The LA Galaxy return to action this weekend when they travel to Houston to take on Houston Dynamo in a battle of two of the three teams that are currently tied for first place in the Western Conference. The Galaxy, Dynamo and Chivas USA all have 44 points on the season, leaving them in a tie at the top of the Western Conference, though the Galaxy would win the Conference's top seed if the season ended today based on tiebreakers.
The Galaxy won the first meeting of the season between the two sides, claiming a 1-0 win at The Home Depot Center on June 28, with Todd Dunivant scoring the game's only goal on that day. That win was the start of LA's four-game winning streak that saw them move from sixth in the Western Conference standings all the way up to third.
FS West will have all the action live in English on Sunday afternoon, starting with the 'Galaxy Live' pregame show at 11:30 a.m. Telefutura will also show the game in Spanish starting at 12 p.m., live from Robertson Stadium.
THE WEEK THAT WAS
No Galaxy games last weekend.
INJURY REPORT
Galaxy Injury Report
OUT - Alecko Eskandarian (Head - Disabled List), Julian Valentin (Right Foot - Disabled List)
DOUBTFUL - None
QUESTIONABLE - Dema Kovalenko (Right Achilles - Tendonitis), Stefani Miglioranzi (Left Groin - Strain)
PROBABLE - None
TEAM NOTES
THREE-WAY TIE AT THE TOP:
With Chivas USA's 2-0 win over Kansas City on Saturday night, there is now a three-way tie at the top of the Western Conference. The Galaxy, Houston and Chivas USA all currently have 44 points heading into the final two weeks of the regular season, though Chivas USA does have a game in hand on the other two sides.
The playoff situation could be even tighter heading into Sunday afternoon's game if Chivas USA lose at home to San Jose, who the Galaxy host in their regular season finale on October 24, and Seattle wins at Kansas City. That would leave four teams tied for first place with 44 points each; with Colorado potentially just a point back following their game at FC Dallas on Saturday night.
In the event of a tie in the standings, head-to-head record amongst all teams that are level on points, followed by goal difference in all games and goals scored in all games. If teams are still tied after that point, the same tiebreakers are used, with only road games being considered. If teams are still tied, the same tiebreakers are used, with only home games being considered.
To view the most up to date MLS standings and read the entire procedure for tiebreakers, please click here.
DONOVAN HELPS SEND THE U.S. TO SOUTH AFRICA:
On Saturday night, LA Galaxy captain Landon Donovan scored the game-winning goal to help the U.S. win 3-2 over Honduras in San Pedro Sula. Donovan also set up Conor Casey's second goal of the game, a goal which put the U.S. in front 2-1, giving them a lead that they would not relinquish. That win clinched a spot for the U.S. at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, which will be the sixth straight appearance at the tournament for the Red, White and Blue.
Already the all-time leading scorer for the U.S. with 42 goals in 119 games for his country, Donovan is also the all-time leader in assists and appearances in World Cup Qualifiers for the U.S. He has now scored or assisted on 12 of the 17 goals scored by the U.S. in the final round of qualifying, scoring three and adding nine assists in nine games heading into Wednesday's final qualifier against Costa Rica in Washington D.C.
David Beckham was also with his national team last week but was not in the 18-man squad as England lost 1-0 at Ukraine. England had already qualified for the World Cup heading into that game and will now complete the qualification campaign on Wednesday evening against Belarus in London.
Both Beckham and Donovan will then re-join the Galaxy and are expected to be available for selection for Sunday afternoon's game in Houston.
OFF THE ROAD:
Sunday's game will be the final regular season road game of the year for the Galaxy. LA enters the game with a 5-2-7 record on the road, meaning that they have recorded 22 of their 44 points on the season away from home. The 22 road points are the most recorded by the Galaxy in a single season since the end of the shootout following the 1999 season and just one point less than the Galaxy recorded on the road in the 2007 and 2008 seasons combined.
Only the Chicago Fire, with a 6-3-5 road record this season for 23 points, have recorded more points on the road than the Galaxy this season.
GALAXY TO HOST FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT ON OCTOBER 24:
The Galaxy will host their annual Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday, October 24 in conjunction with their regular season finale against the San Jose Earthquakes. In addition to the game, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m., the Galaxy will have a number of exciting promotions and giveaways available to all in attendance, including the 2010 Miss LA Galaxy Contest, presented by COVERGIRL, the annual Jersey Off-the-Back Auction, as well as a collection of autographed sports memorabilia and other prizes, which will be auctioned off or given away before, during and after the game. To learn more about Fan Appreciation Night and all that goes along with it, please
click here
.
YOUTH ACADEMY
DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY SEASON OPENS THIS WEEKEND:
The LA Galaxy U-16 and U-18 teams are back in action this weekend when they play their first two home games of the season at The Home Depot Center. The weekend begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 17 when the Galaxy U-16's host the Santa Cruz County Breakers, with the U-18's following at 3:15 p.m., with both games being played on Field #7 at The Home Depot Center.
Both Galaxy Academy teams are back in action on Sunday, October 18 when they take on Mustang SC, again on Field #7 at The Home Depot Center. The U-16's kickoff at 1 p.m. and the U-18's follow at 3:15 p.m.
The U-16's and U-18's each opened their season two weeks ago in Washington, with the U-16's tallying a 0-2-0 record and the U-18's going 1-1-0.
NEED TO KNOW
GALAXY DEPORTIVO IS BACK:
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 week and every other Saturday, 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 www.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 free podcasts of previous episodes at www.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.
