Euro's:Day Six

• Portugal just got by a stingy Denmark team, winning 3-2 with the winner coming in the 87th minute from substitute Varela.
• Cristiano Ronaldo was poor, wasting a multitude of chances that would have seen his side comfortable out of reach.Varela bailed him out but he needs to be more clinical if he wants to take Portugal deep in this tournament.
• Nani was the bright spot for Portugal and could have had a hat trick of assists if his teammates were better in front of goal. The offense was ran through Ronaldo too much from my point of view, Nani needs more touches not only because he is a world class player and one of the best wide men at this tournament but simply because the Portuguese offense becomes very predictable when you're constantly just playing up one side.
• Denmark will be happy with their performances but the loss here leaves them in a horrible spot going against an irresistible German team on the last day of the group games. They've already surprised one of the pre tournament favorites in Holland so they'll believe anything is possible.
• The Netherlands left it too late and couldn't complete the comeback against a German team that has cemented itself as the favorite after two games.
• Mario Gomez has only touched the ball for 22 seconds all tournament long, but has 3 goals to his name. A stat that explains Gomez to a tee, a no nonsense fox in the box, all he does is score goals. Miroslav Klose might never break Gerd Muller's scoring record if Gomez stays in this kind of form.
• Robin Van Persie is finally on the score sheet and the second half performance from the Dutch was much better than anything we've seen from them in the tournament. These facts will give them hope going into the last day against a Portuguese team they will have to beat.

USA vs. Guatemala

• The US gave up a late goal to draw Guatemala 1-1. A result that isn't too bad, but the late goal is obviously hard to take but it goes back to the players being tired from all the work they're putting in during this camp. 
• Clint Dempsey scored the lone goal for the US, faking out a defender to make some space for a calm finish. Finishing of that quality from Dempsey is going to be a key very important for the US, with the striker situation still up in the air.
• Jermaine Jones managed to not get booked and got forward a lot more than against Antigua and Barbuda, both positives. His runs were often stopped before he could make anything meaningful happen though. I still favor a more offensive option alongside Michael Bradley, with Jones behind those two.
• The US needs to work on their free kick routines, especially with quality of referees in the region. Donovan has always provided quality delivery and the US has plenty of targets in Bocanegra, Goodson, Onyewu, and most of all Clint Dempsey. Jermaine Jones should never take a free kick for the US.
• Jose Torres was available today and was fantastic centrally for Klinsmann in his early games as coach and should have featured in a game that was begging for more quality in the middle of the field, one has to wonder why his role has been changed in recent games. Forced out wide where he is unsure and isolated. There is certainly a lack of wide options for the US now with Dempsey prospering in a more central role but Jose Torres is not the answer to the dilemma.
• Carlos Ruiz is infuriating if he isn't on your team. The former LA Galaxy player was a nuisance all night  with his theatrics, he'll be happy though because his theatrics created the free kick opportunity that Marco Pappa put past Tim Howard late on.

Euro's:Day Five

• The second round of games kicked off today in Group A, but everything is still up for grabs going into the final day of play.
• The Czech Republic defeated Greece, going up by two goals within the first 10 minutes of play. The final 2-1 scoreline flatters Greece, who were incredibly poor and got their goal from a Petr Cech error.
• Georgios Samaras was better in a central target man role, but still didn't do enough to warrant a starting job. He doesn't offer enough for a poor side like Greece playing in the tournament format where simple things like being lazy and not taking your chances can hurt you immensely. 
• Greece as a whole have been poor offensively though, creating virtually no clear goal scoring chances over 180 minutes of play. They looked like a team struggling to form a new identity under Fernando Santos. Former coach Otto Rehhagel preferred a more defensive shape taking advantage on set pieces and it brought them success which could explain their uneassiness with the new set up.
• The Czech republic weren't special though, mind you, they came out of the gates like a bat out of hell and took advantage of a Greek team that was woefully out of sorts to begin the game. I still don't think they make it out of the group playing Poland on the last day without captain Tomas Rosicky. 
• Russia and Poland drew 1-1, a tight affair with both teams doing their best to avoid defeat.
• Andrei Arshavin was quality and looks like the same player that surprised everyone at the last EURO tournament, perhaps the loan back to Zenit has rejuvenated the player who was getting very stale on the Arsenal bench.
• Alan Dzagoev scored again, taking his tally to 3 in 2 games. I doubt he'll be suiting up for his Moscow team much longer if his tournament continues to trend in this direction. He's really helping the Russian side make up for the most wasteful striker in the tournament. Aleksander Kerzhakov didn't have as many chances as he did against the Czech's but he still managed to waste all of them again which could be worrying once the elimination games come around.
• Kuba scored a stunner, the best goal yet, to bring Poland back into the game. Lewandowski at the top means you're only going to score if you get service into the box consistently for him. Poland were very defensive against a better Russian side and tried to counter which meant that they were always going to need some individual brilliance, Kuba was happy to provide that with a special goal in front of the Polish fans.

Euro's:Day Four

• England and France played out a 1-1 draw yesterday. A good and fair result for both teams who face much lesser opposition in their next two games.
• France dictated the play and had 60% of the possession, they also had many more shots on goal. Despite these stats they didn't create a whole lot of clear cut opportunities. Samir Nasri beat Joe Hart at his near post to level the game before half time when the English defenders dropped too deep. The biggest negative for France will be Karim Benzema's performance, he was sloppy with the ball and didn't do enough running off the ball as the lone striker. Blanc should have added another attacking player sooner though to help the French attack, Ben Arfa came on too late against an England side that was content with their lone goal.
• Mathieu Debuchy was the best player for France, motoring forward constantly and beating English players constantly. Top clubs, like Manchester United, have been linked with the right back and he showed why yesterday. He'll be a great asset for France in their two other games adding another offensive player to stretch the game.
• England will be happy with this result, they set out in a 4-4-1-1 in an attempt to not lose the game to give them a better chance at advancing out of the group against lesser opposition in Sweden and the Ukraine. They could have stolen all three points had James Milner put away the best chance of the game, missing an open net.
• Danny Wellbeck was England's best player, showing everyone why Sir Alex has preferred him to goal poacher Javier Hernandez all season. He utilized his limited service and ran the channels to great success against the slower French defenders, turning them on a couple of occasions. He'll be a great foil for Andy Carroll if Roy Hodgson opts for a more offensive 4-4-2 in the next games.
• The ref was incredibly poor though. The French team put in many poor challenges yet escaped any bookings, conversely he managed to book two English players for similar challenges. 
• Andriy Shevchenko bested Zlatan Ibrahimovic, helping co hosts Ukraine to a 2-1 win against Sweden. Shevchenko isn't getting any younger, but class is permanent and his two goals proved as much. He brought his team back from a goal deficit with two headed goals.
• It was a very open game as both teams realized that three points in this game was probably their only chance at getting out of this group with the heavily favored teams being France and England. The Ukrainian fans will love what they saw but the outlook is still bleak for them.

Euro's:Day Three

• Italy and Spain played to a 1-1 draw in the opening game for group C. The two favorites for the group will be happy with a point a piece and it was probably a fair result after 90 minutes.
• The standout Italian player for me was Antonio Cassano, who was dangerous throughout playing behind the central striker. His runs out into wide position were dangerous all game and allowed him to create chances for himself and others. These runs also made space for Claudio Marchisio to move into, who also had a good game getting forward from midfield for the Italians.
• The no striker ploy from Vicente Del Bosque failed massively despite Fabergas scoring the equalizer for Spain. They were much more dangerous once Del Bosque introduced Jesus Navas and Fernando Torres, a traditional winger and a traditional striker that brought much more balance to a Spanish attack full of play makers. 
• Torres should have won the game for Spain after coming on, fluffing two fantastic. Buffon stopped him on the first after he attempted to round him and the second one saw him try and chip Buffon when he had Navas through on an open net if he could have found the passing lane.
• Conversely Antonio Di Natale took one of his two decent chances after coming on for a frustrated Mario Balotelli, who blew the best chance of the game and was subbed shortly thereafter.
• Croatia dispatched of Ireland, with two goals from Mario Mandzukic. The 3-1 scoreline is flattering but it was still a must win game for Irish who now face a daunting task in two games against Italy and Spain needing four points to advance out of the group.
• The gulf in quality was evident from start to finish as the Irish struggled to create any meaningful chances. Robbie Keane's poor form for the LA Galaxy carried over into this game as he had very little impact.
• Trapattoni had to take a risk now in the coming games against Italy and Spain. Kevin Doyle did a good job earning free kicks for the Irish but he needs to be dropped in favor of more dangerous options in Jonathan Walters and Shane Long. 
• Glenn Whelan will be upset with himself, he had some good chances from distance and a free header but failed to test Stipe Peltikosa.
• The Irish crowd was fantastic and loud throughout, staying to the very end to cheer on their side regardless of the result. This pleased me very much as someone of Irish descent.
• What also dawned on me whilst listening to the Irish crowd was the lack of Vuvuzela's. It's so nice watching these games without the constant buzzing in the background. I can only imagine how happy the players are.

Euro's:Day Two

The group of death produced some entertaining action today, but the results have left the group up for grabs for any one of the four teams. Germany and Denmark beat Portugal and the Netherlands 1-0.

• Portugal will probably be the most happy of all the sides today as they will now believe they have they can decide their own fate with the Netherlands 1-0 loss to Denmark. Portugal will need to run up the score on the Danes though and hope the Netherlands don't recover from an embarrassing loss.
• The Portuguese performance against Germany was good despite the loss, a draw would have been a fair result. They will fancy themselves with Nani and Ronaldo attacking the young and inexperienced Dutch fullbacks. 
• Arjen Robben was woeful for the Dutch, predictable all game cutting in onto his left foot and firing pointless shots all game. Hes quickly becoming the Lebron James of European soccer, losing 2 Champions League Finals and a World Cup Final in a short amount of time. Perhaps he also lacks the "clutch gene" Taking Affelay off for him was a mistake but it was never going to happen under the circumstances. 
• Perhaps the biggest disappointment was Robin Van Persie though who fluffed a multitude of chances, very unexpected from a player in the form of his life. Huntelaar has to be preferred in the next game for his goal scoring ability. They have arguably the most attacking depth in the tournament but its all for not if someone can't put the ball in the net.
• Daniel Agger and Simon Kjaer proved that they are one of the best and most underrated defensive pairings at the tournament after they kept the Dutch attack at bay all game, the same attack that lead qualifying in goals scored. A deep run is feasible if they continue to play at such a high level.

Euro's:Day One

• The opening ceremony was painful. The random piano/soccer player looked like a talent show and techno/dubstep/whatever the fuck that was had no business being played in a soccer stadium. I was only half paying attention and it was still really rough.
• Robert Lewandowski got the tournament off on the right note, heading the hosts Poland in front of Greece in front of a raucous crowd at the National Stadium in Warsaw. The soon to be Manchester United player(?) is a great bet to win the scoring title if his Poland side can recover and make it out of their group.
• Dimitris Salpigidis was an unlikely hero for the Greeks, changing the tide of the game completely and almost single handedly propelling the Greeks to a win had it not been for Giorgios Karagounis missing a penalty kick.
• I've no idea how Georgios Samaras has managed a semi successful career at both the club and national level. I've yet to see a game from him in any jersey where he has been anything other than poor and on top of that his scoring record is atrocious having played over 330 games at various levels only scoring 77 goals. His scoring record at the international and top club level (as in the top 3 European leagues) is even worse at 15 goals in 110 appearances. His glazed over reaction after completely miss hitting a decent chances early on in the second half said a lot about his career, it was almost as if he realized at that moment that he has no business playing at this level or any level for that matter.
• The Polish chances greatly increased after Russia shook off some early nerves to dismantle the Czech Republic 4-1. It could have been more as Aleksandr Kerzhakov wasted some very good chances for the Russians.
• Poor Kerzhakov. He got into some great positions but he just couldn't find the net and it was clearly frustrating him throughout the match. Conversely Roman Pavlyuchenko came on late and scored a phenomenal solo goal. Kerzhakov will still be preferred though due to his Zenit St. Petersburg connections with Pav being the first offensive choice off the bench.
• The notion that Andrei Arshavin meant to play that pass to Roman Shirokov is hilarious. It was clearly meant for Kerzhakov and his reaction after the goal shows as much.
• Vaclav Pilar was the only bright spot for the Czech's. He was the only attacking player that provided any threat for the Czech's and was rewarded with a goal. Wolfsburg have already wrapped him up though which is good news for them should his tournament continue to trend upwards.
• Hearing announcers say Dick Advocaat will never not be funny, because it sounds like they're saying Dick advocate. I'm childish, yo.

USMNT vs. Antigua and Barbuda

The USMNT beat minnows Antigua and Barbuda 3-1 today to kick off world cup qualifying. A boring result to kick off head coach Jurgen Klinsmann's first real test as the boss. The stats were lopsided, they always were against such a poor team, but the US really should have won by more in such a competitive region. Unfortunately the play tonight was much closer to the 0-0 draw against Canada when fans were hoping for a repeat of the 5-1 trashing of Scotland.

• The US looked extremely tired towards the end and it almost allowed A&B to score even more goals. Those friendlies, whilst helpful and entertaining, could end up costing the US at the back end of this "mini tournament" as they will have finish off away in Guatemala.
• Jose Torres at left back was a neat selection but it didn't pay off in the end as it was clear that he isn't a wide player. He struggled to not only beat his man but also didn't link up effectively with any of the forwards and many of his crosses were poor. He is now injured though and Klinsmann will have to look elsewhere for the game in Guatemala.
• Geoff Cameron has to play in Guatemala. Klinsmann needs to give him the chance and expose him to the rough away atmosphere now. He's undoubtedly the most enticing defensive prospect for the US, especially with Tim Ream being played further forward by Bolton manager Owen Coyle and Omar Gonzalez going down long term, and needs to be treated as such.
• Jermaine Jones shouldn't play in an advanced role against such a poor team. He doesn't have the ability to unlock defenses with his passing and rarely does it with his runs forward. He's also way more mistake prone in this position which causes him to turn the ball over and pick up unnecessary bookings. He should be playing the role that Maurice Edu is currently occupying as the holding player in front of the back 4, a much more limited role that he would excel in with his work rate and rough play. Jose Torres and USMNT outsider Sacha Kljestan should both get looks alongside stalwart Michael Bradley, they would bring a more forward thinking attitude against these minnows that set out in very defensive set ups and would help break them down much faster. 
• Onyewu was burned again way too easily. It looks to be the end of his career has a first choice player on the team sheet after having his career derailed by injuries.
• Landon Donovan had a hand in all three goals, he had also created 7 more chances and completed more passes than any other player in the final third in the three previous games. Even with Clint Dempsey's goal haul for Fulham it is still Donovan who pulls the strings to the US attack.

US loses to Brazil

The United States lost 4-1 to Brazil tonight, some thoughts.

• The result is extremely flattering for Brazil but it does show you the difference in class between the two sides, one an international powerhouse and the other a modest side capable of an upset on their day. Just look at the strikers both teams brought off the bench. Alexandre Pato for Brazil and Terrence Boyd for the US, it says a lot.
• Jose Torres was anonymous for the majority of the game in his wider role. His best moments came when he moved infield. Jurgen should try a midfield three of Torres/Jones/Bradley against weaker teams, on paper its similar to what Arsenal has with Wilshere/Arteta/Song and could help break down stingy defenses in the CONCACAF region.
• Edu is exposed in any midfield position other than destroyer, which adds to my point above. Klinsmann is using these friendlies for world cup qualifying preparation but I sincerely hope he doesn't plan on playing Edu against some of the CONCACAF minnows. He doesn't bring enough to the table for me and there are far better options available, like Sacha Kljestan. 
• Fabian Johnson continues his good play at left back. The US looks to have finally found a fullback with a decent offensive game. It's also important to point out that he can no longer change national allegiances, unlike another German American fullback.
• Bocanegra and Onyewu simply aren't good enough anymore at this level, especially together. The problem for Klinsmann is that all the really good prospects are just that, prospects. Geoff Cameron, Tim Ream, and Omar Gonzalez still have a ways to go before they can lay claim to a starting spot. Ream and Cameron especially as they're actually capable of remaining calm and moving the ball out of the back of the field. Something that plagued the US constantly against Brazil.
• The US gave Brazil way too much respect early on in the game. Coming off an emphatic win I expected more from the US across the board. The second half was much better but the first half felt like I was watching a Bob Bradley team for the most part.

I saw a Chivas USA game.

     There's absolutely nothing on right now sporting wise with Euro's just on the horizon, the Lakers bounced from the playoffs, and baseball not being a sport. So I decided to watch Chivas USA take on the Seattle Sounders at the Home Depot Center.

     Chivas USA is a bit of a joke, they're like the Galaxy's ugly less successful brother, they share the same room (the Home Depot Center) but no one pays them any attention and they can usually be found at the bottom of the western conference table every year (the same place the Galaxy currently occupy, god). They peaked a couple years ago with Sacha Kljestan at the helm but he left like any decent player would and recently won a league championship in Belgium.

     I've never been a fan of Chivas USA for multiple reasons. They don't have their own home and the league decided that they should share the Galaxy's ground because the Mexican population here will come in droves to see a slightly different version of one of their favorite Mexican teams, which is where my other problem comes from. MLS should be trying to forge its own identity, not use the name of a successful team from elsewhere. MLS is also now in a rivalry of sorts with the Mexican league, desperately trying to do everything it can to help MLS teams win the elusive CONCACAF Champions League, so why have a watered down version of one of their teams here?

   They have, however, recently acquired two notable players in Danny Califf and Juan Agudelo which should go along way towards making them relevant again. Danny Califf is a former Galaxy player and was key during the teams impressive 2002 run. He replaces the outgoing Heath Pearce who left to make the Agudelo acquisition possible. Juan Agudelo is the one getting the headlines though as he has been one of the darlings of MLS since bursting onto the scene last year. He wasn't playing in New York though and is now the star offensive piece for Chivas until he bolts for Europe.

Some thoughts from the game...

• Ryan Smith is one of the few out and out wingers in MLS. It was like watching a watered down version of Luis Antonio Valencia. He didn't register a goal or assist though despite troubling Seattle all night, which is probably why he is currently employed by Chivas and not a better club.
• Chivas, despite being a pseudo Mexican team, have jersey's that look frighteningly close to the good ole stars and stripes.
• Eric Wynalda is the worst play by play announcer in MLS hands down. He talks like hes having casual conversation and on top of that hes rarely talking about the game itself. It's no wonder FSC uses him in such limited capacities.
• I had no idea Pete Vagenas was still around. It seems like hes gone from riding the bench in Seattle to starting for Chivas USA. Head coach Robin Fraser did something similar last season with Simon Elliott in nearly the same role that Vagenas is currently playing for Chivas.
• No one goes to Chivas games so now they put these cute covers over sections of the stadium to class it up a little, they're even designed with the clubs logo and colors. I guess they saw Seattle do the same thing and thought it was alright to cover half their seats with designer pool covers. The difference being Seattle plays in a 60,000 seat stadium and regularly has 30,000 plus inside their building. 
• Agudelo scored a goal. Which reminded me that Chivas two best offensive players, Agudelo and Juan Pablo Angel, will both be gone within two years. This makes me happy as a Galaxy fan.

US vs. Scotland

The USMNT trounced Scotland 5-1 this evening in Jacksonville, recording their most impressive win to date under Jurgen Klinsmann. They hounded Scotland from the get go and put all of Klinsmann's thoughts and philosophies into practice tonight against a decent if undermanned opponent in Scotlan. I can't remember the last time the USMNT played so impressively from start to finish in a game, always in control and always dictating the play.

• Landon Donovan was the man of the match, and reminded everyone just who is the best American player ever with a hat trick and an assist on the night. A top quality outing for a player falling out of love with the beautiful game.
• Michael Bradley provided another masterclass in midfield after his domination of the Italians in Italy. The balance he provided was pivotal to the win, he dominated the midfield by keeping things ticking with a 94% pass success rate, and also managed to break up a few of the rare Scottish attacks. His sublime goal and assist at the offensive end just sugar coated it. It makes you wonder where he would be now club wise if Aston Villa knew what they were doing regarding personnel decisions.
• Jermaine Jones scored a goal, had an assist, and managed to not get carded. A very good outing for the midfielder.
• Fabian Johnson had made the left back position his own after so much uncertainty and put in another solid shift. It has to be noted though that he rarely came under any sustained pressure, or any pressure at all for that matter. Wednesday against powerhouse Brazil will provide a much better test for him.

 Here's Bradley's goal, because you need to see it.

The next match is a much bigger challenge for the USMNT, as they welcome powerhouse Brazil. 

Woes continue.

The LA Galaxy lost again today in an MLS Cup rematch against the Houston Dynamo, their only meeting this season due to a lopsided schedule. The Galaxy struck early through Edson Buddle but were completely outplayed from there on out and ended up losing two to one. The second half was by far the most embarrassing part of this torrid run the Galaxy have been on, Houston were never under any trouble and controlled the game against a tired, and emotionally drained Galaxy team.

• Bruce Arena surprisingly gave rookie Kenney Walker a start today when Marcelo Sarvas was expected to start with Juninho out. Walker was solid and rarely made a mistake, moving the ball well and not over complicating things. He was, however, replaced by the more offensive minded Michael Stephens at half time. This ended up being the wrong decision as Stephens wasn't nearly as disciplined as Walker and this helped Houston control the game even more in the second half.
• Mike Magee scored an own goal that got Houston back into the game and will now probably miss some amount of time after acting out late on and throwing the ball away. One game is a  safe bet as he didn't throw it at someone, just acted out of frustration. A frustrating afternoon for the player all around.
• Bryan Jordan has no business starting for such a stacked Galaxy team, he wasn't proactive and made Jimenez's performance on Wednesday look that much better. To top it off he left his post on the Houston corner that resulted in the goal to prevent a short pass. Normally its a smart move but Beckham was already there covering it and the domino effect meant Stephens moved over to guard the near post leaving the back post open for Hainault to score. Obviously you can't be sure it would have been cleared off the line if Stephens was there but Jordan didn't need to be where he was.
• Buddle and Barrett continue to struggle despite the goal and assist. Buddle killed every LA attack and over complicated things throughout. Barrett is a serviceable striker and one I wouldn't mind keeping around but he doesn't have the pedigree or skill set for the salary hes making (more on that in another blog).
• Bryan Gaul was solid again early but was exposed later in the game as inexperience and tired legs got the best of him. He should have seen red for a last man tackle about halfway through the second half. David Junior Lopes was introduced late on to prevent Gaul from seeing red and will probably start the next game to protect the rookie.

Bruce Arena's future as coach has to be under serious scrutiny now as the Galaxy are on their worst run ever under the coach who turned this franchises fortunes around. Seven games without a win, tied for the worst goals against, third worst goal difference, and more losses than every other team bar Toronto. His pedigree and success with the club will probably buy him a bit more time but if the window opens and the Galaxy are still at the foot of the table expect wholesale changes, this team is too good to crash and burn so badly.

Galaxy Reeling.

Here I was thinking the Galaxy were back, they were hounding San Jose like dogs, moving the ball quickly, and looking like the confident team that dominated last year. Until standout performer Hector Jimenez got sent off for a two footed challenge. Even after that Mike Magee was able to put the Galaxy 2-0 up on the counter attack, surely the defending champions wouldn't let a lead like that slip with so little time left? Well nothing is out of the realm of possibility for the Galaxy these days as San Jose scored 3 straight goals, the winner coming in extra time.

• The Galaxy have failed to get a win in six games now and have eight losses in all competitions which ties the Galaxies mark from last year. Time is running thin, a major shake up has to be on the cards if things continue to trend this way.
• Hector Jimenez was fantastic, until he got sent off, which in the end caused the Galaxy to lose three points. I'd like to see Bruce persist with him though as he offers something that the Galaxy haven't had since the incredibly poor Alex Cazumba was here and that is an out and out winger who will stretch the play and take on their man. Both Magee and Donovan like to tuck in a little more and make plays for others or themselves and he could certainly add another element to the team especially off the bench against tired legs.
• Buddle was poor once again, he just looks a tad slow to everything and out of tune with everyone else. The fan favorite was phenomenal before leaving for Germany but has failed to replicate his form from his last MLS stint.
• Robbie Keane is a detriment to the team, as evidenced by the play tonight without him, despite being one of the highest paid players on the team. 
• I hope we see a game without Keane and Buddle in the line up soon, Bruce has been rotating players at every position this season so lets see what Barrett and Donovan can do together.
• Sean Franklin said after the game that they can't really get anything to go their way right now. The no call on Ike Opara in the box, and the call on David Beckham that eventually sunk the Galaxy, is a good example of this.

The Galaxy play again on NBC sports this weekend against the Houston Dynamo in a rematch of last years MLS Cup, which could finally give the Galaxy the boost necessary to get their season back on track. 

Galaxy Problems.

The Los Angeles Galaxy were the heavy favorites to repeat as MLS Cup Champions after an off season with much uncertainty. Everything fell into place though, Sean Franklin signed a new deal, Juninho returned after his dreams of playing for hometown club Sao Paulo never came to fruition, Beckham opted against a return to Europe to play for French giants PSG, and if that wasn't enough fan favorite Edson Buddle was brought back from an unsavory spell in Germany to provide even more fire power alongside Irishman Robbie Keane. The only negative was losing MLS Defender of the Year Omar Gonzalez for nearly the entire regular season, but surely the Galaxies impressive depth from last season would carry over and help cover up the loss.

Looks can be deceiving though as the Galaxy have slumped to a three, five, and one record, and went crashing out of the CONCACAF Champions League in pathetic fashion losing to currently win less Toronto FC. Perhaps the most embarrassing loss though came last weekend when the Galaxy lost at home against severely undermanned New York Red Bull team after resting a lot of key players in a midweek match against the Seattle Sounders. The marquee match up for the league, the same Red Bulls that the Galaxy dispatched en route to a famous MLS Cup run that saw them dominate the regular season and win the trophy in front of their home fans in Carson California.

So what is the problem then?

The biggest problem has to be the defense. Losing Omar Gonzalez, probably the best defender in the league, has had a much bigger impact than initially expected. Gregg Berhalter isn't around anymore so the Galaxy brought in Andrew Boyens and drafted Tommy Meyer. Neither were expected to challenge for a starting role, and neither are capable after seeing them play this season. Boyens got the starting job originally but was quickly phased out in favor of rookie Tommy Meyer. Meyer should have had the job from the start, simply because his ceiling is much higher and he could become a decent MLS defender down the line from what I have seen. The biggest strength of Omar Gonzalez and AJ De La Garza's pairing is that they have played together for so long and know each other so well, by constantly rotating the two defenders Bruce Arena never gave either a real shot to lock down the starting job. Arena made a move and brought in Chivas USA defender David Junior Lopes. He's known for lapses though, one of which has already cost the Galaxy 2 points in a game against F.C Dallas that should have been all 3 instead of 1. Los Angeles will also welcome back defender Leonardo from a long term injury. He will give Arena yet another option to work with and could end up being the answer until Omar Gonzalez can get back on his feet.

The attack hasn't been stunning either considering the amount of attacking weapons Bruce Arena has at his disposal. Even as a defense minded coach there is no excuse to have an offense that is so poor. Edson Buddle and Robbie Keane's partnership is the biggest problem, clearly. They're both forwards who like to touch the ball and this doesn't work well when they're both on the field as Buddle is isolated up top and often looks like he doesn't know exactly what he should be doing. The fact that the offense looked a lot better when Chad Barrett was on the field, a much less talented but much more direct forward, says a lot about the problem. But the Galaxy are in a bind here as both are in situations that make them tough to trade and or dispose of. Buddle would be the more likely of the two but even then hes probably on a decent salary that most teams won't want to take on for a player that hasn't shown a whole lot since coming back from Germany.

Maybe these questions will be answered this weekend when the Galaxy take on league newcomers Montreal tomorrow in their only meeting of the season. A loss here could be devastating, at this point a squad and or personnel change up can't be ruled out if this trend continues. This team is simply too good and too star studded to fail.

The Avengers

The first juggernaut of the summer movie season, The Avengers, opened to both critical and commercial success over the weekend. All of Marvels heavy hitters feature in a movie that has been in the works since 2008's Iron Man.

Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, and Chris Hemsworth all reprise their roles as Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. Robert Downey Jr. stole the show once again, which shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, hes perfect as Tony Stark. Captain and Thor both are solid, nothing spectacular. Captain American in particular is incorporated very well after the ending to his solo film, it couldn't have been done any better. Mark Ruffalo as Hulk was stellar after Eric Bana and Ed Norton failed to bring the green monster to the big screen. His ability to portray Bruce Banner as a helpless man overcome by a monster has been the best effort so far, but it remains to be seen if his Hulk can carry a movie all by itself. A movie where Banner learns to control himself as Hulk is a necessity before the inevitable second team up happens.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is how all the supporting characters had their moments and weren't overcome by the heroes. Black Widow and Hawkeye were both given their own moments to shine and their own story line outside of the main story which went a long way in legitimizing them despite not having any actual powers. Jackson as Nick Fury did a great job considering the weight of his material, he delivered it very well and was believable as the head honcho without too much screen time.

Joss Whedon, a name not previously associated with big budget blockbusters did a great job both writing and directing this movie. Bringing together all these other movies and stories into a cohesive and believable plot was a very tough task and I thought he did everything well, my only gripe being the comedic relief bordered on being too much. Captain America tipping Nick Fury in particular really made me cringe. The audience in my theater ate it up though so I am probably not in the majority when it comes to that. He had a great understanding of what he needed to give to generic movie goers and the hard core fans to make this movie great.

8/10

Arsenal vs. Manchester United

Danny Wellbeck gave Manchester United all three points at the Emirates this weekend to help Manchester United keep pace with rivals Manchester City at the top of the Barclays Premier League table. Antonio Valencia struck first with a header from a Ryan Giggs cross that put United ahead right before the halftime whistle in half that the Red Devils dominated from start to finish. Arsenal came out strong in the second half with chance after chance against a weakened United defense and finally got the break through from Robin Van Persie via a fantastic pass from Alex Oxlade Chamberlain who was impressive on his first start at the highest level for the Gunners. Things got interesting late on when Arsene Wenger controversially decided to remove Oxlade Chamberlain for the much maligned Andrei Arshavin. Alex Ferguson sent Antonio Valencia to right back to exploit this change and it paid dividends immediately after Valencia skinned Arshavin and squared it to Danny Wellbeck to give United all three points late on.

There were positives all over the pitch for United but it was Danny Wellbeck who stole the spotlight. Wellbeck has earned his starting spot and adds another element to the Manchester United attack especially compared to Javier Hernandez who offers little outside of his poaching instinct. His creative runs and quality in wide areas give defenders trouble constantly and had it not been for some last ditch defending he could have put the game to bed much earlier. There were doubts as to whether he was United quality after his Sunderland loan last season but he has put those doubts to rest with his performances this campaign and looks to have made the starting spot his own.

Chris Smalling, Antonio Valencia, and Michael Carrick, and Rafael Da Silva all impressed as well. Smalling looked imperious in his more natural position and is looking more and more like the perfect replacement for an aging Rio Ferdinand. Valencia continues to be as one dimensional as ever, but with devastating effect. Carrick kept it simple as usual but the midfield metronome has been instrumental in recent weeks with all the uncertainty over United's midfield. The Cleverley-Carrick midfield duo on paper is a mouth watering prospect and according to Toms recent tweets he isn't that far off a return to the first team. Rafael should be starting at this point and his performance as a substitute showed that much. The fact that right back is his natural position and he can attack like only a Brazilian full back can is reason enough to give him a run in the first team over the likes of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling who never look entirely convincing at right back.

The downward trend continues for Arsenal, unfortunately, as a top four finish looks increasingly unlikely as they move further and further away from the rest of the pack at the top. Wenger appears to have lost the plot and the the future of instrumental captain Robin Van Persie remains up in the air. Their lack of depth is being exposed at the toughest point of the season and it only gets tougher as resurgent Italian giants A.C Milan wait in the round of 16, another embarrassing result is on the cards unless Arsene brings in proper reinforcements.

USMNT vs. Venezuela

The USMNT beat Venezuela last night one to nothing in what was a very boring game for fans. The result was very important though as the US dominated Venezuela from start to finish but lacked the cutting edge in the attacking end. The winner came off a corner kick and provided a form of redemption for Ricardo Clark after his horror show against Ghana in South Africa.

The stand out performer by far was Jermaine Jones who was everywhere last night. Breaking up attacks, distributing the ball well, and even making late runs into the box to provide an offensive spark that the nats clearly lacked throughout. If he plays like that on a consistent basis he has to be the first midfielder on the team sheet for Jurgen Klinsmann. A player who wouldn't normally be in this camp due to European commitments was serving an 8 match ban and took the most of the opportunity given to him by Kilnsmann. Including being given the captains armband which certainly gave Jones a boost of sorts.

Another bright spot was the defense. They were rarely troubled by a mediocre Venezuela team but AJDLG, Cameron, Parkhurst, and Pearce all did their jobs well. AJDLG and Cameron especially deserve call ups against Italy for their strong performances. Cameron could partner either one of Bocanegra or Onyewu well given his technical skill set and ability to step forward into midfield and move the ball around. Zach Lloyd also looked bright in his limited playing time, his crosses were very dangerous on the night.

The disappointment for fans has to be the offense that almost looks clueless without one of Dempsey or Donovan available to be the catalyst. Shea for all the hype was very one dimensional and didn't run at his defender nearly enough and Zusi on the other side offers nothing from open play. Feilhaber was tidy but didn't provide the spark that a number 10 should give. Worst of all was Teal Bunbury who looked clueless as the lone striker and often pulled out into wide positions where he plays for Sporting Kansas City which left a gaping hole up top for the nats.

The positives and negatives that come with these games are to be expected considering the mostly MLS make up of the squad but Klinsmann needs to find more difference makers in the national pool and fast if he wants to improve on his average record as head coach.

Mission Impossible:Ghost Protocol

Having seen all of the Mission Impossible movies I was less than excited to see the most recent one. The series has steadily declined since the first one and Tom Cruise isn't getting any younger.

I was pleasantly surprised though and it was definitely one of the best action movies I have ever seen. Some of the locations they shot the film at were incredible and the scenes in Dubai, more specifically the Burj Khalifa, were staggering. The stunts filmed at the building were some of the best in an action movie ever. The plot was sound even if I didn't pay too much attention to it. It's simple enough so you can focus on the action of the movie.

Cruise was great even though he is becoming less and less convincing as a secret agent at his age, the scene where he escapes from a hospital with no shirt on didn't do him any favors. Paula Patton is stunning and provided the eye candy whilst also having a mini plot of her own to deal with in the film. Jeremy Renner was solid and is a good choice to succeed Cruise down the line. He could have been written into the film better though as it was hard to believe his angle in the film. Simon Pegg was solid and was good in a bit part role that bordered on being too much. His involvement in the Kremlin especially was a little much.

Some minor gripes would be how poor the CGI was for an action film, especially one of this caliber. The explosion at the Kremlin with Cruise running away was horrible. The lack of character development from all of the bad guys especially considering the movie was 2 hours long.

Overall though its a must see movie and easily the best in the Mission Impossible series. 8/10

Becks is Back

After much speculation David Beckham re-signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy on a two year deal and was on show on Thursday for a press conference to announce the new deal. After being linked with many European clubs he ultimately decided to return to the Galaxy.

The biggest question for the Galaxy is now solved but there are still plenty of questions left to answer for the Galaxy before they begin their defense of their MLS crown from last season. Most notable who is going to replace Omar Gonzalez who tore his ACL on loan in Germany. The outlook is bleak and he will most likely miss the entire MLS campaign before a transfer abroad. Replacing him will be no easy feat as he has been the best defender in MLS for the past two seasons. Beckham has been brought in by Arena and company to help find a replacement before the season kicks off though according to reports. Which is a good sign for Galaxy fans who might have thought that Arena would not make any moves with the Galaxy being so deep in defense. Dasan Robinson could have done a job if he could find his form of a couple seasons ago but ultimately no one in the current squad could do what Gonzalez does so a replacement is necessary if the Galaxy are to steamroll the league for a third season in a row.

The next question is can Marcelo Sarvas replace the departing Juninho alongside Beckham? One of the main reasons for Beckham's success last season was Juninho's ability to cover tons of ground and make up for Beckham's lack of discipline and constant roaming all over the field. Does Sarvas have similar engine and work rate? Little is known of him so we can only speculate till the Galaxy start their title defense in a couple months.