Disher Donovan: The Galaxy’s Landon Donovan, seen here tackling Manchester City’s Aleksandar Kolarov, led Everton to another victory with yet another assist today against the Mancunians in England (AP Photo).
You remember that old “Seinfeld” episode about the proctologist with the license plate that read “Assman”? Maybe Landon Donovan should consider getting that vanity plate after his stellar goal-creating performances in England with Everton, although, of course, that would stand for Assist, in this case.
Former Manchester United man Darron Gibson, who left Old Trafford in January, scored the game’s lone goal in the 60th minute off a short pass from the Galaxy playmaker. The MLS loanee has assisted on Everton’s last three goals and four in seven games. Don’t get too attached though Liverpudlians, the Galaxy want him back.
*Another Galaxy player making headlines in Europe is Edson Buddle, given his unconditional release by his second tier German club today in a money-saving move. The Galaxy still hold his MLS rights and if you follow my Twitter feed @LAsoccerblog you would have learned that former Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas tweeted earlier this afternooon: “I’m hearing Edson Buddle is coming back to @LAGalaxy.”
Well, the Galaxy could do with offensive cover what with Robbie Keane heading off for what he hopes is a long time at Euro 2012 next summer and David Beckham presumably playing in the Olympics. Buddle, incidentally, has failed to hook on with a couple of European clubs who took a look, including West Ham United.
No word from the Galaxy yet on Buddle.
BTW, A.J. DeLaGarza, Brian Perk and Michael Stephens have returned to camp from national team duty meaning only Donovan and Robbie Keane are missing. The club has 34 players in camp.
*Former Galaxy defender and now Chivas USA assistant coach Greg Vanney and Los Angeles/Fontana native Ante Razov, who starred for Chivas USA before slouching moodily off into what turned out to be an unannounced retirement, are among a dozen former players eligible for the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, it was announced today. Among the veterans on the ballot: late former LA Aztecs ball wizard George Best.
*The Galaxy announced their English-language and Spanish-language radio schedules today, which can be found here.
From the Galaxy press release:
KTLK 1150 AM, the sister station of Fox Sports Radio, AM 570 KLAC, will return for their fifth consecutive season of broadcasting Galaxy games in English. Joe Tutino and Ralph Perez will once again call the games for KTLK, who will broadcast 24 of the club’s 34 regular season games. In addition to being able to hear all games on KTLK across the Southland, the Galaxy will also make those games available to stream online at lagalaxy.com. Through their website, the club will also stream the 10 games that KTLK are not slated to cover this season, meaning that fans can listen to every Galaxy MLS game all season long in English either on the radio or online.
*Chivas USA announced today that they will will unveil their 2012 jersey on Feb. 12 – at 30,000 feet while flying between Guadalajara and LA on a flight by Mexican airline Volaris.
*San Jose announced Monday that former defender Chris Leitch, who retired rather than join the Galaxy, which took him in the Re-Entry Draft, has been named technical director of the Earthquakes’ youth development academy.