USWNT star Alex Morgan hits the (Hermosa) Beach Friday to create mural — and you’re invited

Swimsuit 2014: Guana Island Alex Morgan Guana Island/Guana Island, British Virgin Islands, USA 11/17/2013 X157207 TK1 Credit: Adam Franzino SELECT

Swimsuit 2014: Guana Island
Alex Morgan
Guana Island/Guana Island, British Virgin Islands, USA
11/17/2013

Photo: Adam Franzino

Diamond Bar’s Alex Morgan, who appeared in Sports Illustrated’s 2014 swimsuit issue. will smash soccer balls that will create paint bursts on a blank canvas intended as a message of support for the team ahead of next month’s World Cup in Canada on Pier Plaza Friday in Hermosa Beach.

The public is invited to join the #PasstheLove campaign (passthelove.com goes live May 15) from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to watch or join in the creation of the huge mural set for a 5:15 p.m. unveiling by Galaxy great Cobi Jones.

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Photos: Special (Olympics) Day for Galaxy players Omar Gonzalez and Jaime Penedo

specialgalaxySpecial Day: Galaxy players Omar Gonzalez, left, and Jaime Penedo participated in a soccer game in Carson Tuesday with Special Olympics Southern California players ahead of the July event in Los Angeles (Photos courtesy Herbalife).

The Special Olympics World Games will be the world’s largest sports and humanitarian event this year and the biggest single event Los Angeles has hosted since the 1984 Olympics when it is held July 25 through Aug. 2.

The event will attract an estimated 7,000 athletes and 3,000 coaches representing 177 countries, along with 30,000 volunteers and 500,000 spectators.

Galaxy sponsor Herbalife is donating more than 300,000 meal and protein snack bars to athletes and volunteers.

More on the Special Olympics from Staff Writer Donna Littlejohn is here.

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Artists celebrate former LA Galaxy midfielder and global soccer icon David Beckham as he turns 40 Friday

becksart

Bleacher Report’s Media Lab commissioned 10 artists from around the world to create the original, interactive artworks in a digital gallery that commemorate David Beckham’s legacy on and off the field.

Check out the gallery of David Beckham pop art here.

And here’s where he intends to mark his four decades on the planet.

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Galaxy to play Club America in Carson, Barcelona at Rose Bowl this summer

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The Galaxy will play Club America 8:30 p.m. Saturday, July 11 at StubHub Center and Barcelona 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 21 at the Rose Bowl.

Both games are part of the 17-game, 10-team International Champions Cup that also includes the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.

Tickets to the Club America game go on sale to the general public May 7; ticket information for the Barcelona game has yet to be announced.

“Southern California is the perfect location to host multiple soccer matches,” said Charlie Stillitano, chairman of promoter Relevent Sports. “Last year’s match with the LA Galaxy at the Rose Bowl against Manchester United drew more than 80,000 fans, illustrating the demand for world-class soccer in the area. We are thrilled to bring both Club América and Barcelona and their rabid fan bases to Los Angeles. The reigning MLS Cup winners facing the best teams in Mexico and Spain will provide electric soccer in front of an engaged and raucous crowd.”

The Galaxy met Barcelona in 2009 in front of 93,137 at the Rose Bowl in a 2-1 loss that saw David Beckham notch the lone LA goal.

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MLS Monday Video Rewind: Short-handed Galaxy escape from New York with a 1-1 draw against MLS-leading Red Bulls

A pedestrian Galaxy performance punctuated by two moments of brilliance — a ninth-minute Bradford Jamieson IV goal, the first in MLS for the 18-year-old, and a 74-minute Jaime Penado save on Bradley Wright-Phillips to preserve the 1-1 draw — nevertheless saw LA take two points off the Eastern Conference leaders, who are unbeaten in a half dozen straight games to open the season. Game story

Quotable:

“I think we controlled the game more today, we did a lot of the things that we wanted to today – put them under pressure, create chances, things like that,” said New York midfielder Sacha Kljestan.”We leave disappointed because we gave up an early goal off of a little small defensive one-on-one mistake, but I think the mentality was good to come back again. We got an ugly goal, we created some good chances and we probably should have scored a few more. So overall, disappointed. The Galaxy tried to kill off the game from the first minute and must’ve wasted 10 minutes of actual playing time so that annoys me.”

Notable:

The Galaxy are unbeaten in three straight games, but also have failed to win on the road in 10 straight games, going 0-5-5 during that span.

Tweet Time

Bottom Line:

“We did that things you’re supposed to do when you’re playing on the road,” said Galaxy coach Bruce Arena.

Next for the Galaxy: 7:30 p.m. Saturday against the Colorado Rapids at StubHub Center.

Oh, and that goal is worth watching again (and again):

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MLS Video Preview: LA Galaxy (3-2-2) visit New York Red Bulls (3-0-2) at 2 p.m. live on ESPN2

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Galaxy

Missing star striker Robbie Keane through injury yet again and winless on the road so far this season, the Galaxy will seek their first victory in five years at Red Bull Arena today against an unbeaten opponent that leads MLS.

Former Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan is starring in the Red Bulls midfield alongside Brazilian Felipe.

The Galaxy-Red Bulls contest is the first of an MLS triple-header on national television today.

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Galaxy striker Robbie Keane to miss third consecutive Galaxy game Sunday against New York Red Bulls

keanoMIA: Galaxy striker Robbie Keane AWOL V NYRB. (Associated Press Photo)

The sputtering Galaxy will be without veteran striker Robbie Keane Sunday for the road game against Eastern Conference leaders Red Bull New York.

As widely expected, Keane did not travel with the team to New York and will miss a third consecutive game for the 3-2-2 defending MLS Cup champions with a groin strain.

Despite looking unconvincing so far for much of this season, the Galaxy are riding a two-game winning streak ahead of the nationally televised clash.

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Four with soccer ties named to Top 50 LA Sports power list

Two more locals associated with soccer — agent Richard Motzkin and Galaxy defender Robbie Rogers, who is emerging as a respected spokesman in the gay community — make the list of the top five up and comers.

And of the five whose stock has fallen the most in Southern California sports circles, there are two with soccer ties: former AEG head honcho Tim Leiweke and former owner of the now-defunct Chivas USA Jorge Vergara.

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EPL TV Weekend Preview: Leaders Chelsea face second-place Arsenal at 8 a.m. Saturday on NBCSN

A complete guide to all the weekend BPL action is here.

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