CARSON, Calif. (Monday, November 1, 2010) – Following their 1-0 win over Seattle at Qwest Field on Sunday night, the LA Galaxy return home this weekend in hopes of finishing off the Sounders in Game #2 of their Western Conference Semifinal Series. This game kicks off at 6 p.m. at The Home Depot Center and can be seen live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
If the Galaxy win or draw that game, they will advance to the Western Conference Championship. If LA lose by two goals or more, the Sounders will advance, while a one goal Seattle victory would send the series to 30 minutes of extra time and then penalty kicks if necessary.
If the Galaxy advance past the Sounders, they will then host the winner of the series between Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas in the Western Conference Championship at The Home Depot Center next Sunday, November 14 at 6 p.m.
FOLLOW THE MATCH: This game will be broadcast live nationally on ESPN and ESPN Deportes. The game will be available live locally on the radio in English on KTLK 1150 AM or KWKU 1220 AM. Fans can also watch online at espn3.com or listen to the live play-by-play with Joe Tutino on lagalaxy.com.BUY TICKETS
THE WEEK THAT WAS
Sunday, October 31,
2010: Galaxy 1 – Seattle
Sounders FC 0 – Qwest Field – Attendance: 35,521
Western Conference
Semifinal Series – Game #1
Edson Buddle scored the game’s only goal, beating Kasey Keller from more than 30 yards out, and Donovan Ricketts made a season-high eight saves as the Galaxy claimed a 1-0 win in the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinal Series against Seattle. Seven of Ricketts’ eight saves came in the first half as he kept the third clean sheet of his postseason career, helping the Galaxy take a slight advantage into this weekend’s second leg.
INJURY
REPORT
Galaxy Injury Report
OUT – None
DOUBTFUL – None
QUESTIONABLE – Todd Dunivant (Right Hamstring – Strain), Leonardo (Left Knee – Pain), Michael Stephens (Left Knee – Pain)
PROBABLE – None
TEAM NOTES
COMING HOME: The Galaxy are one of two teams to have won the first leg of their Conference Semifinal Series on the road last week and now come back to The Home Depot Center with a 1-0 aggregate lead over Seattle. As a result, an LA win or draw will see the club advance to the Western Conference Championship, which they would host for the second straight season (on Sunday, November 14 at 6 p.m.). If the Galaxy trail by one goal after 90 minutes, the series would go to 30 minutes of extra time and then penalties if necessary, while the Sounders would advance with a win of two goals or more.
All-time, the Galaxy are 19-2-1 at home in the MLS Cup Playoffs, outscoring opponents 55-16. They last lost a home playoff game in 1998, falling to Chicago in the Western Conference Finals. Since that game, the Galaxy have won 15 of their 16 home playoff games, including both that they played in 2009, while earning a draw in the only other game.
At The Home Depot Center, the Galaxy are 5-0-1 in the postseason, winning all five of their home games while claiming a 2-2 draw when Chivas USA was the home team in the first leg of their 2009 Western Conference Semifinal Series.
IN FRONT FROM THE FIRST LEG: Since MLS adopted the current postseason format in 2003, the Galaxy have reached the playoffs five times and are now 3-1-1 in the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinal Series. This was the third time that they have played the first leg of their series on the road, going 1-1-1 in those three games. In 2004, the Galaxy lost at Colorado before going on to win the second leg and the series at home, while in 2009, the Galaxy played to a 2-2 draw in the first leg of their series on the road against Chivas USA before winning the second leg at home 1-0 to take the series 3-2 on aggregate.
Since the start of the 2003 MLS Cup Playoffs, 24 teams have won the first game of their Conference Semifinal Series, including four teams this year. Of the first 20, ten advanced to the Conference Championship. However, before this season, just five teams had won the first leg of their series on the road and of those five, four advanced to their Conference Championship.
EDSON HITS HIS FIRST: Edson Buddle’s 38th minute goal on Sunday was the first postseason goal of his Galaxy career. The 29-year-old forward did not score in any of the club’s four postseason games in 2009, which were the first playoff games of his Galaxy career. Buddle, who is the 30th different player to score for LA in the postseason, now has three goals and two assists in 12 career postseason games. Prior to Sunday, his last playoff goal came exactly six years prior when he scored as a member of the Columbus Crew against New England.
RICKETTS KEEPS A CLEAN SHEET: After keeping just two clean sheets over the final four months of the MLS regular season, Donovan Ricketts started his postseason in fine form, making a season-high eight saves en route to keeping a clean sheet. Ricketts, who did not make more than six saves in a game during the regular season, made seven saves in the first half and then added one more after the break, denying former Galaxy forward Nate Jaqua late on.
Ricketts had a club record 0.90 goals against average during the regular season while keeping 11 clean sheets to tie a team record, all while finishing with an 18-7-4 record in 29 games en route to being named a finalist for the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award. During the 2009 postseason, Ricketts kept two clean sheets in the four games that the club played, finishing with a 0.74 goals against average.
BACK FROM THE START: With Todd Dunivant injured and unavailable for selection on Sunday, Eddie Lewis stepped in at left back and played 84 minutes before being replaced by Gregg Berhalter. For Lewis, it was his fifth start for the Galaxy in all competitions this year and his first in an MLS game since the regular season opener against New England on March 27. Lewis was injured in the first half of that game, keeping him out of the lineup for more than two months and limiting him to just 13 games played on the season.
Additionally, Sunday’s game was the first postseason start of Lewis’ MLS career. While playing for San Jose from 1996-1999, Lewis’ teams made the postseason once, with him making three appearances that year, all off the bench. Lewis also made three appearances off the bench in the 2009 MLS Cup Playoffs as he helped the Galaxy reach MLS Cup 2009.
MARSHALL GETS INTERNATIONAL CALL: Central defender Yohance Marshall was not available for selection in Sunday’s win over the Sounders and he will not be available for selection in the second leg of the series this weekend as he remains on international duty with Trinidad and Tobago. Marshall, who played in two games for the Galaxy this season after making his MLS debut on September 18, is in Trinidad for three games in Group F of the Digicel Caribbean Championship. The Soca Warriors open group play on Tuesday against St. Vincent before hosting Guyana on Thursday and playing their third and final game against Haiti on Saturday.
If Trinidad finish first or second in the group, they will advance to the final round of the tournament, which will be played in Martinique starting on November 26, with the final to be held on Sunday, December 5.
Marshall made his international debut last month in a 1-0 loss to Jamaica, playing 90 minutes in central defense.
FOR
THE FANS
CUP OF JOE WITH MIKE MAGEE: Fresh off playing 90 minutes in the Galaxy’s postseason opener on Sunday in Seattle, Mike Magee will join the radio voice of the Galaxy, Joe Tutino, for the weekly Cup of Joe on Thursday afternoon at 12:15 p.m. LA’s second leading scorer in the 2009 postseason, Magee will look back at Sunday’s win over the Sounders while also looking ahead to this weekend’s all important second and final leg of the series at The Home Depot Center. The show will air live on the Galaxy’s website, www.lagalaxy.com/cupofjoe, where it will also be archived for future viewing.
Fans can participate asking by questions either beforehand or live during the chat. Start submitting questions for Mike now to socialmedia@lagalaxy.com.
YOUTH ACADEMY
GALAXY ACADEMY TEAMS EARN SWEEPS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA: The Galaxy U-16 and U-18 teams went on the road this weekend and came back with a pair of wins each after a strong showing in Northern California. Playing their final games until November 20, the Galaxy Academy teams swept their matches against the San Jose Earthquakes and Cal Odyssey.
On Saturday, Drew Murphy scored in the first half and Jack McBean tallied the winner with 12 minutes remaining as the U-16’s beat San Jose, 2-1. The U-18’s also claimed a 2-1 win over the Earthquakes with Neil Ignacio and Jake LaPorte scoring five minutes apart in the second half to overturn a 1-0 halftime deficit and claim the win.
The following day, Adam Zepeda kept a clean sheet for the U-18’s as they defeated Cal Odyssey 2-0 behind goals from Juan “Crabby” Gonzalez and Juan Mendoza. The U-16’s also kept a clean sheet on Sunday, winning 4-0 over Cal Odyssey. Drew Murphy, Willie Raygoza, Francisco Magallon and Axel Mendez all scored for the Galaxy, while Josh McNeely and Grayson Cornwall combined for the shutout.
Both teams have four games left in Development Academy play this year, starting with home games against the California Development Academy on Saturday, November 20. They will then travel to Arizona in December for the annual Winter Showcase.
While the U-16’s and U-18’s are off this weekend, the Galaxy’s U-14 A team is back in action on Saturday, with the club taking on Compton United.
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.
