*Updated

Yup, guess there was more to that LD knee injury.

The Galaxy released a statement at 2:15 p.m. today:

Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan will return to Los Angeles tonight after being ruled out of the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers with a knee injury. Donovan traveled to Miami to join up with the U.S. National Team on Monday and was evaluated by U.S. Soccer medical staff Tuesday morning.

Donovan suffered the injury late in the Galaxy’s 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake on Saturday night at The Home Depot Center. He will be further evaluated by club doctors after returning to Los Angeles .

U.S. Soccer also released a statement from Jurgen Klinsmann, who will replace both Donovan and FC Dallas midfielder Brek Shea — who has an abdominal strain — on the roster:

“It’s unfortunate for Landon and Brek that they won’t be able to play,” said Klinsmann. “Landon was very optimistic over the weekend when his knee was feeling much better, but now he needs time to recover. We knew Brek was a question mark coming in, and now we have a clear picture of where he stands. We feel confident that the group we have will get the job done.”

Is there more to this Landon Donovan injury after all? AP Sports Writer Tim Reynolds has more:

MIAMI (AP) — Landon Donovan missed a workout Tuesday to have an MRI on his left knee while the U.S. national team began getting ready for two World Cup qualifying matches.

There was no immediate word on the test result, though U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann did not sound worried. Donovan was hurt Saturday while playing for the Galaxy, but saw some improvement before boarding a flight mONDAY to join the American team in Miami.

“We’re very, very positive on Landon,” Klinsmann said. “Just to be 1,000 percent sure, he’s doing an MRI. He was supposed to do that actually in L.A. (Monday) morning, but he skipped it because he felt so good.”

U.S. Soccer officials expected to receive word about Donovan’s status later Tuesday.

About 10 of the 24 players on the roster missed the morning practice for a variety of reasons — from jet lag to treatment of minor injuries. Klinsmann expects the full roster to be available for a gym session later in the day, and the assumption is that they would all be ready for training Wednesday as well.

Klinsmann announced the roster Monday for the two matches that could be critical to the Americans’ bid to play in the 2014 tournament in Brazil. The U.S. plays at Antigua and Barbuda on Friday and is home against Guatemala next Tuesday.

The U.S., Guatemala and Jamaica all have seven points after the first four matches of Group A play in this qualifying round, and only two of the three will advance. Antigua and Barbuda has one point through four matches. For the U.S. to reach next year’s
regional finals, four points — a win and a tie — would seem the most probable requirement.

Donovan is the national team’s career leader in several categories, including goals (49), assists (48) and matches started (130). U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard said he dined with Donovan after arriving in Miami and suggested he wasn’t concerned about whether the team’s best scorer would be available Friday.

“I don’t really worry about the senior players,” Howard said. “Landon always seems to get the job done. … If he’s fit and ready to play, he’ll be raring to go.”

With U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann scheduled to announce Monday his U.S. squad for the two upcoming World Cup qualifiers, the last thing he needed to hear about was a possible knee injury to key midfielder Landon Donovan.

But that’s exactly what happened Saturday in the Galaxy’s disappointing 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake in Carson (more on that later), with Donovan forced to come out of the game 10 minutes from time after landing on Real Salt Lake defender Jmison Olave as he attempted to go past him down the left flank.

“It didn’t feel good,” Donovan said after the game, adding that he did not hear a “pop.”

Donovan said he would be examined as soon as possible. When asked if the injury would take him out of the U.S. squad for the games against Antigua & Barbuda Oct. 12 and Guatemala four days later he said that was “TBD” (to be determined).

Donovan has had more than his share of injuries since Klinsmann took over as U.S. coach, missing several crucial games.

Maybe. Associated Press Sports Writer Ronald Blum has more:

NEW YORK (AP) — Add U.S. road World Cup qualifiers to the soccer games many American television viewers may not be able to see.

The new beIN Sport network said Wednesday it had acquired rights to U.S. road qualifiers this year and next along with all other qualifiers in the North and Central American and Caribbean region for the 2014 tournament, except for matches involving Mexico.

The network, launched last week by the Al-Jazeera Sport Media Network, is available to only about 7 percent of U.S. television households. It can be received in the 8 million homes that subscribe to its tier on DirecTV and DISH, which are available in 34 million
households in all.

While the U.S. Soccer Federation owns rights to its home qualifiers, Traffic Sports USA bought rights to the road games from the CONCACAF nations that owned them, and Traffic resold them to beIN.

“We don’t control the rights for our away matches but have talked with beIN Sport and know that they have an aggressive plan to expand distribution over the weeks and months to come,” U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati said in an email. “Obviously, we’d like as wide a distribution in the US as possible for our WCQ matches.”

The U.S. has remaining road qualifiers this year in the semifinal round at Jamaica on Sept. 7 and at Antigua and Barbuda on Oct. 12.

Rights to home U.S. qualifiers are held by ESPN. In qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, eight matches on ESPN2 averaged 787,000 viewers and two matches on ESPN averaged 734,000. The U.S. qualifier at Guatemala in June was resold from Traffic to Integrated Sports Media and available only on pay-per-view.

The new network also has rights to Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A, France’s Ligue 1 and
England’s second-tier League Championship. In addition, it has rights to South American World Cup qualifiers and the 2015 Copa America.

Most of us didn’t see last night’s 1-1 draw with Guatamala on pay per view and by most Tweets I saw didn’t miss much.

Here are the highlights:

The same is true of the Galaxy reserve team victory over the Whitecaps in Vancouver Tuesday that saw South Bay Force product Jose Villarreal snatch two goals and Newport Beach teenagaer Jack McBean produce the winner.

Check out the highlights:

Incidentally, this was a more important reserve game than usual given the numerous absences Galaxy coach Bruce Arena must deal with ahead of the weekend game against the Portland Timbers.

And with that Denmark and Portugal are up next at Euro 2012 on ESPN, while the Dutch face the Germans in a delicious lunch hour game.

Enjoy.

The Galaxy and MLS want to sell you tickets to watch an EPL club train — yes, train — for $50 to $99 and the second U.S. World Cup qualifier today against a Guatemala team that hasn’t beaten the U.S. in a generation is available only on pay per view at $25 a crack (although I notice a couple of additional Southern California bars have been added to this where to watch list).

The best soccer on TV, meanwhile, the Euro 2012 tournament, is free and much easier to find.

Those of you not paying attention for whatever reason can get caught up with this week’s column.

Good news for Chivas USA, perhaps, if they had wanted Juan Agudelo to settle in with the team as quickly as possible after his trade from New York.

Now he will have ample opportunity to do so with the lengthy MLS hiatus because of the international fixtures helping, too, after Chivas USA’s Saturday game against Seattle at Home Depot Center.

The 19-year-old returned from a week in Florida with the U.S. team and is practicing this morning in Carson with Chivas USA.

And look which club team can claim the most U.S. internationals.

Here’s more on the U.S. roster announced today ahead of Saturday’s game against Scotland in Florida, which have seen advance ticket sales of 36,000 so far:

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Forward Juan Agudelo, defender Alfredo Morales and midfielders Danny Williams and Graham Zusi were cut Friday as U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann picked his 23-man roster for upcoming exhibition games and World Cup qualifiers.

The moves leave the U.S. with seven defenders, seven midfielders and six forwards for their five matches.

“We have chosen the 23 players who are in the best form right now and ready to get the job done,” Klinsmann said. “These guys have put in a tremendous amount of hard work in the last 10 days, and they are hungry to get started with the matches.”

Corona is the only player on the roster for the first time. He scored four goals in qualifying as the U.S. under-23 team failed to make the London Olympics.

Five players are from Major League Soccer. Four each are based in Germany and Mexico, three in England, two each in Scotland and Denmark, one apiece in Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal.

The Americans have exhibitions against Scotland on Saturday at Jacksonville, Fla., Brazil on Wednesday at Landover, Md., and Canada on June 3 at Toronto. Seeking their seventh straight World Cup berth, the Americans open qualifying on June 8 against Antigua and Barbuda at Tampa, Fla., then play at Guatemala on June 12.

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Tim Howard (Everton, England), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake);

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Geoff Cameron (Houston), Edgar Castillo (Tijuana, Mexico), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Clarence Goodson (Brondby, Denmark), Oguchi Onyewu (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal), Michael Parkhurst (Nordsjaelland, Denmark)

Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Chievo Verona, Italy), Joe Corona (Tijuana, Mexico), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim, Germany), Jermaine Jones (Schalke, Germany), Jose Torres (Pachuca, Mexico)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands), Terrence Boyd (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England), Landon Donovan (Galaxy), Herculez Gomez (Santos Laguna, Mexico), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose)

Incidentally, Glasgow Rangers defender Carlos Bocanegra – I almost wrote former Rangers player and that may not be too far off - gives us a little insight to living in Scotland ahead of the game via this video from U.S. Soccer:

Bocanegra is seen as one of the keys to the game in this video preview from MLS:

*It appears that in Seattle, ahead of Saturday’s game against Chivas USA, fans and critics are asking the same questions of the Sounders supporters and reporters are asking down here of the Galaxy.

In fact, if you replace the references to Seattle with the word “Galaxy” in this Seattle Times story from this morning the similarities are downright eerie.

*Finally, U.S. Soccer announced this morning that it has sold out 18,500-capacity PPL Park, home of the Philadelphia Union, for Sunday’s 4 p.m. USWNT game against China
The game will not be televised.

The Galaxy’s David Beckham holds the Olympic torch today during a ceremony to mark the arrival of the Olympic flame to Britain from Greece. Good to see he’s preparing for a game against the Galaxy’s biggest rivals Saturday with his usual (ahem) diligence and respect for MLS and fans (AP Photo).

In other soccer news today:

*Galaxy Brazilian center back Leonardo has come off the disabled list, while former Chivas USA center back Andrew Boyens has gone on it, the club reported today.

That means Leonardo is eligible for action in Saturday’s derby against Chivas USA, while Boyens, who will undergo sports hernia surgery next week, must miss a minimum of six MLS games. He’s made two error-riddled appearances for the Galaxy this season after joining the team from the Goats.

Leonardo, 24, returned to training last month and played 45 minutes of the club’s reserve game against San Jose last week before he was replaced at half time by Boyens.

Leonardo signed a permanent deal with MLS in February after spending the last two seasons on loan at the club. He has made 17 starts for the club, including the first seven games of 2011, which seemed to include a major error in every game, before injuring his right knee.

*The June 12 U.S. World Cup qualifier won’t be on free TV. Blame money-grubbing Guatemala:

HOBOKEN, N.J. (AP) — The United States’ World Cup qualifier at Guatemala on June 12 will be shown on pay-per-view over the objection of the U.S. Soccer Federation.

Traffic Sports USA purchased the rights from the Federacion Nacional de Futbol de Guatemala and announced an agreement Friday with Integrated Sports Media to distribute the match in the U.S.

It will have a suggested retail price of $29.95 and will be available on iN Demand,
DIRECTV, DISH Network and Avail-TVN.

FIFA gives home teams rights to World Cup qualifiers. The Americans’ home qualifiers against Antigua and Barbuda on June 8 and Jamaica on Sept. 11 will be televised by ESPN2.

USSF spokesman Neil Buethe says “the pay-per-view route is definitely not our preference.”

*I guess they won’t find new investors for the LA Sol after all; the Women’s Professional Soccer league folded today after three seasons. Does anyone really care? Here’s more from the Associated Press:

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The WPS had canceled the 2012 season in January, at the time hoping to return next year.

“We sincerely regret having to take this course of action,” T. Fitz Johnson, owner of the
Atlanta Beat and chairman of the board of governors, said in a statement today.

The league’s predecessor, WUSA, also lasted only three seasons, burning through more than $100 million in investments in the euphoric aftermath of the U.S. victory at the 1999 World Cup.

American fans again watched the Women’s World Cup in large numbers last summer, but it wasn’t enough to save the WPS.

The 2012 WPS season was scrapped amid a legal dispute with ousted owner Dan Borislow of the magicJack South Florida franchise. WPS said Friday it had reached a confidential out-of-court settlement with Borislow, who sued the league last summer.

Striker Abby Wambach Tweeted Friday: “The greatest accomplishments usually come after the biggest let downs. Never give up.”

No Sacha Kljestan though, despite the former Chivas USA midfielder winning the Belgian championship with Anderlecht.

Here’s who did make the first/initial roster:

CHICAGO (AP) — Defender Timmy Chandler has declined an invitation to attend the United States’ training camp ahead of its opening qualifiers next month for the 2014 World Cup.

The 22-year-old, a regular starter for Nuremberg in the Bundesliga, made his U.S. national team debut in March 2011 and has eight international appearances.

He holds American and German passports and because he has not yet played in a competitive match, he still could switch to Germany’s national team.

“I have had long conversations with Timmy about where he is in his professional career and his commitment to playing international football,” U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann said Tuesday. “He has expressed his appreciation for all the opportunities we have given him, but he also feels at this point he needs to take a break.

“It’s disappointing not having him as a part of the team at this important juncture of building our team, but ultimately a player must decide what is best for him. The door is certainly not closed on Timmy, but in the moment we move on without him.”

Klinsmann announced an initial group of 16 players, mostly from European clubs, that started reporting Tuesday to Kissimmee, Fla. He will make 13 additions Sunday following the weekend games in Major League Soccer, then cut the roster to 23 on May 25.
Tijuana midfielder Joe Corona was the only player picked with no national team experience. He scored four goals for the American under-23 team as it was eliminated in Olympic qualifying.

Klinsmann said forward Clint Dempsey “should be fine within the next couple of days” following a groin strain that caused him to miss Fulham’s Premier League season finale Sunday.

The U.S. has exhibitions against Scotland (May 26 at Jacksonville, Fla.), Brazil (May 30 at
Landover, Md.) and Canada (June 3) at Toronto. The Americans open qualifying on June 8 against Antigua and Barbuda at Tampa, Fla., then play at Guatemala on June 12.

The top two teams in the group, which also includes Jamaica, advance to next year’s six-nation final round in North and Central America and the Caribbean. The top three teams in the finals qualify for the 2014 tournament in Brazil and the fourth-place team has a two-game playoff for a berth against the Oceania winner, likely New Zealand.

The roster:
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa, England), Tim Howard (Everton), England, Nick Rimando (Salt Lake)

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Edgar Castillo (Tijuana, Mexico), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover, Germany), Alfredo Morales (Hertha Berlin, Germany)

Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Salt Lake), Michael Bradley (Chievo Verona, Italy), Joe Corona (Tijuana, Mexico), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim Germany), Jermaine Jones (Schalke, Germany), Jose Torres (Pachuca, Mexico), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim, Germany)

Forwards: Clint Dempsey (Fulham, England)

A great read for a worthy cause by Daily Breeze Staff Writer Carley Dryden.

Sponsor a player here.

About time, in my book, but then I’m an embittered Englishman (you’ll recall the robbery that happened to the nation at the last World Cup):

BERLIN (MCT) — World soccer chief Sepp Blatter expects goal-line technology to be introduced next season, and it also should be featured at the next World Cup in 2014, along with professional referees.

Speaking in various newspaper interviews published on Tuesday, Blatter said that FIFA is finally ready to make use of goal-line technology, pending approval next year.

“You must allow at least one of those aids, and that is goal-line technology. There are systems that combine accuracy, speed and are straightforward. We are ready to use this technique,” Blatter told Germany’s Bild.

Blatter, 75, reiterated that the International Football Association Board is to reach a decision on the technology in March and that it can be used from the 2012-13 season onward if approved.

FIFA long opposed modern technology gaining entry into the game, but enhanced technology and high-profile incidents — such as Frank Lampard’s shot at the 2010 World Cup against Germany, which went over the line off the bar but went unseen by the referee — have led to a new approach.

“FIFA cannot accept again what happened in South Africa: a ball that was 70 centimeters in goal was called out,” Blatter told Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport.

If approved and successful, the technology will also be used at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, for which Blatter also announced professional referees.