Storified: Contrasting fortunes Saturday of LA’s MLS Clubs
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Author Archives: Nick Green
MLS Saturday Gameday: Galaxy-RSL, Chivas USA-San Jose Earthquakes
Wednesday Kicks: LA Galaxy, Herculez Gomez & more
- Real Salt Lake, who vanquished Chivas USA last weekend, are now looking to do the same to the Galaxy, who make the trek to Utah for a game Saturday. Sister newspaper The Salt Lake City Tribune has more here.
- Even though the Galaxy are out of the CONCACAF Champions League there’s still local interest in the form of LA native and former Galaxy striker Herculez Gomez who suits up tonight in the opening leg of the final at 7 p.m. on Fox Soccer.
- Give blood Friday at the Cedars-Sinai Rita and Taft Schreiber Blood Donor Facility, 8700 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles and receive a free pair of tickets to an unspecified Galaxy game. Walk-ins are welcome, appointments recommended. Call 310-423-2637. As a bonus, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. the Galaxy’s 2011 and 2012 MLS Cups will be on display there, too.
Weekly Soccer Column: Crooks, heroes and up and comers
Which pretty much covers the topics in this week’s column.
One omission from the list of locals called in to upcoming U-20 camps: Chivas USA’s Glendale-born forward Julio Morales was called into Mexico’s U-20 camp Monday (the information arrived from the club too late for inclusion in the column).
Landon Donovan Strikes Back, LA Galaxy Beat Eastern Conference Leaders Sporting Kansas City
If there’s such a thing as a statement game this early in the season, the LA Galaxy-Sporting Kansas City contest was just that pitting the defending MLS champions against the Eastern Conference leaders.
The largest crowd of the season saw the best game of the year so far at Home Depot Center, Landon Donovan adding yet another storied night to a highlight reel-filled career after missing a PK last week, claiming a goal and an assist in the 2-0 win in just his fifth game back since an extended hiatus.
“Don’t count the old guy out just yet,” Donovan said.
Classy and soccer savvy Robbie Keane served up Donovan’s goal on a platter in a gesture that, as Donovan observed, said much about the Irishman’s leadership qualities.
Sporting were the best visitors to the HDC so far and Donovan said he expected to see the again come the playoffs.
Staff Writer Scott Wolf has the game story.
Watch:
Chivas USA Sputters to Second Consecutive Loss in Utah
Squandering a surprisingly strong start to the season, Chivas USA displayed its familiar defensive frailties Saturday in a second straight loss that sent its record to 3-3-1 in succumbing 1-0 to Real Salt Lake and plunging down the standings after starting the day sitting in second place in the Western Conference.
Midfielder Edgar Mejia had an eventful day he won’t soon forget, missing a penalty kick and then getting himself sent off as the game wound down, pointlessly and blantantly throwing an elbow in midfield that encapsulated Chivas USA’s frustrating day.
Chivas USA produced a comedy of errors in conceding the game’s lone goal, giving the ball away inside RSL’s half before back pedaling and ball watching their way to a one-goal deficit.
Watch:
Next for Chivas USA: San Jose Earthquakes Saturday at Home Depot Center
MLS Preview: LA Galaxy-Sporting Kansas City, Chivas USA at Real Salt Lake
Video: Major League Soccer’s Matt Reis Provides Update on the Condition of His Torrance Father-in Law Injured in Boston Bombing
Daily Breeze Staff Writer Donna Littlejohn has more on the story here.
We will have a further update later today.
Thursday Kicks: El Tri, LA Galaxy & More
- Here’s what Galaxy fans will likely see Saturday in Carson from opponents Sporting Kansas City, who rode their defense to a road victory over the Red Bulls Wednesday night in New York and moved into the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
- Sister paper The San Jose Mercury-News has the game story for Wednesday’s Mexico-Peru friendly in Candlestick Park.
- Rolling Hills Estates’ Robbie Rogers had expressed interest in training with his hometown Galaxy after coming out as gay and quitting the sport (at least for now) and now coach Bruce Arena has left the door open for him to do just that.
LA Galaxy Confirm Participation in Inaugural Guinness International Champions Cup
The eight-team tournament, which various sources began to report earlier this week, will also include Italian clubs Inter Milan and Juventus, as well as Real Madrid, while the other four participants will be named May 7.
The tournament opens July 27 in Europe. Los Angeles is scheduled to host a semifinal the weekend of Aug. 3-4.
Los Angeles-based Fox Soccer will televise 11 of the tournament’s 12 games live, including the Aug. 7 final, in one of its final events before folding after losing EPL and MLS broadcast rights in recent months.
“It is an honor for the Galaxy to be able to represent Major League Soccer against some of the world’s top clubs in the inaugural Guinness International Champions Cup,” Galaxy President Chris Klein said, “Our fans are accustomed to seeing their team take on the world’s elite club teams in summer friendlies and we are excited to be able to continue that tradition here in the Southern California as well as in other cities throughout the United States.”