Galaxy Host Real Salt Lake

The two worst teams in Major League Soccer will collide on Saturday night in southern California when the Los Angeles Galaxy host Real Salt Lake, with just a point separating the clubs at the bottom of the league standings.

Salt Lake is coming off a rare win in midweek after defeating the Kansas City Wizards on the strength of goals from new Argentinean signings Matias Mantilla and Fabian Espindola. After Eddie Johnson pulled one back for K.C. in the second half, RSL’s Andy Williams added a cracking goal from midfield, catching Kevin Hartman napping off his line near the end of the game to cement the result, a 3-1 victory for RSL.

The last league game for the Galaxy saw Frank Yallop’s club suffer a second-straight 3-0 defeat, this time at the hands of the Colorado Rapids. Los Angeles was without several key players for that game and gave up all three goals in a 17-minute span late in the first half. On Wednesday night, the Galaxy fell to Pachuca in the SuperLiga final, taking the game to penalties before being knocked out.

Saturday’s match features the return of Nathan Sturgis and Robbie Findley to the Home Depot Center, traded in late June from the Galaxy to RSL in exchange for Chris Klein. While Sturgis has missed time recently, nursing a calf strain, Findley has found success in Utah, scoring three times since the trade, including both goals in his debut with the club, a 2-1 victory over D.C. United.

The Galaxy’s injury woes just keep coming, with David Beckham ruled out for at least six weeks after spraining his right MCL on Wednesday. Three-quarters of what should be the starting backline for Los Angeles are also out with injuries (Chris Albright, Ty Harden, Ante Jazic), leaving Joe Cannon exposed to a rejuvenated RSL offense. Eight other players are listed on the injury report with less severe knocks.

If Los Angeles hopes to climb out of last place this weekend and mount any sort of run to the playoffs, they will need a victory against RSL. With eight games in September and four more scheduled for October, there are points out there to be had, but it’s hard to believe a depleted Galaxy squad has any gas left in the tank after such a trying season.

Updated Standings - 08/27

08/27/2007		Wins	Losses	Ties		Points
New England		12	5	6		42
D.C. United		12	6	3		39
Houston		11	7	5		38
Chivas USA		11	6	3		36
FC Dallas		11	7	3		36
New York		10	9	3		33
Kansas City		9	8	5		32
Colorado		7	9	6		27
----------	-	-----	-----	-----	-	-----
Columbus		6	7	9		27
Chicago		7	9	5		26
Toronto FC		5	12	5		20
Los Angeles		3	9	5		14
Real Salt Lake		2	11	6		12

Yallop Out, Klinsmann In?

To the surprise of nobody, Frank Yallop's job security as skipper of the Los Angeles Galaxy has reportedly been shot full of holes by his club's current five-game losing streak. The Galaxy have given up 11 goals in their last three games and have recorded back-to-back losses by a scoreline of 3-0, including a national TV roll-over to intra-city rivals Chivas USA.

Yallop has shriveled under the intense spotlight that has been thrust upon him by the worldwide media following the Beckham circus and key injuries have not helped, either. In Sunday's loss to Colorado, the squad was absent several players who should be comprising their starting lineup at this point (Beckham, Donovan, Jazic, Albright, Xavier, Harden, Harmse, etc...)

Suddenly, rumors of Yallop's departure have sprung up, with England's Times Online reporting that team officials are lining up Jurgen Klinsmann as his replacement. Klinsy led upstart Germany to a third-place finish under his tenure as Germany head coach in the 2006 World Cup and was offered the head coaching job for the U.S. Men's National Team, but declined at the last minute for reasons still unknown to the general public. As the Times' article points out, Klinsmann has a home in the Los Angeles area and even served as a consultant for the Galaxy a few years back, fueling rumors that he is ready to take the job as soon as Yallop vacates it.

It remains to be seen whether general manager Alexi Lalas will pull the plug on Yallop first or if AEG will beat him to the punch and dump both Yallop AND Lalas in one fell swoop. Both figures have had past roles with the San Jose Earthquakes, a team that will be re-activated for the 2008 season. They both could end up back in the Bay Area if things don't improve quickly in Hollywood.

Results - Week 21

Below are the results from Week 21 of league action. For individual game recaps, visit our partner site - American Soccer Daily.

Wednesday:
New York 1 - D.C. United 3
Chicago 2 - Kansas City 3

Thursday:
Chivas USA 3 - Los Angeles 0

Saturday:
New York 1 - New England 2
D.C. United 1 - Toronto 0
Kansas City 0 - Chicago 2
Columbus 1 - Houston 1

Sunday:
Los Angeles 0 - Colorado 3
Real Salt Lake 0 - Chivas USA 1

Marsch Lifts Chivas USA

Chivas USA continued their run up the league standings by defeating Real Salt Lake 1-0 at the Home Depot Center on Sunday evening. Jesse Marsch gave the home team the only goal they would need in the 31st minute and Brad Guzan recorded his third straight shutout as the club set a new franchise record for wins in a season (11). Marsch gained notoriety for drawing the ire of David Beckham in Thursday's intra-city clash - a 3-0 victory for Chivas - with his clumsy challenge on the English midfielder sparking a fracas that resulted in the ejections of two players for fighting.

Brad Guzan approves of Chivas USA's recent form. (WireImage)

With the victory, Chivas USA moves into second-place in the Western Conference standings, just two points behind the Houston Dynamo. They appear to be rounding into form very nicely as the playoffs approach. You can find the rest of my game recap at American Soccer Daily.

Player ratings:
Guzan - 6
Suarez - 4
Mendoza - 7
Nunez - 5
Razov - 6
Bornstein - 6
Marsch - 6
Kljestan - 6
Hernandez - 5
Nagamura - 5
Perez - 5

Cunliffe - 5
Galindo - 5

Power Rankings - Week 22

Here are the power rankings for MLS Week 22 (08/27 - 09/02). Last week's position is in parenthesis.

1. (4) D.C. United

2. (6) FC Dallas

3. (3) New England Revolution

4. (1) Houston Dynamo

5. (5) Chivas USA

6. (2) Kansas City Wizards

7. (8) New York Red Bulls

8. (10) Chicago Fire

9. (7) Columbus Crew

10. (12) Colorado Rapids

11. (9) Los Angeles Galaxy

12. (11) Toronto FC

13. (13) Real Salt Lake

Galaxy Drop Another One

The Los Angeles Galaxy took a makeshift lineup to Colorado and were totally outclassed by the Rapids in a sloppy, sloppy match that ended 3-0 and could turn out to be the last nail in the coffin for Frank Yallop as skipper. The loss severely dents the Galaxy's already fading playoff hopes, with Wednesday's SuperLiga Final likely the club's only chance for hardware in 2007.

Frank Yallop looks on as the Galaxy stink up the joint once more. (WireImage)

Playing without the majority of what should be their starting XI, the inexperienced Galaxy gave up three first-half goals in a 17-minute span and never showed any signs of offensive life, dropping their fifth straight league game. Read my full recap of the game for American Soccer Daily.

Player ratings (1-10):
Cannon - 4
Randolph - 5
Klein - 5
Glinton - 3
Roberts - 2
Buddle - 3
Veris - 2
Martino - 4
Tudela - 3
Gordon - 4
Caso - 2

Vagenas - 4
Kirk - 3
Cobi - 4

MLS News Briefs - Week 19

Fresh off of an impressive performance in the U-20 World Cup, New York Red Bulls teenage sensation Josmer Altidore has been selected to grace the cover of FIFA 08. Altidore, 17, will be sharing space on the front of the popular Electronic Arts videogame with Mexican national team goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa of Club America and Ronaldinho, a mainstay on the cover over the past few years. Succeeding Landon Donovan as the annual MLS contribution to the game’s cover, Altidore is the second-youngest player ever to earn the honor, runner-up only to Freddy Adu (16 years old on FIFA 06 cover).
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In David Beckham news, England coach Steve McClaren will be traveling to the United States later this week in order to talk with his injured star, and hopefully see him in action as D.C. United hosts the Los Angeles Galaxy in a nationally televised match. Though Beckham is doubtful to play in the game, McClaren is also using the trip to measure the quality of play in MLS, saying: “A lot of people have been writing things about the standard of football over there. But I need to see it myself and make that judgement rather than other people.”
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As many cities vie for the opportunity to land the next MLS expansion franchise, commissioner Don Garber has revealed that he sees the league expanding to 18 teams by the year 2012, with Toronto the model for future league expansion. The atmosphere and fan support for the club has been off the charts in their inaugural season, with every game sold out through the end of the year.

While in Toronto for TFC’s recent match against the Los Angeles Galaxy, Garber talked about the possibility of adding a second Canadian team to the league in the next wave of expansion over the next five years, saying: “We’re thinking about what else to do in Canada. We have an opportunity in Vancouver and we’re thinking about opportunities in Montreal.”
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Another MLS team has bitten the dust in the U.S. Open Cup. On Tuesday night, the Colorado Rapids were thoroughly outplayed by the Seattle Sounders - a USL-1 team, losing by an embarrassing 5-0 scoreline. With the Rapids crashing out of the tournament, only two MLS teams remain in competition – FC Dallas, who squeaked by the Charleston Battery in extra time also on Tuesday, and the New England Revolution who will face the Harrisburg City Islanders on Wednesday night. MLS teams have failed to win the tourney only once (1999) since joining play in 1996.
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Luciano Emilio has captured MLS Player of the Week honors for the second time this season, this time in recognition of his two-goal performance in D.C. United’s road win in New England on Sunday. He was also honored in week 11 after scoring twice against the Chicago Fire on June 16. With the pair of goals, Emilio has moved into a tie with Eddie Johnson for the league lead on goals scored with twelve each.
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Recently ousted as head coach, John Ellinger has announced his resignation from his role as a technical director and advisor with the Real Salt Lake organization, effective August 20th. The first coach in team history, Ellinger compiled a 15-37-16 record over a little more than two years with the club and was fired after RSL stumbled out of the gates in 2007. The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting that he is resigning to pursue other coaching and development opportunities.
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MLS All-Star and FC Dallas midfielder Juan Toja has sprained his ankle, according to FC Dallas Updates, the official blog of the team. The ‘man with the best hair in MLS’ suffered the injury in the 37th minute of FCD’s 2-1 victory over the Charleston Battery in the U.S. Open Cup during a sliding play and the following cross. He will be re-evaluated when the team returns to Texas on Wednesday.
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Chicago Fire designated player Cuauhtemoc Blanco is known for not only his goal-scoring prowess, but also for his acting ability when trying to draw a foul, something evident in last week’s match against the Columbus Crew. While the two clubs played to a scoreless tie on Sunday, Blanco suffered 12 fouls in the game, drawing the ire of U.S. international defender Frankie Hejduk: “It’s one thing if you’re fighting for the ball but (Blanco) was just falling over and they were giving him every call.”
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Which MLS team boasts the best come-from-behind record when they allow the first goal? That would be the Kansas City Wizards, who have fought to a 3-6-2 record after being scored upon first. Which team rolls over and plays dead in the same scenario? The answer is Chivas USA, going 0-5-0 when allowing their opponents to score first. Not surprisingly, Real Salt Lake has been scored upon first in a game the most times in the league (12), but have managed to claw out three ties to go with nine losses.

Streaking Dynamo Visit Struggling RSL

by TJ Boyce – August 4, 2007

Houston Dynamo (10-5-4) at Real Salt Lake (1-9-6)
Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT
9:00 p.m. ET - DK, MLSLive.TV

The Houston Dynamo visit Freddy Adu-less Real Salt Lake on Saturday night in Utah, hoping to ride their streak of 11 straight unbeaten games to another victory.

Houston comes into the Western Conference clash having not lost a league match since late May. On the strength of two straight months of positive results, the Dynamo have assumed their place at the head of the league with 34 points, with the Men in Orange outpacing intra-state rivals FC Dallas by four points in the West.

The team’s fine form did not take a break during play in the group stage of SuperLiga 2007, with Houston going 2-0-1 en route to winning Group B. In the semi-finals, they will face Pachuca, a team they are becoming very familiar with after playing Los Tuzos to a thrilling 5-4 loss on-aggregate earlier this year in the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup.

Real Salt Lake is at the other end of the MLS spectrum, having earned the least amount of points on the year. But RSL has some success to build on, after defeating Everton and fighting Boca Juniors to a tie in international friendlies played late last month. In their last league action, RSL hung with the New England Revolution for most of the game, only to see the Revs pull out the win via a late Jeff Larentowicz free kick.

August is going to be an important month for RSL to pick up as many points as possible, as they will embark on a four-game road trip in the beginning of September to Los Angeles, Houston, D.C., and Toronto. If Real Salt Lake is to get back into contention, they must win most if not all of their four games in August, three of which are at home.

Key Matchup: Houston forwards vs. Nick Rimando. The high-powered Dynamo offense will need to be held in check by RSL’s defense, which has conceded the second-most goals in the league. Look for RSL ‘keeper Nick Rimando to be tested early and often by Joseph Ngwenya and Nate Jaqua, among others.

Galaxy Take Beckham Circus To Toronto

by TJ Boyce – August 4, 2007

Los Angeles Galaxy (3-5-4) at Toronto FC (5-9-4)
BMO Field - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
7:30 p.m. ET – ESPN2, CBC, FSN-W

The Los Angeles Galaxy head north of the border on Sunday to take on Toronto FC, with injuries playing a key role in the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

For the Galaxy, David Beckham will travel with the team, but his playing status is listed as ‘questionable’ as he continues to slowly recover from an ankle injury. Los Angeles will also be without the services of veteran Cobi Jones (hip), Chris Albright (hamstring), and Kyle Veris (hip). Several other players including Edson Buddle and Kyle Martino are nursing less severe injuries.

With all eyes again on Beckham, head coach Frank Yallop said Toronto’s field surface could play a role in whether or not the superstar sees action on Sunday. BMO Field utilizes FieldTurf, a surface that Beckham is not used to playing on. “Hopefully we’ll get a look at (the field) on Saturday and see what he thinks,” said Yallop.

Toronto FC has also been bitten by the injury bug, with five of their regular starters (Greg Sutton, Jeff Cunningham, Danny Dichio, Marvell Wynne and Ronnie O’Brien) unable to take the field this weekend. Jim Brennan and Andrew Boyens are also banged up, with only Brennan expected to play.

The injury to Sutton has prompted TFC to go global in their search for another keeper, resulting in the acquisition of Kyriakos (Kenny) Stamatopoulos, a Canadian who had been playing with Tromso I.L. in Norway. He is on loan with Toronto, with the club having the option of buying him outright at the end of the season. After training with the club on Friday, Stamatopoulos is expected to start Sunday’s match.

With both Toronto and L.A. at or near the bottom of their respective conference tables, Sunday’s game should feature two teams hungry for maximum points. The Galaxy are gearing up for what figures to be a grueling second half of the season, with fifteen games scheduled over the next two months and most of those coming away from the Home Depot Center. Toronto has just come off of their longest road trip of the year, going 1-1-3 over the five-game stretch.
Key matchup: Toronto forward Collin Samuel vs. the Galaxy defense. Samuel may be Toronto’s best chance at cracking the suspect Los Angeles defense, a back-line that gave up five goals in their SuperLiga victory over FC Dallas on Tuesday. With Dichio and Cunningham out for this game, Samuel will be looked toward to spark the TFC attack and test Galaxy ‘keeper Joe Cannon.

Revs Extend Lead in East

The New England Revolution earned a little breathing room in the heated Eastern Conference standings, toppling the Kansas City Wizards by a score of 2-0 in primetime on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.
It was the home team Revs who went on the offensive first. Just 90 seconds in, Steve Ralston drilled a free kick into the wall of Wizards defenders, with the ball squirting loose to Pat Noonan. But Wizards ‘keeper Kevin Hartman was positioned perfectly to make the save and smothered Noonan’s shot with ease.

In the 16th minute, league-leading scorer Eddie Johnson nearly added another goal to his dozen already scored in 2007. Receiving the ball at the top of the box, EJ turned a fired a quick-but-powerful left-footed shot in the direction of Matt Reis, but the strike flew just wide of the net, keeping the game scoreless.

Reis would again be tested five minutes later when Carlos Marinelli laid the ball back to an on-rushing Jack Jewsbury. The midfielder’s first-time strike, on a bullet course for the far post, was parried away at the last second by a diving Reis and pushed out of play.

Just after the half-hour mark, Noonan led another Revolution attack down the right side, lofting an early cross in the direction of Taylor Twellman, only to see keeper Hartman come out to break up the cross. As Khano Smith recovered the ball on the far side of the field, he sent a quick pass back to Twellman, who controlled the pass and beat Hartman, but was judged to have been offsides, nullifying the goal.

As the second half got underway, the trio of Smith, Twellman and Noonan would unite again, this time with better results. Khano’s cross from the left was headed into space by the airborne Twellman and then hit home by Noonan in a quick 1-2-3 combination that gave New England all they would need in this one.

In stoppage time, the Revolution added a clincher when Steve Ralston found Adam Cristman in the box, with the rookie beating Hartman for his fourth goal of the season, doubling New England’s advantage. It was Ralston’s league-leading 9th assist on the year and all-time league-best 116th assist in his career.

With the victory, the New England Revolution stretch their lead to four points in the crowded East over second-place Kansas City, with the top five teams in the conference separated by just 9 points.

More SuperLiga Results

The SuperLiga group stage concluded last night. Here are the results and final standings.

Tuesday:
L.A. Galaxy 6 - FC Dallas 5
Pachuca 1 - Chivas de Guadalajara 0

Wednesday:
Houston Dynamo 1 - D.C. United 0
Club America 3 - Monarcas Morelia 2

Group A		W	L	T		Points
L.A. Galaxy		2	1	0		6
Pachuca		1	1	1		4
Chivas		1	1	1		4
FC Dallas		0	1	2		2

Group B		W	L	T		Points
Houston		2	0	1		7
D.C. United		1	1	1		4
Club America		1	2	0		3
Monarcas Morelia		0	1	2		2

Semifinal Match-Ups:

August 14 – Pachuca @ Houston

August 15 – D.C. United @ L.A. Galaxy