Sunday Galaxy Gameday & More

On Donovan and Denilson

The Galaxy plays F.C. Dallas today at 5 p.m. at Home Depot Center, but with the likelihood of Beckham Inc. making the playoffs receding with every game journalists must find other talking points.

To that end, Galaxy beat writer Billy Witz breaks down the importance of Landon Donovan to the team.

The none too surprising conclusion: he's important.

Still, since Galaxy fans often fall into two camps - those who think he's the greatest American player ever and those who think "Landycakes" is an over-rated, often-invisible and sometimes lazy playmaker - that's sure to spark a discussion or two.

The biggest point of interest at today's game for the visitors is not ex-Galaxy forward Carlos Ruiz, but the first appearance in L.A. of Denilson, the Brazilian who was once the world's most expensive player, but never lived up to his potential. Which is why he's in MLS, of course, but still this is a player you expect to tear the league apart, dominating opponents on the level of a Juan Pablo Angel.

Here's the Denilson details.

By the way, fans who do decide to go to the game have three reasons to go early (in no particular order):
* The first 5,000 fans through the gates get a Galaxy soccer ball.
* The 10 Miss Galaxy candidates are introduced at 3:30 p.m. on the main concourse.
* And you can record a personal video tribute to retiring Galaxy great Cobi Jones from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Cobi's Corner at the plaza below the Stadium Club. All the different Galaxy jerseys he has worn are on display, too, just to remind you how bad the designs were in MLS' early years.

Or you can just stay home and watch on FSN.

Here's a brief summary of Saturday's World Cup and MLS action.

College Roundup

UCLA lost 2-1 in overtime to No. 8-ranked Santa Clara Saturday evening. The Bruins, down to 10 men after a red card to forward Richard Flores, almost won in in the final minute of regulation, but a shot by Palos Verdes Estates' Kyle Nakazawa was saved by Santa Clara goalkeeper Kevin Klasila.

I'm sure Kyle will agonize over that one in his on-going blog for 100 Percent Soccer later this week.

Meanwhile, this came in from Loyola Marymount regarding today's games:

“The Harvard-UC Santa Barbara match in the LMU Invitational scheduled for Sunday, September 23 at 1:30 p.m. at Sullivan Field has ben moved to Santa Barbara. The two LMU games on Sunday will go ahead as scheduled. The women's game against Fresno State will be at 11 a.m. with the men facing Columbia at 4 p.m.”

World Cup Final Four Set

The U.S. remains on course for a World Cup final showdown with Germany and found out their semifinal opponents today: Brazil, which beat Australia 3-2 and lost to the Americans in the gold medal game at the last Olympics.

Norway beat hosts China to meet the Germans in the semifinals.

Here's a breakdown of the action from FIFA.