ESPN

CARSON -- The Galaxy lost five games all of the 2011 Major League Soccer season, and two of those were giveaways, with B sides sent in to absorb defeat in New York at the end of a insane stretch in early October and in the season finale at Houston a few weeks later.

They matched that total Sunday in just their ninth game, another hapless display in front of the net costing them plenty in a 1-0 defeat to the New York Red Bulls, who scored an early goal, then bunkered in and survived a second-half onslaught to escape with the points.

“It's a bit of a broken record,” head coach Bruce Arena said, then did his best impression, mentioning 11 times in eight minutes that the Galaxy had “enough chances to create [enough] goals” to win, or words to that effect. Chances are all well and good, but when they're not put away, things go wrong.

Things are going very wrong for L.A. (3-5-1, 10 points), which has lost three of six league home games and sit a dozen points -- four victories -- behind San Jose and Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference standings.

Ryan Meara made four big saves and the Red Bulls (5-3-1, 16 points) defended with vigor, but it's the Galaxy's lack of precision when it counts -- a recurring nightmare for them -- that's quickly defining what is developing into a deeply disappointing campaign.

“It's getting even more frustrating week after week ...,” said David Beckham, whose crosses into the box provided a good deal of the dozen decent opportunities the Galaxy found and quickly lost. “We keep saying we're not worried about it. It's got to come a point where we need to be worried about it, and we're close to that now.”

Joel Lindpere scored the goal for New York, striding through an open expanse and into the Galaxy box to collect a short pass from Jan Gunnar Solli and fire into the right-side netting. It was all that was required for the Red Bulls, who were missing six regulars -- injured Thierry Henry and Teemu Tainio and suspended Rafa Marquez the headliners -- and employed the expected tactics.

There wasn't a whole lot of space for L.A. to operate, and the sharpness needed to break down New York's 4-1-4-1 alignment wasn't forthcoming. The rookie Meara did well to repel an Edson Buddle header at the start, a Mike Magee shot to begin the second half, a tremendous Juninho blast in the 82nd minute and Landon Donovan's reflex shot from 12 yards in the 86th.

(Read full post)

No David Beckham. No Robbie Keane. No Todd Dunivant. No Josh Saunders. Two more starters on the bench. Only two first-team players in their favored spots.

Galaxy coach Bruce Arena sure did rotate his lineup for Wednesday night's Major League Soccer showdown in Seattle, and it showed. L.A. never really challenged the Sounders in a 2-0 defeat, struggling to get a grip on CenturyLink Field's artificial surface and paying a heavy price for some rather passive defending.

Eddie Johnson scored on a header just before halftime and Fredy Montero sent a 35-yard riser into the upper-left corner at the start of the second half as Seattle (5-1-1) beat the Galaxy for the first time at home in MLS play before a full house of 39,002, second-best in the league this year.

“Give Seattle credit. In a span of about eight minutes, we lost the game,” Arena told media in Seattle after the game. “We would have liked to go into halftime even and put a little pressure on them after the half, but we weren’t able to do it. ... We technically weren't good. Our guys struggled on the turf to get any kind of crosses in front of the goal. We weren't able to get any shots on the fame. It results in us not really being able to test their goalkeeper.”

The Galaxy (3-4-1), who didn't drop their fourth game last year until October, were playing the second of a three-games-in-eight-days set, and Arena -- mindful of the hated turf -- left home over-30s Beckham, Keane and Dunivant in advance of Saturday's game at Home Depot Center against New York. Saunders is missing for “personal reasons,” reportedly a stint in MLS's substance abuse treatment program.

Mike Magee and Edson Buddle started on the bench, Sean Franklin moved into midfield, Marcelo Sarvas took Beckham's spot, and Arena gave rookie Bryan Gaul his MLS debut at left back, with right back Bryan Jordan and striker Adam Cristman making their first starts of the year. Bill Gaudette was back in the nets with another superb showing.

“I think it's a difficult week with the travel and playing on this surface,” Arena said. “We wanted to keep some players fresh for the game on Saturday. That’s the decision I made. We didn’t think we were going to be able to play eleven players in three games, and we had to rotate some players. It made sense to me to have those players available on Saturday.”

(Read full post)

CARSON -- It's too soon to declare things are back to normal in Galaxyland, but Saturday night's triumph over the Portland Timbers at Home Depot Center offered a lot of evidence that L.A. is starting to turn a corner after an abysmal first 5½ weeks of the season.

Juninho and David Beckham scored late goals from distance and the Galaxy (2-3-0, 6 points) overcame a first-half deficit to claim a 3-1 triumph, vaulting past the struggling Timbers (1-4-1, 4 points) and out of the Western Conference basement with a performance that ranged from decent to really good.

L.A. had more spirit, more energy, better organization and a liveliness that has been missing during its roughest stretch since coach Bruce Arena took charge in August 2008, but the message in the locker room was simple: This was just a start.

“It's early,” said captain Landon Donovan, who scored a fine goal from Robbie Keane's feed just before halftime and set up Beckham's beauty in second-half stoppage. “It's important, because you can't sit on the bottom for too long, so it was good to get ourselves out of the cellar. We played better [than we had been] last week [in a loss at unbeaten Sporting Kansas City], and today was, I think, our best performance all-around of the season.

“And then we have to keep carrying it to the coming weeks. It's not good enough to have a couple better games, then have a bad game. We have to be consistently better, and I think we're getting back to doing things we're good at.”

A superb debut from Brazilian center back David Junior Lopes, who was acquired in a trade Tuesday from Chivas USA, was pivotal for the Galaxy, which conceded a goal to Kris Boyd in the 23rd minute, then dictated terms the rest of the way. Lopes needed a little time to find his footing, then provided everything L.A. hoped for -- adding a physical dimension to the backline that has been missing without Omar Gonzalez's presence -- and a little more.

He made three huge defensive plays, bodying Scottish finisher Boyd out of contention in the 10th and 51st minutes and sliding the ball away from Jorge Perlaza at the top of the box in the 85th, and admirably partnered rookie Tommy Meyer as A.J. DeLaGarza sat out because of adductor tightness.

Lopes, who hadn't played in Chivas' first five games, should have scored two goals, too. A cross headed back into the goalmouth by Mike Magee caromed off his thigh and over the crossbar in the 69th minute -- “I didn't see the ball,” he said -- and a blast following a Beckham corner kick four minutes later was cleared off the line by Franck Songo'o.

“I was definitely nervous,” Lopes said. “I've played many places and in many leagues, and the first game [for a new club] I've always been very nervous. But I was excited. It took me awhile to get going to realize I'm playing for the Galaxy, one of the biggest clubs in MLS. ... I think I did OK for my debut.”

(Read full post)

CARSON -- The Galaxy's backline travails finally prodded Bruce Arena to make a move, but Tuesday's trade to acquire Brazilian veteran David Junior Lopes from Chivas USA isn't the blockbuster fans were hoping for.

After trolling Europe and South America following Omar Gonzalez's knee injury in January -- and after (we might expect) combing for viable options within Major League Soccer -- the Galaxy has settled, it appears, for a rookie and two rejects from down the hall.

If that's harsh, it's also true. Andrew Boyens' option was declined in December by Chivas, and his pickup in the re-entry process -- based on salary as much as anything -- was about adding depth after Gregg Berhalter's retirement and with Leonardo rehabbing a knee injury that will keep him out until at least the end of April. Lopes, who joined the Goats last August after stints in Croatia, Russia, Spain and Romania, had slipped to fourth or fifth on Chivas' depth chart at center back and wasn't on the game-day roster the past three matches.

They're the two most experienced options for the Gonzalez slot, but neither can step into the big Texan's shoes. Neither can Tommy Meyer, selected out of Indiana University with the final pick in the first round of January's MLS SuperDraft -- he has the most upside but the greatest learning curve.

Gonzalez's target date to return is early September, although he hopes to be back earlier, perhaps as soon as July. Until then, the Galaxy (1-3-0 in MLS action, 1-4-1 in all competitive matches) must make do -- and come through.

Arena called Lopes, acquired in exchange for Argentine midfielder Paolo Cardozo, “a big, strong center back” with “good athletic ability” who will provide “a little bit more physicality in that position that we haven't had.” All of that is so, and it's what could make the 29-year-old defender a valuable addition, even if he can't provide the kind of mastery of the position that has brought Gonzalez ample reward: MLS Defender of the Year last season, MLS Rookie of the Year in 2009, Best XI selections in 2010 and 2011.

Lopes is a specimen unlike any the Galaxy have at hand -- 6 feet 3, solidly built, with a physical side to his game that only Gonzalez can exceed. He's outstanding when he's on his game, but his decision-making isn't crisp and he too often commits dumb fouls.

He was ahead of Boyens in the pecking order at Chivas -- Lopes started seven of the Goats' final 11 matches after arriving from Romania's Universitatea Craiova; Boyens, who at 6-4 is taller than Lopes but has not nearly the bulk, saw 45 minutes across 19 games before an injury to Heath Pearce provided starts in the final four games.

Boyens and Meyer have split time next to A.J. DeLaGarza, Gonzalez's usual partner, with less that satisfactory results, although the rookie fared fairly well in last weekend's loss at Sporting Kansas City. One of them figures to get the start Saturday night against Portland at Home Depot Center, but Lopes' physical dimensions probably win out going forward. At least until Leonardo has recovered his form.

(Read full post)

Could it possibly just be that the Galaxy isn't very good?

It's something worthy of consideration following their latest defeat, a 1-0 decision Saturday afternoon to a vastly superior Sporting Kansas City side, in which L.A.'s vaunted attack -- missing David Beckham, yes -- created nearly nothing against Major League Soccer's new standard-bearer.

It was an improvement over last weekend's loss to New England, in that the Galaxy was tight at the back and made K.C. work for its every opportunity, but hardly the stuff championship runs are made of.

Lawndale's Kei Kamara scored the only goal, [click the link to view a nice video feature on Kamara] and he should have had another, as Sporting became the first MLS club since the Galaxy in 1996 to start a campaign with five straight victories. The ex-Wizards dictated nearly every facet of the match, stringing passes together, opening space through possession and direct play, pressuring the Galaxy all over the field while denying them anything in midfield.

L.A. (1-3-0) got off just four shots, none on target -- K.C. has conceded only one or no shots on goal in four of its five wins -- and completed an abysmal 62 percent of its passes, a number that declined as it increasingly utilized Route 1 trying to get back into the game in the countdown to 90.

One team was outstanding, and that team wasn't the Galaxy.

“We came to compete today, but I don’t remember us connecting five passes in a row,” Galaxy midfielder Mike Magee told media afterward. “Sporting Kansas City played at a high level today. They’ve got some amazing players, and some good guys coming off the bench. … They’re a big, fast, athletic team. They’re getting hungrier and hungrier the more they win. They aren’t a team I’d like to play every day.”

The Galaxy lost most of the battles, seemed to lose every second ball, and struggled to keep the plot, goalkeeper Josh Saunders and striker Robbie Keane aside. Edson Buddle was a step or two slow and never really got involved -- Chad Barrett's entrance in the 56th minute sparked some life in L.A.'s offense -- and poor showings by Juninho in central midfield and right back Sean Franklin hurt as Kansas City, fueled with superb showings by Kamara and fellow winger Bobby Convey, dominant front man C.J. Sapong, central midfielders Graham Zusi and Roger Espinoza, and center back Aurelien Collin, scored a triumph far more one-sided than the score suggests.

(Read full post)

CARSON -- Chad Barrett's sharpness in front of the net was the biggest plus for the Galaxy in their loss to Chivas USA in Monday's MLS Reserve League opener, and it opens the door to changes that might ignite L.A.'s attack in the real games.

Barrett, who started 27 first-team games last year but missed the MLS Cup final after a gruesome foot dislocation, tallied twice from Adam Cristman feeds in the 4-2 defeat and came close to a hat trick in the closing minutes.

“Just feels good to hit the back of the net in the run of play again,” Barrett said following the game on the Galaxy's Home Depot Center training field. “Haven't done a lot of that since I got back. Just getting the confidence and striking it. … Little disappointed didn't [get the third] at the end, but it wouldn't have changed the outcome.”

Barrett, who scored eight goals in competitive matches last season, returned to training in February and played in the final two preseason matches. He has started once and come off the bench in the other four Major League Soccer and CONCACAF Champions League matches this year. These were his first goals against opposition.

He might be the answer for a disconnected Galaxy attack. Despite Robbie Keane's public protests to the contrary, Edson Buddle has not built much chemistry with the Galaxy's Irish star, who had a nice on-field relationship with Barrett last year.

Buddle, who returned at the end of January after a year in Germany, delivered a superb through ball for Keane's goal in Saturday's loss to New England, but that kind of connection has not been evident often. One of the defining images of the 3-1 defeat was Keane angrily responding when Buddle, on a breakaway, fired wide from the top of the box with Keane open for a simple finish just to his right.

The problems up top are secondary to the troubles at the back, which were further illuminated by four Chivas goals -- three by Cesar Romero, who teamed with Miller Bolaños to dominate rookie center backs Tommy Meyer and Bryan Gaul -- after L.A. gave up 11 in their first five first-team matches.

“I wish I had a remedy for it. Unfortunately, I'm on the other -- attacking -- side ...,” said Barrett, who noted the Galaxy's defensive approach involves all 11 players on the field. “Right now it seems we've got a little but of lack of communication, lack of a sense of pride, both in the reserve game and the other games. We just don't have that same mentality, that same charisma we had last year, and that's something we need to find quick or we'll find ourselves at the bottom of the table, like we are now.”

(Read full post)

CARSON -- Bruce Arena stuck with his first-choice lineup, or most of it, for a fourth game Sunday, and for awhile things looked a whole lot like they had for the first three: dominance, lots of chances, not nearly enough sharpness in front of the net.

A simple tap-in goal by Robbie Keane just before halftime made things right, and the Galaxy cruised to their first victory of the season, using two goals by their Irish striker in an impressive 3-1 romp over D.C. United on a cold, windy afternoon at Home Depot Center.

Keane added a spectacular strike in the 69th minute and Marcelo Sarvas scored his first Major League Soccer goal -- and first goal with his head in his career -- as L.A. (1-1-0) put last weekend's loss to Real Salt Lake and the CONCACAF Champions League disaster against Toronto FC behind them as they head into a 13-day break.

Keane, whose struggles in front of the net in Wednesday's defeat to TFC sparked Arena's comments that the star forward had lost confidence, needed several opportunities before he provided a 45th-minute advantage, then wasted a couple more before doubling the lead midway through the second half with a blast to the top-right corner.

“I don't mind missing chances,” Keane said after his first two-goal game in MLS. “I mind when I'm not in position to score them, so as long as I keep getting into positions, I know eventually I'll score.

“You try and not let [a slump] wear on your mind too much. As you know, in football, sometimes it can take you over. I thought that was probably a little bit of the case. I knew I'd keep plugging away, and as long as I keep getting into the positions, I knew I would score.”

Keane might have had four or five -- and the Galaxy at least a half-dozen -- but sharpness remains an issue. L.A. took 21 shots (to D.C.'s 13) and put eight on target, but until the first one hit the net, there wasn't a whole lot different from the games against RSL and TFC.

“For awhile, it looked like a mirror image of our previous games, where we control the game, had the run of play, create the chances and had nothing to show for it,” Arena said. “Therefore, Robbie's goal right at the end of the half was important for our team and for Robbie. And you saw in the second half a player playing with a lot of confidence, and he played quite well.

“To me, the most important thing: The team performance was better, the effort, the coordination of the team. The desire to play for each other was much improved today, and that's certainly something to build on.”

(Read full post)

CARSON -- The Galaxy's unexpected collapse in the CONCACAF Champions League came as a body blow for Major League Soccer's top team. “We definitely expected to advance,” noted captain Landon Donovan, who before both quarterfinal legs with Toronto FC said when the “opportunity to do something special” comes along, “we want to take advantage of it.”

Instead, it's Canada's team, after a 2-1 second-leg win for a 4-3 aggregate triumph, that will join three Mexican clubs -- Santos Laguna, Monterrey and Pumas UNAM -- in the final four. The prevailing mood in the Galaxy locker room? “Kind of a bit of disbelief,” reported Mike Magee.

The Galaxy, 0-2-1 to start the year, dictated terms all night but weren't sharp enough to find the net, and errors in the back -- including two very costly failures by rookie Tommy Meyer against Ryan Johnson -- cost L.A. its chance to be special.

The Champions League, which sends the victor to next December's FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, was the Galaxy's No. 1 priority this year. It wasn't going to be easy: Santos Laguna, who would have been L.A.'s semifinal foe is the best side in the competition, and the other side of the bracket is nearly as good. There remains a gap between Mexico's top league and everyone else, especially with Mexican clubs in midseason form and MLS teams nowhere close to that.

The Galaxy's preseason development lagged behind nearly everyone else's in MLS. They started a week later than most clubs after playing into December, were without two-thirds of their Designated Players during all of preseason, and haven't yet figured out how to overcome losing Omar Gonzalez to a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

Exiting the competition might be a good thing. They drop at least two and as many as seven games from a heavy schedule that could have kept them on the field, from preseason kickoff to final whistle, for nearly 11 months. They're able to focus on developing this team -- building chemistry among the attackers, solidifying the back line best they can without Gonzalez, implementing that killer attitude so important in last year's title run -- while pursuing the three domestic titles and readying for another Champions League go when the next tournament kicks off in late summer.

“I think the biggest thing we need is time to get on the practice field and work on things,” Donovan said Wednesday night, “because when you're playing game after game, you don't have time to train. As disappointing as this is, at least after this weekend we have two full weeks to get back on the field, watch tape, work on things that we need to get better at so that we can all start gelling better.”

(Read full post)

CARSON -- Bruce Arena figured he'd made a mistake almost from the start. The fatigue in his team, most of which had gone the distance three nights earlier in a more vital match at Toronto, was evident, the opponent was good, and he had only three substitutions in his arsenal.

With sharper play in front, the Galaxy might have been ahead by three or four goals, perhaps more, by the time they finally struck, with about 20 minutes to go. Not two minutes later, Real Salt Lake had pulled even, and then things fell apart.

Arena took the blame for Saturday night's 3-1 loss in L.A.'s Major League Soccer opener, a defeat that ended a 25-match Home Depot Center unbeaten streak, spoiled a celebratory occasion -- with the club unveiling banners commemorating last year's MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield triumphs -- and revealed weakness where there was none in its championship campaign.

Sean Franklin's 73rd-minute own goal, off a dipping, spinning cross by Sebastian Velasquez, was followed in quick succession by goals from Javier Morales and Fabian Espindola as the Galaxy, so good at killing games the past three years, crumpled at the finish.

“We were obviously a tired team tonight,” Arena said after L.A. dropped its first opener since 2007, when Frank Yallop was in charge. “I think we still could have won this game, and I think this game is on me. It's my fault. I should have used fresher bodies. We hit the wall and made mistakes attributable to fatigue.

“I think the travel [to and from Toronto] and two games this week added up to being a pretty tired team over the last 20 minutes, and it cost us the game, and I take full responsibility for that.”

Arena's sin? Not rotating his lineup nearly enough from the side he sent out for Wednesday night's CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal first leg in Toronto. The Galaxy rallied for a 2-2 draw in that game, and nine of the players who went the full 90 on Rogers Centre's artificial turf were given another full 90 against RSL.

“This time of year,” Arena conceded, “players aren't fit enough to be playing that much.”

(Read full post)

CARSON -- Three quick thoughts from the Galaxy's 3-1 loss to Real Salt Lake on Saturday night in their Major League Soccer opener at Home Depot Center:

1. GIVING AWAY LEADS
Everything was going the Galaxy's way until their dominance paid off in the 71st minute with Edson Buddle's header -- from a glorious David Beckham cross, naturally -- for a 1-0 lead. RSL equalized inside of two minutes, on Sean Franklin's unfortunate own goal, Javier Morales netted the heads-up, go-ahead strike seven minutes later (after Michael Stephens stepped in to prevent Alvaro Saborio from firing home), and Fabian Espindola caught the Galaxy pushed forward for a third goal in the 85th.

Defense is the big if for the Galaxy this year, and the way things fell apart at the end doesn't bode well. Boos sent L.A. from the field when it was over, the 25-game HDC unbeaten streak (in all games) dead.

2. THE CROSSBAR IS NOT YOUR FRIEND
The Galaxy had at least a half-dozen impeccable scoring opportunities but were thwarted by so many things: Beckham's early lack of sharpness on set plays (weakly rolling one close-range free kick, putting another into the RSL wall), Robbie Keane's slowness in pulling the trigger (several times, most dramatically after a great Landon Donovan feed to the top of the box in the 62nd), and Nick Rimando's play in the nets.

The crossbar was no help, either. Donovan chipped and volleyed a ball from Buddle off the bar in the 27th minute and Marcelo Sarvas rocketed off the woodwork from 35 yards just before halftime. If either falls, or both, the Galaxy take three points.

3. NOT MUCH ROTATION
Beckham played 90 minutes, just three nights after a grueling encounter on that hated fake turf. So did Donovan, Keane, Buddle … in all, nine starters from Wednesday's CONCACAF Champions League draw at Toronto FC were in the Galaxy's XI, not nearly as much rotation as expected with the second leg against the Canadians next week.

Tommy Meyer, the first-round pick out of Indiana, got the start next to A.J. DeLaGarza in central defense, stepping in for Andrew Boyens. The rookie looked rather like a veteran in his official pro debut as the Galaxy's defense did a nice impression of 2011, at least until the own goal. It all went wrong after that.

Even better was Sarvas, making his Galaxy debut, starting in place of Juninho. He was energetic and inventive next to Beckham and nearly had a spectacular goal before departing in the 69th minute for Juni.

CARSON -- Things aren't particularly complicated with the Galaxy. They're expected to win, and anything less isn't acceptable, not after three straight Western Conference titles, back-to-back Supporters' Shields and last November's triumph in the MLS Cup title game.

The aim is the same and the side -- on paper, at least -- appears superior in every way except one, maybe two, with the returns of striker Edson Buddle and central midfielders David Beckham and Juninho, the additions of Brazilian midfielder Marcelo Sarvas and a few more veterans, plus the experience Robbie Keane gained in his first go-round in this most different and difficult of leagues.

Major League Soccer's hardware is again there for the taking, but the added firepower up front can't mask the big hole at the back. Backline leader Omar Gonzalez, the tall, terrific Texan who deservedly won the league's Defender of the Year honor in 2011, is out until at least September because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament, and effectively replacing him likely will be the cardinal determiner in whether this year's group can be as successful as last year's.

The mission, says Beckham, “hasn't changed. We want to be champion at the end of this season like we were last season. … You always have goals. You want to better the season before, and to do that, we have to go all the way again.”

The Galaxy went 19-5-10 in last year's regular season, then sprinted to four playoff victories -- capturing the title with a one-sided 1-0 victory over Houston at Home Depot Center -- to cap the club's finest campaign with its third MLS Cup championship. Only two teams, Galaxy coach Bruce Arena's D.C. United in 1996-97 and Houston in 2006-07, have repeated.

“It's always tough to keep hold of a championship and retain that. It's going to be no different for us,” Beckham said. “As long as we play our game and work like we did last season, then we have a chance.”

The additions of Buddle, back after a year in Germany, and Sarvas are significant, but other arrivals -- forward Pat Noonan, defender Andrew Boyens, midfielder Kyle Nakazawa and goalkeeper Bill Gaudette -- have added to L.A.'s depth. Buddle and Keane could be the most potent frontline partnership in the league, especially with Beckham's service, Donovan's contributions and right back Sean Franklin's advancing attacking acumen.

“Getting Edson back, there's not many teams that are going to make a better acquisition than that,” Donovan said. “And we were under the impression that we had lost Juninho [in a loan recall by São Paulo], and to get him back is a big plus, too. [We're] not a front six of guys that I would ever want to play against if I was an opposing defender.”

Replacing Gonzalez is key and quite tricky. The would-be replacement, Brazilian Leonardo, is still rehabbing his knee injury from last year. Boyens took the spot next to A.J. DeLaGarza, who must have a huge campaign, in Wednesday night's CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal first leg at Toronto FC. Top draft pick Tommy Meyer will be groomed to replace Gonzalez, who would soon be heading to Europe, injury or no injury.

Solidifying the backline will “be an ongoing challenge,” Arena acknowledges, but that's what must be done, especially with so many competitions -- they're trying to win one Champions League at the moment, and another starts in August -- on a thick schedule.

(Read full post)

1. CAN THE GALAXY REPEAT?Short answer: Of course, they can. But it won't be simple. They're better on paper than a year ago, with one notable exception (see No. 3), but the unbalanced schedule and immense quality in the Western Conference means that grabbing a third straight Supporters' Shield will be tough, especially if there's a dominant side (Sporting Kansas City or New York Red Bulls seem likeliest) in the East. Their stiffest opposition for MLS Cup could come from their former coach, Sigi Schmid, who has built a roster nearly as good up in Seattle.

2. HOW GOOD IS THIS ATTACK?
Really, really good -- at least on paper. Robbie Keane is, with New York's Thierry Henry, MLS's premier striker. Edson Buddle has twice scored 15 or more goals in this league. There's depth behind them. Adding Marcelo Sarvas to a midfield that already features Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Mike Magee and -- after it looked as if he were gone -- the talismanic Juninho is unfair to the rest of MLS. A group like this ought to average at least two goals a game.

3. ARE THERE GLARING WEAKNESSES?

Just one. Omar Gonzalez was the best defender in Major League Soccer last year, and he's going to be out until September, perhaps later, after shredding his anterior cruciate ligament in January in the first training session of a short-term loan to Germany's FC Nuremberg. There are only four or five backliners as dominant (or nearly so) in MLS, and none of them play for L.A. His loss cannot be minimized: It could be the difference between trophies and disappointment.

(Read full post)

TORONTO -- Things couldn't have started much worse for the Galaxy on Wednesday night: Two crosses, two defensive miscues, two goals, and a gaping deficit to be bridged to keep alive the hope of a continental title.

Mission accomplished.

The Galaxy got one goal back nearly a half-hour in, then scored a stunning equalizer in the closing minutes -- Landon Donovan stabbing a loose ball into the back of the net following a David Beckham corner kick -- to claim a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal showdown with Toronto FC.

It quieted a raucous crowd of 47,658 at Rogers Centre and left L.A. needing a victory or low-scoring draw -- 0-0 or 1-1 -- in next week's second leg at Home Depot Center to advance to a semifinal meeting with Mexico's Santos Laguna or Major League Soccer rival Seattle Sounders.

Donovan tallied in the 88th minute, capping a solid final hour after a horrendous beginning in which former German national-teamer Torsten Frings delivered crosses for a 2-0 Toronto advantage after just 17 minutes.

“We put ourselves in a bit of a tough situation, but our response to that was really good,” said Donovan, playing his first game since a bout with flu and bronchitis sapped the strength he built up during a seven-week loan spell in England with Everton. “It would have been a little bit cruel leaving there losing, 2-1. We had a number of chances and on a different night could have scored four or five goals.”

The strike came from a corner after Beckham, who had to wade through waves of streamers tossed his way every time we went to the flag for a kick. This time a beer can came flying by.

“I think everyone saw what happened,” he said. “It's disappointing because I think a crowd like that turns out, it's a great atmosphere, great to play in front of. The majority of fans -- almost all of the fans -- created an amazing atmosphere tonight, so it's disappointing, but it's a minority.”

The equalizer, Beckham said, “you know it was coming. It felt like we were never going to get that goal. We had lots of chances and we couldn't put the ball in the back of the net. The ball didn't roll sometimes for us. But we kept at it. I think we deserved a draw at least, but we have to start the game better. That was the disappointing thing for the night.”

Frings was pivotal early, setting up goals on a corner kick the Galaxy failed to adequately clear and then a long cross that found rookie Luis Silva -- the former Salesian High School and UC Santa Barbara star -- for a perfectly placed header that beat goalkeeper Josh Saunders to the far post.

Mike Magee emphatically finished a Sean Franklin cross to trim the deficit in the 29th minute, and L.A. tightened its defense all over the field to slow Toronto's fast, explosive attack after its initial success. Beckham was key, moving deep to set L.A.'s attack with his trademark on-the-dime long balls.

(Read full post)

CARSON -- Landon Donovan is starting to feel like himself again. Robbie Keane is “sharp” and “fit.” Both finally are training with the Galaxy, just days before the season begins, and that's a huge step forward for the Major League Soccer's reigning champions.

Both have returned from short-term loan spells in England, but with one significant difference. Keane arrived last week after an exceptional stint with Aston Villa -- he was, from the moment he arrived, the Premier League club's most significant player.

Donovan, coming off a superb seven weeks at Everton, arrived home with the flu and spent the next week in bed.

He's finally coming around but needs to regain the fitness and form he had while overseas.

“It's been a really frustrating 2½ weeks, missing the last game [of the loan] at Everton, missing the trip [for last week's U.S. game] to Italy and just trying to get healthy,” he said after L.A.'s training session Sunday morning at Home Depot Center. “Sometimes the flu or sickness doesn't care what's going on, it's just going to do what it's going to do.”

Donovan said he felt he turned a corner on Wednesday, as he watched the Americans' victory over the Italians. He ran for the first time Thursday in Arizona, where the team ended its preseason preparations, and trained for the first time, for real, Saturday at HDC.

“Honestly, probably not till today did I feel closse to getting back to myself,” he said. “I haven't been able to breathe very well with all this in my lungs. It's a nice feeling.”

(Read full post)

David Beckham might have been the difference in their Desert Diamond Cup victory Saturday evening over Real Salt Lake, although trying to quantify that will be difficult.

Red cards, seven minutes apart, decided this one, with Beckham's service tearing apart a Real Salt Lake side that was down a man in the 69th, down two in the 76th and didn't surrender a goal until the 80th.

Paolo Cardozo scored on an 80th-minute chip, one of the more embarrassing moments of RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando's career, and Mike Magee exquisitely volleyed home a Beckham delivery six minutes later in a 2-0 triumph in Tucson.

Rookie Kelyn Rowe, from UCLA, scored twice to lift New England past New York, 2-0, in the second game of the doubleheader. Rowe has four goals and four assists in five preseason games. The Galaxy faces New York on Wednesday, and a victory -- and perhaps a draw -- will send them to the tournament final next Saturday.

Beckham came on in the 66th minute, and a Galaxy attack that had sputtered much of the night suddenly found a rhythm, with Beckham's long balls opening space in front of the Utahns' goal.

Beckham's importance to the Galaxy can't be minimized, but RSL isn't the same team with just nine men. Ned Grabavoy, whose pro career started with the Galaxy, was sent off in the 69th minute -- a harsh decision -- after spilling Marcelo Sarvas with a tackle. Yordany Alvarez was gone after his second yellow card in the 76th.

Cardozo struck four minutes later, chipping over a crowded box with a shot that should have been a simple catch for Rimando, a U.S. national-teamer from Montclair (and UCLA). Instead, it slipped through his hands and into the net.

Magee's goal, his second in as many Desert Diamond Cup matches, was of far greater quality.

(Read full post)