a phantom foul that the camera’s eye did not reveal.

The coach would handle matters himself.

He did so in his own coolly professional way. Schmid shook hands with the officials, his face an iron mask, revealing no emotion.

Schmid then dropped his comment, letting the officials know that “a bad call” had been made.

It was a disappointing way to end a match that the Sounders gave every evidence of winning, but emotions needed to be wiped away.

From there it was on to Toronto and a Sunday match.

In the NBA, what makes coaches and players cringe is the mention of back-to-back road endurance tests. Schedules where you play one game one evening, fly on to the next city, and engage another team the following night.

Just as teams are at a disadvantage under those circumstances, the same applies in the MLS. The Sounders played an evening contest in Dallas on Thursday and were back in action Sunday afternoon in Toronto.

The first half ended in a scoreless deadlock as Schmid rested his young speedsters Fredy Montero and Steve Zakuani. Another tie would not be an unfavorable prospect considering the tiring schedule quirk, but it was not to be and one wonders about the attrition factor.

Sounders commentator Arlo White referred to a breakdown and lack of attention as Toronto scored its first of two goals.

Attention diminishes in the wake of fatigue.

It would be understandable if the Sounders were feeling fatigued and suffering from diminished concentration in the wake of two matches within a brief three day interval.

A veteran coach like Schmid would be the first to say that one cannot make excuses because of the schedule maker and that a team must be up for all contests, but it would be better if the Sounders and other teams did not have to run this type of gauntlet.

Road matches are an uphill challenge. The schedule therefore should be structured to avoid the type of "two games in three days" that the Sounders were forced to endure.

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Having last written about budding optimism about the New England Revolution’s current state, I now sit here at 36,000 feet on a cross country flight worried.  

About what? Stink and brink.  Stink, as in “we stink.”  Brink, as in “franchise on the brink.”

I’ll freely admit that before going off the grid for my flight’s take-off, I was barraged in the Twitter-sphere about Shalrie Joseph’s “indefinite leave” from the Revolution to take care of personal matters.  (I wish him all the best and a quick return.)  This barrage has spun me into a reactionary state...which I’m sure is bad for my sanity, but turns out to be pretty good for blogging.

The importance of Shalrie to the New England Revolution is no secret, and something I’ve talked about before in “The Steve and Shalrie Show ” and elsewhere—but that anyone who watches the Revolution with their eyes open can see.

Do the Revs stink?  Maybe not.  But they’re not great.

The Revs have always found ways to have terrible performances mixed in with their usually Eastern Division strength.  “This too shall pass,” we might think.

Perhaps winning isn’t out of the question, I remember sitting in the 2002 MLS Final with 61,000-plus friends cheering the Revolution, though for much of the season I found the (hard working team’s) soccer hard to watch.

Watching how Steve Nicol deals with the cards he’s been dealt—including indefinite absences of two of his best players and two largest salaries, Taylor Twellman and Shalrie Joseph—will be very interesting.  

There’s always talk of building the “spine” of a team...right up the center of the field.   Our first choice goal keeper is out injured.  Our best center-back, Cory Gibbs, is new to the Revs system.  Our star midfielder is, uh, on hiatus.   Our star forward is still dizzy, or at least not playing.  

Nicol (and Mike Burns, and company) did what he had to—including the clearly difficult decision to trade Jeff Larentowicz—to shore up that spine.  Capable Preston Burpo came in to man the nets in the same trade that brought us the solid Gibbs.  We have tried every forward we can afford to replace Taylor Twellman, and we’d still not hesitate to stick him in the starting 11 immediately if/when he says he’s ready.

Now that Shalrie’s taking care of personal business, that trade suddenly stings—especially as Jeff came into town and with mid-field counterpart Pablo Mastoeni—controlled the Revolution’s home pitch for most of the game.  Meanwhile, Burpo watched a few awkward long-range shots sail into the net.   

All is not lost...as examples, my optimistic view from a couple weeks ago still holds in some areas. Sainey Nyassi appears to have matured significantly and Marko Perović seems to have unique and impressive skills.  Our rookies appear to be MLS caliber.

What I just described though is a group of maturing—or otherwise unproven—players that will need to play out of their skin to make this season something to remember.

Which brings me to this franchise being on the “brink.”  The on-field challenges are one thing, and if anyone will steer them to a good show this year, it’s Steve Nicol.  Being “memorable” though, is a bigger challenge.

But who will steer the franchise into relevance?  Who will help it become loved?  I’ve not seen signs that there is an answer forthcoming.  I do believe that people are trying, but the Revolution are from where they need to be.

One plane ride isn’t enough to come up with the ingredients of a successful MLS franchise.  But a common sense top five list of what a team must have, might look something like this:

I’ll likely want to expand on that list after more thought, but even if we consider that five of 20 things that a successful franchise needs, the Revolution are clearly on the brink.

How do they line up? 

So I’ll be on the look out for signs that I’m wrong and that the lackluster attendance, local chatter and momentum is just a temporary phenomenon.  Or signs that I’m right and major changes are coming.  

But aside from that, I’ll fly across the country over-reacting as I fester in bad news for the Revolution and for one of our greatest ever players that actually does engender fan “love.”

Was my optimism in my last post premature?  Yes.

Is my “stink” and “brink” concerns an over-reaction?  I sure hope so.

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Having last written about the budding optimism surrounding the New England Revolution’s current state, I now sit here at 36,000 feet on a cross-country flight worried.

About what? Stink and brink. Stink, as in “they stink,”  and brink, as in “a franchise on the brink.”

I’ll freely admit that before going off the grid for my flight’s take-off, I was barraged in the Twitter-sphere about midfielder Shalrie Joseph’s “indefinite leave” from the Revolution to attend to personal matters. (I wish him all the best, and a quick return.)

However, this barrage has spun me into a reactionary state, which I’m sure is bad for my sanity, but turns out to be pretty good for blogging.

The importance of Joseph to the Revolution is no secret, and something I’ve talked about before in “The Steve and Shalrie Show ”, and elsewhere—but that anyone who watches the Revolution with their eyes open can see.

Do the Revs stink? Maybe not. But they’re not great.

The Revs have always found ways to have terrible performances mixed in with their usually Eastern Division strength.  “This too shall pass,” we might think.

Perhaps winning isn’t out of the question. I remember sitting in the 2002 MLS Cup championship with 61,000-plus friends cheering the Revolution, though for much of the season I found the team's hard-working/blue-collar style of soccer difficult to watch.

Watching how coach Steve Nicol deals with the cards he and his team have been dealt—including indefinite absences of two of his best players and two largest salaries, an injured Taylor Twellman and Joseph—will be very interesting.  

There’s always talk of building the “spine” of a team, right up the center of the field.   The Revs' first-choice goal keeper is out injured. Their best center-back, Cory Gibbs, is new to the Revs system. Their star midfielder is, uh, on hiatus. And their star forward is still dizzy, or at least not playing.  

Nicol (in addition to team vice president of player personnel Mike Burns, and company) did what he had to—including the clearly difficult decision to trade Jeff Larentowicz—to shore up that spine. Capable Preston Burpo came in to man the nets in the same trade that brought the team the solid Gibbs.

The Revs have tried every forward they can afford to replace Twellman, and they’d still not hesitate to stick him in the starting 11 immediately if/when he says he’s ready.

Now that Joseph is on leave, the Larentowicz trade suddenly stings, as he controlled the Revolution’s home pitch for most of the game. Meanwhile, Burpo watched a few awkward long-range shots sail into the net.   

All is not lost. My optimistic view from a couple weeks ago still holds in some areas. Sainey Nyassi appears to have matured significantly, and Marko Perović seems to have unique and impressive skills. Indeed, the rookies appear to be MLS caliber.

What I just described though is a group of maturing—or otherwise unproven—players that will need to play out of their skin to make this season something to remember.

Which brings me to this franchise being on the “brink.”

The on-field challenges are one thing, and if anyone will steer them to a good show this year, it’s Nicol. Being “memorable” though, is a bigger challenge.

But who will steer the franchise into relevance? Who will help it become loved? I’ve not seen signs that there is an answer forthcoming. I do believe that people are trying, but the Revolution are from where they need to be.

A six-hour plane ride isn’t enough to come up with the ingredients of a successful MLS franchise. But a common sense top five list of what a team must have, might look something like this:

I’ll likely want to expand on that list after more thought, but even if we consider that five of 20 things that a successful franchise needs, the Revolution are clearly on the brink.

How do they line up? 

So I’ll be on the look out for signs that I’m wrong and that the lackluster attendance, local chatter and momentum is just a temporary phenomenon. Or signs that I’m right, and major changes are coming.  

But aside from that, I’ll fly across the country overreacting, as I fester in bad news for the Revolution, and for one of our greatest ever players that actually does engender fan “love.”

Was my optimism in my last post premature? Yes.

Is my “stink” and “brink” concerns an overreaction? I sure hope so.

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This is Part Three in a series of articles on the players that make up the 2010 Los Angeles Galaxy.


He moves to his left, and moves to his right like a man whose only basis behind this rationale is pure intuition without compromise. A leap. A punch of a leather sphere. Another leap, and he grabs the same sphere with his gloves, stuck to his human paws as if they were attached with glue.

Now he rolls, and scoops the sphere while waving a throng of 21 other players away before giving it an ambitious kick into the opposing half like a missile shot from the goalposts.

It's all part of another shutout performance from Los Angeles Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts. The date is April 24, 2010. The venue is CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kansas.

The performance? Just what you would expect out of the current Big Cat in front of the net. In the beginning, it was Jorge Campos who became the first great goalkeeper for Los Angeles. Then it was Kevin Hartman, who mesmerized the home crowd at the Rose Bowl and the Home Depot Center.

Now, it's Ricketts and his ability that have helped the Galaxy reclaim their dominance defensively in Major League Soccer.

Donovan Ricketts was born on June 7, 1977 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Immortalized in the Bobby Bloom song of the same name, Montego Bay is recognized as a popular resort town, along with Kingston, Spanish Town, and Negril. Among the notable residents of Montego Bay include Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jimmy Cliff, who will be inducted this year.

Ricketts began his footballing career in 1990, when he attended Cornwall College, a secondary school in the city. As a member of the DaCosta Cup side for Cornwall, his goalkeeping prowess earned him a spot on the Jamaica Under-20 and Under-23 Olympic teams while earning his Bachelor's degree from the University of the West Indies in the Kingston suburb of Mona.

Since his appearance for the youth national teams, Ricketts has been a mainstay for the Reggae Boyz, earning 83 caps while earning a leadership role as team vice-captain.

Outside of work at The Office (the nickname for Kingston's National Stadium at Independence Park), Ricketts began his club career as a member of the Wadadah Football Club from 1994-1997. Later on, after Ricketts completed his education, he was the goalkeeper for Digicel Premier League side Village United from 2002-2004.

When Ricketts made the jump to England that year, he originally was slated to play for Bolton Wanderers. It never happened. Instead, Ricketts started in goal for the Bantams of Bradford City.

Ricketts began his career with Bradford as an understudy to Australia's Paul Henderson. He would make his debut in April 2005, finishing the rest of that season. The manager at the time, Colin Todd, was pleased with Ricketts' form that he decided to give him a two-year deal.

After a broken foot injury and a suspension in December 2005 for a goal celebration, Ricketts played 80 straight league games. He never missed a single match during the 2006-07 season.

In October 2007, Ricketts was dropped from the starting XI after showing poor form. He would start 13 more matches for the Bantams before released by new manager Stuart McCall at the end of the season. For Ricketts, it was a year that not only saw poor form, but chronic work permit problems. Ricketts finished his career at Bradford City with 104 appearances in goal for the Bantams.

It's not easy being the vice-captain of a national team whose only glory days came during the Rene Simoes era of 1998, when Jamaica last qualified for the FIFA World Cup. The balance of committing equal amounts of time to both club and country was a learning experience for Ricketts, an experience that continues to this day.

After an unsuccessful return stint with Village United in 2008-managing just five appearances with his old team-the Los Angeles Galaxy signed Ricketts on December 23, 2008.

It almost was a signing for Toronto FC. However, the advice of Tyrone Marshall—who had already won an MLS Cup with Los Angeles in 2005 and was a teammate of Ricketts during Jamaica's failed 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign—was too hard to pass up.

In his first season with the Galaxy, Ricketts was a beast. He helped lead LA to the MLS Western Conference title. In 26 appearances, Ricketts made 82 saves and recorded nine clean sheets for a 1.03 goals against average.

However, he was unable to finish the season. An injury midway through the MLS Cup final against Real Salt Lake saw him watch from the bench the Galaxy lose on penalties.

Now, with four shutouts and counting to his name in 2010 to go with a 0.25 through the end of April, Donovan Ricketts is looking to redeem himself for the inability to pounce on some unfinished business.

The Big Cat from Montego Bay is on the prowl at Victoria Street. Look out.

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As we say farewell to the month of April, we also say goodbye to a couple of good things. You know, all good things must come to an end. I know it, you know it, everyone knows it. Tonight, we say farewell the Los Angeles Galaxy's season-opening winning streak as well as Edson Buddle's streak of scoring at least one goal per game.

But here's the catch: the unbeaten streak is not going to ride off into the Kansas City sunset just yet. You see, in spite of the offensive firepower missing on all cylinders for Bruce Arena's Galaxy, it was more of the same stops from goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.

With six key saves at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, Los Angeles was able to keep their composure all the way to the final corner of the match deep into stoppage time and salvage a scoreless draw with Peter Vermes's Kansas City Wizards.

The biggest disappointment that I saw from the Galaxy tonight was their inability to compensate for what has to be the most compact field, dimension-wise, in Major League Soccer. I would have to have seen more short passing instead of trying to be ambitious with the predictable long passing.

Never mind the fact that the Galaxy had their biggest scoring opportunity of the night slip away in the 77th minute, when a shot deep in the penalty box was saved by Danish goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen.

And I can understand a little bit—just a little bit—as to why Edson Buddle will have to work real hard if he gets the call-up to Bob Bradley's national team, if ever. In the 65th minute, he didn't know where to pass the ball to. Buddle made as easy as possible for the Kansas City defense to dispossess him on the touch.

I am still adamant about this: the Los Angeles Galaxy, for all they have accomplished so far, must be able to accommodate their style for any pitch dimension that they play their matches in.  It doesn't matter if it's CommunityAmerica Ballpark, or if it's BMO Field, or Red Bull Arena...the Galaxy have to adjust to the pitch and the conditions. This is what they will have to look at for the long haul this year.

Of course, I can't deny that there is good news on the way. First, this will be the only meeting between the Galaxy and Wizards at CommunityAmerica Ballpark this season. Second, they return to more familiar confines in the Home Depot Center. Third, it's against the Philadephia Union on May Day.

You can expect the local supporters at Victoria Street to give the Sons of Ben an LA-style welcome.

More ins and outs from this match...and elsewhere.


A packed house at the ballpark for soccer ?

That's right, it has been a good turnout for the supporters, drawing near capacity. On average, the Kansas City T-Bones of the Northern League draw 5,850 per game. Here, the Wizards drew over 10,000 for the match against the Galaxy. As expected when facing the top dog in the league.

I think the fans in Kansas City love their soccer more than their baseball. But wait a minute here. Am I missing something. Don't they already HAVE one? Oh that's right, the Royals are based on the other side of the state border. Whoops. Next!


This was going to be a win for the Wizards...or Wiz it?

Kei Kamara and Jack Jewsbury, bless their hearts, they must be feeling sick to their guts right now after ruing their chances to grab the first goal(s) of the contest. But in a match as tense as this, an unlucky handball and expert stopping from Donovan Ricketts will make things very, very problematic.

There was clear frustration on the faces of the Wizards players and relief on the Galaxy sideline. Don't be surprised if Sebastien Le Toux and the Philadelphia Union crew know what to do when the First of May comes into view.

Apologies, Muhammad Ali.


A Red Bull rising

Make that a pack of Red Bulls fresh out of Harrison, N.J. Juan Pablo Angel and the rest of Hans Backe's New York Red Bulls are on a winning rampage. They extend their hold as Beasts from the East, five points ahead of Kansas City, the Chicago Fire, and the Columbus Crew. In your face, Pamplona!

The Galaxy will face New York for the first time this year on August 14, 2010 at the Red Bull Arena.

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T-180 minutes to kickoff: I love barbecue. Kansas City barbecue is characterized by its use of different types of meat (including pulled pork, pork ribs, burnt ends, smoked sausage, beef brisket, beef ribs, smoked/grilled chicken, smoked turkey, and sometimes fish) along with its sweet and tangy sauces which are generally intended for liberal use.

A majority of restaurants also offer a spicy variety of the staple sauce. Ribs are mostly pork, but also come in beef varieties and can come in a number of different cuts. Burnt ends, the flavorful pieces of meat cut from the ends of a smoked beef or pork brisket, are a popular dish in many Kansas City area barbecue restaurants. Kansas City barbecue is also known for its many side dishes, including a unique style of baked beans, french fries, cole slaw, and other soul food staples.

T-175: But while Kansas City, Missouri is a city known for slow-cooking flesh on bone over an open fire, that's not where the Wizards are based in. After a long stint at Arrowhead Stadium, the Wiz are playing at CommunityAmerica Ballpark as a temporary home, while the new house at Village West is being built.

T-170: CommunityAmerica Ballpark is also the home of the Kansas City T-Bones, a baseball team that competes in the Northern League of independent minor league baseball. The T-Bones' only league title came in 2008.

T-160: Line-ups.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY

Manager: Bruce Arena

Formation: 4-4-2 Diamond

Colors: White tops with blue and gold accents, white shorts, white socks

1 Donovan Ricketts

16 Greg Berhalter ---- 4 Omar Gonzalez ---- 20 A.J. de LA Garza ---- 2 Todd Dunivant

26 Michael Stephens

19 Juninho ---- 11 Chris Birchall

18 Mike Magee

14 Edson Buddle ---- 10 Landon Donovan (C)

Substitutes:

21 Alan Gordon F

27 Bryan Jordan F

17 Tristan Bowen F

9 Jovan Kirovski M

7 Chris Klein M

88 Alex Cazumba D

12 Josh Saunders GK

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS

Manager: Peter Vermes

Formation: 4-4-2

Colors: Light blue tops, light blue shorts, light blue socks

1 Jimmy Nielsen

2 Michael Harrington ---- 6 Pablo Escobar ---- 5 Matt Biesler ---- 17 Roger Espinoza

22 Davy Arnaud (C) ---- 8 Stephane Auvray ---- 14 Jack Jewsbury ---- 11 Ryan Smith

23 Kei Kamara ---- 16 Josh Wolff

Substitutes:

9 Teal Bunbury F

27 Birahim Diop M

10 Santiago Hirsig M

4 Craig Rocastle M

15 Aaron Hohlbein D

7 Chance Myers D

18 Eric Kronberg G

Referee: Hilario Grajeda 

Referee's Assistants: Corey Rockwell; Adam Garner 

4th Official: Alex Prus 

T-140: Kansas City's supporters stand in a section of CommunityAmerica Ballpark called the Cauldron. The largest of these groups is the Hillcrest Syndicate, named after Hillcrest Road where the would-be new home of the Wizards passed through.

Other major supporter groups include the Southern Voodoo, KC Outlaws and the Yardbirds. No, not the band known for their song "For Your Love," or those Yardbirds who turned into Led Zeppelin, the other group of Yardbirds dressed in Kansas City's colors.

T-120: Two hours to kickoff. "Ain't Nobody Gonna Stop Us Now" by the Blackpool Lights is KC's official anthem. Couldn't they use a more well known tune like a similarly named number penned by the last musical songwriting firm of McFadden & Whitehead?

T-110: For those of you local to the Los Angeles area, head down to Belmont Shore in Long Beach and KC Branaghan's on 5734 E. 2nd Street. Great eats, and plenty of giveaways on the cheap.

T-100: Los Angeles's next three matches include their first-ever match against the Philadelphia Union and the Sons of Ben on May 1, a May 5 trip to Dick's Sporting Goods Park to clash with the Colorado Rapids and a road trip to the hostile confines of Qwest Field to take on the Seattle Sounders on May 8. Three matches in eight days...not bad.

T-95: Kansas City's next three contests include road tests on May 1 against the Houston Dynamo and May 5 against the struggling DC United, before returning home to host the Chicago Fire on May 15.

T-90: One and a half hours to go, and the crowd begins to fill in the seats of this minor-league ballpark.

T-85: Players that are questionable for today's contest include DF Gregg Berhalter (L knee soreness); MF Dema Kovalenko (R hamstring strain); MF Eddie Lewis (L foot contusion); MF Clint Mathis (L knee surgery); DF Sean Franklin (L ankle sprain) and DF Leonardo (R quad strain).

T-80: For the Wizards, midfielder Zoltan Hercegfalvi is out with a right knee sprain and a torn ACL. Defender Jimmy Conrad has a left calf sprain and will be a game-time decision, while midfielder Stephane Auvray may play in spite of pain in his right knee.

T-75: The Galaxy leads this series. Los Angeles has won 21 matches, Kansas City won 16, and nine matches have resulted in draws.

T-70: Look for Omar Gonzalez to be crucial in the set pieces offensively and defensively. Also, KC should look to Smith's speed as an advantage in his matchup with Donovan. If the Wizards allow even the slightest space for the attack, Buddle will make them pay dearly.

T-65: Earlier this week, FC Dallas and Seattle played to a 2-2 draw. Other matches that will be taking place include the New York Red Bulls taking on the Union, the Columbus Crew facing off against Real Salt Lake, New England hosting the Rapids, the Chicago Fire vs. the Houston Dynamo at Toyota Park and Chivas USA vs. San Jose at the HDC. Tomorrow, Toronto FC will face Seattle at BMO Field.

T-30: Like Houston, this is a short pitch for the players to work with, making this a shooter's park. Some light rain is also in the forecast for tonight's match, which will be played in the low 50's.

T-5: The New York Red Bulls have defeated the Union earlier today, 2-1. Columbus is leading Real Salt Lake 1-0 and New England and Colorado are tied 1-1.

FIRST HALF START: 5:37 PM

1' - And we're off. After some exchanges, Ricketts takes a goal kick. 

2' - A knock of Buddle by Pablo Escobar, but play on, says the official.

3' - Shot goes wide for Kei Kamara. Goal kick.

5' - Ricketts is doing some work early with the Wizards getting the shots off. Foul on Michael Stephens.

6' - So early in the match, the Kansas city Wizards are gaining the upper hand in the possession battle, with more action in the Galaxy's own third. Can the G's adjust?

7' - Sean Franklin did not make the trip due to his injury. Several others also stayed home for this one.

8' - That initial corner for KC never materialized. It's another goal kick for the Big Cat from Montego Bay. I stand corrected. From this point on you will see me refer to our goalkeeper as "The Big Cat from Montego Bay." God bless Freddie Notes and the Rudies.

9' - That was a wide volley from Donovan that hooked left. Goal kick.

11' - Another goal kick. Buddle is called for the foul, and here come those Wizards. I believe there will be at least 20 shots for both teams by the end of tonight, regardless of the score.

12' - That's the result of playing in a pitch as tight as this one. I did not mean that in a slang sense.

13' - Another ambitious shot, this time from Chris Birchall. Everybody on the Galaxy side is taking their aim at diversifying the goal-arsenal. 

15' - The Wiz resets. Let's see what they cook up this time. It's a handball for Kei Kamara. No goal. Oh, have mercy Miss Percy. That was going to be Kamara's third of the season.

16' - Big bullet dodged for LA. Now let's see what they do. Surprised he didn't get carded for that, the Sierra Leone international.

17' - Long ball by Stephane Auvray to Ricketts. Almost an own goal on the clearance. Corner Los Angeles.

18' - First chance of the night for Landon Donovan off the set piece. He was off on that one. Stephens with a volley inside, and the KC defense is there.

19' - Impressive so far, and it almost was 1-0 to the home side. Not bad football for a couple of teams playing on a baseball pitch, don't you think?

20' - A throw-in for Michael Harrington. LA is set to dispossess. A foul outside the box, and a free kick chance for the Wizards.

21' - Arnaud and Jewsbury to take this one. Side netting. Goal kick.

22' - We are 22 minutes and change into this match and it's scoreless. Here comes Kei Kamara. The bounces go back to Ricketts. And Todd Dunivant is a bit shaken up, but is otherwise all right.

23' - Sportsmanlike act from Arnaud, too. That's what you would expect out of the captain from KC.

24' - Here comes Los Angeles. De La Garza with a throw-in. I haven't seen the G's adjust their game to cater to this surface. They really should be trailing by now, but Kamara spaced out on the would-be goal early on.

25' - Leonardo is fouled in the G's own half. Manager Bruce Arena looks on, and he could be up to making some changes after seeing the state of affairs so far.

27' - All Dunivant could do there was clear that baby out. Here's another corner for Kansas City.  Doesn't amount to much, and neither does the second one.

28' - Juninho was marked on that possession. A save for Denmark's Jim Nielsen.

29' - Sounds like an American name to me...Jim Nielsen. Ah, the American melting pot.

30' - Great physical play from both sides as we complete 30 minutes of play here at the CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Can't they call it CommunityAmerica Soccer Park when the Wizards play?

31' - I like the skill of these midfielders. Point and counterpoint.

32' - Near-sellout crowd at CAB. Rain? What rain? Those are just the association football gods extending their greetings with tears of joy.

33' - Ouch. LA were not in rhythm on that one. And KC is intent to make them pay.

34' - Davy Arnaud is a master marksman. Little indecision right there.

Yellow card 19 Juninho

Los Angeles Galaxy

Not sure if the official fell for a possible simulation tactic, but it's a yellow nonetheless for Juninho Gomes.

35 - I wonder who will win the Riverside Copa L.A. in late May? Hmmm...

36' - Jack Jewsbury stuck in a Galaxy sandwich.

37' - Not enough mustard on that hot dog for Landon Donovan. Easy save for Nielsen.

38' - Too much mustard on the passes, Landon. Ever heard of moderation?

39' - Birchall almost gave up another chance for  Kansas City. Good thing Donovan Ricketts was on that ball.

40' - Kansas City on the attack again. Goal kick  for Ricketts. Not so fast, Ryan Smith.

41' - All signs are pointing to a scoreless first half. The Wiz resets. So does Los Angeles. Edson Buddle is not getting the touches he wants.

42' - Good tackle, play on, says Hilario Grajeda.

43' - A heartening slip by Landon Donovan. Man, that pitch is a riot. I bet you the fellows from KC on Big Soccer will be playing that on YouTube again and again.

44' - And you know what? I would do the same. Here's A.J. De La Garza, as we head to first half stoppage time. No one on that dummy pass, but the backline bails the midfield out.

45' - Only one minute of stoppage for this half. 

45' + 1' - Wide shot for Birchall. Bless his heart, he'll want that one back.

45' + 1' It's halftime. And the Wizards players are arguing while the Galaxy head to the locker room intent on making some adjustments.

HALFTIME

Los Angeles Galaxy 0

Kansas City Wizards 0

SECOND HALF START: 6:39 P.M.

46' - The second half begins. Some changes need to be made. A little diversion. Ahem.

Scar: Oh Zazu, do sing something different. Something with a little more bounce in it.

Zazu: It's a Small Pitch after all...

Scar: No, no! Anything but that!

Offsides on Landon Donovan there.

47' - The KC defense swallows up the space made by the Galaxy attackers. 

48' - Foul on Ryan Smith for a free kick just outside the 18-yard box. Well-defended. Dunivant could not get to that one, and it's a goal kick for Jimmy Nielsen.

49' - Greg Berhalter marking Kei Kamara on the transition. No dice on the ensuing possession.

50' - A couple of finals here for you as Kamara crashes into Ricketts on that series: Colorado defeats New England 2-1 and Guillermo Barros Schelotto's first-half goal makes it a 1-0 victory for the Columbus Crew over Real Salt Lake.

51' - Juninho got whistled for simulation. He'll be best to lay low for the rest of the match.

52' - These Wizards are reeling from crashing out of the US Open Cup to go with dropping their first defeat of the MLS season against Seattle.

53' - Here come the Wizards. It's Jack Jewsbury.  Ricketts goes off his line to grab that one.

54' - Good shot by Arnaud but Ricketts that one out. Ryan Smith was going to get the assist on that one. Boy, hasn't he been clutch for the Galaxy tonight.

55' - Peter Vermes and his technical staff, as well as Bruce Arena, look on in anticipation of the breakthrough goal that can determine this contest. Todd Dunivant calls the shots defensively.

56' - Chicago is leading Houston 1-0 right now. Later tonight, Chivas USA will face the San Jose Earthquakes.

57' - A diving save off the Jack Jewsbury volley. Brilliant. And the cards continue...

Yellow card 11 Chris Birchall

Los Angeles Galaxy

Not a smart challenge by Birchall. He got his studs up on that one, and the caution arrives in  due time.

58' - Another scoop from Donovan Ricketts.

59' - Throw-in here for Los Angeles. The G's reset. The Galaxy are still figuring out this pitch. I don't think they will be able to with all the long passes they are dishing out in KC's own third.

60' - And speaking of thirds, we are two-thirds of the way into this match, and would you believe it...it's still scoreless. Offsides on Donovan.

61' - An incidental foul by Birchall. No second yellow. Will be a dubious decision if it is issued, but here is a set piece.

62' - And that was high into the Cauldron. Please? Was anyone in that part of the neighborhood, other than the supporters?

63' - Goal kick for Nielsen. Pablo Escobar's speed has been money for the Wizards, in spite of no goals to show for it. A clearance also. Real money, Escobar is.

64' - That had to go safely in Nielsen hands. I think we may see some substitutions coming soon. Offsides on Buddle.

65' - Here is why Buddle may not have a strong case to be on the national team: at times he is indecisive in what he wants to do when he has the touch.

66' - Goal kick for Ricketts. Transition time for the WIzards. A.J. De La Garza clears that out of trouble, and Landon Donovan's chance on the transition is  squandered by Stephane Auvray and Jimmy Nielsen. This is end-to-end football, ladies and gentlemen on B/R and The View!

67' - Pablo Escobar is shaken up. Now the fatigue settles in.

Substitution Kansas City Wizards

IN 15 Aaron Hohlbein

OUT Pablo Escobar

68' - Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy

IN 9 Jovan Kirovski

OUT 11 Chris Birchall

70' - No offsides, says Grajeda. Jewsbury is jammed in the Wizards' attacking third. Set piece time. Wide right.

71' - Would you believe it; there are some Toronto FC fans in attendance. TFC will be traveling to the HDC to face the G's on May 17.

72' - Kei Kamara, that was not a smart foul. Of course though, he is sportsmanlike in marking Omar Gonzalez. I think this will be a scoreless game. Houston trails Chicago 2-0.

73' - Action inside the penalty box of Los Angeles, and no foul. Arnaud is pleading his case and he gets a yellow for fouling Greg Berhalter. He is okay, though

74' - Yellow card 22 Davy Arnaud

Kansas City Wizards

The chippiness is settling in...

75' - Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy:

IN 7 Chris Klein

OUT 19 Juninho

Klein spent a number of his MLS years as a member of the Wizards. He is still a fan favorite, even though he now dons the Galaxy strip.

76' - 325 appearances for Chris Klein, the third-most all time in the league.

77' - Jimmy Nielsen had to be careful on that one. An overhead attempt for the Galaxy amounts to nothing. Corner for the G's.

78' - That didn't go well, and here come the Wiz on the transition.

79' - It's a defensive exhibition out there, and Josh Wolff will want that chance back.

80' - Kirovski's opportunity is blocked.

Substitution Kansas City Wizards:

IN 7 Chance Myers

OUT 16 Josh Wolff

81' - Another big save for Donovan Ricketts.

82' - Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy

IN 21 Alan Gordon

OUT 18 Mike Magee

85' - Substitution Kansas City Wizards

IN 27 Birahim Diop

OUT 23 Kei Kamara

86' - One of the users on twitter is being a bit cheeky right now, saying that the Galaxy are already leading 1-0.

87' - We've yet to see that. This defending by the Wizards is solid. And A.J. De La Garza is down. He gets up after walking and jogging with a limp.

88' - Gonzales marks Ryan Smith with ease. It looks like Buddle's scoring run will end here.

89' - This has been some solid defending from the Wizards.

90' - Three minutes of stoppage time. A cross for Alan Gordon amounts to nothing.

90' + 2' - All hands on deck for this one. Throw-in for the Wizards. Great defending.

90' + 3' - They will be happy to split the points here, the Galaxy. One final corner for KC punched away from Jimmy Nielsen, and yet one more corner for Kansas City. And that didn't go well, either.

But then again, it's hasn't been anyone's day offensively. It's been defense, defense, defense. The Kansas City Wizards may be reeling the Los Angeles Galaxy in with the scoreless draw tonight, but LA is still undefeated heading into the month of May.

FINAL

LOS ANGELES GALAXY 0

KANSAS CITY WIZARDS 0

Stay tuned for my take on this contest here on Bleacher Report and the View from Victoria's Street.

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At least the Union kept all eleven players on the pitch Saturday at Red Bull Arena. That was a positive from the 2-1 loss, but not many other defensive positives could be taken from the game.

Chris Seitz proved yet again to be a concern in goal after giving up the game's first goal to Salou Ibrahim. Off of a corner, Seitz came out to punch the ball, but was way too late and instead making impact with the ball, he made impact with Jordan Harvey's head.

After tying the game at 1-1 on a Sebastien Le Toux goal, the Union looked to be dominating the rest of the game until Michael Orozco handled a ball in the box. Orozco misread his jump to head away a ball in the box. The handball led to a penalty kick for Juan Pablo Angel, who scored.

The Union played a very solid game in every other part of the game. For most of the second half, they were putting balls on net. Le Toux scored a goal and Jack McInerney missed an attempt at goal after coming on in the 78th minute.

The Union now fall to 1-3 on the season and travel out to the Home Depot Center to face the LA Galaxy next Saturday at 10:30.

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The defending champions of MLS, Real Salt Lake, continue their difficult start to the season visiting the Columbus Crew at 7:30 tonight.

After an easy win over San Jose in their first match, Jason Kreis' club has only taken one point from three games against top Western Conference teams (losses to Houston and Los Angeles, draw with Seattle). After tonight, RSL comes home for four of their next five matches and will try to start up the momentum going into that strecth tonight.

The Crew are playing in their third game of the season, the fewest of all MLS clubs. After beating Toronto in the first weekend, Robert Warzycha's club drew with FC Dallas 2-2 two weeks ago at Pizza Hut Park. The squad should be at full strength and healthy with the exception of defenders Shaun Francis and Chad Marshall.

RSL players have picked up some injuries in the early season. Both Ned Grabavoy and Chris Wingert are out for tonight's game and Robbie Findlay, Jamison Olave and Javier Morales are all on the injury report but should play.

There is plenty of top-class players on the pitch tonight at Columbus Crew Stadium, posing some interesting battles at a variety of positions.

Matchup To Watch:

Kyle Beckerman (RSL) vs. Guillermo Barros Schelotto (CLB)

Both midfielders are the heart and soul of their respective teams and should go up against each other quite a bit tonight. Both players need to connect to the men up front to get goal attempts. Schelotto also has the skill to break free and score himself. Schelotto could start up front tonight also.

Starting Lineups:

Real Salt Lake:

Nick Rimando (GK)

Robbie Russell, Jamison Olave, Nat Borchers, Tony Beltran (DF)

Will Johnson, Kyle Beckerman, Andy Williams, Collen Warner (MF)

Alvaro Saborio, Fabian Espindola (FW)

Columbus Crew:

Will Hesmer (GK)

Gino Padula, Andy Iro, Eric Brunner, Frankie Hejduk (DF)

Robbie Rogers, Adam Moffat, Brian Carroll, Eddie Gaven (MF)

Steven Lenhart, Guillermo Barros Schelotto (FW)

Players to Watch:

Real Salt Lake:

Kyle Beckerman, Nick Rimando, Andy Williams, Collen Warner, Jamison Olave

Beckerman and Rimando are on this list for obvious reasons. Williams and Warner will be part of the midfield battle and trying to contain the middle four for Columbus will be a task they need to handle. Olave just needs to have a solid game, he really has not played up to his abilities so far this season and has a chance to improve his form tonight.

Columbus:

Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Gino Padula, Frankie Hejduk, Adam Moffat, Steven Lenhart

Schelotto is the main goal scorer and will need to get on the board tonight. If he fails, the young Lenhart needs to get shots on goal and challenge Rimando in net. Moffat will be part of the midfield battle that will dictate the game and with Schelotto up front, Moffat will have the task of dealing with Beckerman tonight. Padula and Hejduk are two of the best fullbacks in the league. Both play with heart and try to get up the wing for all ninety minutes.

Prediction: Real Salt Lake 1-1 Columbus

This might even be a goalless draw, but it all depends on how the midfield battle goes.

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The Los Angeles Galaxy will head to CommunityAmerica Ballpark with the same goal as their last four missions in the 2010 Major League Soccer season, do just enough to earn another trio of points.

But with Sean Franklin suffering a sprained left ankle in LA's 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake, the depth will be facing a stern test in the Kansas City Wizards.

Needless to say, head coach Bruce Arena was quite pleased with the depth of talent still fresh, healthy and at his disposal.

"In the last year-and-a-half or two years, this is the best group we've had," Arena said after the match. "Having the depth we have and the confidence in each other allowed us to perform well to date."

Landon Donovan also touted the power of the team's depth. "We pride ourselves on our depth," he said last Saturday. "We’ve had a lot of injuries—a lot of injuries to veteran players. So, we don’t have a lot of leadership on the field right now and guys are stepping in, kind of learning on the run, and doing a great job.”

One of those players stepping up is Bryan Jordan, who played at an unfamiliar position,right back, for his season debut.

"It wasn't too bad, actually," Jordan said during training on Tuesday. "It got my confidence up. I'm sad because my buddy Sean went down with an injury, but Bruce (Arena) has the confidence in me to get me in there at right back. I felt good out there."

Left back Todd Dunivant also knew the nature of the beast. "That's what you have to have on good teams," Dunivant said during training. "When guys go down somebody is able to step up. You've seen that already this year with us. Sean going down, Gregg (Berhalter) going down, Dema (Kovalenko) going down ...It's part of the game."

"There are going to be injuries and you've got to have guys that can step up for us. Bryan did a great job. That's another player Bruce has seen as being a versatile guy. He can play in midfield, up front or right back...He's that much more valuable to our team now."

Kansas City is second in the MLS Eastern Conference (2-1-0, 6 pts), and is led by Sierra Leone international Kei Kamara, who leads the team with two goals so far. Defensively, KC has also surrendered one goal three matches into their 2010 MLS campaign.

Peter Vermes's Wizards are on a two-game losing streak, having crashed out of the US Open Cup to go with a 1-0 loss to Seattle.

A key player to watch out for on Saturday is midfielder Ryan Smith. A young veteran who has pleyed for English clubs such as Arsenal, Millwall, and Crystal Palace, Smith already has a goal and two assists under his belt, and will be a target for the Galaxy defense.

Striker Josh Wolff is dangerous at his new position in the middle of the Wizards' attacking front, and will be another player to watch for the home side on Saturday.

Prediction

Edson Buddle's scoring form should culminate in at least one going through. The Wizards will be winning half the battle if they neutralize his touches and open space in their own third. Buddle squandered a number of chances to add to his brace, and this time, he may have a chance to get a hat trick if they don't get two or three defenders in the box to stop him. At some point, though, someone else will be opening his account. The only question is, who will it be?

Los Angeles Galaxy 3, Kansas City Wizards 1

Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. CT and will be televised locally by Fox Sports West and KCWE 29 in Kansas City.

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