Sure we knew playing without Landon Donovan and Donovan Ricketts was going to be difficult. Sure we knew that younger players were going to have to step up and fill a role. But then we find out hours before kickoff that David Beckham wasn’t going to start, and in fact hadn’t even traveled with the team. Back Spasms had apparently done in David and left us to ponder a very shorthanded side looking for points at altitude and against the defending MLS Cup Champs!

So with Juan Pablo Angel and Miguel Lopez up top and a midfield of Juninho, Birchall, Stephens, and Magee, the Galaxy quickly pressed on the attack. With much of the possession and and the continuous pressure it was only a matter of time before the Galaxy found the net. But let’s remember that this team has yet to show the superb finishing skills of a champion.

What the Galaxy have shown plenty of in the 2011 season is hustle. Chris Birchall chased down a ball that was played toward the end line by Franklin. With the ball nearly going out for a goal kick, Chris was able to cross the ball dangerously toward the area. Streaking Colorado defender Drew Moor was quick on his reaction, but unfortunately found his intercepting run deflect the ball past his own keeper in the 25th minute.

But it was really the young Brazilian midfielder that put the Galaxy stamp on the game. Following a Colorado clearance of another dangerous ball from Chris Birchall, Juninho gathered the ball about 35 yards out, took one touch towards goal to settle it and unleashed a shot from close to thirty yards out. The ball rocketed across to the far post, beating Matt Pickens and providing yet another clip for the highlight reel for the 2nd year MLS player. If the last goal was “struck with no regard for humanity” this goal was hit with the precision of a craftsman. The tally had the additional benefit of putting the Galaxy up 2-0 just before halftime.

Not even a 64th minute goal from the Connor Casey and the return of Omar Cummings back from injury could get the Galaxy down. They simply responded! Todd Dunivant found substitute Chad Barrett for the easy put away and a 3-1 victory for the Galaxy on the road.

A complete effort for 90 minutes was what was needed, and that is exactly what we got. Juninho was a vital part of the mostly starless midfield. But hard work from Birchall and Todd Dunivant ensured the Galaxy continued their hold on the western conference and league standings. Clearly preparation for this week was handled expertly by the Galaxy coaching staff and executed flawlessly by the players on the field.

With 3 points gained the Galaxy once again kept ahead of both FC Dallas (6 pts back) and Seattle (9 pts back).

The Galaxy now travel back to the Bay Area as they prepare for a battle with, perpetual rivals, the San Jose Earthquakes.

When Chris Birchall scored his first MLS goal a minute and a half into the match, I admit that I thought to myself, “Alright, here comes a flood of LA Galaxy goals.”  They were playing against Toronto FC, who coming into the game had just two wins all season.  And when Miguel Lopez hit a rocket off of the post in the 10th minute, it certainly felt like another goal was inevitable.

But as the minutes passed, despite some great chances to score for the Galaxy, Toronto was looking increasingly dangerous in the box.  The game changer for Toronto came in the 43rd minute when former Galaxy player Alan Gordon came on as a substitute.  Galaxy fans at the Home Depot Center gave him a warm welcome, cheering as he ran onto the field.  It wouldn’t long before he would make those same fans—myself included—cursing and screaming.

In the 68th minute, Gordon headed the ball into the back of the net, leveling the score at 1-1.  The small pockets of Toronto fans at HDC erupted, while the rest of the stadium sat silently shaking their heads.  The irony was painful; of course it would be Gordon that scored to tie it up.

Gordon’s goal seemed to spark a fire in the Toronto players.  Just minutes later, Maicon Santos hit one off the cross bar.  The game’s momentum had swung in Toronto’s favor quickly, and  I was wincing every time they had the ball anywhere near the Galaxy goal.  I couldn’t believe that we were heading towards a tie—possibly even a loss—against Toronto. I mean, come on, it’s TORONTO. They have TWO wins.  Even without the missing players because of the Gold Cup, the Galaxy should be able to beat TFC.

Then, just as the match went into stoppage time, Juan Pablo Angel ripped a shot off of a rebound, and watched as it sailed into the back of the net.  The game-winning goal from Angel, who hasn’t been living up to the everyone’s expectations in his first season with the Galaxy.  It was an ending straight out of a Hollywood script…well, that was until Gordon went an ruined it, again.

The celebrations at the HDC lasted for all of three minutes.  The fairytale ending would instead go to Gordon, who scored in the fourth and final minute of stoppage time, tying the game up 2-2.  And what a goal it was.  The ball fell at Gordon’s feet, and he struck it with a full-force volley into the far corner of the net.  There was nothing that Saunders or the Galaxy defense could have done to stop it.  If it weren’t for Eric Hassli’s stunning goal up in Seattle, which very well may be the goal of the year, Gordon’s strike would probably win goal of the week.

What a homecoming it was for Gordon.  And what a huge disappointment it was for the LA Galaxy.  Another tie against a team they should have beaten, another two points lost at home, and another opportunity for Galaxy fans to question the true identity of this team!

Full Highlights:

The Rains had been forecast for a week. Wet weather, and torrential rain was predicted for the game. I went through 4 people who backed out because of what was supposed to happen. But as we all know – It doesn’t rain in Southern California!

But starting on my drive up to the stadium the sky began to open up. The wind began to blow and by the time I arrived at Five Guys Burgers, the wet, cold weather was upon us.

Now being a native of Southern California I am used to the beach mentality of “Why go out in the rain today, when you know its not going to be raining tomorrow.” I am used to the excuses of being cold, and I very familiar with the “I don’t even own an umbrella.” So I was certainly ready for the lack of enthusiasm heading into the match. I expected there to be empty seats. I expected an empty parking lot. I expected lots of extra schedule magnets. What happened in reality, kind of shocked me!

Arriving in lot 13 I found the ACB already partying, in the rain. I saw my friends, already celebrating, eating and laughing, in the rain. I saw an entire parking lot come to life, in the rain. Where was I? These are not people I would ever associate with “cold weather.” Or “sideways rain.” The installation of canopies to shield ourselves from the 30 mph winds was a welcomed addition, but more importantly it was the addition of Galaxy fans that made everything fun. Even when the wind attempted, and succeeded in one case, to break our canopies, we just held on, kept drinking, and talked about how proud we were of everyone.

Now already I can hear the Seattle fans trying to say that they deal with this all the time. Calm down, no one is trying to short you on your obvious accomplishment of having year round crappy weather. But in Los Angeles, I haven’t been to a rain game since I became a season ticket holder. So this simply doesn’t happen. And to see a supposed, 27,000 people at the Home Depot Center was unbelievable.

I am not going to vouch specifically for all 27,000 people but a good majority of the people were sitting in the rain for the whole game. But the best site to see was a packed Angel City Brigade supporters group being loud and staying behind the team for 90 plus minutes. And the LA Riot Squad was just as loud, and just as enthusiastic. For anyone questioning whether or not MLS is growing in passion and fan base, I would dare you to see a sold out stadium in the rain in Los Angeles, 5 years ago.

You can now feel it in the air. You can see it on the streets. Soccer has arrived in the United States. Now it is up to passionate fans, and consumers to keep the stadiums filled and keep introducing new people to the sport. People are now growing up being Supporters of the Galaxy. They were born into a team. They didn’t choose it, they were called to it by location, and by family allegiances.

I take my hat off to you LA Galaxy Fans, and fans around Major league soccer. Because of you this sport is growing. Because you danced and sang in the rain for most of the day your children will get to enjoy the beautiful game right in their own backyard!

Game Recap:

I am going to keep this short and sweet. While the Galaxy certainly let some chances get away, there was plenty of finger pointing that could be done at the officiating. While two goals were definitely offside, I cannot agree with disallowing the goal when New England Goal Keeper, Matt Reis dropped the ball after getting run into by his own player. The finish by Juninho into the net was clean and no one was offside. What is truly amazing is that this is the same referee who repeatedly ignored hard fouls on the field and failed to issue a single card in the whole game. Leading most of the fans to believe that the phantom touch on the keeper would have been welcomed anywhere else on the field.

This officiating crew also refused to acknowledge a handball by New England in the box with the defender literally laying on top of the ball. However, I blame them not for getting some very important calls wrong, but also for being inconsistent with what was a foul and what wasn’t a foul. Major League Soccer Refuses to take steps to improve the level of refereeing in our games. It is one of the reasons we continue to be called a “retirement” league, and a laughing stock to the rest of the footballing world. If we don’t demand excellence and consequences for our referees then the league as a whole will not improve. Here is to hoping that the referees don’t screw us in Salt Lake like they did last year.

Highlights:

Juninho is a beast from 25-30 yards out. He schooled two excellent goal keepers in the last week with swerving and diving balls. He is more decisive and quicker to shoot this year than last year, and you can just see his confidence rising. If he can keep this up, he just may be an MVP in the making.

Other great players were Sean Franklin and Todd Dunivant. I can’t tell you how much pressure we are putting on opposing defenses when you can overload the field with quality attacking defenders. The fact that Franklin spent most of the second half of Sundays game in the final third of the field and the majority of that was in front of David Beckham, tells you how much he loves to go forward. Dunivant is the same on the left side and i will continue to argue that we have both the best right back, and the best left back in the league. In fact we have so many great defenders it is going to be interesting when Omar Gonzalez makes it back from his shoulder injury. Who wants to tell AJ DeLaGarza he has to move back to the bench? Not me!

Lowlights:

Mike Magee and Chad Barrett have been anything but dangerous. Magee missed an absolute sitter on a free kick from David Beckham and Barrett has only minimal forays into box. I am starting to think that having two uncreative forwards is hurting our scoring chances. But seriously, it was good to see Juan Pablo Angel make his debut, but he doesn’t quite look comfortable with the Galaxy yet. And JPA… STAY ONSIDE!

Another question that is popping into my head is that Beckham has looked out of it. I understand that most of his quality service issues probably had to do with the gusting wind, but he doesn’t seem to be clicking with the rest of the players. He seems disjointed and out of rhythm. I hope this changes and quickly.

Overall we should have won this game 3 – 1. But with the weather the way it was, I would say that 1 – 1 isn’t a disaster. Juninho looks great and the Galaxy did hold a 69% to 31% possession advantage over the entire game. Its tough to win a game when the visiting team starts stalling 5 minutes after kickoff! Its a shame too, because normally these two team play exciting football. But because of allowing the early goal, the Galaxy weren’t able to dictate the pace of the game before New England could just hunker down in their own end. I am pretty sure if Stevie Nichols could have moved the bench behind the goal, he would have. Got to get all 18 players behind the ball!

EXTENDING THE TIMELINE – DUE DATE IS NOW 12PM NOON MARCH 17TH, 2011

Who wants Two Tickets to the LA Galaxy Home Opener vs the New England Revolution? Well read below as one of our Faithful readers and listeners gives you that opportunity!

“As committed LA Galaxy fans it is hard to balance our excitement for the new season with what is happening in Japan. The Section108.com blog, Corner of the Galaxy Podcast and you have chance to make a small difference for Japan relief.

Here’s the deal: we need for you to make a pledge to commit at least $30 or more to savethechildren.org and their quake relief fund. By noon tomorrow  we’ll choose the highest pledge commitment. Make that pledge, show us verification, and you get two tickets in Section 108 to the Galaxy home opener this Sunday. You’ll also get your photo on the Section108 blog, awesome Karma points and feel like a Rockstar! Ticket pickup will be in the parking area in lot 13. Please note: you will make the pledge commitment to us FIRST. After we choose the winner, you fulfill your pledge to savethechildren.org

Help support Japan relief and enjoy the Galaxy match in Section 108!”

Thanks Eric! So again the deal is:

1. You email us at CornerOftheGalaxy@gmail.com with how much you are willing to donate (Must be more than $30)
2. We’ll pick the highest pledged commitment (Due by noon tomorrow 3.17.2011) and email the person who has promised to pay that amount.
3. The winner makes the actual donation once they have been notified by us. (Wait for us to confirm that you are the winning commitment)
4. The winner shows us proof (a receipt).
5. The winner comes to Lot 13 before the game to pick up their two tickets.
   
6. You get your picture on the blog and you get to hang out with some great LA Galaxy fans

Disclaimer: This contest has been made possible by the ticket donation of a fan. This contest in no way involves the Los Angeles Galaxy. This is done out of the goodness of someone’s heart.

I know we should understand that Club Tijuana is in the middle of their season and therefore in much better playing shape than the Galaxy. But despite the fact I couldn’t actually watch this game, the audio provided by www.lagalaxy.com was more vivid than I would have liked.

The Galaxy, seemed to lack the quality that is going to be necessary to beat a very good Seattle Sounders team on March 15th. Especially when you consider that the Galaxy played all three of their Designated Players (Beckham, Donovan and Angel) until the 74th minute. From the audio, the announcers were quick to point out there was a lack of fluidity and passing through the midfield.

Perhaps the one thing that stood out was the starting lineup with Landon Donovan and Juan Pablo Angel pairing up top. This allowed the youngster Paolo Cardozo to get significant minutes and had his name constantly called. But is Cardozo the answer? How about the formation that seemingly appeared on the field with Landon Donovan playing anything but forward while joining Angel? And what about the defense? Is this our starting lineup?

So many questions and not enough answers when you consider Major League Soccer First Kick is only 12 days away. But after saying all of this I am not willing to through in the towel just yet. After all, its not as if we have ever officially taken the field in 2011.

To make myself feel better, lets talk about things I liked. David Beckham and set pieces seems to be working just fine. With Omar Gonzalez able to crash the net on corner kicks I expect to get more goals and scoring production out of the University of Maryland product. And it looks as if Arena is ready to trust Omar to be the key defensive piece. The defense is now his to operate. That also means that we can blame him when things fall apart.

Other things that make my day brighter, include a goal from Landon Donovan, and Sean Franklin and AJ DeLeGarza getting involved on the offensive side of the ball. More involvement from the outside backs means better opportunities for our forwards in the box.

But too often it sounded like there was enough support for the attacking players. The midfield was lagging too far behind the play. And it seemed, at times, the you Paolo Cardozo was caught trying to do too much.

However, credit must be given to Club Tijuana for never giving up and playing a very directed and patient type of football. Although, from the replays I have seen there first goal was offside, the controlled a lot of possession in the second half and eventually lulled the Galaxy into making a mistake.

So with Goals from Gonzalez and Donovan the Xolos were able to tie the game with a Penalty Kick late in the second half. So while the game will be determined a 2-2 draw, Penalty Kicks were used to settle the winner of the Clasico.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but anytime I think of Penalty Kicks, I think of the 2009 MLS cup. Having been in attendance I can attest to the heartache that comes with taking spot kicks to decide a winner. So anytime the Galaxy get put back in this situation, I get nervous. And rightly so!

While I consider this a good time to practice the mindset that comes with the shootout, it seems Galaxy fans are all too used to getting the short end of the stick. This was no different. Misses by Miguel Lopez and Jovan Kirovski sealed the fate of the Galaxy in San Diego and gave the Clasico win to the team from Tijuana. And with close to 25-30% of the 6,124 people in attendance rooting for the team from Mexico, it was probably a pretty sweet victory for them as well.

For the Galaxy, there are just more questions with only days to work out the kinks before they invade the fortress that is Qwest Field in Seattle. Will the lineup be different when they step onto the unfriendly field turf? Will Arena add age to counter the nerves that come with a “First Kick?” Time will tell and a grueling season will weed out all of those questions. Bottom line, whether we like it or not, come March 15th, the Galaxy will have 11 players on the field ready to play.

Game Highlights:

Can I admit that I have never been to a professional soccer game that didn’t include an MLS team? Can I also admit that while I love soccer that I am completely unable to name any other USL Pro teams besides the LA Blues and the Puerto Rico Islanders?

So now that we have gotten my ignorance out of the way, let me tell you about a trip to Santa Ana that included a couple red cards, some inspiring play, and the realization that in the lower levels of soccer in the United States, there is much to be desired when it comes to your local public address announcer!

There was a good size crowd waiting outside the gates of Santa Ana Stadium when I arrived. Impressive considering this is the inaugural season for the Blues. However, I would say a large majority of the crowd was there to see the home team, the Santa Ana Winds (Side Note: Best name ever for a soccer team). The Winds play in the NPSL (National Premier Soccer League).

The game itself was high energy from the very get go. Throughout this game the LA Blues dominated possession and only looked stifled when The Winds would counter. Of course The fact that the Blues spent most of the game down to 10 men probably didn’t help.

Patrolling the midfield for the LA Blues was a name that should be familiar to most LA Galaxy fans. Josh Tudela found himself as the captain in the central midfield and was both quick with the distribution and quick with his feet. It was obvious that the speed of play on the pitch wasn’t overwhelming this former Major League Soccer player and he stood out as an integral part to this offense.

However that offense would be put on hold as early in the first half Cesar Rivera was carded once for a late tackle and then again about 10 minutes later for an unsportsmanlike play that saw him kick the ball into an “injured” Santa Ana Winds player. This lead to two quick yellow cards that left the Blues down to 10 men for nearly 70 minutes of play.

Shortly after the expulsion, the winds took the lead off of a quick counter attack that found the undermanned Blues back on their heels. The goal came against the run of play and due mostly to a slow transition from the midfield that lead to a quick strike for Santa Ana.

At the end of the first half the Santa Ana Winds had a surprising 1-0 lead and would get to play the full 45 minute second half with an extra man.

But the Blues had other ideas. They attacked ferociously time and time again with good ball movement, quick point of attack changes and overall skill. They finally found space when Tomislav Colic, on trial with the Blues, found the back of the net twice in the second half. His quickness, pace, and creativity tore apart the Santa Ana defense and he was unlucky to have not found the net more times. In both cases balls received near the middle of the field gave way to a quick footed Serbian who was more than willing to take on a defender one vs. one.

In addition to Tomislav the Blues had a very talented right back, Justin Valashinas. Valashinas was decisive on the ball, wasn’t caught out of position on defense, and was a constant threat to overlap and make himself available in the attacking third. Had the LA Blues been at full strength for this game, I have to imagine that Justin would have gotten to see a lot more of the ball.

So with the Blues holding possession for most of the second half and Santa Ana not mounting too much on the counter attack it was up to a last minute push forward that saw an out of control Winds player pulled down inside the box. Some could argue that he was fouled on his way towards goal and others would say he tripped over the ball (HE TRIPPED OVER THE BALL), but regardless a Penalty was awarded and converted.

Total count on yellow cards had to be above 6 and even a Blues Coach was sent off. So for you entertainment value, five dollars was a bargain.

My overall impression of the LA Blues is that they have some talent behind the ball. They seem to be quick through the midfield and defense, and really are just missing the finishing touch. The biggest issue will have to be impulse control. Although I considered a lot of the yellow cards to be soft, they allowed the referee to dictate the game they played on the field. If they can get a handle on their emotions they have a fighting chance to really gel as a team.

If you have never seen a  USL game, then make sure you head over to the Blues Website and get the schedule of games they will be playing in the Orange County area. The majority of their home games will be played at Cal State Fullerton, which is a great venue located right in the heart of Orange County. And I promise that as the team finalizes the roster and hands out numbers, I will be more descriptive with the players, coaches and the club.

So with a little spare time today I would like to throw out my opinions on some of the big issues and events that have recently taken over the Galaxy Universe. Go ahead and grab another cup of coffee, because this is going to get a little scary!

Edson Buddle Signs with FC Ingolstadt 04

Whats that? You have never heard of FC Ingolstadt 04? Yeah, me neither until yesterday. Now I know that they are 2nd division German team that is very soon going to be relegated to the 3rd division unless they start winning games.

This should have come to a shock to most Galaxy Fans. Sure we had heard of Buddle’s name being tossed around at Rangers, but I don’t think we ever expected our star striker to take a position in Germany. And then not even in the top flight of the Bundesliga. I just don’t get this move.

Rumors speculate that Buddle turned down a $400,000 (Non DP) payday to go to Germany. So I hope its worth it for him.

The bigger issue concerning the team is that we now have no number one striker signed to a contract. Current strikers include Kirovski, Magee, Jordan and Donovan. We have issues folks. Issues the draft can’t necessarily help us out on.

Cristman from DC United

In a surprise move just announced this morning, the LA Galaxy acquired Adam Cristman from DC United. Cristman totaled two goals last season while appearing in 17 games (Making 8 starts). The Galaxy traded a first round pick in the upcoming 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft.

Don’t panic Galaxy fans. This move was not a replacement for Buddle. This is about picking up a serviceable sub for later in the game. Cristman will join Magee and Kirovski in battling for the 2nd striker position.

I don’t want to say this is a “panic move” because I am hoping that Head Coach Bruce Arena has some greater master plan with all these little moves. But I don’t think I can keep defending him, especially if he loses out on Juan Pablo Angel.

No News From JPA

Remember the sense of euphoria that enveloped the Galaxy faithful when we found out that Arena had picked up the former Red Bulls striker during the second round of the re-entry draft? Well all those good thoughts, care bears and happy rainbows have ended quickly. With absolutely no word coming from either the Galaxy Front Office nor Juan Pablo Angel himself, I have to assume that no news is bad news.

With Buddle’s departure it is now even more evident that the Galaxy are taking a step backwards with regards to finding a viable primary striker, let alone a second striker. There is still a lot of time remaining in the off season, but I am worried that the clock is ticking.

Galaxy Announce a New 2nd Kit

The only bright spot recently seems to come from the front office’s announcement of a brand new 2nd kit for the 2011 season. For all of you paying attention I think we wore the dark navy blue 2nd kit three times last year. But maybe I am wrong.

However, I really like the tones on the new kit and I am hopeful we will wear it much more often. In fact, I would love to see us break out the kit against Seattle on opening day.

Needless to say, some people like it, some people don’t. That never really changes with anything new announced to the Galaxy faithful. If my opinion counts, I will be buying one as soon as my bank account allows it.

You can take a look at the new kit here.

Cobi Jones Departs for NY Cosmos

Yep, you got that right… Cobi Jones has departed his position as LA Galaxy Assistant Coach to become the new Associate Director of Soccer for the New York Cosmos. And yes, you are also correct in your statement that the Cosmos currently don’t have any players nor an actual team. But none the less he is gone.

I have never been a particularity huge fan of Cobi Jones the assistant coach. Cobi Jones the US and Galaxy Soccer player rank up there as far as legend status go, but as a coach I never found him all that enjoyable. So I will leave it up to the rest of you to discuss whether this is a huge loss to the team or not. I am staying out of this one!

On the Pitch

Bottom line for the Galaxy is that they now have more questions than they started the season with. Buddle has departed and we are now in need of a primary striker as opposed to just needing that second striker. There is no news on the JPA front and Cristman seems like an odd pickup. Juninho is missing in action and I would expect that any deal to permanently sign him is going to cost us some cash.

Really the only bright spot is that three of our defenders are currently in the Unites States Mens National Team camp, and that our starting backline will remain intact. We have the ‘Keeper of the Year’ returning between the pipes and our two outside midfielders look to be healthy and readying themselves for the upcoming season (Notice how I didn’t say anything about Beckham and all the Spurs nonsense that is constantly being talked about?). But we still lack an attacking central Midfielder as well as two strikers up top.

I worry about our depth, especially with the heavy schedule we will be playing once the season rolls around (US Open Cup, CCL, and League games). All of these things need to be ironed out before we step on the pitch.

So lets let Beckham deal his way through Spurs training and then pin his butt to the Penalty spot at the home depot center for the rest of the year, lets sign Juan Pablo Angel, draft a tall and powerful striker and keep our fingers crossed. What else can we do, crying in the corner only lasts for so long!

Hey LA Galaxy Fans! Can’t believe that we have all this interesting stuff coming up for the 2o11 season.

So I am going to list off some of the important dates coming up, and then we will touch real quickly on the lack of movement on LA’s part. I mean I don’t know about you guys, but I am getting worried hearing news from other clubs that are making signings. Anyway, lets look at this situation below.

Good to be back writing Galaxy Fan’s. Already excited for MLS First Kick!

Upcoming Events & Important Dates

December 11th – Select A Seat at the Home Depot Center – This is a great event for season ticket holders. You should have already received all the information you needed with regards to this. History Lesson: This is how I found my seats 2 years ago, and no, I am not moving. You will still find myself, Chad and occasionally Jared or the “Foreigner” in section 108.

December 15th – MLS Re-Entry Process (Stage II Draft) – so who really understands all these crazy, wacky rules MLS has. First we had the expansion draft and then the Re-Entry Draft Part I. Now we move on to the all important Part II. Basically this is for players who’s contracts weren’t renewed by their current club. Part I dealt with players at their existing salary rates. The Galaxy chose not renew Dema Kovalenko, and Jovan Kirovski’s contracts. Neither player was picked in Part I of the re-entry draft so now they become available in Part II. You want to know how it works. Check out this link because I get the big picture but the details are lost on me!

December 15th-19th – Fantasy Soccer Camp (Adult) – Trust me when I say that someday I will be at this camp. How can I pass up an opportunity to play and practice with Galaxy Legends and coaches. Plus getting to use the locker room facilities is a major bonus. And if I ever got to step foot on the HDC turf with my boots on, look out! Here is link to all the fun!

December 20th-23rd – Half & Full Day Soccer Camps (Kids) – I don’t know why kids get to have all the fun, but if you’ve got youngsters send them to Galaxy to give them some big time experience. How else are they going to afford College?! Link is here!

January 7th-11th – MLS Combine – This is where some of the upcoming MLS Draft Players will be coming. Pay attention during this week as we get to hear who impresses and who doesn’t. Remember that many of the Galaxy’s First Round Draft Pics got starting roles pretty quickly.

January 13th – MLS SuperDraft – Despite a ridiculous name, the super draft will really be a bunch of unknowns getting a crack at life in Major League Soccer. For LA Draft Pics this usually means league minimum and sharing a pad with a bunch of roommates. But that is what soccer life has become in the United States. But at least they have a domestic league now.

January 22nd – United States Mens National Team vs. Chile – At the Home Depot Center. You want soccer in January? Then get your butts to this game! I will be there. Most of my Galaxy friends will be there. You should be there! Game info and Ticket info can be found here!

Ronaldinho to the Galaxy:

So this is the rumor that just wont die. We heard about it over the transfer window in mid summer and now we are hearing about it again, the whole MLS off season. If you are asking me if I have any “inside” information the answer would be no. If you are asking me what my gut feeling says, I am going to tell you that I haven’t a clue. The only thing that really worries me anymore about this “on again / off again” signing is that it seems to be taking up an awful lot of Bruce’s Time.

Are we going to get screwed again? Remember the empty feeling we had after the transfer window closed and all that had happened was that Alan Gordon got to move his locker 50 feet across the hall? Well imagine if we start the season again, after releasing Kirovski and Kovalenko, with no second striker!

I would love to see Ronaldinho in White, Navy, and Gold of the Galaxy, but at what cost? I would much rather see Bruce attend to the striker position with Juan Pablo Angel coming to LA. I just don’t want us to put all our eggs in one basket! This is important, and the last significant piece to an MLS Cup puzzle. We all know we can’t rely on Magee anymore, and Bowen is still unproven and young (although I expect him to really make some progress this off season.)

And what about Juninho Bruce? Can we get that deal wrapped up? I mean if the Galaxy are talking about NEED, he certainly fits the bill. We need to either extend the loan out another year or buy him outright. Yes its going to cost some cash, but we have boatloads of room with everyone retiring and our new releases as well. Get it done Bruce!

So with literally no news out there, I leave you to ponder this question. Who scores all of our goal is Buddle gets hurt, and Donovan gets sent over to Everton? See… We really need a solid second striker Bruce!

I will be around on twitter so stop by and say hi @jguesman.

Other than that kick back and enjoy the off season, because once the new year starts its going to get crazy!

Just in case you were wondering on where I went… The bottom line is that I got very busy with co-hosting and producing the “Corner Of the Galaxy” Podcast.

But have no fear! I am working on getting some help from people around the United States to help me keep things going next year. In fact we will be starting in the off season as soon as there are some “News Worthy” stories that pop up.

So I truly appreciate your support and we hope that next year (2011) is the year the Galaxy hoist the cup!

Three Points Boys!

It was an excruciating short week for the Galaxy as they had to dispatch with their in-stadium and city rivals on Sunday, only to travel across the country to face off against a feisty and determined Philadelphia Union 4 days later.

Luckily, it seems as if the Galaxy players were more than up to the challenge presented by a playoff eliminated Union and a sold out PPL park.

The pace right from the start was more than enough to entice the Philadelphia fans into a loud frenzy and the play on the field was open, direct and physical.

In the 11th minute Juninho went for a header while being defended by the Union’s Fred. Heads and elbows clashed and collided as the two Brazilian’s battled for possession. Unfortunately it was Fred who came out on the wrong side and a sizable gash opened on his head. With the blood flowing from the cut on his forehead, Head Coach, Peter Nowak, made a quick substitution to ensure that Philadelphia wouldn’t be down a man for too long.

With attacks and counter attacks it was Edson Buddle and the Galaxy who eventually broke through in the first half. A perfectly placed corner kick by David Beckham gave the galaxy the 1 – 0 lead in the 27th minute. Buddle was able to beat his mark to the ball and found a hole between Todd Dunivant and another Union defender for a perfectly placed ball away from Goal Keeper Chris Seitz.

So going into halftime up a goal I have to think Bruce Arena mad a conscious decision to play defense and hold on to the one goal lead.

So if the offense had provided just enough of a cushion to operate on, it was going to be on the backs of the defense to get the 3 points. The pairing of AJ DeLaGarza and Omar Gonzalez in the central defense was back, and Arena chose to replicate the same lineup that started against Chivas on Sunday.

However, Philadelphia had other plans in mind. Build up after build up saw the Union penetrate deep into the Galaxy’s defensive zone. Sebastien Le Toux, my league MVP, tried everything in his arsenal to put the ball in the back of the net. In the 73rd minute a heel flick found daylight, beating all Galaxy defenders, but not the long reach of Donovan Ricketts. Literally the save of the game, and quite possibly the save of the week!

The onslaught continued through another fury of attacks but the Union, who controlled much of the second half, could not find the equalizer.

In a game that was more about survival for the Galaxy, they came to Philadelphia and accomplished what they needed to. They captured 3 pts and gained crucial points over both FC Dallas and Real Salt lake, both of which drew in their matches.

With a win in either of the next two games, the Galaxy can clinch the Supporters Shield and clinch home field advantage for the playoffs.

90th Minute:

So here is my not so expert opinion on the match against the Union.

First of all, Great atmosphere. You can tell that anytime you go into Philadelphia you are going to have a tough game. The crowd is energized and fully support their new side.

The Galaxy did exactly what they needed to do in a short week. They picked up 3 points and made sure that no one was going to catch them this weekend.

I am worried about the lack of offense for this team. Ever since the World Cup concluded it seems as if the boys are afraid to pull the trigger. But the calling card of a good team is their ability to scrape out wins. The way they were able to shut down a decent offense gives me hope for the playoffs.

I want Arena to keep this same lineup again for Colorado. I want to see what consistency will do for this back line. I want to see the defensive prowess that we possessed at the beginning of the year!

And the midfield really seems to be taking shape with Beckham in the middle backed by Juninho, and Chris Birchall and Michael Stephens on the outsides. This team will find a way to get one in the net. But it may only be one.

I don’t care how we win as long as we get the W!

Full Match Highlights: