Coming into Saturday night's RSL home-opener at Rio Tinto, both teams are coming off of tough losses that put a temporary halt in the momentum each had from week one wins.

For Sigi Schmid's Sounders side, a home tie with the Red Bulls was supposed to be a lock for a win, but that was not the case. After a Macoumba Kandji goal in the first half for the Red Bulls, and some passes that barely missed teammates and shots that barley missed goal, the Sounders fell 1-0 after a week-one win over the expansion Philadelphia Union.

Real Salt Lake had the worst luck of all MLS teams this season so far at Robertson Stadium in Houston last Thursday. Jamison Olave had the worst luck of all. Olave was called for two penalties within a span of five minutes by referee Jair Marrufo. Brad Davis converted on both of those penalties, giving Houston the 2-1 advantage which they held onto for the rest of the match.

Keys to Game for Seattle:

1. Midfielders need to be more accurate with passing.

During the second half against the Red Bulls, the Sounders had many chances to score, but could not get either the pass or shot down accurately, which turned into many goal kicks.

2. Win the battle in central midfield

Both of these teams feature spectacular midfield talent. Osvaldo Alonso will have his hands full against Kyle Beckerman in the best matchup on the pitch at Rio Tinto. Alonso will have to maintain more possession than Beckerman to provide the wingers and strikers with balls to advance down the pitch.

Keys to the Game for Real Salt Lake:

1. Win battle in central midfield

As stated above with regard to Alonso for Seattle, Beckerman will have to the same for RSL and more. RSL does not have the talent out on the wings that Seattle does, so he will have to rely more on midfield partner Javier Morales to get the ball up the pitch.

2. Shoot, shoot, and shoot even more

RSL is going up against one of the best keepers in MLS in Kasey Keller. Whomever Jason Kreis puts up front will have to keep getting the ball on the net to test Keller. If you fire enough strikes at the keeper, one will eventually make it in the back of the net.

Players to Watch:

Seattle: Osvaldo Alonso (M), Kasey Keller (GK), Freddie Ljungberg (M), Steve Zakuani (M), Fredy Montero (F)

Real Salt Lake: Kyle Beckerman (M), Nick Rimando (GK), Jamison Olave (D), Fabian Espindola (F), Alvaro Saborio (F)

Prediction:

Both teams have excellent midfield players, but the difference will be made up front and Seattle has a better attack force.

Seattle wins 2-1.

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The newest franchise in Major League Soccer makes their home debut tomorrow and it will try to match the one of the 2009 expansion team, the Seattle Sounders. With the same type of support that Seattle had in their first season, the Union are poised to succeed at home.

Philadelphia fans have a reputation for being the most supportive of their sports teams. But at the same time, they also have a reputation for getting on an athlete's case if the performance is not up to their standards.

The supporters group, Sons of Ben, has been behind the Union even before its official inception on May 11, 2009. The supporters section at the new PPL Park, which opens June 27th against the Sounders, has been sold out for quite some time and the club had to cut off season-ticket sales because they were selling so quickly.

The Sons of Ben will have to travel for all except two games until the opening of PPL Park, with the exception of Saturday's game against DC United and a May 15th match with FC Dallas, both games being played at Lincoln Financial Field. After June 27th, the Union will host 14 home games that will be filled with enthusiasm from the Sons of Ben section and from the rest of the 18,500 seats that will most likely be filled at PPL Park.

No matter where the Union play, the Sons of Ben and the rest of Philadelphia's sports fans will be behind this team no matter what the result.

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If you just looked at the stat sheet after the match, you would have thought that the Seattle Sounders FC won by two or three goals, and that the New York Red Bulls were a frustrated squad committing 22 fouls in the match.

New York’s Macoumba Kandji was left unmarked in the center of the penalty area and placed a perfect shot off the underside of the crossbar to help his team sneak out of Qwest Field with a 1-0 win.

Sounders FC took 17 shots and could not find the inside of the net once in a match. Seattle led in all of the statistical categories at the end of the match which brought a sense of frustration to the team after the match.

“It's frustrating, we're all extremely frustrated but I don't think you can fault the guys' effort,” said goalkeeper Kasey Keller after the match.

No one is questioning the effort of the men in green, but there were a total of 34 free kicks and corner kicks in the match, and with just the run of play there should have been a goal scored.

“We had a ton of corners, we had a ton of free kicks, we need to be more effective on those things so that's something we've got to make sure we go to the training ground and make sure we become more effective on that,” Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid commented. “I'm not displeased with our effort, I'm not displeased with our ability to get forward, but I am displeased with our ability to finish."

Sounders FC should expect physical matches on most match days, and it does not get any easier making their shortest trip of the season to MLS Cup champs Real Salt Lake.

Real Salt Lake played Seattle physical in the last campaign, and with the failures on set pieces Saturday night, you can expect RSL to have the same game plan as the Union and Red Bulls have opened with this season against the Rave Green squad.

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Robertson Stadium was sporting a sea of “Forever Orange” on Houston Dynamo Day. Supporter groups, season ticket holders, and newcomers were all part of 18,000+ strong fans in attendance for the 2010 home opener versus the 2009 MLS Cup Champion Real Salt Lake.

Fans were anxiously waiting this date for months; the Dynamo could not wait to start at home, a field where they lose rarely. Although the night started festive, there was little time to celebrate. The Dynamo began the season the previous week at FC Dallas and left Frisco with a 1-1 tie in the Texan Derby.

After game day opening celebrations concluded, the 22 men on John O’ Quinn field starting things off to a fast tempo. Fans were chanting “Let’s Go Dynamo!” as the Orange Crush was in a battle of possession for most part of the first half.

That is, until the 17th minute when RSL’s Argentinean striker Javier Morales took advantage of a defensive mishap by the home team and shot one with ease past Pat Onstad into the right corner of the net to put the defending Champions in the lead 1-0.

Looking carefully at the play: Alvaro Saborio receives the pass from the wing, leans against Ryan Cochrane (who immediately falls to indicate a foul), turns and passes the ball to Beckerman, who sends it to a Javier Morales running toward goal and only the keeper to beat.

It’s hard to tell whether Cochrane tried to use the elbow by Saborio and act out the foul to see if the referee would follow or if he truly fell due to the hit. Nonetheless the foul is not called and this mishap leads to Mulrooney, who is playing defensive midfielder, to run back to cover Cochrane’s spot and in doing so looses focus of Morales.

Now Boswell is left chasing Morales and Onstad who looked like a deer in headlights is forced to act one-on-one and all Morales has to do is shoot around the Canadian goalkeeper. It’s not surprising with RSL’s explosive offense that a shutout might have been a bit too much to ask for. The reason why Robertson Stadium fell under an immediate spell of silence was due more to the ease of the goal rather than the act of scoring.

The concern of losing Stuart Holden (6 goals, 4 assists) and Ricardo Clark (1 goal, 1 assist) was due to their vital roles and continuity in midfield. Now that both left overseas during the offseason, fans understand the team is not going to function as effectively right away and it will take time for the players to adapt.

The coaching staff knows this is a weakness successful teams like RSL would be eager to exploit. It didn’t take too long for Jason Kreis’ side to take advantage. The important detail in this game is how the team would react. The Dynamo held their composure, took care of the ball, and didn’t allow a goal for the rest of the game. However, Dynamo fans would not be relieved before the end of the night.

In the 27th minute, Brian Ching pulled a hamstring on a play where he was fighting for a ball that ended up going out of bounds. The feeling of uneasiness was felt throughout the stadium with the image of Ching immediately calling for the medical staff; simultaneously Luis Landin quickly warms up and prepares to be subbed in.

Ching is the Dynamo’s all-time top goal scorer and proven striker, and one of Bob Bradley’s options up top for the USA’s men’s World Cup squad that will play in South Africa this summer. On top of that, he is the team captain; former captain Wade Barrett recently retired and is now an assistant coach to Dominic Kinnear. A comeback may seem bleak at this point as Brian Ching is helped off the field and carried into the locker room area.

The Houston Dynamo although a young franchise are an experienced one; they have roster depth and are a team that in any situation demonstrates resiliency. The team fights on and eventually into the second half causes RSL to lose its head. RSL defender Jamison Olave crosses feet with Geoff Cameron inside the box; the referee calls the foul and awards the penalty to the relief of Dynamo fans.

Brad Davis steps up to the penalty marker against a goalkeeper that won the MLS Cup in a penalty shootout in Nick Rimando. Davis shoots it with force down the middle as Rimando dives to the left and scores the first goal in the 52nd minute for the Orange Crush.

Olave does not get carded and a few plays later fouls Luis Landin inside the box to hand over a second penalty kick, this time receiving a yellow card. Brad Davis steps up once again, this time shoots to the right and converts to put Houston in the lead 2-1 in the 55th minute.

RSL would later miss the tying goal when Espindola shoots a ball that rebounds off the pole. Espindola also got himself a yellow card, which should’ve been a red card, late in the game when he lost a footrace with Boswell and manhandled him to the ground into the southwest corner of the field.

One can argue this is a game the defending MLS Champions lost because of their mistakes in the second half rather than one the Dynamo won. Of course it takes someone who takes advantage of the given opportunities to win the game as Brad Davis did. I

t’s neither the prettiest win nor the most encouraging but three points are extremely important especially in a competitive Western Conference. Nonetheless, the Dynamo has quite a bit of questions to answer throughout the 2010 season.

Landin has improved from the previous season but still needs to produce results on the field for his loan to Dynamo to be considered a success. The Ching injury, although heartbreaking to Dynamo fans, gives Landin the opportunity to increase his playing time and ultimately prove his effectiveness as a forward.

A young Landin shows promise which instills hope into Dynamo fans but Houston won’t be so patient if the team begins to lose. Cam Weaver remains an active option as well and while he is not the best replacement for Ching, Weaver has proven he can score.

Dominic Oduro, a questionable selection to be part of the team, continues to fail miserably in his accuracy to put the ball into the net despite numerous opportunities. Kinnear favors Oduro because of his speed but if Oduro doesn’t improve fast the only thing his speed will be good for will be for running out of town. Let’s not forget Kinnear has an open roster spot and is known for making trades and roster moves as the season progresses.

For many, this matchup was the MLS Cup Final that should’ve happened in Seattle last November. The Houston Dynamo were eliminated by the Los Angeles Galaxy in overtime of a Western Conference Championship game that saw two power failures at The Home Depot Center. Coincidentally, the next game for the Dynamo will be versus the LA Galaxy in what is being advertised as “Lights Out L.A. Rematch.”

Los Angeles is expected to be a contender once again for the MLS Cup this season. Last season both teams were tied in points but LA won the tie-breaker to decide home field advantage due to head-to-head results despite the Dynamo having a higher goal differential.

Landon Donovan and Co. will prove to be a difficult task, especially without a proven goal scorer; However, La Naranja has to take advantage of home field and use the crowd to their advantage. The Houston Dynamo have outscored LA Galaxy 6-4 at Robertson Stadium in six all-time meetings.

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In 2009, the Kansas City Wizards went from a playoff team to a bottom-three team in MLS. The team was plagued by a poor attack, scoring the second-least number of goals (33). The team spent the 2010 offseason making major changes to the roster in hopes of rectifying their offensive woes and getting back into the playoffs.

Head Coach Curt Onalfo was axed and Peter Vermes was brought in to replace him.

While Vermes and the front office indulged in quite a bit of player movement, there are three returning MLS veterans the team will lean on heavily: forward Josh Wolff, midfielder-forward Davy Arnaud, and defender Jimmy Conrad.

Wolff was one of the top goal scorers last season (11) and is one of the active leaders in career goals (73). His 11 goals last year were a career high in his 11-year MLS career. The Wizards will need him to continue to stay hot and put the ball in the back of the net to be successful.

He’s also made 52 appearances for the United States National Team and was a member of two World Cup squads. His experience will be invaluable to the team as everyone tries to gel.

Arnaud has been with the team his entire professional career, amassing 191 regular season appearances. He didn’t break into the starting lineup until his second season, but he made an immediate impact scoring in the 11th minute of the match against the then-named Metrostars, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Conrad, another Wizards mainstay, has been with Kansas City since 2003 and played in 178 games for the team, including the 2005 season when he was named MLS Defender of the Year. He was a teammate of Wolff’s in the 2006 World Cup. His experience will also help stabilize not only the team, but as the center back, he will be counted on to keep the defense organized.

Those three will be instrumental in keeping the team together as a number of players from last year are no longer with the team.

Gone are second leading scorer and points leader Claudio Lopez and forward Herculez Gomez (in 34 appearances with Kansas City, Gomez scored only one goal; in 12 appearances with Mexican side Puebla, Gomez has tallied an impressive seven goals).

Surprisingly, goalkeeper and MLS all-time saves, shutouts, and victories leader Kevin Hartman was also traded.

The Wiz replaced Hartman with Danish keeper Jimmy Nielsen, who made 342 appearances with Danish Superliga team Aab Fodbold.

In front of him, Kansas City added Colombian defender Pablo Escobar. The team hopes he continues the trend of Colombians being successful in the league, following in the footsteps of players like Juan Pablo Angel and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado.

On offense, the Wizards will hope a full season from Kei Kamara will help them.

Kamara came over in a late season trade with Houston in 2009 and only appeared in six games for Kansas City. He has great speed and could be quite dangerous.

They also added English midfielder-forward Ryan Smith. Once a member of storied English Premier League club Arsenal, the Wizards hope he has already made an impact in Kansas City, scoring in the team’s season-opening win over DC United.

Another player to watch out for is rookie Teal Bunbury. The clinical finisher from the University of Akron was Soccer America’s player of the year and a first team All-American. His father, Alex, is a former Wizards player, and he should get a fair share of chances to play this season.

Many thought it would take a considerable amount of time for so many new faces to gel, but the Wizards came out of the gates of the 2010 season with a bang, thumping D.C. United (and Onalfo) 4-0.

It’s still early and D.C. has a number of new players trying to fit together as well, but it was an impressive performance and it will be interesting to see how the Wizards play together for the rest of the season.

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The Los Angeles Galaxy are just two games into the young 2010 Major League Soccer season, and already I will take the great leap of faith in throwing down the gauntlet and declaring 2010 to be the long-awaited Second Coming of Edson Buddle.

No, I'm not talking about the Edson Buddle who scored a measly five goals last season. He can even that total with a brace against the Houston Dynamo on April 10. I'm talking about the Edson Buddle who tallied 15 goals two seasons ago. 

If at first you don't succeed, try and try again. In an identical situation similar to Saturday's chance against the New England Revolution involving Alex Cazumba, Buddle made no mistake in finishing on a Landon Donovan through ball inside the box, slotting his third of the season past the Chivas USA goalkeeper to continue LA's dominance over its cross-stadium rivals 2-0 before 19,000-plus at the Home Depot Center.

It was textbook placement and finishing. When Buddle is hot with his scoring touch, it takes a lot of steam off Donovan to be LA's bailout package. Landon facilitates, Edson finishes. Landon facilitates again, Edson finishes again. Repeat as necessary.

"I feel good," said Buddle after the match. "My teammates are doing a good job of finding me, and I’m able to finish them off."

"Edson was fantastic," Donovan said on Buddle's form. "He’s being rewarded for a lot of hard work. He was in here all the off season working hard to get himself ready for the season."

Tell you what: I got an offer here for you readers on Bleacher Report you can't refuse. At no cost, we will call this combo The Buddlevan Connection.

How's that? It sounds a bit bumbly compared to the more masculine-sounding David Beckham + Donovan combo known as The Beckovan Connection, but if it works, who's to say it is bumbly?

Whether or not The Buddlevan Connection leads to a World Cup appearance for the No. 14 remains to be seen. Stay tuned.

Some more ins and outs from Thursday night's affair:

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T-180: This is the Honda SuperClasico between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Club Deportivo Chivas USA, currently in its sixth edition here at Victoria Street's very own Home Depot Center. You know, I've been hearing all this talk by some hoity-toity upstart about Red Bull Arena being named the new American cathedral of football. Nonsense. With all respect to the architecture of the new stadium and the people of Harrison, N.J., and vicinity, the national team does not train there. Though playing a few international friendlies there wouldn't hurt, I will admit...

T-175: The Galaxy, long the only team in the City of Angels until the arrival of Guadalajara's sister team in 2004, dominate this series, winning four out of the last five editions.

T-170: LA's last match with Chivas USA was a 1-0 victory off a Landon Donovan penalty. The G's would advance 3-2 on aggregate in the 2009 Western Conference quarterfinals.

T-165: Chivas USA has a new man in charge: Martin Vasquez. Among the honors on his resume include work as an assistant for Bundesliga mainstay Bayern Munich. Vasquez looks to brings a fresh new attacking style to placate the likes of Legion 1908 and the Union Ultras.

T-160: Speaking of Union Ultras, they are the official Chivas USA supporters group. (Legion 1908 is a built-in group and the California chapter, Legion-Kalifas, attends the Chivas USA matches.) Those who plan to get to the stadium early will be in for a treat: a supporters club match between the Union Ultras and the Angel City Brigade at 5:00 p.m. on the pitch.

Supporters teams are not uncommon; in England a number of clubs have their own supporters who play football themselves. For example, AFC Wimbledon (a non-League team I follow) has their own side consisting of supporters, and they're not too bad themselves, scoring victories against supporters of more established clubs like Kidderminster Harriers, Brentford and Cambridge United.

In fact, there is a league dedicated to this. Check it out here:
http://www.internetfootball.org.uk/

T-155: Back to the scrimmage between the UU and the ACB. This was an annual match that began last season. It was proven to be a success, and will now be played before the first game of this SuperClasico.

T-150: History of this rivalry:

23 Apr 2005 - LA 3 CHV 1
28 May 2005 - LA 2, CHV 0
16 Jul 2005 - LA 2, CHV 0
3 Aug 2005 - LA 5, CHV 2
10 Aug 2005 - LA 1, CHV 0
15 Apr 2006 - LA 2, CHV 1
6 Jun 2006 - CHV 2, LA 1
15 Jul 2006 - LA 0, CHV 0
30 Sep 2006 - LA 3, CHV 0
28 Apr 2007 - LA 3, CHV 1
20 May 2007 - LA 1, CHV 1
23 Aug 2007 - CHV 3, LA 0
13 Sep 2007 - CHV 3, LA 0
27 Apr 2008 - LA 5, CHV 2
10 Jul 2008 - LA 1, CHV 1
14 Aug 2008 - LA 2, CHV 2
11 Apr 2009 - LA 0, CHV 0
11 Jul 2009 - LA 1, CHV 0
29 Aug 2009 - LA 1, CHV 0
1 Nov 2009 - LA 2, CHV 2
8 Nov 2009 - LA 1, CHV 0

LA Galaxy wins: 12
Chivas USA wins: 3
Draws: 6

The Goats have not tallied a victory on the Galaxy since September 2007 and will look to break out of their slump tonight.

T-145: Los Angeles's next three home games include their road opener on April 10 against the Houston Dynamo, the MLS Cup 2009 rematch with Real Salt Lake, and a road trip away to CommunityAmerica Ballpark against the Kansas City Wizards.

T-140: Chivas USA's next three games include a home match against the New York Red Bulls on April 10, a road match to Houston on April 17, and a home contest on April 24 to face the San Jose Earthquakes.

T-135: The formations.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY
Manager: Bruce Arena
Formation: 4-4-2
Colors: White tops with blue shoulders and gold accents, white shorts, white socks

1 Donovan Ricketts

28 Sean Franklin ---- 4 Omar Gonzalez ---- 22 Leonardo ---- 2 Todd Dunivant

11 Chris Birchall ---- 8 Dema Kovalenko ---- 88 Alex Cazumba ---- 10 Landon Donovan (C)

14 Edson Buddle ---- 19 Juninho


Substitutes:

12 Josh Saunders GK
20 A.J. De La Garza MID
7 Chris Klein MID
18 Mike Magee
26 Michael Stephens
27 Bryan Jordan
17 Tristan Bowen

With Eddie Lewis injured, the young Brazilian Alex Cazumba will see more playing time for LA. Edson Buddle will look to add to his goal total, while Landon Donovan's finishing and facilitation will be counted on.

CHIVAS USA
Manager: Martin Vasquez
Formation: 4-4-1-1
Colors: Red and white striped tops, blue shorts, blue socks

1 Dan Kennedy

8 Mariano Trujillo ---- 4 Michael Umana ---- 5 Marcelo Saragosa ---- 5 Ante Jazic

16 Sacha Kljestan (C) ---- 18 Blair Gavin ---- 7 Osael ROmero ---- 13 Jonathan Bornstein

------------------------- 17 Justin Braun ------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------9 Maykel Galindo ---------------------------

Substitutes:

22 Zach Thornton GK
45 Yamith Cuesta DEF
19 Jorge Flores FWD
10 Jesus Padilla MID
11 Michael Lahoud MID
77 Chukwudi Chijindu MID
29 Maicon Correa FWD

Osael Romero is a young gun from El Salvador who will mesh well with Maykel Galindo in the front. Jorge Flores, the winner of a Sueno MLS contest years ago, will also be one to watch. Look for Kljestan and Bornstein to make an immediate impact tonight against the tenacious Los Angeles midfield.


T-120: So it's two hours to kickoff, and the crowd begins to file in and find their seats. I am a stickler for the mainstay of pageantry known as tifosi. In 2007, the Legion unfurled a huge banner honoring their team's breakthrough series win over the Galaxy. Don't be surprised to see it unfurled tonight.

T-110: By the way, it's April Fools' Day. In spite of the cause it's very likely, if not a certainty, that there won't be any fooling around tonight in this inter-city derby.

T-100: This is not an April Fools joke either: the league expands the designated player rule to three. So we are looking at $335,000 + $335,000 + $335,000 + $250,000 that will be split among those not carrying a third DP. That's $1,255,000 per team, per season. Now what if all the clubs fill their slots...who will get the $250,000? Hmmm...

Nevertheless, I expect all of the teams' DP slots to be filled after this announcement. I now have a spot in the upper tier of the box. I'd rather have my seat at the upper tier rather than the lower because it provides a much better view along with superior leg room.

T-80: Other action going on today: 29th minute, and Houston's Bryan Ching pulls a thigh/hammy, and will have to be subbed. 1-0, Real Salt Lake over Houston Dynamo. This Real team hasn't missed much from last season. They are in top notch form under Jesus Christ-er, Jason Kreis. Apologies. It sounds similar. The Galaxy will have their hands full on April 17.

T-79: A large oversized Galaxy jersey can be seen in Section 137, in the Riot Squad corner. This will definitely be used for the pregame festivities. At the ACB end, the drums are set to go. Not sure what happened in that supporters' match; I will have to check the websites of both the Angel City Brigade and the Union Ultras for all the details.

T-75: The schoolkids are already filling up the seats in the north goal end. Talk about devotion.

T-40: Our match official in charge is Ricardo Salazar (he shares the same last name as me, no joke about that), the linemen are Core Rockwell and Peter Manikowski, and Kevin Stott is out fourth official.

T-30: Both teams already warming up. Looks like the fans are still filing in.

T-20: 20 minutes to kickoff, and the coverage in Houston is wrapping up. The Dynamo have rallied to make it 2-1 via a Brad Davis brace. Watch for him to be the X-factor against the Galaxy in Round 3 of MLS action.

T-10: Chivas and LA wrap up their final runthroughs. Tonight's parade plots its course as the ANgel City Brigade pounds the Maundy Thursday night rhythm. And as always, the fireworks are set in the middle of the pitch.

T-3: The regular caterer is on assignment tonight to help the press. Two helpings of chicken, macaroni & cheese and asparagus to go with a garden salad and rolls...all for $10. Beat one helping on Pollo Campero on the concourse.

T-2: Fabian Espindola with a horsecollar tackle in stoppage time. Wrong code, and you would still be penalized the full 15 for that. Final in Houston: 2-1 to the Dynamo. Espindola still arguing his case, but to no avail. Legion 1908 banging their drums in the northwest corner.

T-0: National anthem by Justin Guarini (heard of him? American Idol Season 1 runner-up? I hope you do...), and we're ready to go. Nice rendition, too.

FIRST HALF START: 8:15 PM

Since this is on ESPN2, there will be a bit of a delay to accomodate the national broadcast.

1' - And we're off. Chivas with the ball early. Bornstein kicks it out of bounds for a throw-in. The Goats want to sustain early possession.

2' - Trujillo puts it in touch for Galindo. Dunivant with and entry ball for someone in the midfield, but Chivas is there to swarm in and dispossess.

3' - Here's an opportunity for Osael Romero. Wide right, but that's what he is capable of. Goal kick for Ricketts.

4' - Romero will be getting plenty of chances tonight. Here is is again. LA needs to have to marked on him. Dunivant marks him.

5' - Vasquez made it clear to his players in neutralizing Edson Buddle. So far, so good.

6' - Wonder what that clearance was from Bornstein. The Goats keep their cool. Here's Kennedy with a goal kick.

7' - Clear night tonight. Here come the G's.

7' - GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 14 Edson Buddle Assist 10 Landon Donovan 28 Sean Franklin

Seven minutes into the contest, the Galaxy strike first blood. Chivas USA are now on their heels.

8' - Offsides on Galindo. What a crisp header by Buddle and an even better delivery from Donovan.

9' - Galaxy manager Bruce Arena wants Buddle to be more involved in this match. That's his second goal of the season.

10' - There's one volleyed into the seats.

11' - Percussion battle in the north end. Chivas USA with possession. Romero marked for a goal kick. If they let the Salvadoran get some touches, he can equalize at will.

12' - A diving save by Donovan Ricketts to stop Galindo from breaking through. He's shaken up, but he's all right, to the relief of the fans.. As always, Josh Saunders is a capable keeper and ready to fill in when necessary.

15' - As a goalkeeper, when you're making a diving save, utilize a technique that will prevent you from falling awkwardly.

16' - Chivas USA continues to press on with an equalizing chance, but the G;s are there to stop it. And now Juninho is a bit shaken after that ambitious one-timer. Nothing too bad.

17' - We are 17 minutes in and it is 1-0 Los Angeles.

18' - Here is Buddle, and he is fouled by Michael Umana. Salazar issues the yellow card.

Yellow Card - 4 Michael Umana
Chivas USA

19' - Set piece for the Galaxy. That didn't work well. First corner for the Galaxy. Donovan to take...

20' - And that missed wide for Leonardo. two bullets dodged, and once again the suspect finishing for LA rears its head tonight.

22' - Alex Cazumba pleads his case to Ricardo Salazar, but to no avail.

23' - Umana walks a fine rope. Excellent dispossession of Cazumba by the Chivas defense.

24' - Galaxy playing some solid defense. Dunivant there on the clearance.

25' - Boo birds are out for that suspect play by the Goats. And now some wars of words on the way.

Yellow Card - 11 Chris Birchall
Los Angeles Galaxy

It's a yellow card festival As C&C Music Factory mentioned, it's a "thing that makes you go 'Hmmm...' "

26' - More pushing and shoving, and more cards.

Yellow Card - 14 Edson Buddle
Los Angeles Galaxy

27' - Bruce Arena looks on with a stonefaced, grim expression. Set piece for the G's. Dunivant's shot..doesn't amount to much.

29' - Here comes Chivas USA, but they are met by the Galaxy defense. This will be a possession battle for the rest of this first half.

30' - Here's a chance for Romero...and that was wasted.

31' - Dema Kovalenko's pass to Buddle goes wide. Here's Todd Dunivant, but his entry ball is met by the Goats. Big opportunity for Maykel Galindo goes wide. This is some great defense from the Brazilian Leonardo. He is on it tonight.

32' - A French flag in the Legion 1908 section? April Fish joke, maybe?

33' - Donovan Ricketts looks on as Justin Braun is warned for his challenge on Sean Franklin. Goal kick.

34' - Chivas USA on the attack again. Here's Galindo...and that was snuffed out by Ricketts. The Galaxy seem to know his tendencies by now.

35' - Both sides lack fire in the Finishing department. Can that change this half?\

36' - Salazar says play on after that tackle by Trujillo on Buddle.

37' - Donovan argues his case to Salazar. He did say that he wanted to up the ante before the match, and so far he doing that. A Big Swat from the Big Cat from Kingston Town.

38' - Dan Kennedy has had his share of stops, but hasn't been tested as much since that Buddlevan goal.

39' - That was trouble on that gift that Birchall had for him, but the Galaxy defense breaks out their own bailout package. Offsides on Donovan.

40' - Too far a pass for Edson Buddle. Kennedy sweeps it.

41' - Thank you very much, says Ricketts, who scoops it up for a goal kick.

42' - I have been seeing better passing from Chivas USA that Los Angeles, but the finishing for Los Angeles-though few and far between, as well as the defnding, has been clutch.

43' - Another chance for the Goats falls into the hands of Donovan Ricketts.

44' - Kennedy resets for Chivas USA. Goats can't get anything going in the front. Questionable challenge, and Alex Cazumba is down. The Legion and Union Ultras call for simulation. Salazar instead opts for a free kick.

45' - Now Kennedy is getting some work done. Good save. Four minutes of stoppage time.

45' + 2' - This is great defense from Los Angeles.

45' + 3' - Martin Vasquezz will have a lot to talk about in the change rooms. Nice dispossession by Buddle at the end for Umana.

HALFTIME

Los Angeles Galaxy 1
Buddle 7'

Chivas USA 0

What I am seeing is a complete replay of Saturday night's opener, just with a different team. The Galaxy have been unable to consolidate their lead, and this will be a spur for the Goats in the second half.

HALFTIME STATS:

Shots:

Chivas USA 1
Los Angeles 3

Shots on Goal:
Chivas USA 0
Los Angeles 1

Saves:
Chivas USA 0
Los Angeles 0

Fouls:
Chivas USA 9
Los Angeles 8

Corner Kicks:
Chivas USA 0
Los Angeles 1

Offsides:
Chivas USA 1
Los Angeles 1

SECOND HALF START: 9:19 PM

46' - Will we see adjustments from the Goats, or will the Galaxy consolidate? Let's find out. No halftime substitutions from either team.

Some early possession work from the Goats. Clean tackle on Juninho by Ante Jazic.

47' - Bornstein on an entry pass, Donovan challending possession. Set piece for Chivas USA.

48' - Cleared out in the box. Beautiful stop of that chance for Galindo and Saragosa.

49' - Jazic with the throw-in. Offsides on the delivery for Galindo. Corner for the Galaxy.

50' - Now what can Donovan make of this? Cleared. Take two. The Riot Squad raises their scarves. That's also cleared. Great work in the midfield by LA.

52'- A challenge by Donovan goes south for a Chivas USA set piece.

53' - And he is hearing it after Legion 1908 clamors for a penalty on that tackle.

54' - Dan Kennedy had to scoop that up because Edson Buddle was right in his crosshairs.

55' - Ricketts resets for the Galaxy.

56' - Brilliant defense from Jonathan Bornstein on that Juninho shot.

57' - You have to applaud the resiliency of this Chivas USA team. The boos rain down here at the Home Depot Center. Cazumba asked for an obstruction.

58' - Substitution Chivas USA

IN 10 Jesus Padilla
OUT 7 Osael Romero

59' - Corner for the Galaxy. It's Cazumba, and it's cleared. Romero has not been as much of a factor tonight. Los Angeles wasn't set to anoint Osael as "Mauricio Cienfuego II" just yet

60' - Shot by Donovan goes wide. And the finishing again goes sour for the G's.

61' - Are we going to see another 1-0 win again? Alex Cazumba is making us think twice regarding that, as he clears it out.

62' - Ambitious effort for Buddle.

63' - Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy

IN 18 Mike Magee
OUT 19 Juninho

Braun with that foul. Here's Gonzalez with the set piece, but the Goats are there to stop that chance. Here's they come on the transition.

64' - Great save from Ricketts. Best of the night so far from the Big Cat as he stops that Kljestan volley.

65' - Jesus Padilla's shot for the top right corner goes wide. The finishing has been nothing short of unimpressive tonight for the Goats.

66' - Here's Magee, but he is marked. Donovan tries to help out, but the double-team backfires.

67' - Players flying on the pitch. This is great football. Corner.

Substitution Chivas USA
IN 29 Maicon Santos
OUT 9 Maykel Galindo

Maicon comes in, hoping to give the Goats the spur they need. Dunivant clears that corner.

69' - The delivery was there from Trujillo, but Blair Gavin arrived a hair too late.

71' - Throw-in for Franklin. The cross from Buddle is snatched up by Kennedy. No penalty called on the save from Ricketts.

72' - And so the defensive feast continues.

73' - 73rd minute, and Chivas USA is still struggling to find that equalizer while the Los Angeles Galaxy want to adds to their 1-0 lead.

74' - Neither team is willing to budge at this point. Every offensive opportunity the Galaxy and Chivas have is either squandered at the own expense or swept up by Chivas's Dan Kennedy and the Galaxy's Donovan Ricketts.

75' - Well this quite a rash challenge. Marcelo Saragosa tackling Leonardo.

76' - An attendance of 19,805. Not surprising, given that this is a midweek game. A little aside: both players are up.

77' - Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 20 A.J. De La Garza
OUT 88 Alex Cazumba

78' - Corner for the G's. Hey Brigade, you're on TV!

79' - Another corner. Credit to Chivas USA, they are not going to let this Galaxy side consolidate their lead.

80' - Ricketts was beat on that on, and Maicon missed that one high and wide. Even the people in the press box could not believe that.

81' - Subsitution Chivas USA
IN 77 Chukwudi Chijindu
OUT 17 Justin Braun

82' - That was a crucifiable miss by Maicon.

83' - The Galaxy supporters couldn't believe that was a throw-in. I'm still stunned that he Maicon butchered that. Opportunity for LA parried by Kennedy.

84' - There's a punch called for a foul. Salazar only provides a caution to Saragosa. Throw-in time.

85' - I think Donovan is waiting for that big opportunity in the transition. Trujillo marked.

86' - No goal. That hit the side netting. Why did the Legion rain the ticker tape down? Can they not see with their eyes?

87' - GOAL! Los Angeles Galaxy 14 Edson Buddle Assist 10 Landon Donovan
And this time, Donovan got the entry pass right to Buddle, unlike the last time against the Revolution.

88' - Chance late for Chivas USA to take one back. Missed.

Yellow Card 20 A.J. De La Garza
Los Angeles Galaxy

Substitution Los Angeles Galaxy
IN 26 Michael Stephens
OUT 11 Chris Birchall

89' - Vasquez is a broken figure right now. They will be looking for answers after this match is over.

90' + 1' - Four minutes of stoppage time added on. Kennedy takes this one. What about that goal by Buddle to complete his brace. If at first you don't succeed, try and try again. And that is what they did on that goal.

90' + 2' - Yellow Card 26 Michael Stephens
Los Angeles Galaxy

90' + 3' - One last time, the crowd roars its disapproval of that apparent challenge on Franklin by Chivas USA.

90' + 4' - Another sensational save by Ricketts. Buddle almost made it a hat trick there. Salazar blows his whistle Round One of the Honda SuperClassico goes to the Galaxy.

FINAL

LOS ANGELES GALAXY 2
Edson Buddle 7', 87'

CHIVAS USA 0

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

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Last year many people scorned Real Salt Lake. The club finished the regular season with a losing record of 11-12-7, yet still made the playoffs and went on to win the MLS Cup.

Many outsiders felt that this was an aberration and an embarrassment to professional sports. They chastised the MLS playoff format for allowing too many teams in.

Head coach Jason Kreis believed in his team the whole way and got the job done, regardless of how they finished the regular season. In 2010 Salt Lake returns the majority off their championship-winning core and will be out to prove that they are a talented team, not a fluke.

Real Salt Lake is a balanced team, efficient on both offense and defense.

The defense is led by goalkeeper Nick Rimando.

Rimando enjoyed what was arguably his best season in his 10-year MLS career. He posted a 1.14 goals against average, his lowest total since 2005. Rimando shined in the playoffs being the star in the team’s two penalty shootout wins, including in the MLS Cup championship that earned him MVP honors.

His entire starting defense—Chris Wingert, Nat Borchers, Jamison Olave, and Robbie Russell—returns and the group's chemistry should be a huge advantage.

U.S. international Kyle Beckerman will stabilize the midfield. He is an aggressive and tenacious defender and will continue to be a great leader for the team.

Javier Morales will handle the attacking portion of the midfield. After a 2008 season where he scored six goals and registered 15 assists, the Argentine had a down year in terms of production, putting forth totals of only one goal and five assists.

However, he played a part in all three of the team’s goals in the playoffs, scoring one and assisting two. The 2009 All-Star will look to improve upon his statistics and has started off the 2010 campaign with a bang scoring two goals and assisting one in the team’s 3-0 in the first game against San Jose.

Up top, Robbie Findley is one of the top forwards in the league.

He was tied for third last season in goals, 12, and added four assists. He has good speed and does a good job of getting behind the defense and getting in position to take high quality scoring chances. He also is still a candidate to make the US National Team roster that will take part in this summer’s World Cup.

He loses strike partner Yura Movsisyan, who left for Europe, but the team found a very talented replacement in Costa Rican International Alvaro Saborio.

A member of Costa Rica’s 2006 World Cup squad, Saborio has made 55 appearances with the Ticos and scored 22 goals, including one 79 seconds into a 2009 World Cup Qualifying match against the United States.

Salt Lake also brought in two talented rookies.

The team acquired heralded 17-year-old prospect Luis Gil, who has dazzled in youth international tournaments at midfield. The team may be slow to bring him on, but he is an exciting prospect for their future.

Collen Warner is the other rookie, drafted in the first round by the team. He was a top scorer and playmaker for four years at the University of Portland and could play a big role as a substitute for Salt Lake.

What the team needs to improve on is winning away matches. The team was almost unstoppable at home, going 9-1-5 with a goal differential of +23. In matches outside of Rio Tinto Stadium, however, the team was 2-11-2 with a -15-goal differential.

Somehow they were able to survive on the road during the playoffs, but they cannot expect to be taken serious as contenders without performing better on the road.

Real Salt Lake started off their defense of the MLS Cup strongly, drubbing San Jose 3-0 in the season opener, but the target is on their back and challenges await them.

Even after winning it all in 2009, the club is still not a conventional pick to repeat. However, they are a very talented and balanced squad with good leadership and chemistry, and if they can learn how to be more consistent than they will be right in the thick of things come playoff time.

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The road to South Africa:

After hammering West Indian minnows Barbados in stage two, the USA found themselves in the same bracket as Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala and Cuba in round three.

Bradley's men won five of their six encounters in the third round, with their only defeat being a 2-1 loss at Port of Spain against the Soca Warriors.

A win over arch-rivals Mexico in their opening game, followed up by a 2-2 draw in El Salvador, got the USA off to a solid start. After a comfortable 3-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago,the stars and stripes faltered against Costa Rica in a 3-1 defeat.

Their other loss came against Mexico in the fortress-like Estadio Azteca, losing 2-1.

The USA kept their nerve to stay on track and clinch their South Africa 2010 ticket with a 3-2 win over Honduras.

Top Qualifying scorers:

6—Jozy Altidore

5—Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan & Michael Bradley

4—Brian Ching

Key Player: Carlos Bocanegra

The 31-year-old will be an integral part of Bob Bradley’s defense when the USA comes up against England, Slovenia, and Algeria in June.

Bocanegra currently plays his football in France for Rennes FC and primarily plays centre back. However, he also has the ability to play left back and defensive midfield. The former Fulham defender’s versatility will make him an invaluable asset for Head Coach Bradley.

Bocanegra was featured in 15 World Cup qualifying matches, scoring two goals, whilst adding some much needed stability in front of goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Hot Prospect: Jozy Altidore

At the tender age of 20, Altidore has shown the ability to find the back of the net, bagging six goals in 13 World Cup qualifiers. His combination of speed, agility and power make him a force to reckon with, and centre backs cannot take the young man lightly.

Although very young, Altidore has plenty of experience playing at the highest level, especially during international tournaments. Altidore has represented his country in both Under-17 and Under-20 World Cup finals, as well as earning first team caps in the recent Confederations Cup in 2009.

Altidore is currently playing his football for struggling English Premier League side Hull City AFC. Appearing in 14 games for the Tigers, Jozy has only found the net on one occasion.

 Statistics in numbers:

42—Goals scored

1—Red Card

3—Defeats

24—Yellow Cards

16—Goals conceded

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On November 25, 2009, Costa Rican International David Myrie was selected by the Philadelphia Union in the MLS Expansion Draft.

On March 25, 2010 he made his MLS debut at fullback in the Union's first game of the season.

And on March 30, 2010 he was released.

Such is the curious case of David Myrie's brief career with the Philadelphia Union.

David Myrie was an unusual selection for Philadelphia in the expansion draft. Myrie had been signed by the Chicago Fire two months before, but had not made any league appearances with the club.

Regardless, Piotr Nowak and the rest of the Union coaching staff took a flyer on him, hoping to unlock his potential. He played solid if not unspectacular football during the preseason and was a surprise selection in Nowak's starting 11 for the debut game against the Seattle Sounders.

Five days later he was released. Starting defender to unemployed in five days is quite a transition.

Anyone that watched the game or even highlights of the game would agree that Myrie certainly did not make the best impression. He was repeatedly beaten down the wings by Fredy Montero, often appeared indecisive, and made many rash tackles.

Despite this, it still seems odd that it took only one game for Myrie to go from being deemed capable enough to start to being deemed not worthy of a place on the team. Perhaps there are some events that the average supporter was not privy to, training ground dust-ups or displays of poor character, that might have swayed Nowak's opinion, but at this point that hardly matters.

It is still early in the season and Nowak and the coaching staff will continue to tinker with the lineup as we progress. By the end of the season it is doubtful that we will even remember the strange case of the short Union career of David Myrie.

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