Drogba’s free kick snaps Galaxy’s nine-game unbeaten streak

Montreal's Didier Drogba celebrates his game-winning goal against the L.A. Galaxy on Saturday. Photo courtesy @MLS Twitter

Montreal’s Didier Drogba celebrates his game-winning goal against the L.A. Galaxy on Saturday. Photo courtesy @MLS Twitter

Brian Rowe hasn’t made many mistakes in goal this year for the L.A. Galaxy, but the 27-year-old goalkeeper made a costly one at the most inopportune time on Saturday.

A long free kick from Montreal’s Didier Drogba in the fourth minute of stoppage time squirted through Rowe’s hands and into the goal for the game-winner in the Impact’s 3-2 victory over L.A. It snapped the Galaxy’s nine-game unbeaten streak and was just the team’s second loss of the season. Both of the losses have come via stoppage-time game-winners as Colorado’s Marco Pappa handed the Galaxy their first loss of the season.

“It’s definitely a frustrating one,” Rowe told LAGalaxy.com. “As a goalie, you don’t want to have that type of influence on a game one way or the other. You just want to do your job and not get any of the credit, either bad or good. It’s definitely a difficult one to swallow.”

Throughout their nine-game unbeaten streak, the Galaxy readily admitted they didn’t always play their best. Some games were ugly, but they somehow grabbed at least a point. But on Saturday, head coach Bruce Arena said the team “deserved what happened in the end. We weren’t good enough on the night.”

Said midfielder Steven Gerrard: “We got ourselves to blame for the result over the 90 minutes. We turned over possession too many times, and we made this a very difficult game. We should have won this game comfortably, so we’re disappointed in the performance as a whole.”

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Galaxy game day: L.A. tries to sustain unbeaten streak without Keane, Zardes

Mark J. Terrill/The Associated Press

Mark J. Terrill/The Associated Press

The L.A. Galaxy have only one loss on their record and own a league-leading nine-game unbeaten streak heading into Saturday’s game in Montreal at 5 p.m. The team hasn’t lost since the second game of the season, and even then, came within seconds of escaping with a draw. But when it comes to the recent undefeated results, the Galaxy aren’t completely pleased.

“To me, it’s just statistics,” defender Jelle Van Damme said.

The Galaxy have tied five of their past nine games, including a disappointing 1-1 draw against San Jose last week at home.

To continue the unbeaten streak, the team will have to do without forwards Gyasi Zardes and Robbie Keane, who have joined their respective national teams for international competition.

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Weekend TV Preview: UEFACL Final, USMNT, MLS and more

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100 Percent Soccer Column: Three ways to watch Copa America in Southern California

Brazil  is using StubHub Center as its training base before the Copa America Centenario. Brazil will play at the Rose Bowl June 4 against Ecuador. The world's oldest soccer tournament, this special edition marks 100 years of the tournament and is being played outside South America for the first time. Carson  Calif., Tuesday, May ,24, 2016.        (Photo by Stephen Carr / Daily Breeze)

Brazil is using StubHub Center as its training base before the Copa America Centenario. Brazil will play at the Rose Bowl June 4 against Ecuador. The world’s oldest soccer tournament, this special edition marks 100 years of the tournament and is being played outside South America for the first time. Carson Calif., Tuesday, May ,24, 2016. (Photo by Stephen Carr / Daily Breeze)

Read this week’s 100 Percent Soccer column here.

And check out the official Copa America song:

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Galaxy draw at home against San Jose

Despite having 11 days between games, the L.A. Galaxy turned in what midfielder Mike Magee called a “lethargic” performance in a 1-1 draw against San Jose at home on Sunday.

The Galaxy were outshot 12-8, and despite taking a late lead on an own goal in the 83rd minute gave up the equalizer four minutes later. Although L.A. has a league-leading plus-12 goal differential, the team still only has one shutout on the season.

“I think we were four minutes away from what we wanted which was three points and that clean sheet we spoke about during the week,” midfielder Steven Gerrard told reporters. “But by no means did we play to our standards. I thought we were average early and lacked a bit of energy and a bit of creativity in the final third.” Continue reading “Galaxy draw at home against San Jose” »

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Dos Santos focused on Galaxy, San Jose after Mexican national team drama

Giovani dos Santos reportedly declined a call-up to the Mexican national team for next month's Copa America Centenario

Giovani dos Santos reportedly declined a call-up to the Mexican national team for next month’s Copa America Centenario

Giovani dos Santos stirred up controversy this week when Mexican national team manager Juan Carlos Osorio left the 27-year-old Galaxy forward off the federation’s roster for next month’s Copa American Centenario. According to Osorio, dos Santos declined the invitation, choosing club over country.

After Osorio released the roster Tuesday, dos Santos declined to speak about the situation this week, saying his main focus will be on the Galaxy leading up to a Cali Clasico match with San Jose at home at 4 p.m.

PREVIEW: Sebastian Lletget does ‘dirty work’ for Galaxy

“The only thing that I can say is that I’m very concentrated on my team,” he said. “I’m working really hard, and I’m looking forward to the game on Sunday. I feel great right now.

The midfielder has been in impressive form recently with five goals and five assists in the past five games.

He has not played for Mexico since the CONCACAF Gold Cup last summer when he missed the final three rounds due to injury and Mexico won the title. Continue reading “Dos Santos focused on Galaxy, San Jose after Mexican national team drama” »

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Gyasi Zardes called up for Copa America

USA’s Gyasi Zardes, right, scores the 1-1 goal past Netherlands’ Daryl Janmaat during an international soccer match between Netherlands and the US at ArenA stadium in Amsterdam, Friday, June 5, 2015. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)

USA’s Gyasi Zardes, right, scores the 1-1 goal past Netherlands’ Daryl Janmaat during an international soccer match between Netherlands and the US at ArenA stadium in Amsterdam, Friday, June 5, 2015. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)

L.A. Galaxy forward Gyasi Zardes was called up to the U.S. men’s national team on Saturday for the next month’s Copa America Centenario.

Zardes made 19 appearances for the USMNT in 2015, tying Claudio Reyna’s 1994 record for most caps by a U.S. player in their debut year with the National Team.

With the Galaxy this season, Zardes has four goals and four assists in 10 games started.

The national team opens the tournament against Colombia on June 3 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., and plays games against Costa Rica in Chicago at Soldier Field on June 7, and Paraguay on June 11 in Philadelphia.

U.S. Roster By Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), 12-Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), 22-Ethan Horvath (Molde IK)

DEFENDERS (8): 5-Matt Besler (Sporting KC), 3-Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), 6-John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), 20-Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), 21-Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), 23-Fabian Johnson (Borussia Moenchengladbach), 14-Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), 2-DeAndre Yedlin (Tottenham Hotspur)

MIDFIELDERS/FORWARDS (12): 15-Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), 11-Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), 4-Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), 8-Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), 13-Jermaine Jones (Colorado Rapids), 16-Perry Kitchen (Heart of Midlothian), 10-Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers), 17-Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund), 18-Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), 7-Bobby Wood (Hamburg SV), 20-Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy), 19-Graham Zusi (Sporting KC)

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Weekend Soccer TV Preview: MLS, FA Cup, Copa del Rey, USMNT and more

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Fox telecasts its first-ever FA Cup final-MLS doubleheader Saturday; the noon New York derby immediately follows the 9:30 a.m. Manchester United-Crystal Palace final.

Also: England-Turkey 9:15 a.m. Sunday Fox Sports 2

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Check out the top 10 LA Galaxy wage earners

GerrarddebutGolden Gerrard: Steven Gerrard is the Galaxy’s highest-paid player in 2016 (Photo courtesy LA Galaxy).

The MLS Players Union has released its annual salary survey of its members.

Kaka remains the highest paid player in MLS. These are the top wage-earners.
Here are the top 10 wage earners on the Galaxy roster (note that all but four of the players are foreign imports):

  1. Steven Gerrard, $6,132,500.
  2. Giovani dos Santos, $4,250,000.
  3. Robbie Keane, $3,500,000
  4. Nigel deJong, $500,000.
  5. Gyasi Zardes, $472,500
  6. Jelle Van Damme, 468,750
  7. Ashley Cole, $327,625
  8. Mike Magee, $250,000
  9. Robbie Rogers, $228,500
  10. A.J. DeLaGarza, $227,500

Here’s more from sister newspaper The Denver Post.

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Season-ending Liga MX doubleheader involving Chivas and Tigres comes to Carson July 10

ligaMX

The two games set for StubHub Center are the Campeón de Campeones or Champion of Champions game between the winners of the two most recent Liga MX league tournaments and SuperCopa, a face-off involving the last two Mexican Cup winners.

Copa MX Clausura 2016 champions Chivas de Guadalajara take on Veracruz, the 2015 Copa MX Clausura champion, at 3 p.m. for the SuperCopa crown followed at 6 p.m. by the Champion of Champions contest between Apertura 2015 champions Tigres UANL and the Clausura 2016 Champion winners, to be decided later this month.

Tickets start at $35 and go on sale to the general public Friday.

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