Weekend Soccer: LA Galaxy at FC Dallas, Chivas Faces Rapids in Carson

The undefeated third-place Galaxy (2-0-2) face Western Conference-topping  FC Dallas (4-1-1) at 4:30 p.m. PT Saturday on the NBC Sports Network despite what the posters for the nationally televised game above read (reflecting the kickoff time on the East Coast and local time).

No posters for high-scoring Chivas USA (3-1-1) because their 7:30 p.m. Saturday encounter in Carson against the lowly Colorado Rapids (1-3-2) is not televised.

In other televised games, Arsenal and Norwich City (with Lawndale’s Kei Kamara) clash at 6:30 a.m. Saturday, while later at 3 p.m. Cruz Azul and Club Tijuana meet on ESPN2.

 

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LA Galaxy Seek Improbable Champions League Comeback Tonight in Mexico

7 p.m. live on Fox Soccer: LA Galaxy at Monterrey

The LA Galaxy will seek to do what the Seattle Sounders couldn’t on Tuesday — and in  fact perform a feat no other club has ever completed in the competition — when they face Monterrey tonight in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions League semifinal.

After last week’s disappointing loss on home soil, it’s a tall order and the Galaxy know it:

Meanwhile, the game isn’t over — yet, literally — but some are already writing the MLS postmortem in the competition.

For those not discouraged by that, there’s a viewing party in Long Beach tonight:

 

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No Column this Week as LA Galaxy Resume CONCACAF Campaign

With MLS giving both the Galaxy and Chivas USA last weekend off between CONCACAF Champions League legs, I took the opportunity to take some time off too, so there is no column this week.

Chivas USA’s erstwhile opponents, the Seattle Sounders face a massive task tonight (the key phrase in the linked story is that no team has ever overcome a first leg Champions league deficit in a dozen tries), while mathematically speaking the Galaxy’s task Wednesday is even greater.

Ulp.

More on the Galaxy game later.

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CONCACAF Champions League: LA Galaxy Have Mexican Mountain to Climb in Monterrey

An evening that started so promisingly for the Galaxy before the largest crowd — more than 20,000 — ever to watch a CONCACAF Champions League in Carson ended with their capitulation at the tail end of the contest that allowed Monterrey to score twice in the closing eight minutes to swipe a victory and take a seemingly insurmountable advantage in the two-game series.

And the Galaxy only had themselves to blame:

Staff Writer Phil Collin has the game story. One clarification to the article: away goals count double if the game is tied on aggregate. Thus the Galaxy can win the series with a 2-0 win in Mexico (2-3 on aggregate), but they need to win by two clear goals whatever the score.

Defender A.J. DeLaGarza sounded a hopeful note on Twitter, but his sheepish post-game reaction suggests an Arena tongue-lashing in the locker room after the game:

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CONCACAF Champions League Preview: Monterrey at LA Galaxy in Carson

If the Galaxy were under any illusions about the magnitude of the task facing them tonight in Carson, they were dispelled Tuesday as fellow MLS CONCACAF Champions League semifinalists Seattle were outclassed at home by Herculez Gomez and Santos Laguna.

The 1-0 scoreline did not adequately reflect the dominance of the Mexican visitors who were clearly superior to a Sounders team struggling with an insipid start to the season.

If the Galaxy are looking for crumbs of comfort they can point to a poor recent away record in Liga MX play for the visitors and their own firepower that has sizzled to start the season as I pointed out in this week’s column.

Mike Magee, he of five goals in five games that plopped him atop the MLS scoring charts, was named the league’s player of the month today, while Inglewood’s Jose Villareal continues to impress.

I plan to Tweet from the game tonight @lasoccerblog, while Staff Writer Phil Collin will have a full game wrap later here.

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