FC Dallas 0-1 Los Angeles Galaxy – Video Highlights

The Galaxy continued their strong start to the 2010 season with a 1-0 win on Thursday night.

The lone goal was from Mike Magee in the 17th minute with assists from Tristan Brown and Chris Klein. The goal was set up when Klein sent a great through ball for Brown who got behind the defense and then sent a pass to Magee who was wide open in the box.

The win has the Galaxy leading the Western Conference by 13 points and improves their record to 8-2-0 with only two goals conceded all season. FCD is now 2-5-2 with 11 points.

Scoring Summary:

LA — Mike Magee 1 (Tristan Bowen 1, Chris Klein 1) 17

Misconduct Summary:

DAL — Ugo Ihemelu (caution; Reckless Tackle) 28
LA — Mike Magee (caution; Dissent) 31
LA – Michael Stephens (caution; Reckless Tackle) 35
DAL — Brek Shea (caution; Dissent) 42

Lineups

Los Angeles Galaxy — Donovan Ricketts, A.J. DeLaGarza, Omar
Gonzalez, Gregg Berhalter, Todd Dunivant, Chris Klein (Sean Franklin
70), Christopher Birchall, Juninho, Michael Stephens, Tristan Bowen
(Clint Mathis 65), Mike Magee (Jovan Kirovski 74).

FC Dallas –
Kevin Hartman, Zach Loyd (Bryan Leyva 77), George John, Ugo Ihemelu,
Jair Benitez, Atiba Harris, Daniel Hernandez, Dax McCarty, Brek Shea
(Marvin Chavez 72), Jeff Cunningham (Eric Avila 63), David Ferreira.

Referee: Abiodun Okulaja
Referee’s Assistants: Peter Balciunas; Adam Garner
4th Official: Chris Penso
Attendance: 10,947
Time of Game: 1:53
Weather: Clear and 81 degrees

It will be televised on Fox Sports Southwest Plus in Dallas, Fox Sports West in Los Angeles (tape delayed, airs at 9 PM PST), and on Direct Kick in the United States. You can also find the match at the link on the bottom of this post.

FC Dallas v Los Angeles Galaxy Preview

The Los Angeles Galaxy will be playing their first match without Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle on Thursday night. Both players are in the USA National Team camp and could be unavailable until July. Donovan is a lock for the roster while Buddle would return in June if not selected for the 23 man roster.

FC Dallas had a slow start to the season but have won two out of their last three matches. It would have been three out of their last three if they had not conceded a stoppage time goal to the Philadelphia Union last Saturday. Dallas has shown improvement and is unbeaten in four home matches.

With Buddle and Donovan not available, the Galaxy will need other players to provide the scoring. It’s hard to tell how they will respond on Thursday but manager Bruce Arena is one of the best in MLS. Even if they lack some of their attacking players, the real strength of the Galaxy has been their defense (2 goals conceded).

The key players for Dallas are striker Jeff Cunningham and midfielders Atiba Harris and Dax McCarty. Cunningham has four goals this season and is one of the top strikers when he’s in form. Harris and McCarty will need to control the midfield and provide good service for Cunningham. Another player for Dallas to keep an eye on is rising star Brek Shea. He scored a great goal in last week’s 1-1 draw and solid scoring threat from midfield.

FCD are starting to play well at home and should get a close win. The Galaxy will struggle as they adjust without top players and lose their first match of the season.

Injury News

FC Dallas - NONE REPORTED

Los Angeles - QUESTIONABLE: DF A.J. DeLaGarza (back spasms); DF Sean Franklin (L ankle sprain); FW Alan Gordon (R quad strain); FW Bryan Jordan (R hamstring strain); MF Dema Kovalenko (R hamstring strain); DF Leonardo (R quad strain); MF Eddie Lewis (L foot contusion); GK Donovan Ricketts (R elbow strain)

FC Dallas v Los Angeles Galaxy Prediction

FC Dallas will win the match 2-1.

Watch FC Dallas v Los Angeles Galaxy Live Online

You can watch the match at Free Live Sports TV.

Watch FC Dallas v Los Angeles Galaxy Live Online – 20:30 EST

FC Dallas 2-2 Seattle Sounders FC – Video Highlights

The Sounders had a 2-1 lead late in the match but a controversial penalty resulted in a 2-2 draw.

The match went back and forth with each time having a lead at one point in the match. Both of Dallas’ goals came penalty kicks. The first came in the 26th minute as Jeff Cunningham made it 1-0. Seattle responded about 12 minutes later as Steve Zakuani scored to make it 1-1.

Seattle were the better team for most of the match and would take the lead in the second half. The goal came from Fredy Montero in the 54th minute to make it 1-2. FCD would catch a break in stoppage time as a penalty was called. It was probably the incorrect call but Dallas would take advantage as Cunningham scored his second goal of the night.

The match would end at 2-2 and a disappointing end for Seattle. The Sounders should have won the match but earned their second draw on the road.

Scoring

DAL – Jeff Cunningham 2 (penalty kick) 27’
SEA – Steve Zakuani 2 (Osvaldo Alonso) 39’

SEA – Fredy Montero 2 (unassisted) 55’
DAL – Jeff Cunningham 3 (penalty kick) 94’

Misconduct

DAL — George John (caution; Reckless Tackle) 7’

SEA — Tyrone Marshall (caution; Reckless Tackle) 21’

SEA — Fredy Montero (caution; Reckless Foul) 44’

DAL — David Ferreira (caution; Reckless Tackle) 85’

Lineups

Seattle Sounders — Kasey Keller (Terry Boss 46), James Riley, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Tyrone Marshall, Leo Gonzalez, David Estrada (Pat Noonan 69), Brad Evans, Osvaldo Alonso, Steve Zakuani, Roger Levesque, Fredy Montero (Freddie Ljungberg 78).

FC Dallas — Dario Sala, Zach Loyd (Jason Yeisley 81), Ugo Ihemelu, George John, Jair Benitez (Brek Shea 73), Atiba Harris, David Ferreira, Daniel Hernandez, Dax McCarty (Eric Avila 64), Heath Pearce, Jeff Cunningham.

Referee: Terry Vaughn

Referee’s Assistants: Sean Hurd; Jason Cullum

4th Official: Alejandro Mariscal

Attendance: 8,512

It will be televised on ESPN 2 & ESPN Deportes in the United States, GolTV in Canada, and on Sky Sport 1 in Italy. You can also watch the match at the link on the bottom of this post.

FC Dallas v Seattle Sounders FC Preview

Dallas is off to a slow start and is winless in its first three matches. They have earned two draws in their home matches and in last place in the Western Conference. Seattle are 2-1-1 and has earned one draw in their only away match. The Sounders have only allowed three goals in four matches but need to do a better job of scoring goals.

FC Dallas do not look like a playoff team but do have some quality players on their roster. Dax McCarty is a rising star who could be a regular on the USA National Team in the future while Jeff Cunningham is a proven scorer in MLS. They are still lacking one or two more quality players from being a serious contender but MLS is a league of parity.

The Sounders caught a break in last week’s win over KC by catching them sleeping in stoppage time to get a 1-0 win. They are in tied for 2nd in the Western Conference with seven points and on track to make the playoffs for a second straight season. As usual, Freddie Ljungberg is the focal point of the Sounders attack and still a very solid player. Ljungberg will create chances and space for his teammates but they will have to convert the chances.

The crowd at PHP will probably be small as FC Dallas is only averaging around 9,000 in their two home matches. This doesn’t help give FCD any clear home advantage with less than half of the stadium empty. It should be a low scoring match that ends in a draw.

FC Dallas v Seattle Sounders FC Prediction

The match will end in a 1-1 draw.

Watch FC Dallas v Seattle Sounders FC Live Online

You can watch the match live and online for free on Free Live Sports TV.

Toronto FC, another team with great fan support, just missed out on their first playoff spot. They were too inconsistent and losing 0-5 at NY was an embarassment. Other notable storylines for the resurgence of the Los Angeles Galaxy, who with Beckham and Donovan, were the top team in the Western Conference. With the end of the regular season, this is the final list of power rankings for Major League Soccer.

1. Los Angeles Galaxy – They have a well balanced club that are one of the favorites to win the MLS Cup. Donovan is in terrific form and if he can deliver in the playoffs it could be time for him to follow teammate David Beckham and transfer to Europe.
2. Columbus Crew – A meaningless loss on Sunday against New England as Columbus had the Supporter’s Shield already clinched. The Crew are the favorites to reach the MLS Cup Final in a weaker Eastern Conference.
3. Houston Dynamo – A talented team who is tied for the fewest goals conceded with only 29 through 30 matches. They should reach the Western Conference Finals but will need Brian Ching and Stuart Holden to have good performances.
4. Seattle Sounders FC – They may be in their first year as a franchise but the Sounders are as dangerous as anyone. Freddie Ljungberg as adjusted well to the league and Kasey Keller has been a wall in goal.
5. Chivas USA – The team has been up and down after a terrific start. Sacha Kljestan appears to have found his form and the club will need it against the Galaxy.
6. Chicago Fire – The Fire limped into the playoffs as the second placed team in the Eastern Conference. With Blanco and McBride they can win any match but the defense is the real question mark.
7. New England Revolution – Another club that didn’t finish strong and had to get a result in the last weekend to make the playoffs. They are the only team to make the playoffs with a negative goal differential.
8. Real Salt Lake – They just made the playoffs and note likely to advance very far in the playoffs. The key will be improving their form on the road.
9. DC United – Their busy schedule with the US Open Cup, Champions League, and MLS schedule caught up to them in the final part of the season. They were always within reach of a playoff spot but couldn’t get the result in the final weeks. The defense is the focus in the offseason as they conceded 44 goals in 30 matches.
10. Colorado Rapids – The Rapids were in position to qualify in the final few weeks but couldn’t get the results when they needed them. A team that is close to being a contender but needs some help in the midfield and defense.
11. FC Dallas – They made a late run and almost came out of nowhere to make the playoffs. They were one of the better teams in the last few months and Jeff Cunningham was the MLS leading scorer with 17 goals.
12. Toronto FC – The lack of defense was their achilles heel as Toronto once again failed to make the playoffs. They need to make moves in the transfer market.
13. San Jose Earthquakes – San Jose had talent but never really got going until the final month or so of the season.
14. Kansas City Wizards – The Wizards were never considered one of the top teams and struggled in July, August, and September.
15. New York Red Bulls – A 5-0 win against Toronto does little for the Red Bulls who were simply horrible this season. Next season they have a new arena and rumors are that Thierry Henry will be transferring after the World Cup. It should provide a much needed boost to the franchise and specifically their attendance.

Here’s a list of the match-ups for the first round (conference semifinals) of the Major League Soccer 2009 season. Match times and TV listings will be available on Monday.

Major League Soccer 2009 Playoff Matchups

West:
4 Chivas USA
1 LA Galaxy

3 Sounders FC
2 Houston

East:
4 Real Salt Lake
1 Columbus

3 New England
2 Chicago Fire

Final Regular Season Standings

• ^Note 1 – Toronto FC cannot qualify for the U.S. Open Cup, as it is a Canadian-based team. If they qualify for an automatic berth into the U.S. Open Cup, the next highest placed team not already qualified will be given a berth. Similarly, they cannot qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League through MLS. Rather, they can qualify through the Canadian Soccer Championship. If they qualify for the Champions League through MLS, then the highest placed team not already qualified will qualify.

• ^Note 2 – Additional Champions League berths will be awarded to the winner and runner-up of MLS Cup 2009.
  The winner of the 2009 U.S. Open Cup (Seattle) also qualifies.

The one thing about MLS is that any team at any team can upset another. This being said, the seedings heading into the play-offs don’t make much difference as its a very balanced league with upsets possible.

Here are the latest Major League Soccer Power Rankings for Week 31 through Wednesday, October 21, 2009.

1. Columbus Crew – Columbus is a balanced club that are the favorites to repeat as MLS Cup champions. A +11 goal differential leads the league.
2. Los Angeles Galaxy – The Galaxy finally are in the playoffs and have Landon Donovan in great form. Can they advance to the MLS Cup final which would be a storybook ending for Beckham?
3. Chivas USA – Preki and this club goes under the radar most of the year but they are as dangerous as any club.
4. Houston Dynamo – The Dynamo are in the playoffs and can focus on their midweek Champions League match. Stuart Holden could use the playoffs to audition for clubs in Europe as its time for him to go overseas.
5. Seattle Sounders FC – The Sounders clinched a spot with a win on Saturday at KC. Freddie Ljungberg has arguably been one of the best designated players signed in the history of MLS.
6. Chicago Fire – The Fire could be in the playoffs even with a loss but need a result to get some momentum.
7. Toronto FC – Toronto have a great home win on Saturday and needs to do win on the road. They
8. DC United – DC had a clutch win last weekend and needs one more to keep their hopes alive. They have a Champions League match in the midweek in which they will likely use mostly reserves to focus on the weekend match.
9. FC Dallas – Dallas has been on fire the last month and had another win against Colorado on Saturday. This is the club that no one wants to play if they make the playoffs.
10. New England Revolution – The loss of Taylor Twellman for most of the season has been felt with only 32 goals scored this season. If they can squeak into the playoffs, they could be this years NY Red Bulls.
11. Colorado Rapids – The Rapids lost a chance to clinch a spot last week and need a result in their final match to make the playoffs.
12. Real Salt Lake – A much needed win last Wednesday against NY but a disappointing loss at Toronto on Saturday. A win in their final match will probably not be enough.
13. San Jose Earthquakes – A team that had potential but never found their form in the 2009 season.
14. Kansas City Wizards – The Wizards lost at home to the Sounders on Saturday. The club has the second fewest goals scored in the 2009 season, just ahead of the Red Bulls.
15. New York Red Bulls – The Red Bulls have played better since firing Osorio but never could produce enough offense. Who will they have as manager for next season?

Major League Soccer Recap – Saturday, October 17, 2009

Toronto FC, DC United, FC Dallas, and the New England Revolution are all tied at 39 points for the final playoff spot after Saturday’s matches.

Toronto, DC, and Dallas all had much needed wins to keep their chances alive. Toronto is looking to clinch their first playoff spot since arriving in MLS in 2007. Captain Jim Brennan scored the match winner for TFC as they would earn a clean sheet. They will play at the New York Red Bulls next Saturday.

DC United had a similar win as Luciano Emilio scored a first half goal to lead his team past Columbus 1-0. They will travel to play the Kansas City Wizards next Saturday.

FC Dallas continues their hot streak in the last few months and within reach of a playoff spot. Their improbable run comes after they sold Kenny Cooper to Germany and the season appeared lost. Goals from George John and Ugo Ihemelu were the difference for Dallas against Colorado on Saturday night. Dallas travels to play at the Seattle Sounders FC next Saturday.

The Seattle Sounders clinched a spot in the playoffs with a 3-2 win at Kansas City. In their first season, Seattle has been an incredible success on and off the pitch. They lead the league in attendance and have been able to put together a very strong team.

New England and Chicago both missed opportunities as the two played to a scoreless draw. The Fire could have clinched a spot with a win while the Revolution could have kept their position in the last playoff spot. Chicago will qualify next week with a draw if DC or NE both fail to win.

Video Highlights

Saturday, October 17
Real Salt Lake	at Toronto FC	TOR 1, RSL 0		20,384
Chicago Fire	at New England Revolution	0-0		18,064
Columbus Crew	at D.C. United	DC 1, CLB 0		16,274
Colorado Rapids	at FC Dallas	DAL 2, COL 1		15,243
Seattle Sounders FC	at Kansas City Wizards	SEA 3, KC 2		10,135
San Jose Earthquakes	at Chivas USA	2-2		12,316

Latest Major League Soccer Playoff Standings through Satuday, October 17, 2009

										HOME						AWAY
CLUB	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	+/-		W	L	T	GF	GA		W	L	T	GF	GA
y – Columbus	29	13	6	10	49	41	30	11		9	1	4	25	14		4	5	6	16	16
x – Chivas USA	28	13	9	6	45	32	27	5		9	2	3	23	11		4	7	3	9	16
x – Los Angeles	28	11	6	11	44	34	31	3		6	4	4	16	17		5	2	7	18	14
Chicago	29	10	7	12	42	38	34	4		4	4	6	15	17		6	3	6	23	17
x – Houston	28	12	8	8	44	36	27	9		8	1	5	23	13		4	7	3	13	14
x – Seattle	29	11	7	11	44	36	28	8		6	2	6	19	9		5	5	5	17	19
Colorado	29	10	9	10	40	42	35	7		8	2	5	25	10		2	7	5	17	25
Toronto FC	29	10	10	9	39	37	41	-4		8	3	4	20	14		2	7	5	17	27
New England	29	10	10	9	39	32	37	-5		7	4	4	22	16		3	6	5	10	21
D.C. United	29	9	8	12	39	41	42	-1		7	3	5	19	14		2	5	7	22	28
FC Dallas	29	11	12	6	39	49	45	4		8	3	4	28	19		3	9	2	21	26
Real Salt Lake	29	10	12	7	37	40	35	5		8	1	5	31	11		2	11	2	9	24
Kansas City	29	8	13	8	32	31	40	-9		4	6	4	16	18		4	7	4	15	22
San Jose	29	7	13	9	30	36	48	-12		6	5	4	22	21		1	8	5	14	27
New York	29	4	19	6	18	22	47	-25		4	6	4	19	20		0	13	2	3	27

Major League Soccer Week 30 Power Rankings

1. Columbus Crew – Another great win for the Crew who have only lost one match at home this season. With the playoff spot clinched, they can focus temporarily on the CONCACAF Champions League.
2. Los Angeles Galaxy – Donovan is in terrific form as they will finally make the playoffs since Beckham arrived. While Bruce Arena has taken criticism while managing the USA and other clubs, there’s no denying he’s one of the leading candidates for Manager of the Year. If the Galaxy win the MLS Cup, it would be an ideal time for Donovan to make a permanent move to Europe.
3. Houston Dynamo – Stuart Holden got a start for the National Team as the Dynamo has a bye week. Houston is a perennial favorite to make the MLS Cup and this year is no different.
4. Chivas USA – Preki and his team survived their mid-season slump as they have clinched a spot with 3 matches remaining.
5. Chicago Fire – The Fire have not clinched a spot but could with a victory or draw at New England. They will need to improve their terrible home record (4-4-6) if they want to make a deep playoff run.
6. Seattle Sounders FC – They are on the verge of making the playoffs in their inaugural season and much credit goes to goalkeeper Kasey Keller. He’s been a wall in goal and providing key leadership.
7. Colorado Rapids – Conor Casey scored two goals for the National Team as Colorado had a bye week. They currently are in the playoffs and can clinch with one more win.
8. FC Dallas – Dallas is making a late surge for the playoffs and could sneak in there with two more wins. Jeff Cunningham has been on fire and as in form as any striker the last few months.
9. New England Revolution – They are clinging onto the last playoff spot and lost Saturdat at Columbus. The experience should help them hold onto the final spot but the absence of Taylor Twellman could be hard to overcome.
10. Toronto FC – A disappointing result for TFC who couldn’t get the win at home against San Jose. They have two matches left and probably need to win both to have a chance to make the playoffs.
11. DC United – The last month has been disappointing for DC who has been hurt by a very busy schedule. They’ve played in the US Open Cup (all the way into the final), CONCACAF Champions League, and MLS. They need two wins in the final two matches to have a chance to make the playoffs.
12. Real Salt Lake – They are very much alive with one game in hand on most clubs (3 left). Two matches on the road this upcoming week will be very crucial as they have a 2-10-2 road record.
13. San Jose Earthquakes – The Earthquakes have no defense and have conceded a league high 46 goals.
14. Kansas City Wizards – The team fell off the map in the middle of the season and never recovered. A road loss to Chivas USA has them out of the playoff race.
15. New York Red Bulls – There’s not much left to say about this club. A story came out recently that Avram Grant was a possible manager but that could have been disastrous. A busy offseason will be necessary as they really missed Dave van den Bergh in the midfield all season (now at FC Dallas).

Recap and Video Highlights (last column is attendance)

Wednesday, October 7
FC Dallas	at San Jose Earthquakes	DAL 2, SJ 1		9,023
Saturday, October 10
San Jose Earthquakes	at Toronto FC	1-1		20,571
Columbus Crew	at New England Revolution	CLB 1, NE 0		13,297
Kansas City Wizards	at Chivas USA	CHV 2, KC 0		12,923

Standings