MLS: Ricketts, Gonzalez set for ASG
July, 28, 2010
7/28/10
12:15
AM PT
By Scott French | ESPNLosAngeles.com
The Galaxy's five-man contingent for Wednesday's MLS All-Star Game caught a private flight to Houston late Tuesday night, following its CONCACAF Champions League debacle against the Puerto Rico Islanders.
The prospect of playing against Manchester United, maybe the biggest club in the world, might be the best tonic following a 4-1 defeat that puts L.A. on the verge of elimination in a tournament it had genuine aspirations of winning.
“It'll still be stinging tomorrow, believe me,” said Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, who will guide the All-Stars in the 5:30 p.m. PT game, which will be televised by ESPN2 and Galavision. “But I need to be a good professional as well as our players, and we move on to that challenge tomorrow night in the way we're supposed to. And when we return, we resume business the way we're supposed to.”
How much action Arena gives to Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle will depend on how well they recover after playing the full 90 in Tuesday's 4-1 defeat. Expect goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts and defender Omar Gonzalez to be in the starting lineup; neither played against Puerto Rico.
All four Galaxy players were voted to the All-Star First XI, but Arena and Houston head coach Dominic Kinnear will choose the MLS starting lineup from the entire 23-man roster.
Toronto FC's Dwayne De Rosario also expects to see limited minutes; he played the full 90 in the Reds' 1-0 Champions League win over Honduras' Motagua.
What are Donovan and Buddle expecting to do in Houston?
“I don't know,” Donovan said. “We'll see how my body feels and go from there.”
Said Buddle: “We'll see. I'm just taking it minute by minute. Hopefully, I can do what Bruce wants me to do out there. We'll have plenty of guys out there who didn't pl tonight that can play.”
MLS ALL-STARS
23-man game-day roster
Goalkeepers: Donovan Ricketts (Galaxy), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders: Bobby Convey (San Jose), Omar Gonzalez (Galaxy), Chad Marshall (Columbus), Jamison Olave (Real Salt Lake), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Wilman Conde (Chicago), Kevin Alston (New England)
Midfielders: Dwayne De Rosario (Toronto FC), Marco Pappa (Chicago), Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake), Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus), Sebastien Le Toux (Philadelphia), David Ferreira (FC Dallas), Brad Davis (Houston), Shalrie Joseph (New England), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado)
Forwards: Edson Buddle (Galaxy), Landon Donovan (Galaxy), Juan Pablo Angel (New York), Brian Ching (Houston), Jaime Moreno (D.C. United)
Injured All-Stars
Defender: Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA)
Midfielder: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake)
Inactive All-Stars
Goalkeepers: Kasey Keller (Seattle), Jimmy Nielsen (Kansas City)
Midfielders: Joel Lindpere (New York), Freddie Ljungberg (Seattle), Robbie Russell (Columbus)
Forwards: Conor Casey (Colorado), Fredy Montero (Seattle)
The prospect of playing against Manchester United, maybe the biggest club in the world, might be the best tonic following a 4-1 defeat that puts L.A. on the verge of elimination in a tournament it had genuine aspirations of winning.
“It'll still be stinging tomorrow, believe me,” said Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, who will guide the All-Stars in the 5:30 p.m. PT game, which will be televised by ESPN2 and Galavision. “But I need to be a good professional as well as our players, and we move on to that challenge tomorrow night in the way we're supposed to. And when we return, we resume business the way we're supposed to.”
How much action Arena gives to Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle will depend on how well they recover after playing the full 90 in Tuesday's 4-1 defeat. Expect goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts and defender Omar Gonzalez to be in the starting lineup; neither played against Puerto Rico.
All four Galaxy players were voted to the All-Star First XI, but Arena and Houston head coach Dominic Kinnear will choose the MLS starting lineup from the entire 23-man roster.
Toronto FC's Dwayne De Rosario also expects to see limited minutes; he played the full 90 in the Reds' 1-0 Champions League win over Honduras' Motagua.
What are Donovan and Buddle expecting to do in Houston?
“I don't know,” Donovan said. “We'll see how my body feels and go from there.”
Said Buddle: “We'll see. I'm just taking it minute by minute. Hopefully, I can do what Bruce wants me to do out there. We'll have plenty of guys out there who didn't pl tonight that can play.”
MLS ALL-STARS
23-man game-day roster
Goalkeepers: Donovan Ricketts (Galaxy), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders: Bobby Convey (San Jose), Omar Gonzalez (Galaxy), Chad Marshall (Columbus), Jamison Olave (Real Salt Lake), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Wilman Conde (Chicago), Kevin Alston (New England)
Midfielders: Dwayne De Rosario (Toronto FC), Marco Pappa (Chicago), Javier Morales (Real Salt Lake), Guillermo Barros Schelotto (Columbus), Sebastien Le Toux (Philadelphia), David Ferreira (FC Dallas), Brad Davis (Houston), Shalrie Joseph (New England), Jeff Larentowicz (Colorado)
Forwards: Edson Buddle (Galaxy), Landon Donovan (Galaxy), Juan Pablo Angel (New York), Brian Ching (Houston), Jaime Moreno (D.C. United)
Injured All-Stars
Defender: Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA)
Midfielder: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake)
Inactive All-Stars
Goalkeepers: Kasey Keller (Seattle), Jimmy Nielsen (Kansas City)
Midfielders: Joel Lindpere (New York), Freddie Ljungberg (Seattle), Robbie Russell (Columbus)
Forwards: Conor Casey (Colorado), Fredy Montero (Seattle)
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Scott French
Orange County native Scott French has been writing about soccer for more than 30 years for dozens of publications and Web sites. He was senior editor at Soccer America and was managing editor of MajorLeagueSoccer Magazine from April 2007 until summer 2009. He has covered three World Cups for the Long Beach Press-Telegram and Los Angeles Daily News, two Women's World Cups for Soccer America, the Olympic Games, European Championship, nine MLS Cups and all five professional women's championships.
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