Beat

25 December 2:46 pm

No matter what you celebrate, I want to wish all of you well wishes during this holiday season and many thanks for following the LA Galaxy Insider during this eventful season.

Happy Holidays!

A special holiday video from the entire Galaxy organization is below.

23 December 12:51 pm

You've read my reviews of the seasons of Pat Noonan and Omar Gonzalez and now it's your opportunity to give me your own input.

Vote with your own ratings for Noonan and Gonzalez below.

Pat Noonan

Omar Gonzalez

22 December 1:42 pm

Another British tabloid is linking Chelsea FC talisman Frank Lampard to the LA Galaxy.

The Daily Mirror states that Lampard could leave Chelsea for the Galaxy at the end of the 2011/2012 EPL season. The tabloid also links Lampard with EPL relegation candidates Queen's Park Rangers where his uncle Harry Redknapp is the manager.

*Aside from the numerous transfer rumors, Galaxy fans can vote for the club's back-to-back championship in David Beckham's final as one of Los Angeles' top five sports moments of the year on the Los Angeles Times website.

In other news...

*Lionel Messi will end 2012 with 91 goals in the calendar year after scoring in FC Barcelona's 3-1 win over Real Valladolid. ESPN FC breaks down his incredible season.

*South America's premier club tournament, the Copa Libertadores will take place just three hours drive from Los Angeles. Club Tijuana were drawn into group five of the Libertadores on Friday where they will face off against Brazilian club -- and current Club World Cup champion -- Corinthians, Colombian champions Millonarios and Bolivia’s San José. Two teams advance from the group stage to the quarterfinals. Dates for the matches have not been set yet, but the tournament will begin in February.

*Boca Juniors is reportedly after Philadelphia Union center back Carlos Valdes.

*There is no guarantee that midfielder Davide Chiumiento will be returning to Vancouver Whitecaps FC according to club president Bob Lenarduzzi.

20 December 8:21 pm

Thursday was a busy day for the LA Galaxy, but my player evaluations are rolling right along with the evaluations of Homegrown forward Jose Villarreal and rookie defender Tommy Meyer.

Read my evaluations of Jose Villarreal and Tommy Meyer here.

You'll have chance to rate the players your own below...

Rate Villarreal....

Rate Meyer...

20 December 5:12 pm

On Thursday, the LA Galaxy added the fifth Homegrown signing in club history with the signing of Hawthorne native and Cal-State Bakersfield all-American forward Gyasi Zardes.

In three years at Bakersfield, Zardes developed into one of college soccer’s most prolific scorers with 38 goals and 18 assists over a 56 game span. However, Bakersfield wasn’t the only team that Zardes was suiting up for.

During the past two summers, Zardes spent time with the PDL’s Ventura Fusion where he tallied ten goals in 13 games. An incredibly formative experience for the young forward.

“Playing with the Fusion definitely helped me,” said Zardes. “I played various positions from forward to central midfield, but playing against teams like West Brom and Manchester City helped me see the skill level and the talent in Europe which also helped me think about practicing even more and dedicating everything in my will to becoming a better player”

During those friendlies against European competitors, Zardes garnered heavy praise from coaches and players alike including then-West Brom head coach and current England manager Roy Hodgson.

“It’s a great feeling for a kid like me because if a coach like Roy Hodgson from West Brom talks to my coaches and say that ‘I was one of the best players on the field’ that makes me feel great because I’ve been putting in all the hard work behind closed doors,” Zardes added. “Finally to have it be seen by a coach such as him, it’s a great experience that makes me feel wonderful inside because all the hard work that I put in is finally being realized.”

That hard work began as Zardes grew up idolizing Galaxy players like Cobi Jones, Landon Donovan and David Beckham. In fact, when Zardes returned home as his school went on winter break, he realized that he still had a Galaxy poster with Beckham’s likeness right above his bed. But perhaps no player influenced the young boy born to Brazilian parents more than LA’s current captain.

“I always admired Landon Donovan with his speed and technical skill,” said Zardes. “When I was with the academy team, Landon Donovan came out and said a few words, which was very inspiring because I look up to other players who work hard and have success on the field.”

But those Galaxy players aren't the only ones on the 21-year-old’s radar.

“I watched Thierry Henry and to this day, I watch YouTube videos of Thierry Henry with Arsenal, I definitely like to watch Cristiano Ronaldo and I love the flair that he has with his scissors [a type of step over dribbling technique],” said Zardes. “One of my favorite moves is the scissors and I love watching Robinho because he has this kind of swag to his scissors.”

With his contract finally signed, Zardes feels that he is already a step ahead of his peers, who are preparing for January’s MLS SuperDraft –even though he was considered by draft pundits to be a top pick.

“I definitely feel more comfortable starting before the draft because I know where I’m going to be based and I can start my training as opposed to those guys,” said Zardes. “Those guys are steady waiting and they don’t know where they’re going to go or which team will pick them up, but I feel a 100 times more comfortable knowing that I’ll be based in Southern California playing for LA Galaxy which is grand for me.”

20 December 12:01 pm

Could the LA Galaxy have a new goalkeeper between the pipes once the 2013 season rolls around? According to report in Sports Illustrated, the LA Galaxy are close to an two-year contract agreement with veteran Italian goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini.

The report states that Cudicini has asked to be paid "the maximum possible within the club's salary cap" whether this is a Designated Player status or not, remains to be seen.

The 39-year-old goalkeeper is currently buried down the depth chart with Tottenham Hotspur, currently serving as the club's fourth-string 'keeper behind starter Hugo Lloris, American international Brad Friedel, and Brazilian international Heurelho Gomes. Cudicini has spent nearly 15 years with clubs in England's Premier League after a lengthy tour of duty in his native Italy, having played at Chelsea from 2004 to 2009 when he joined Tottenham. He has just a single first team appearance for Tottenham this year during the club's 3-0 League Cup victory over Carlisle United.

Last week, Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena told reporters that club was currently communicating with the representation of current number one goalkeeper Josh Saunders.

20 December 10:03 am

As reported first on the LA Galaxy Insider on Wednesday afternoon, the LA Galaxy formally announced the signature of Cal-State Bakersfield standout Gyasi Zardes on Thursday morning.

Considered the number one prospect in college soccer by many, Zardes scored 38 goals and 17 assists in 56 games during his three year stint with the Roadrunners. The former Galaxy Under-18 and Under-20 player also spent time with the PDL's Ventura County Fusion during both the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to join the LA Galaxy. The chance to play in front of family and friends and alongside the likes of Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan truly is a dream come true,” Zardes said in a statement. “I would like to sincerely thank the Galaxy, MLS, Cal-State University Bakersfield and Wasserman [his agency] for their support and belief in me. I would also like to thank God without whom I would certainly not be where I am today. I am looking forward to working hard and helping the Galaxy defend their MLS Cup title next season”.

The 21-year-old forward from Hawthorne becomes the fifth Homegrown signing in Galaxy history and the fourth currently on the team as he joins Jack McBean, Oscar Sorto and Jose Villarreal.

“Gyasi has been one of the most exciting prospects in our Academy for a number of years and was one of the best players in college soccer over the past few years so we are excited to finally be able to sign him as a Homegrown Player,” Galaxy Vice President Chris Klein said in a statement. “He has grown and improved immeasurably as a result of his experiences with our Academy and at Bakersfield and we look forward to having him make his Galaxy debut in 2013.”

A video clip of some of Zardes' highlights that surfaced on Wednesday is below...

Share your thoughts on the signing below.

19 December 1:35 pm

The LA Galaxy have a schedule for their first two games of the 2013 season.

Earlier this week, the Galaxy announced that they will open their MLS regular season slate on March. 3 at The Home Depot Center against the Chicago Fire and on Wednesday, they learned their CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal dates.

LA will open the CCL quarterfinals campaign with the first leg on Thursday, March 7 in Costa Rica against C.S. Herediano at 5 p.m. PT. The second leg will take place at The HDC on Wednesday, March 13.

All MLS participants in CCL competition will have a bye week during week two of MLS' regular season.

18 December 4:23 pm

Rolling right along with my end of the season evaluations, I addressed the seasons of rookie midfielder Rafael and Swedish winger Christian Wilhemsson.

Read my evaluation of the rookie from Cal-State Northridge here and the Swedish midfielder here.

As part of a new more interactive ratings system, you can chime in with your own vote of the players below.

Vote for Garcia below...

Vote for Wilhelmsson below...

18 December 11:16 am

Robbie Keane is waiting to see if he can reach full fitness before even contemplating going on a loan this offseason.

Keane told the Irish Independent that he still on the mend after suffering several nagging injuries including a knock to his Achilles from his 2012 season with the Galaxy. During his calendar year with the Galaxy, Keane amassed 23 goals and 10 assists as he helped the Galaxy win back-to-back MLS Cup titles. The Irishman went on an offseason loan a year ago to Aston Villa and talk of yet another loan comes as the Irish prepare for several important World Cup qualifiers in March against the likes of Sweden and Austria. Keane has recently been linked to Queen's Park Rangers.

"I haven't even thought about taking up with any other teams, I have a few little niggles that I have to sort out before I even contemplate making any decisions,” Keane told the Irish daily during a promotional event in his homeland. “There has been a lot of speculation and a few clubs are interested, but it wouldn't be right for me to go anywhere if I wasn't 100 percent fit and ready. I don't have any major problems, just an Achilles injury, but if that isn't right, I won't be going anywhere."

Back in the states, the Galaxy announced their home opener on March 3 against the Chicago Fire. Also, this week, you can vote on which Robbie Keane goal will make the LAGalaxy.com Goal of the Year Final Four. Vote here and watch the goals below.