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.

This Weekend.

 A busy weekend came to a close yesterday and saw Manchester United finally open up a gap between the other Manchester club, Scudetto favorites A.C Milan fall in Naples, Jose Mourinho led Real Madrid fail to score against Barcelona impostors Levante for a second year running, and the Galaxy get that much closer to the MLS Supporters Shield.

In England the big talking point was the big Manchester United vs. Chelsea clash. It lived up to the hype, fans were treated to an extremely open match with tons of goal scoring opportunities for both sides. In the end Chelsea failed to take their chances and United ran out 3-1 winners with goals from Chris Smalling, Luis Nani, and Wayne Rooney. Wayne Rooney missed from the spot but it will be overlooked as he continues his scorching start to the season. He is on 9 goals and 1 assist after 5 games this season, his influence on this new younger United team cannot be overlooked. It's early days, but if he can maintain this form he will be the one challenging Messi at the end of the season for the Balon D'or and not former United player Cristiano Ronaldo. Elsewhere in England the promoted teams all won, the highlight was new look Q.P.R putting 3 past Wolves at  Molineux. New signings Joey Barton and Sean Wright-Phillips looked sharp in the thrashing, with Barton getting on the score sheet in the process. They look the most likely of the promoted sides to stay up after their  spending spree at the end of the transfer window.

In Italy current Scudetto holders A.C Milan were humbled by a rampant Napoli side who won 3-1. Edinson Cavani was the man of the match, the matador scored a hat trick to help his side roll past a Milan side that looked tired and devoid of any creativity without star forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Inter and Roma continue to struggle with new managers at the helm, as the sides played to a 0-0 draw at the San Siro. Roma looked the more likely to score but never manged to get one past Julio Cesar. Juventus continue to set the pace though after a tidy 1-0 win against promoted side Siena. Alessandro, Matri got the only goal of the game.

Barcelona made up for their two draws last week by thrashing Osasuna 8-0. Messi does what Messi does, putting 3 in for Barcelona. Real Madrid stumbled against a gutsy Levante side, losing 1-0. The talking point of the match came just before half time. Angel Di Maria was his usual theatrical self, and it cost his team in the end as Sammy Khedira pushed a Levante player in an attempt to come to Di Maria's aid despite the player not being in any pain or harm. He was already on a yellow, the push got him his second and Madrid were down to 10 men for the rest of the game. Madrid still managed to control the game but struggled to create clear cut chances against a resilient Levante side and the breakthrough came on a counterattack where Marcelo was caught out of position. On loan forward Arouna Kone scored the only goal which saw Madrid fall behind Barcelona for the first time this season. Is it already the end for Jose Mourinho and co.? It's too early to tell but with Barcelona having the upper hand in the Clasico's in recent times dropping points outside of those matches is really going to hurt Madrid's chances at dethroning Barcelona.

In MLS the playoff race heated up and LA got that much closer to its second consecutive Supporters Shield. Robbie Keane was on form against Vancouver and scored a goal and assisted one of Mike Magee's two goals as the Galaxy ran out 3-0 victors at the Home Depot Center. Questions will be raised about the referee denying Vancouver a penalty just before the Galaxies first goal though. This Galaxy team has been head and shoulders above everyone else for a second year running now, but it will all be for nothing unless the Galaxy can make a deep postseason run and make it to the MLS Cup Final which will be at their house this year. Anything less than an MLS Cup will be a failure for Bruce Arena's men.

LA vs. Columbus recap

Sean Franklin's long range bomb gave the Los Angeles Galaxy a 1-0 win over the Columbus Crew on Wednesday in a match the Galaxy never looked like losing. Sean Franklin scored his first MLS goal and eventual match winner on Wednesday night at the Home Depot Center. Finally being recognized as one of the league elite full backs, he is an MLS all star for the first time in his career and adds that accolade to his Rookie of the Year honors.

Galaxy took control early on and never really lost control but didn't have the finishing touch on the night. Much of this has to go on Juan Pablo Angel's shoulders. The designated player has not lived up to his billing since joining for his first season with the Galaxy. He looks a shadow of his former self who used to put them away for fun in his New York days. Bruce Arena needs to figure something out fast, the output from the strikers this season has been shocking and isn't MLS Cup winning quality. There were rumors of a move for Turkish striker Nihat but nothing ever materialized and I for one am not surprised considering the fact that LA already has three DP's on its books. If Angel doesn't come good by the end of the season the Galaxy should definitely considering cutting ties from JPA.

Chileans on the move!

The first big name signing has been completed as Barca have completed the signing of versatile forward Alexis Sanchez from Udinese. San Francisco Chronicle is reporting the fee to be around 54 million US. The signing will only make the best club team in the world better, he can play anywhere across Barca's front three and is creative/talented enough to allow Pep Guardiola to rest Messi against some of the La Liga minnows. Presentation and medical will be on Monday, so I don't have any pictures of him in a Barca shirt.

With the signing of Alexis Sanchez completed Barcelona young'in Bojan Kirkic has left to Italian giants Roma for a chance at first team action. It's a signing that has been widely reported but is only just getting finalized. Bojan will link up with former Barcelona B coach and new Roma coach Luis Enrique at Roma where he will compete with Marco Boriello for a starting spot just ahead of Franceso Totti. It appears Mirko Vucinic is on his way to England to play for Spurs so Bojan won't find a better environment or chance to prove that he is of the highest caliber. Barcelona will have the option to buy Bojan back in 2 years should he meet his potential, which suits them taking into account David Villa's age.

Juventus have signed Arturo Vidal from German team Bayer Leverkusen for 15 mil, according to multiple reports. Hes a talented box to box player who will be their midfield star for many years to come, and will partner veteran play maker Andrea Pirlo in a new look Juventus midfield. He will probably be one of their mos important players for this coming campaign if they are to qualify for the Champions League after the match fixing scandal that they have yet to recover from. 

This move saw current Juve midfielder Felipe Melo move on a seasons long loan to Turkish giants Galtasaray with an option to buy. While Melo is much maligned and often a hot and cold player this move makes no sense to me, if anything you should keep him around for squad depth and his undeniable potential. A midfield trio of Vidal, Melo, and Pirlo would be one of the most formidable in Serie A but with this loss it only leaves more questions for Juve fans before the start of the next campaign.

Today's Action

Sounders vs. Manchester United
The red hot Sounders welcome Manchester United to CenturyLink field as part of the World Football Challenge tonight on FSC. The Sounders are perhaps the team most capable of causing and upset in all of tonight's action. Designated player Fredy Montero will improve on his great form over the past couple of weeks and Osvaldo Alonso will show everyone why he should have been on the All Star team to take on Manchester United.

Los Angeles vs. Columbus
The top team in MLS welcomes the Columbus Crew to the HDC tonight in what looks to be a pretty straight forward match on paper. The Galaxy are yet to lose at home this season and are riding a 12 game unbeaten run. I think a draw or a narrow one nil win for the Galaxy are in order especially after some poor results in the World Football Challenge and US Open Cup.

Real Madrid vs. Chivas USA
Not much to say about this one, I expect Real Madrid to wipe the floor with Chivas USA days after beating the Galaxy 4-1. This Chivas teams is one of the poorest in MLS and this Madrid team showed no mercy to the Galaxy.

Also, FSC has picked up the WPS match between the Western New York Flash and MagicJack. Around 15,000 are expected to be in attendance for this game welcoming back the USWNT stars. Alex Morgan, Abby Wambach, Hope Solo, and Marta will all be on show in New York tonight.

Tidbits

Altidore to the Netherlands?

Jozy Altidore looks poised to start a new chapter in his young career, reportedly on the verge of joining Dutch side AZ Alkmaar. Hopefully he can get regular first team action and a chance to prove his so far untapped potential. It's obvious the multitude of loan deals wasn't doing him any good, so maybe being in this more permanent setting will help him keep his mind on his game.

Hargreaves to Whitecaps?

Vancouver have finally made their interest in former Manchester United midfielder and current free agent Owen Hargreaves official, but can a deal be done? The player has been posting youtube videos in an attempt to prove his fitness to potential suitors. Should Hargreaves join the Whitecaps he would immediately become their best midfield option and would help fill the gap left by recently departed Terry Dunfield.

Casey out for season.

Another big blow for MLS as another one of its marqee stars goes down following Javier Morales and David Ferreira, however they might make it back for the playoffs. Casey will not after tearing his Achilles tendon in a no contact situation against the Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink field on Saturday. The Rapids will now rely heavily on their other big star attacking play in Omar Cummings and young talent like Quincy Amarikwa and Macoumba Kandji.

Women's World Cup Pt.2

Homare Sawa and co. were able to overcome attack after attack from the US women to win the FIFA Women's World Cup on penalty kicks. Credit to Japan for their never say die attitude but the Americans only have themselves to blame for not being able to replicate the memorable 1999 win. Their poor finishing and poor defending were their downfall, they completely outplayed Japan bar a couple 5 to 10 minute spurts. Japan's 2 goals came out of nowhere, both against the run of play and both after the US had seemingly put themselves out of reach.

I'm surprised that we have yet to see a scapegoat named yet for the United States shocking loss. Look no further than Rachel Buehler who was at fault for both goals. Multiple factors could explain this poor showing, being thrown into a World Cup Final after missing the last game, perhaps it was a mental thing after her red card dismissal against Brazil? Regardless, there is no excuse for what she did on the first goal and I am surprised no journalists have touched on this. Even at the recreational level you're told to never pass or kick the ball across the face of goal and that is exactly what she did, IN A WORLD CUP FINAL! I don't care if it was last ditch defending and she was doing whatever she could that should have been seared into her brain after 15+ years playing the game. She also didn't properly track Homare Sawa on the corner kick that sent the game to penalty kicks, while not nearly as much of an abomination as her first miscue its still very frustrating to see someone play so badly in such an important game. These were probably the only two moments in the game where she was called upon and she failed miserably both times.

Overall we should be proud of the US Women for their performances at the World Cup but in the end they failed to reach their goal/destiny after overcoming all the odds in what seemed like the perfect set of circumstances.

Los Angeles Galaxy-Real Madrid

It's the same story once again as a former Beckham employer comes to LA to take on the Los Angeles Galaxy in a friendly match at the LA Coliseum. Despite the impending "carmageddon" a sellout is still expected as fans will come from far and wide to see the marquee names duke it out. Beckham, Ronaldo, Donovan, Mourinho, all on show tonight.

Last time these two sides met the Galaxy ran out to a 2-0 lead, only to be brought back down to earth by a Madrid side that wasn't prepared to take that kind of hit early on in the second coming of the galacticos. Expect a similar match this time, although I think a much lower score is in store for us.

Don't be surprised if the Galaxy manage to sneak out with a win this time, both Beckham and Donovan will want to make an impression for the fans. Madrid have had another blockbuster summer, signings multiple world class players to add to their already magnificent squad. Although the cohesion could be an issue for Jose Mourinho and co.