Following their enthralling 5-2 victory over Chivas USA on Saturday night, the LA Galaxy will look to stretch their unbeaten streak to three games on Saturday night when they travel to Utah to take on Real Salt Lake. The game will be broadcast live on FSN West starting at 6 p.m., with Jim Watson and Mark Rogondino will having the call from Salt Lake City. KTLK 1150 AM and KWKW 1330 AM ESPN Deportes Radio will also carry the match live in English and Spanish respectively, beginning at 6 p.m.
Galaxy Injury Report
OUT
- Charles Alamo (R-Knee Surgery), Ante Jazic (R-Ankle Surgery); Carlos Ruiz (R-Knee Surgery)
DOUBTFUL
- Ely Allen (R-Hamstring), Alvaro Pires (L-Knee)
QUESTIONABLE
- None
PROBABLE
- None
Jazic is close to a full return to training and will be monitored closely this week. He trained with the team for the first time last week and will participate in most of training this week, including the game play.
Ruiz has started working on his lateral movements and is also working on agility, strengthening and running progressions with Chris Neville.
Alamo has been cleared to begin the next phase of his rehabilitation and is now increasing his strengthening program and working on the elliptical.
Allen and Pires are each scheduled to start progressive running this week while also continuing their strengthening regiments.
The Week That Was...
LA Galaxy
Saturday, April 19; Galaxy 5 - Chivas USA 2
Landon Donovan had a hat trick and Alan Gordon came off the bench to score twice, including the game-winner as the Galaxy took the first leg of the Honda SuperClasico in convincing fashion, defeating Chivas USA 5-2. The Galaxy scored four times in the second half to seal the win and jump up to second place in the Western Conference.
LA Galaxy Reserves
The Galaxy Reserves were off this weekend and will play next on Sunday, May 4 against Real Salt Lake. The Galaxy Reserves, who are led by Bryan Jordan's two goals, have a record of 0-2-1 while RSL's record stands at 0-0-1.
Galaxy In The Community
Players: Michael Gavin and Josh Wicks
What: Players will sign autographs and pose for pictures with the Conservation Corps of Long Beach
When: Thursday, May 1; 4-5 p.m.
Where: Lindbergh Elementary; 1022 E. Market Street; Long Beach, Calif.
Galaxy Team Notes
LANDON LANDS ANOTHER AWARD:
For the second consecutive week, Galaxy forward Landon Donovan has been named the MLS Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters. Donovan had his second career hat trick and added an assist to lead the Galaxy to a convincing 5-2 win over Chivas USA in the Honda SuperClasico.
It was the seventh time in his MLS career that Donovan has taken the award, leaving him tied with Jason Kreis and Taylor Twellman for the third most in MLS history. Donovan is the first repeat winner of the award since Eddie Johnson was named Player of the Week during Weeks 8 and 9 of the 2007 MLS season.
DONOVAN UP FOR GOAL OF THE WEEK: Donovan could potentially earn his second award in consecutive weeks as the Galaxy forward is one of five nominees for the Sierra Mist Goal of the Week award. Donovan's third goal of the night, a well-placed left-footed shot from just outside the box, is up for the award, which he won for the first time this season with his second half diving header against the Houston Dynamo.
A COUPLE OF LEAGUE LEADERS: The partnership between David Beckham and Landon Donovan continues to pay dividends for the Galaxy as Donovan leads the league in goals with eight while Beckham leads the league in assists with four. Donovan's eight goals are four more than any other player in MLS this season, matching his output for the 2007 MLS season and are equal to or more than 10 of the other 13 MLS teams, while Beckham's four assists are one more than Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Jaime Moreno who each have three assists.
AN ELITE EIGHT: Donovan finished the month of April with eight goals in four games, making him the fifth different player in league history to score at least eight goals in a month. Stern John of the Columbus Crew holds the MLS record with nine goals in August 1998, while Mamadou Diallo (August 2000), Donovan, Roy Lassiter (August 1996) and Diego Serna (September 2000 and June 2001) have each scored eight in a month. In three of the previous five cases, the player to score eight or more times would later go on to win the MLS Player of the Month award for that month.
With the eight goals, Donovan also set the MLS record for most goals over the first five games of the season, breaking the former mark of six, which was held by five different players.
MATCH ANALYSIS STAT OF THE WEEK: Galaxy defender Abel Xavier currently ranks second in MLS in possession, having helped to keep the ball on more than fourth-fifths of his touches this season. For the year, Xavier has 99 touches and has given the ball away just 19 times, meaning that he has kept the ball 80.2% of the time. Peter Vagenas (79.2%) and Alvaro Pires (77.9%) rank fourth and fifth in the league in possession respectively while only Clyde Simms of D.C. United has kept the ball better than Xavier, helping United keep possession 85% of the time he touches the ball.
LOOKING AT THE OPPOSITION: Real Salt Lake heads into this weekend's match with a 1-3-1 record, leaving them tied for fourth place in the Western Conference along with Chivas USA. However, RSL is unbeaten at home this year, going 1-0-1 at Rice-Eccles Stadium, with the win coming courtesy of a 4-0 defeat of D.C. United on April 19, with Kyle Beckerman scoring each of his team-best two goals in that game.
Last year the Galaxy had a 1-1-1 record against RSL, splitting the two matches at The Home Depot Center and earning a 2-2 draw in Salt Lake City, a match which started LA's late season seven-match unbeaten streak.
MAY 10 & 24 NOTHING BUT NETS CHALLENGE: Nothing But Nets is a grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa, by providing an anti-malaria bed net for a child in Africa. Join Galaxy Nothing But Nets Ambassadors Chris Klein and Carlos Ruiz and the Galaxy Foundation by making a $10 contribution to buy one bed net for a child. Fans may visit the Galaxy Foundation booth on the Southwest Concourse at The Home Depot Center on May 10 or May 24 to make a $10 contribution or contribute online at http://www.nothingbutnets.net/mlsworks!
FOURTH ANNUAL GALAXY CLÁSICO WRAPS UP: The fourth annual Galaxy Clásico Soccer Tournament was held in San Bernardino this past weekend with Hollywood United and International SC coming out on top as the big winners. Hollywood United won the Men's Open Division and the $5,000 cash prize that goes along with doing so, defeating the 2005 and 2006 Clasico champion Columbus Crew 4-3 on penalties after playing to a 1-1 draw in regulation.
International SC won their second straight Clasico Over-30 title, defeating Blackwatch 4-3 on penalties following a scoreless draw in regulation.
COPA LA RETURNS: Registration is now open for the seventh annual Copa LA, which will be held on May 24-26 at the San Bernardino Soccer Complex. Teams in all age brackets from 1999 to 1989 (boys) and 1993 and 1989 (girls) can register now for what is annually one of the top youth soccer tournaments in Southern California. Registration is open now at www.lagalaxy.com costs just $250 per teams and all participants receive ticket deals for future Galaxy games and the chance to play against some of the top teams in this region, as well as the opportunity to play in front of Galaxy scouts and select members of the current Galaxy team.
For more information about this tournament or how to register, please contact Blane Shepard by phone at (310) 630-2227 or email bshepard@lagaalxy.com.
DON'T MISS GALAXY DEPORTIVO EVERY WEEKEND: Galaxy Deportivo, the Galaxy's official weekly half hour show, is back for another year and can now be seen every weekend on two different stations. The show will first air on KWHY-22 every Saturday night at 6 p.m. with a series of features and interviews that provide insight into the weekend's game. Then on Sunday morning, Galaxy Deportivo will air again, this time on Telemundo-52 with the same in depth access, as well as highlights from Saturday night's match.
For the third straight year, Alejandro Navarro and Elmer Polanco will serve as hosts for the show, giving viewers an unprecedented level of access and insight to the 2008 Galaxy team.
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. The best place to get that information is on Puro Galaxy, the network's weekly, hour-long show that can tell you all you need to know and more about the Galaxy, airs every Saturday from 2-3 p.m., just in time to get you ready for the Galaxy's game on the weekend.
Rolando Gonzalez, who serves as the play-by-play voice of the Galaxy on broadcasts on KWKW, is the host of Puro Galaxy, and he will be joined by his fellow broadcasters and a series of special guests. So tune in each and every week and stay up to date with everything that is going on in the Galaxy.
