After two weeks on the road, the LA Galaxy return to The Home Depot Center this weekend to take on the New York Red Bulls. The Galaxy will once again be looking to claim their first win of the 2009 season and their first league win over New York since July 4, 2006. This game begins at 7:30 p.m. and can be seen live on FS West starting with the 'Galaxy Live' pregame show at 7 p.m. The game will also be available live on the radio in English on either AM 570 or KTLK 1150 AM* and in Spanish at KWKW 1330 AM ESPN Deportes Radio.
Stadium gates will open at 3 p.m. allowing all fans to enter the stadium early for a special Celebrity Game as part of the club's Brit Night celebration. For more about the Brit Night and to purchase tickets for Saturday's game, visit www.lagalaxy.com.
THE WEEK THAT WAS
Saturday, April 25; Galaxy 1 - Colorado Rapids 1 - Dick's Sporting Goods Park - Attendance: 12, 180
Landon Donovan scored late to earn the Galaxy a 1-1 draw at Colorado on Saturday night. The draw was the Galaxy's third straight on the season and gave them their first-ever point at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Following a scoreless first half, Colin Clark put the Rapids in front 1-0 in the 60th minute before Donovan redirected a Chris Klein cross home for his third goal of the season in the 82nd minute to earn a share of the points.
INJURY REPORT
Galaxy Injury Report
OUT
- Tristan Bowen (Left Knee - Sprain), Leonard Griffin (Sports Hernia Surgery - Disabled List), Yohance Marshall (Right MCL - Sprain)
DOUBTFUL
- None
QUESTIONABLE
- Kyle Patterson (Right Knee - Irritation)
PROBABLE
- Edson Buddle (Right Quad - Strain), Todd Dunivant (Right Ankle - Post Surgery), Donovan Ricketts (Left Shoulder - Tightness)
TEAM NOTES
DONOVAN ON THE SCORESHEET AGAIN:
Landon Donovan continued to be the focal point of the Galaxy attack this weekend, scoring the club's lone goal in the 1-1 draw at Colorado. Donovan has now scored or assisted on all six of LA's goals this season, scoring three and setting up the other three.
Donovan, who is one of two players (along with Real Salt Lake's Robbie Findley who has four goals and two assists) in MLS this season to factor in six or more goals, has now registered fast starts in each of the past three seasons. In 2007, Donovan scored or assisted on each of the Galaxy's first seven goals, while in 2008 he scored or assisted on each of the club's first eight goals.
Saturday's goal was the 87th of Donovan's MLS career, leaving him within one goal of tying Roy Lassiter for sixth place in MLS history in goals scored. The 27-year old also now has 55 goals as a member of the Galaxy, leaving him 15 goals behind Cobi Jones for the most in club history.
SET FOR 300: Galaxy midfielder Chris Klein is in line to play the 300th game of his MLS career this weekend against the New York Red Bulls. Klein began his MLS career in 1998 with the Kansas City Wizards, who selected him with the fourth pick of the 1998 MLS College Draft. An MLS Cup winner with the Wizards in 2000, Klein has 49 goals and 65 assists during his MLS career, which has seen him play for Real Salt Lake, in addition to the Wizards and the Galaxy, who acquired him from RSL in June 2007. During his time with the Galaxy, Klein, who recently saw his MLS record streak of 118 consecutive games started snapped, has tallied two goals and 11 assists in 56 games.
If Klein is in the lineup for the Galaxy this weekend, he will become the seventh player in league history to appear in 300 games, and the first to do so after starting his MLS career after 1997.
During his 12-year MLS career, Klein has played in and started 25 games against New York, scoring six goals and adding three assists, though all of those came prior to joining the Galaxy.
DUNIVANT IN FROM THE START: Todd Dunivant made his first start of the 2009 season on Saturday night, playing the full 90 minutes at left back in the 1-1 draw at Colorado. The 28-year-old missed the first three games of the season while recovering from ankle surgery but made his debut as a second half substitute a week earlier against San Jose, the club that drafted him in the first round of the 2003 MLS SuperDraft.
Dunivant is now in line to face another of his former clubs this weekend as the Galaxy take on the New York Red Bulls. The Galaxy traded Dunivant to New York in June 2006 after he played a year and a half in LA. Dunivant went on to play 16 games during his time with the Red Bulls, scoring two goals and adding an assist, before being traded to Toronto FC a year later and returning to the Galaxy prior to the start of this season.
MARSHALL ON THE SHELF: Rookie defender will miss at least the next five games after being placed on the Disabled List with a sprained MCL in his right knee. The 23-year-old former South Florida star suffered the injury in training last week and was placed on the Disabled List prior to the Galaxy's game in Colorado on Saturday.
Players who are placed on a club's Disabled List are forced to miss a minimum of six games, meaning that Marshall, who was in the 18-man squad for each of the Galaxy's first four games of the season but did not play in any of those games, is not eligible to be back onto the field until May 30, when LA hosts Kansas City.
Marshall joins fellow defender Leonard Griffin on the club's Disabled List, with Griffin eligible to return to the field for the Galaxy's trip to Seattle on May 10. Those two missed Saturday's game against Colorado, as did Tristan Bowen and Kyle Patterson who have recently been slowed by knee injuries.
YOUTH ACADEMY
LA GALAXY YOUTH ACADEMY SPLIT SUPERCLASICO:
The LA Galaxy Youth Academy U-16 and U-18 teams returned to action last weekend, splitting a pair of games against Chivas USA. The Galaxy U-16's won their third straight game and kept their second consecutive clean sheet, beating Chivas USA 4-0 at The Home Depot Center. The U-18's were not so fortunate however as they fell 3-1 to Chivas USA after taking a 1-0 lead.
With the 1-1 record over the weekend, the Galaxy Youth Academy teams finished the Development Academy season with a 3-1-0 record against Chivas USA, out scoring their rivals 9-3 in the four games.
Both teams are back in action this weekend when they take on Arsenal FC for the second time this season. Arsenal is currently tied with the Galaxy for first place in the U-16 standings, while the Galaxy U-18's lost to third place Arsenal last month 3-1 despite a first half goal from Dersu Abolfathi. The games will be played on Saturday night at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on the campus of UC - Riverside.
IN THE COMMUNITY
GALAXY TO HOST BRIT NIGHT ON MAY 2:
For the second straight season, the LA Galaxy will host Brit Night on Saturday, May 2 when the club hosts the New York Red Bulls. The Galaxy won't kick-off until 7:30 p.m., but the day will begin three hours earlier at 4:30 p.m. with a Celebrity Game featuring a number of familiar faces from the worlds of film, television, music and sport. At the conclusion of the Celebrity Game, the participants will be available for autographs while fans will also have the chance to enjoy the music of the Ballas Hough Band, as seen on Dancing with the Stars, and Carly Smithson from American Idol.
Additionally, the Olde Kings Head in Santa Monica will be on hand to prepare and serve traditional British dishes, including fish and chips, bangers and mash and much more.
PLAYER APPEARANCES THIS WEEK: A number of Galaxy players will be out and active in the community this week at a series of events throughout Southern California. Here is the complete list of players who will be out in the community with the Galaxy this week.
What: AYSO 143 Huntington Beach
Who: Mike Magee, Kyle Patterson, Josh Tudela, Stefani Miglioranzi
When: Tuesday, April 28: 5:30-7 p.m.
Where: Harbour View Field: 4343 Pickwick Circle; Huntington Beach, CA 92649
What: The players will assist the AYSO coaches with a series of drills and exercises while giving kids pointers, signing autographs and taking photographs with the young soccer players.
What: AYSO Region 88
Who: Leonard Griffin, Bryan Jordan, Dema Kovalenko, Josh Saunders
When: Tuesday, April 28: 5:30-7 p.m.
Where: Glendale Sports Complex: 2200 Fern Lane; Glendale, CA 91208
What: The players will interact with clinic participants while helping with a number of drills and then sign autographs for the participants.
What: Simi Valley Youth Soccer League Clinic
Who: Eddie Lewis, Julian Valentin, A.J. DeLaGarza, Tristan Bowen
When: Tuesday, April 28: 4-5:30 p.m.
Where: Rancho Santa Susana Community Center: 5005 East Los Angeles Avenue; Simi Valley, CA 93063
What: The players will assist the AYSO coaches with a series of drills and exercises while giving kids pointers, signing autographs and taking photographs with the young soccer players.
What: Long Beach Youth Soccer / FC Long Beach
Who: Alan Gordon, Todd Dunivant, Donovan Ricketts, Tony Sanneh
When: Tuesday, April 28, 2009: 5:30-7:00 p.m.
Where: Heartwell Park Field 1: 5801 East Parkcrest Street; Long Beach, CA 90808
What: The players will interact with clinic participants while helping with a number of drills and then sign autographs for the participants.
What: Community Clinic Series
Who: Bryan Jordan
When: Wednesday, April 29, 2009: 4:30-6:00 p.m.
Where: Lewis Park (Next to Alexander Hughes Center): 1700 Danbury Road; Claremont, CA 91711
What: Jordan will interact with children at the clinic while helping to assist in all of the games that the kids will play while also signing autographs and taking photos with all of the participants.
COPA LA RETURNS IN MAY: The LA Galaxy will host the eighth annual Copa LA at the San Bernardino Soccer Complex from May 23-25. One of the region's top youth soccer tournaments in the region, Copa LA is open to all teams and features U-9 through U-19 groups in the Boys Division and U-15, U-17 and U-19 groups in the Girls Division.
Last year more than 150 teams signed up for this tournament and spots are already filling up fast. Registration is now open and the cost is just $250 per team if they sign up before May 2. In order to register your team for this tournament, or to learn more about it, please visit the Events page at www.lagalaxy.com.
NEED TO KNOW
TUNE-IN TO GALAXY DEPORTIVO THIS SATURDAY: Galaxy Deportivo, the Galaxy's official half hour show in Spanish, is back for sixth season with hosts Alejandro Navarro and Elmer Polanco on KWHY-22. Catch the show this Saturday, and every two Saturdays, at 6 p.m.
On top of behind-the-scenes footages, exclusive interviews and features and in-depth profiles, Galaxy Deportivo also recaps the club's latest activity within the community. Similar to how the fan's passion for the Galaxy is not limited to game day, neither is Galaxy Deportivo's coverage.
Past shows can be viewed on archive at LAGalaxyFutbol.com
PURO GALAXY HITS ESPN DEPORTES RADIO: ESPN Deportes Radio KWKW 1330 AM, the Galaxy's official Spanish language radio partner, is the place for all of your Galaxy news and information en español. The best place to get that information is on Puro Galaxy, the network's weekly, hour-long show that airs every Saturday from noon-1 p.m.
Galaxy color analyst Armando Aguayo and Galaxy sideline reporter Mario Amaya are joined on a weekly basis by the players, coaches and a series of special guests that allow the fan to get excited for match day. So tune in each and every week and stay up to date with everything that is going on in the Galaxy.
Fans can also listen to podcasts of previous episodes at LAGalaxyFutbol.com.
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.
