Columnist Nick Green has written 100 Percent Soccer
since 2005. A
native of England, he began writing about soccer in
the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat
in the stands for one in
the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home
Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas
USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer.
Married to a long-suffering soccer widow, he has a cat
named Pele.Galaxy-Toronto at Home Depot Center
Good afternoon from Victoria Street where the former Newcastle United coaching team of Ruud Gullit and John Carver will pit wits from the opposing benches.
It's hot even in the shade in Carson so expect a slow game as Toronto's collection of English blokes swoon in the Southern California sun. They're watering the field; let's hope that green paint on the field doesn't run.
With Brazilian Alvaro Pires apparently recovered from his foot injury Gullit names the same lineup that brought the Galaxy victory last Thursday against San Jose.
For the Galaxy: Steve Cronin, Chris Klein, Sean Franklin, Mike Randolph, Greg Vanney, David Beckham, Pires, Brandon McDonald, Ely Allen, Landon Donovan and Alan Gordon.
Former Chivas USA midfielder Amado Guevara slots into the Toronto midfield, while Kevin Harmse sits out after collecting a red card in the 4-1 loss to D.C. United in their last outing.
For Toronto: Greg Sutton, Marvell Wynne, Tyrone Marshall, Marco Velez, Jim Brennan, Carl Robinson, Maurice Edu, Amado Guevara, Jarrod Smith, Laurent Robert, Danny Dichio.
It will be interesting to see how Robert and Guevara link up in midfield for winless Toronto.
Trivia time: Exactly 12 years ago today, the Galaxy played its first MLS game against the then MetroStars.
Leading the Galaxy's front line: Harut Karapetyan and Eduardo Hurtado.