Galaxy/FC Dallas Preview

I'm going to be ducking out of work early so that I can be immersed in the hell that is the 91 freeway at rush hour - I'm hoping to get to the Galaxy/FC Dallas game on time. I am fortunate enough to have front row seats at midfield, so I'll have a good vantage point to give a full report from.

Here's what I'm expecting: A Galaxy romp in their home opener. The defense of FC Dallas will be exploited at will by Landon Donovan and Kyle Martino. Joe Cannon may get another shut-out if Carlos Ruiz doesn't steal a last-minute goal against the G's like he did against RSL. Final score will read 3-0 Galaxy, with goals from Donovan (2) and Martino.

The game will be televised on ESPN2, starting at 7 p.m. PST. Keep an eye out for the 'Free Eric Wynalda' signs in the Riot Squad section.

Can Adidas Lure Zidane to L.A.?

I have tried to ignore this story for a few days, but can do so no longer: Adidas is reportedly trying to lure Zinedine Zidane out of retirement to play alongside David Beckham with the Los Angeles Galaxy. It was first reported in German daily tabloid Bild-Zeitung, which is Europe's best-selling newspaper, according to Wikipedia.org.

Bild says Adidas is in talks with MLS and Galaxy about sponsoring a deal that would pay for the majority of Zidane's contract, to help further the growth of soccer's popularity in the United States. From tribalfootball.com, "The German sportswear giant has already sounded out Zidane about coming out of retirement for the venture and have been encouraged by the Frenchman's initial response."

TJ's take: Although HIGHLY unlikely, a midfield pairing of Beckham and Zidane would be sensational for the Galaxy and for the league. If Adidas is willing to shell out most of the cash for a 1-year contract, the Galaxy and MLS should jump at the offer. I'll wait until I see this story run by a more credible news source before I put any stock into the idea.

US vs. Guatemala

The U.S. friendly against Guatemala is just underway from Frisco, TX. U.S. is going with a younger lineup and troublesome Eddie Johnson up top with Landon Donovan. I'm looking for good things from the Feilhaber/Bradley combination in midfield.


Halftime - 0-0 at the half. Neither side has looked particularly impressive in the first 45 minutes. Eddie Johnson showed signs of life towards the end of the first half and Justin Mapp has been a bright spot on the left flank.

Eric Wynalda called out the Red Bull New York management and FIFA chief Sepp Blatter during his Yellow Card/Red Card segment. His only praise went to Landon Donovan, who is about to pass Wynalda on the all-time scoring list for the MNT.


Final - Game ends in a disappointing 0-0 draw. Neither team looked good offensively - it was an ugly game to watch. Respectable showings from Justin Mapp and the young back line. Didn't see anything good from Clint Dempsey in this one, and though Eddie Johnson got better as the game went along, he's not where the team needs him to be in his development as a player. Landon Donovan was almost completely shut down, so kudos to Guatemala for keeping Landy Cakes quiet for the first time this year.

These two teams will meet again in the Gold Cup this June.

MLS Zone Player of the Week

So where are all of those LD haters now? The first ever MLS Zone Player of the Week award goes to Landon Donovan, forward for the Los Angeles Galaxy and U.S. MNT. He scored three times in yesterday's friendly vs. Ecuador (1', 66', 67'), giving him five goals in the team's three friendlies in 2007. He opened the scoring just 41 seconds into the game and came close several other times in the 3-1 victory, looking very potent in the attack throughout the game.

Donovan's reaction upon hearing he won the MLS Zone POW honor.

My take: Critics are calling out Donovan because of the way he "disappeared" during the '06 World Cup and because he's said he wants to skip the Copa America later this summer to be with his club. With a crowded summer schedule coming up, Donovan's decision makes sense. He is a leader on the Galaxy and if he's away for the better part of two months again this summer (like in '06), his team could sink out of contention while he's gone.

On the international side, Donovan is clearly out to make a statement this year and can excel in Bob Bradley's new system when surrounded by the right talent. If he continues to improve his play and can stay healthy, 2010 may be a great year for United States Soccer.

Three Uncapped Players Plucked For U.S. Roster

U.S. MNT coach Bob Bradley has announced his roster for the upcoming exhibition games against Ecuador and Guatemala. It consists of 13 foreign-based players and 11 MLS-based players, and should give Bradley his first good look at some of the "premier" American talent from overseas.

Eleven of the players named are World Cup veterans, including goalkeeper Kasey Keller and forward Landon Donovan. Three have never donned a U.S. jersey: defenders Frank Simek and Jay DeMerit, and midfielder Benny Feilhaber. Here's a little more about them:

Jay DeMerit is a 27-year-old defender for Watford, currently the bottom team in the EPL table, and 11 points from safety. He played for the Chicago Fire Reserves, but wasn't offered a contract by any MLS team and headed to Europe, working his way through the ranks. Now he will put on a U.S. jersey for the first time. Great story.




Frank Simek is a 22-year-old defender who currently plays for English club Sheffield Wednesday of the English League Championship. He was signed by Arsenal to a developmental contract and at one point assumed the captaincy of the reserve side, but had difficulty breaking into the first team. He is now a regular at right back for Sheffield Wednesday.




Benny Feilhaber, also 22, plays for Hamburger SV in the German Bundesliga. He played his way onto the U-20 MNT in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, where his performances caught the attention of several European scouts. He signed with Hamburg in July of 2005.


The U.S. MNT will take on Ecuador on March 25th (12:00 p.m. EST, ESPN2) and Guatemala on March 28th (9:00 p.m. EST, ESPN2). After these games, the only other tune-up scheduled before the summer is an exhibition vs. China on June 2nd in San Jose.

Galaxy Update

- The Los Angeles Galaxy have sold over 12,000 season tickets for the upcoming season. Though well ahead of last year, they are still behind expansion team Toronto FC who have reportedly sold 14,000 season seats for their first season. The Galaxy recently announced a July 21st game against Chelsea that is expected to futher increase the number of season tickets sold.

- The G's & star midfielder Cobi Jones have called a press conference for Monday, March 19th. The reason for the gathering was not announced, but it is widely expected that Cobi will be announcing 2007 to be his final season as a player.

- Galaxy head coach Frank Yallop announced recently that the squad will be switching from a 4-4-2 formation to a 4-3-3, with Alan Gordon, Landon Donovan and Nate Jaqua up top. When David Beckham arrives this summer, he is expected to be slotted into the center of midfield. "For me it's a good system for players to express themselves and not be static and have to stay in certain areas," said Yallop.

Houston Dynamo Turn Down AEG Money

The Houston Dynamo don't need no stinkin' DP. The reigning MLS champions, another AEG-owned entity, were apparently offered the financial ability to go after a designation player, but the team said 'no, thanks' to Uncle Phil's hand-out. According to AEG executive Tim Leiweke, (that guy you saw all over the TV during the Beckham announcement), "We told them that we would give them the financial ability to [sign a DP] because we are working on a new stadium down there, but they've been pretty adamant that they like the cards that they've been dealt."Speculation is that Houston is hanging on to their DP slot so they can trade it to the Los Angeles Galaxy next year - the Galaxy are in the market to grab another DP as Landon Donovan will count as one next year, unless he plans on taking a massive pay cut. Since Houston and Los Angeles are both owned by AEG, the powers-that-be could just shift the spot to Los Angeles to ensure that the G's can keep Beckham AND Donovan in 2008.

2007 Schedule Release Imminent

After weeks of speculation and several tentative dates having come and gone, the MLS appears to be putting the final touches on the 2007 schedule. According to several posters on bigsoccer.com, ticket reps have been spreading the word that a new schedule should be available around February 7th.

It is presumed that MLS bigwigs have re-worked the schedule several times to make sure as many cities as possible get the chance to catch Beckham fever. This likely means that L.A. will be playing many home games in the front half of their schedule, and will spend most of the summer/fall traveling from city to city. It will also mean many Thursday games for the Galaxy as ESPN will want to take full advantage of the circus, as well.

So, L.A. season-ticket-holders, be prepared for a long spring as you will likely be without Landon Donovan, Chris Albright, Nathan Sturgis, Quavas Kirk, Joe Cannon and Nate Jaqua for parts of the season, all being called up for national team/U20 national team duties. Is it August yet?