The clash of the two MLS powerhouses is usually nothing short of entertaining. Every time these two teams meet the stars align and things fit perfectly. You would think since this is the only meeting of these teams this season it would be exciting. Except today; today’s game was kind of boring. From LA Galaxy’s perspective today’s game was a tough one; they had to play without their driving force Mike Magee. Magee is suffering from an ankle sprain that kept him out of the lineup. LA had a chance to win it, and looked like they would until New York Red Bulls’ Tim Cahill took it away. At least Cahill is on my fantasy team…

First half was interesting. In the 10th minute LA Galaxy’s Juninho had to be subbed out because he had a right shin injury. This plus the absence of Magee proved to be a difficult challenge for the midfield. They could not serve the ball into the box or make the critical passes that needed to be made. New York started breaking LA down piece by piece.

In the 28th minute NY strung together a string of passes that put LA in a hole, and Cudicini tried to save the day but FAILED, and as all hope was being lost AJ DeLaGarza came to the rescue and cleared the ball off the goal line. This is not the first time Cudicini has made a mistake like that, in the first two games he was off his line every two seconds. I thought he had moved passed that stage, but apparently he hasn’t. Even though NY had most of the possession LA still had a great chance on goal in the 40th minute.

Robbie Keane took a free kick that people deemed “David Beckham worthy”, it was good but NY’s keeper made the save to keep the score level 0-0 as the teams headed into the half.

Second half LA opened up their play, and took control of the game. In the 61st minute Donovan had a crack at goal, but shot it just over the bar. LA had shot after shot, but just could not finish. In the 87th minute Robbie Keane had a chance to take it home for LA, but his header was just wide. As time was winding down and three minutes of stoppage time were added, I was feeling good about LA coming away with a draw. Then, low and behold in the 91st minute Tim Cahill gave New York the goal they needed to steal the three points.

I can’t explain to you how annoying it is when the keeper yells at the other players like it is their fault. Cudicini did just that to Marcelo Sarvas, and it wasn’t even Sarvas’ fault! The ball was in the 6-yard box, which everyone knows is the keeper’s box and the keeper should get ANY ball that comes that close to goal… but no, Cudicini just stood there and gave away three points. Annoyed was an understatement. It was ridiculous, and something that hadn’t happened to LA in four games. UGGGHHH. As the final whistle blew NY had topped LA 1-0, and came away with the three points. On this three game road trip LA only came away with three points, disappointing but still not as bad as zero points in three games!

LA’s next game will be May 26th against Seattle.

In other LA Galaxy news, it was announced earlier this week that Frank Lampard was staying at Chelsea. This opened up tons of questions on who would be LA’s third DP. Many think they should get a midfielder who has a service that is near the accuracy of Beckham’s, because LA has been missing that. Other people think the third DP should go to Omar Gonzalez because if not, then LA could lose him next year. All of this is just speculation on things to come; I’ll keep you guys updated as things progress!

I was going to have this long thing about it being Star Wars night and all of that, but after this game I wasn’t in the mood. UGH. I’m not holding back, so you’ve been forewarned! : ) Last night’s LA Galaxy game was a rematch from the 2012 and the 2011 MLS Cup. It was just five months ago when LA took on Houston at the HDC. There is a reason these two teams have made it to the MLS Cup for two years in a row. They play their hearts out and they put on a show. You have to admit, this is what soccer is all about. Last night LA played Houston for the first and only time in the regular season and it was a great game, if you were a Houston fan.

First half both teams turned it on, LA and Houston both had an excellent run of play. LA’s rookies stole the spotlight once again. Charlie Rugg had two chances, and Greg Cochrane dominated the back line. The first half was in the palm of their hands. In the 26th minute Josie Villarreal made a run and was taken down in the 18, thus he drew a PK. None other than Landon Donovan stepped up to take it, and… missed. Yes, he missed. This is the second PK Donovan has missed this season, which is odd. He’s still getting “back in to the swing of things” as Taylor Twellman stated in the broadcast.

I just wanted to go through the TV and give Donovan a pep talk, because it was a terrible PK. No power, a stutter step, and just flat out terrible. As the first half was winding down Houston started pushing forward and were looking to steal a goal before the break. They pushed all the way until the whistle blew, and lucky for LA, they couldn’t convert a goal. The teams went into the half 0-0.

Second half started just as it was hitting midnight on the East Coast, and boy was I tired. But hey, what’s a little beauty sleep sacrificed to watch LA play? Nothing, that’s what. Until the 56th minute I was really enjoying the game, and then Andrew Driver found the back of the net for Houston putting them ahead 1-0. This was a familiar place for LA though, as they were in this same position back in December. At this point in the game Mike Magee was furious. All night he was getting beat up and the referee was not calling anything Magee’s way. It was rather frustrating for LA and me (maybe because it was 12:30 a.m.).

Bruce made two crucial subs at this point trying to get a tying goal. Zardes came on for Rugg and Jimenez for Villarreal. This pushed Donovan up top, and made the game have a faster pace. Unfortunately this didn’t matter, as the final whistle blew LA fell 1-0 to Houston. Sad day, and a tough game to watch. Again the rookies proved they were tough players. Cochrane played the full 90 and never backed down from a one-on-one chance. I was impressed with all the players, but it just wasn’t their night. Even though it was hard to watch, you can’t win ‘em all!

LA’s next game will be May 11th against Vancouver.

Episode Three is here! And I don’t know about you guys, but I’m excited about it!

This week, Danielle and I dive into the discussion of Landon Donovan and the U.S. Men’s National Team. Which is pretty interesting when you think about it. We also touch on the status of Carlos Bocanegra, Stuart Holden and the Gold Cup roster.

Then we tackle the big debate of Major League Soccer expansion which exploded this week with talk about a second New York team. So, naturally, we chose where we want the 20th MLS to be: New York or Orlando?

You can check out the 30-minute show here! http://bit.ly/Zp9GF2

Let us know what you think!

I was very entertained in last night’s MLS game between LA Galaxy and Sporting KC. It wasn’t a game where one team dominated; though the score may seem that way. It was two teams who fought against each other, both wanting the win. Robbie Keane was back in action after being away with International duty and an injury. It was a good sight, seeing him back on the field along with Dunivant and Franklin. It was a great game, let’s hop to it!

Courtesy Robert More Photography

First half both teams came out physical, it was less than 10 minutes before they both had a chance on goal. Then in the 27th minute Landon Donovan made a brilliant run that opened up Marcelo Sarvas in the box and put LA up 1-0. This ended Sporting KC’s shutout streak at 546 minutes, the 5th longest in MLS history.

Before Landon made the run that scored the goal, he played a ball to Keane that I certified as sexy. It was a classic LD ball, and one that had me almost drooling. It was that pretty. Playing out the rest of the half, LA completely dominated SKC. Even though SKC played in NY on Wednesday, they played the first half with everything they had and made it entertaining.

Second half was a half LA fans have begun to fear. In almost every game this season, LA has given up a late goal which has cost them greatly. But tonight it was a half that LA fans loved. LA once again dominated the run of play, every touch was flawless. Then in the 74th minute, Landon Donovan finally got his first goal of the season. It had me up out of my seat cheering! It was a breakaway that started with Keane, and ended with him being unselfish in the box and giving the ball to Donovan. Thus Donovan put the ball in the back of the net, and he was back in action.

You could tell that the sabbatical Donovan took at the beginning of the year was for the best. Last night he was on point with his play, and seemed to be enjoying every single minute. I’ll admit that I was skeptical about the “sabbatical”, but now I’m glad he took the time he needed and is back better than ever. As the final whistle blew LA had come away with a 2-0 win… and they didn’t give up a goal in the final minutes either! YAY!

LA came together and played a great game tonight. Everything seemed to mesh and all of the players played great. It took LA 13 games last season to accumulate the amount of points they have right now, and it’s only been 6 games. Bravo boys. LA’s next game will be April 27th against Real Salt Lake.

FC Dallas vs LA Galaxy is quickly becoming one of my favorite fixtures in MLS. This could be because the only two MLS games I’ve ever had the chance to go to were both Dallas versus Galaxy, but it’s always one helluva ride to watch. Saturday night was no exception.

Yet another late home winner to keep FC Dallas unbeaten at home this season

The first half was relatively calm with both teams only having one shot on goal by the halftime whistle. FCD controlled most of the play thanks to Andrew Jacobson and Michel, but LA’s defense led by Omar Gonzalez held firm.

All the excitement came in the second half. Both teams picked up the pace and really started going for each other. Raúl Fernández and Carlo Cudicini had fantastic performances and kept the scoreline 0-0 for a better part of the game. I totally thought Kenny Cooper had scored at one point, but eventually I realized he had been offside when the cheers of the crowd turned into boos. Then, at the hour mark, everything changed.

Leonardo pulled Blás Perez down inside the box and the ref saw fit to show his a straight red card. Granted Perez may have exaggerated the foul a bit, but it went in his favor as the LA went down to 10 men and Dallas were awarded a penalty kick. Kenny Cooper stepped up to take the shot…and Cudicini saved!!! 10 minutes of chaos ensued. The Galaxy seemed to start playing better down one man. And suddenly George John tripped Jose Villarreal and LA Galaxy were awarded a penalty kick too! Landon Donovan stepped up. And Raúl Fernández saved it!!! Crazy crazy crazy! Two penalty kicks and two saves in a matter of 10 minutes. Wild!

The game swung in FC Dallas’s favor when George John headed in a goal from a corner kick. Another goal from another set piece. The Galaxy were desperate and fought incredibly hard during the last few minutes of the game, but you could tell their legs were still tired from Wednesday’s game in Mexico. The game ended 1-0 to the home side, but it wasn’t as pleasant of a win as it should’ve been.

After George John scored he almost immediately collapsed on the field. I was sitting at the other end of the field when this happened so it was hard to tell what exactly had happened. Once we figure out who was injured, we started speculating that maybe he had hit the post with his head scoring or possible clashed heads with another player. Either way he obviously wasn’t celebrating. It took Twitter to tell us what had actually happened.

George John downed by projectile thrown from supporter’s section

Some idiot had thrown an aluminum beer bottle at the players on the field. This bottle hit George John hard enough in the back of the head that he required 5 staples to close the wound for him to continue playing. Who the hell throws beer bottles at players in the middle of a game?! Supposedly he was aiming for AJ DeLaGarza but still it was completely, absolutely unacceptable. And he hit George John of all people. Poor guy was fighting concussion symptoms last weekend! Rumor has it that this game was this person’s first game at FC Dallas Stadium. I hope it was his last. He was immediately taken into custody and will answer to FC Dallas and the Frisco PD.

The culprit had been sitting in the Dallas Beer Gardens in the north end of the stadium. I actually had been sitting with the supporter’s groups for a bit during the second half but I’d already returned to my seat by the time the incident occurred. Truly, it was a blast sitting with everyone there. The drums, the constant chanting and cheering, and how close you are to the field make the Gardens a fantastic place to watch the game.

Unfortunately, a lot of generalization’s have been made about the FC Dallas fan base thanks to this guy. It really makes me sad and angry because the fan base is growing slowing but surely, and an incident like this is a bitter setback. The FC Dallas fans are NOT hooligans and we’re incredibly proud of our players and we love to support them. At least I know I am. It’ll be interesting to see what happens next, but hopefully we can all move on.

Next weekend, FC Dallas host the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Last night’s game made me wish I had stocked up on wine, or even tequila. Yes, that’s how nervous and emotional I was over LA Galaxy playing Monterrey in the CONCACAF Champion’s League. For the whole week before this game every soccer analyst had to bring up that NO MLS team except Seattle had ever won in Monterrey. This didn’t help my nerves at all. It also didn’t help that LA was down 2-1 on aggregate. Yeah, now you see why I needed some wine…

This game was much like the first leg. LA had chances, but didn’t finish and Monterrey rallied late in order to pull off the win. Bruce Arena made two changes to the lineup; first being the absence of Mike Magee. It was stated that he was out of the starting XI because of muscle soreness. There was also the addition of Landon Donovan to the starting XI. This was his first start since the MLS Cup back in December, and it proved that he was definitely back to his old ways. In the pregame show it was stated over and over that LA didn’t have to score quick, they just needed to score first in order to keep up their momentum. Unfortunately LA just couldn’t do it.

In the opening 45 both teams started off with a slow and steady pace. LA had the most opportunities, with eight corner kicks compared to Monterrey’s one. Robbie Keane had a moment where he almost turned into Hulk because he was so mad at the referee for not calling fouls. It was a sight to behold seeing him gesture like he was going crazy. With that being said, both teams went into the locker room even at 0-0.

Second half LA looked to be in control, but *surprise* they really weren’t. It was closing in on the 70^th minute, and at this point I was trying to channel Bruce and tell him to put EVERYONE up front, with the exception of Omar and AJ. What was there to lose? LA was down on aggregate 2-1, and they only had twenty minutes left to take it or leave it! And thus, LA decided to leave it… in the 81^st minute De Nigris took it home for Monterrey. It was just one of those plays that you knew was coming, and there was no way to stop it. As the final whistle blew LA was knocked out of CCL play, and Monterrey would advance.

In my opinion, it was all about finishing once again for LA. They just could not do it. I don’t know if they all have this microchip in their head that tells them not to finish, or what it is. But LA’s worst enemy this season has been the almighty finishing. LA played really well; they stuck with Monterrey for the majority of the 90 minutes but the finishing killed them.

LA’s next game will be Saturday, April 12 against FC Dallas

Call the LA Galaxy butter, because they’re on a CCL roll. Well … they were up until last night’s 2-1 loss to Monterrey. Landon Donovan was back in the 18 last night, but not as a starter. I like this move from Bruce because it shows that even though Donovan is healthy enough to play; Bruce wants to give Donovan time until he gives him a starting role. I dig it, a lot. My main squeeze, Mike Magee was named MLS’ Player of the Month for March. Who can blame them?! Magee has played phenomenal since the start of the season, there’s no way to deny that. Now let’s jump in to last night’s CCL game, which was a real bummer…

First half LA outplayed Monterrey all the way around. Every player on the team played the first 45 like they had something to prove, it was a nice change from last Saturday’s game. Even Cudicini had a couple of saves. In the 28th minute after a great buildup from Villarreal, Keane, and Magee; they got the ball at DeLegarza’s feet and he was able to tap the ball into the back of the net. It was DeLegarza’s first goal of CCL play, and pretty incredible since his return from last season’s injury. LA had the advantage and in the 42nd minute Sean Franklin could have made it 2-0, but mis-hit it and sent it over the crossbar.

LA’s counterattacks didn’t stop there. Even as the first 45 was winding down they kept pressuring Monterrey. Once again it came down to LA’s worst enemy… Finishing. I’m telling y’all that Bruce Arena needs to have a practice devoted to just finishing. Nothing else. Even Cudicni needs to learn to finish, because he might play forward. Just kidding, but you never know! (*ahem Magee as a goal keeper*) LA went into halftime leading 1-0 and knew they had to pick up their play even more if they wanted to win this game.

Second half LA was on their heels for the majority of play. Monterrey must have been given a pep talk at halftime, because they came out looking for blood. Ten minutes into the half Juninho was subbed off with an ankle injury, and this made LA’s stamina decrease drastically. Then as things were turning up on Monterrey’s end, Bruce Arena gave LA fans and players a jolt in the 63rd minute by subbing in Landon Donovan. It was Donovan’s home debut, and it gave LA the push they needed… for a little bit.

Donovan had a chance in the 65th minute but it went a tad wide of the post. LA kept pushing, but Monterrey’s pressure caught up to them in the 82nd minute as Humburto Suazo found the back of the net and leveled the score 1-1. Both teams fought until the end trying to get the game winning goal, and in the 90th minute, yes THE NINETIETH MINUTE, Aldo De Nigris gave Monterrey the 2-1 lead. It was a face palm moment where the LA defense seemed to be asleep. It was pretty terrible since they had played well up until the final minute. But when the final whistle blew, LA had lost their early lead and lost 2-1.

With the series at 2-1 LA is going to have to play their hardest next week in Monterrey. Their hardest might not be good enough; LA is going to have to play pretty dang well if they want to come away with the series win. It’s not impossible, but LA is going to have to fight for it. Being down 2-1 and playing away in the second leg should make for an interesting game.
Little side note; last night’s attendance at HDC was 21,745, the largest HDC crowd for a CCL game. LA Galaxy fans are the best. LA’s next game will be next Wednesday in the second leg of this series against Monterrey.

TFC Stadium

I really love TFC’s stadium. Maybe it’s the view of Toronto from the press box, or just how cool it looks in this picture… but there’s something about it that I love. Just had to get that out of the way before continuing!

As everyone knows by now, Landon Donovan returned to LA Galaxy training earlier this week. It wasn’t told when he would be on the pitch, or even in the lineup, but today Bruce Arena surprised everyone putting Donovan in the 18. It was great seeing him back with the guys and Todd Dunivant said earlier today to TWC SportsNet, “It wasn’t a big deal inside (the team) with Landon being back, it was like he never left.”

It’s a nice statement from Dunivant, and says a lot about the team. With Landon being back in the 18 so quick, it makes me think that in his ‘sabbatical’ he got everything he needed and is back better than ever. Omar Gonzalez is also back with the team after his amazing run with the USMNT. Let’s hop right to it!

First half LA started off strong, and had the best run of play. My birthday was Thursday, so today I was hoping for a win to top off my week. Mike Magee must have known this because in the 16th minute he gave LA the lead 1-0 with his goal. He has had one heck of a season, and today was no different. It looked like LA had the game in hand early on with the majority of possession, then the 29th minute happened. It was a bad pass from Leonardo which Omar was trying to get to but before he could, out of nowhere Cudicini comes ALL THE WAY up to midfield range and missed the tackle. Thus leaving the goal wide open and giving Robert Earnshaw the goal that leveled the game. It was a run of mistakes which gave the momentum to Toronto. It was an awkward moment for the LA defense and Cudicini… Thankfully LA kept the first half 1-1 and didn’t let TFC come away with another goal.

Second half LA seemed a little winded, not sure why but they started off slow. They didn’t pick up their pace at all. It then turned into a ping pong type of game with LA losing possession almost every time they touched the ball. Something needed to change, and in the 61st minute low and behold, Landon Donovan made his grand entrance to a flurry of ‘boos’ from the TFC fans. It didn’t matter to Donovan though, because after he received the captain’s armband from Dunivant, he proved he still had it.

Landon was in the game possibly a minute before he had his first chance on goal. Given he didn’t score it was still nice to see him doing what he does best. This didn’t give LA any kind of boost, which was disappointing. TFC took the lead in the 79th minute after another terrible run of play from the LA defenders. Omar and AJ both seemed stunned and Juni didn’t track back, then the ball found the back of the net. TFC then lead 2-1, and LA had ten minutes left to get the equalizer or even the winning goal. Time was ticking away, and as the ref noted three minutes added time LA seemed to have a little bolt of energy. In the 92nd minute Villarreal gave LA the tying goal with an acrobatic scissor kick, which was seriously sweet/awesome/amazing, (you can watch it here) and helped LA come away with one point!

LA had a great game in bits and pieces, and having Landon back should give a nice little bump to the team as the season goes on. Having Keane back will also be nice! LA’s next game will be a CCL game Wednesday against Monterrey.

Last night’s LA Galaxy game belonged to the youngsters. Two of LA Galaxy’s regular starters, Omar Gonzalez and Robbie Keane, were both called up for national team duty this weekend. Thus the torch was passed to Leonardo and Jack McBean. McBean has been stepping up lately as he has been subbed on in the second half of most games this season. Pairing with McBean upfront was Jose Villarreal, ready for this? Both of these guys are still teenagers. Yeah. TEENAGERS; 19 and 18 years old. It was a great pairing, and both of the guys came away with some great chances.

Courtesy LA Galaxy’s Facebook page

First half was great all around for LA. McBean had some great opportunities in the opening minutes but just couldn’t finish. Finishing has been one of LA’s weak spots this season, and it was no different in this game. A positive note about McBean is that I really like the way he plays. He’s a player who is selfish with the ball when he needs to be, he takes shots. Even if it’s nowhere close to goal, he takes shots! I love when forwards are like that. BE SELFISH WITH THE BALL. Keeping on the run of being selfish with the ball, in the first half LA’s scoring attempts were 10 to the rapids 1. I also liked the way LA’s run of play was going; they were fast paced and never gave up on the ball. The first half ended scoreless, but it wasn’t short of shots. Rapids keeper Clint Irwin had six saves to hold the game 0-0 at the end of 45.

I can’t begin to explain how quick LA came out of the gate in the second half. In the first 50 seconds they had two chances, but again the finishing just wasn’t there. Then it all came home for LA. Rapids player Drew Moor elbowed Marcelo Sarvas in the 18, which lead to a straight red and then a PK. Mike Magee stepped up to take the shot and LA took the lead 1-0. It was the second week in a row LA was able to play up a man. The foul from Moor was bad luck for the Rapids; being down a man and only having one shot you could say it just wasn’t the Rapids’ night. Given the facts just mentioned the Rapids did keep the game interesting, and they kept LA on their toes. I really can’t give enough credit to Clint Irwin. He played a heck of a game for Colorado and kept the score 1-0. At the end of the 90 minutes LA came away with three points, and Mike Magee became the MLS season leader for goals scored.

Update on Landon Donovan: he is going with the team to the White House next week and his first practice will be March 27.

LA’s next game with be March 30^th against Toronto FC, and don’t forget to ‘like’ Aerys Soccer on Facebook and follow along with us on twitter @AerysSoccer!

It’s the final installment of my LA Galaxy Soup which means… THE SEASON HIS ALMOST HERE! *happy dance*. For the final LA Soup, the decision on what to write was an easy one. My expectations for the season, and of course, the new kits!

Before LA unveiled their new kit, Bruce Arena announced that Robbie Keane would be the captain throughout the season. It’s well deserved in the absence of Donovan. Now onto the highlight of the week, the new kit! It wasn’t all that fancy, but still made a good impression with some of the fans. LA also added on the saying “This is LA” to the bottom left side. Given it’s not as extravagant as some of the other clubs, it sticks to the LA way. Here’s a couple of pictures from the night. (You can pre-order a jersey on MLSGear.com)

Detail on the shoulder of the new kit

AJ and Juni show off the new kit

LA Galaxy 2nd Jersey

Now for my expectations for the season are high, not too high, but just high enough that I expect this to be one heck of a season. Even with Donovan on his sabbatical to Cambodia, or wherever he is now… I think the younger players, and the seasoned veterans will step up and take charge. This is the season where the players can finally shine bright on their own without being in the shadow of David Beckham. It’s a chance for players like Gaul, McBean and Sarvas to take their skills and turn it into something magical. I’m looking forward to this season more than I was last season. Don’t get me wrong, I loved last season (after the hiccups in the beginning). I loved it a lot, but this season I have a feeling will be even better!

There you have it guys! Don’t forget LA’s season opener is this Sunday (March 3rd) against Chicago Fire.

Don’t forget to follow us at @AerysSoccer!