Following a dominating first half performance and another two goals from Edson
Buddle, the LA Galaxy hit the road for a pair of games against two of their main
challengers in the Western Conference. The Galaxy defeated Philadelphia 3-1 on
Saturday night to move six points clear at the top of the Western Conference but
now face two teams that will try to stake their claim to the top spot in the
Conference.
On
Wednesday night, the Galaxy will take on the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s
Sporting
Goods Park in a game that kicks off at 6:30 p.m.
Following that game, the team will travel directly to Seattle for Saturday’s
meeting with the Sounders at Qwest Field, a game that kicks off at 1
p.m.
Fox
Sports West will broadcast both games, with Wednesday night’s meeting against
the Rapids being shown on tape delay beginning with the Galaxy Live pregame show at 7:30 p.m.,
followed by the game at 8 p.m. Saturday’s game in Seattle will be shown live starting with
Galaxy Live at 12:30
p.m.
Additionally, both games can be heard locally in Spanish on ESPN Deportes Radio 1330 AM. KTLK 1150 AM will carry Saturday’s game against the Sounders live, while Joe Tutino will have the call in English for Wednesday night’s game live at www.lagalaxy.com.
THE
WEEK THAT WAS
Saturday,
May 1, 2010; Galaxy 3 – Philadelphia Union 1 –
The Home
Depot Center – Attendance:
15,453
Edson
Buddle scored twice more and set up a third for A.J. DeLaGarza as the Galaxy
improved to a perfect 4-0-0 at home on the season with a convincing 3-1 win over
the expansion Union. DeLaGarza opened the
scoring for LA just 51 seconds into the game and then Buddle added his eighth
and ninth goals of the season before the halftime break as LA cruised to a 3-0
lead en route to opening a six point lead over Colorado and Houston at the top of the Western
Conference.
Saturday,
May 1, 2010; Galaxy U-16’s 2 – Irvine Strikers U-16’s 2 – Concordia
University
Dyllan
Stevens scored both goals as the Galaxy took a 2-0 lead into the halftime break.
However, they could not maintain the lead and gave up a pair of goals in the
second half but managed to hold on for a 2-2 draw.
Saturday,
May 1, 2010; Galaxy U-18’s 0 – Irvine Strikers U-18’s 1 – Concordia
University
The
Galaxy U-18’s five-game unbeaten streak came to an end with a 1-0 loss in
Irvine. The
hosts took the lead with 10 minutes remaining and the Galaxy were unable to find
an equalizer, a task that was made more difficult when they were reduced to
10-men late on.
Sunday,
May 2, 2010; Galaxy U-16’s 1 – San Diego Surf U-16’s 0 – Titan
Stadium
Dyllan
Stevens scored the game’s only goal as the Galaxy claimed a 1-0 win. Josh
McNeely and the rest of the Galaxy defense was able to maintain a clean sheet
despite having to play most of the second half with just 10-men.
Sunday,
May 2, 2010; Galaxy U-18’s 2 – San Diego Surf U-18’s 1 – Titan
Stadium
Drew Lind
scored in the 85th minute and Chadd Johnson added an injury time
winner as the Galaxy U-18’s came from behind to beat the San Diego Surf on
Sunday afternoon in Fullerton. Omar Zeenni played well in goal
again for the Galaxy, who trailed 1-0 before staging their late
comeback.
INJURY
REPORT
Galaxy
Injury Report
OUT – None
DOUBTFUL – None
QUESTIONABLE – Sean Franklin (Left Ankle – Sprain), Dema Kovalenko (Right Hamstring – Strain), Leonardo (Right Quad – Strain), Eddie Lewis (Left Foot – Contusion)
PROBABLE - None
TEAM
NOTES
UNBEATEN STREAK REACHES NINE: With their 3-1 win over the Union on Saturday night, the LA Galaxy remained one of two unbeaten teams in MLS this season. The Galaxy are now 5-0-1 for 16 points on the season, leaving them six points ahead of the second place Colorado Rapids and Houston Dynamo, who each have 10 points, in the Western Conference standings.
Dating back to the end of the 2009
regular season, the Galaxy are unbeaten in their last nine games, going 7-0-2 in
that time and taking 23 of a possible 27 points. LA has kept a clean sheet in
seven of those nine games and have not trailed in any of
them.
The last time the Galaxy lost was on
September 26, 2009 when they fell 2-0 to the Columbus Crew, who are the only
other undefeated team in the league this season.
BUDDLE NAMED MLS PLAYER OF THE WEEK AGAIN: For the second time this season, Edson Buddle has been named the MLS Player of the Week. Buddle set up A.J. DeLaGarza for the Galaxy’s opening goal just 51 seconds into their win over Philadelphia on Saturday night and then added a pair of goals to take his league-best tally to nine in just six games this season. Buddle, who was also named the MLS Player of the Week in Week 4 of the season, now has four multi-goal games this season and has helped lead LA to a 5-0-0 record in games that he has scored. Since joining the Galaxy in June 2007, Buddle has recorded six multi-goal games, with his team going 6-0-0 in those games. Only Landon Donovan has more multi-goal games for the Galaxy in that time with seven.
Last week, Buddle, who turns 29
later this month, was named the MLS Player of the Month for the second time in
his 10-year MLS career. He has now been named the MLS Player of the Week nine
times, including four times since joining the
Galaxy.
EDSON REMAINS 10 FOR 10: Despite no longer being the only Galaxy player to score a goal, Buddle has still factored in all 10 of the Galaxy’s goals this season, setting a new club record. Buddle has nine goals and an assist this season, scoring or assisting on all of his team’s goals, to set a new club record for most consecutive goals scored or assisted on to open the season.
In both 2008 and 2009, Landon
Donovan scored or assisted each of the Galaxy’s first eight goals, but Buddle
equaled that record with his assist on A.J. DeLaGarza’s early goal on Saturday
night before breaking the record with his first goal of the game in the
27th minute.
FAST START: The Galaxy got off to their best start in nearly a decade on Saturday night when A.J. DeLaGarza gave them a 1-0 lead after just 51 seconds. That goal was the third fastest goal in club history and is tied for the 28th fastest in MLS history.
Clint Mathis scored the fastest goal
in Galaxy history, giving LA a 1-0 lead over Kansas City after just 33 seconds
on July 25, 1999 in a game that the Galaxy would go on to win 2-1. Brian Mullan
scored the second fastest goal in club history on May 9, 2001, scoring 39
seconds into the Galaxy’s 4-4 draw at Tampa Bay.
DOUBLING UP: The Galaxy are scheduled to play two road games this week for the first and only time this season. Following Wednesday’s game in Colorado, the team will fly directly to Seattle for a day of training ahead of Saturday afternoon’s game.
This week’s slate of games is also
the only time that the Galaxy are scheduled to play a midweek game and then
another game that weekend. However, the schedule will become more congested as
the season continues and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions
League Qualifiers are added to the Galaxy schedule.
BOWEN AND MATHIS MAKE 2010 DEBUTS: With the Galaxy comfortably leading the Union 3-0 on Saturday night, midfielder Clint Mathis and forward Tristan Bowen were able to make their 2010 regular season debuts for the Galaxy. Mathis entered the game in the 70th minute, replacing Alan Gordon, to make the 250th appearance of his MLS career. Mathis, who had last played for the Galaxy in a regular season game on May 6, 2000, nearly recorded an assist, laying off a pass for Landon Donovan, only to see his shot hit the crossbar.
Five minutes after Mathis entered
the game, Bowen came on for Edson
Buddle, making his first appearance of the season and his
first-ever league appearance at The Home Depot Center. The 18-year-old forward,
who made his MLS debut last season, replacing Chris Klein late in second half
stoppage time at San Jose on June 20, was on the field for the final 15 minutes
of the game, making it the longest appearance of his MLS career. Bowen also
nearly set up Donovan, only to see his low cross narrowly miss making contact
with the Galaxy captain.
DAVE SARACHAN SITS DOWN FOR CUP OF JOE: Tune-in to the Galaxy's weekly live web show, Cup of Joe, with radio play-by-play announcer Joe Tutino every week. On Wednesday afternoon ahead of the Galaxy’s game against the Colorado Rapids, Tutino will be interviewing Galaxy Associate Head Coach Dave Sarachan at 12:30 p.m. The 2003 MLS Coach of the Year, Sarachan joined the Galaxy in August 2008 and has played a major role in the club’s revival over the past two years.
Fans can participate asking by
questions either beforehand or live during the chat. Start submitting questions
for Dave now to socialmedia@lagalaxy.com.
YOUTH ACADEMY
GALAXY ACADEMY TEAMS FACE NOMADS SC ON SATURDAY: The LA Galaxy Youth Academy teams are back in action this weekend when they travel south to take on Nomads SC at Kinsell Field in San Diego on Saturday afternoon. The U-16’s kick-off at 1:45 p.m. with the U-18’s following at 4 p.m.
These same two teams met two weeks
ago, with the U-16’s playing to a 1-1 draw and the U-18’s winning 1-0 behind an
Eric Verso goal.
The Galaxy U-16’s go into the game
on a three-game unbeaten streak and in fourth place in their division with a
4-3-4 record for 16 points in the league. The U-18’s have won five of their last
six games and currently sit in third place in the West Conference SoCal Division
with a 6-3-2 record for 20 points with five league games
remaining.
GALAXY DREAMERS ANNOUNCED:Major League Soccer and the LA Galaxy announced today the names of the five talented prospects that will join the finalists from the Chicago Fire and Houston Dynamo to represent the team later this week at the “Final Event,” being filmed in Los Angeles.
The five finalists chosen from the
LA tryouts held in Glendale last month were:
Dennis Alvarado (16yrs - Fairfield, CA); Javier Castro (18yrs - Pomona, CA); Victor
Jimenez (16yrs - Anaheim, CA); Jonathan Navas (18yrs - Los
Angeles, CA); Oscar Velazquez (14yrs
- Las Vegas, NV).
The five chosen will participate in
the finals of Sueño MLS, held in LA, this week from May 5-9. Watch the recap of
the Sueño MLS finals and the announcement of the overall winner live on
Univision’s Republica Deportiva on Sunday, May 9, which airs on the West Coast
from noon to 2 p.m.
IN THE
COMMUNITY
MLS FUTBOLITO COMES TO LA: One of the nation’s most successful grassroots soccer initiatives returns to LA this summer. MLS Futbolito, Major League Soccer’s official 4-v-4 tournament, will be held in Padua Park in Claremont, Calif. on Saturday, June 26. Approximately 50,000 people, between participants ages 6 to 55 and spectators, attended MLS Futbolito 2009 across 13 markets from coast to coast.
For further information about MLS
Futbolito, visit the event’s official site: www.MLSFutbolito.com.
GALAXY FOUNDATION SHOT OF THE WEEK: At each LA Galaxy home game, fans are invited to visit the Galaxy Foundation Booth to place your bid on the Galaxy Foundation's Shot of the Week presented by MoraPhotography.com. Each photo will be signed by the player or players featured. All proceeds benefit the Los Angeles Galaxy Foundation.
LOS ANGELES GALAXY FOUNDATION JOINS GOODSEARCH: The Los Angeles Galaxy Foundation has joined GoodSearch, which means that the Galaxy Foundation will earn a donation every time you search the Internet and receive a percentage of every purchase you make online through GoodShop.com.
Download the GoodSearch – Los
Angeles Galaxy Foundation toolbar, and the club’s foundation will earn money
every time you shop and search online - even if you forget to go to GoodShop or
GoodSearch first. Add the Los Angeles Galaxy Foundation toolbar at http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/los-angeles-galaxy-foundation.
NEED TO
KNOW
LOOKING FOR MORE UPDATES?: If you are looking for continuous updates from the Galaxy all week long, be sure to visit the club’s official websites www.lagalaxy.com and www.lagalaxyfutbol.com, or the club’s official blog at www.thelagalaxy.blogspot.com for all the latest news from the club. The Galaxy can also be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lagalaxy and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lagalaxy.
