BeckhamGalaxy will post the Top 5 Questions, which were the very ones posted by fans.

Question from LA Galaxy Fan, Sean V

“What are your thoughts on potentially lining up this season with Sarvas in the midfield?”

Juninho, the Samba 

“It’s great because he’s Brazilian and there will be great communication between us. I think he was a great signing by the Galaxy because he’s a very strong player. With him, we’ll be strong again this year and positioned to win “

Question from LA Galaxy Fan, Victoria

“What is different about training with The Galaxy opposed to your club in Brazil?”

Juninho, the Samba

“It’s very different. Over there they train in the mornings and in the evenings and here Galaxy train just one time per day but it’s very rigorous.”

Question from LA Galaxy Fan, Phillip

“Juninho, are you going to miss having Chris Birchall with you in the midfield? Also how does it feel to have David Beckham back for another 2 seasons?”

Juninho, the Samba

“For Birchall, I’m very sad. We’re a family here and for him not to return is a loss, like Donovan Ricketts too. David is a great person and a great player. It’s great to have him back for two more years because he’s a great example for the younger players and he’s a great professional”

 

Question from LA Galaxy Fan, Cristo Kontoyan

“How will the team have to change the way they perform with the absence of Omar Gonzalez?”

Juninho, the Samba

“It’s going to be very tough because Omar is a great player and he’s been here a long time so we’ve gotten used to playing with him on our side, but I think that the young players have a chance to support the team.”  

Question from LA Galaxy Fan, E. Gonzalez 4

“What are your goals for the 2012 season?”

Juninho, the Samba

 ”I want to continue what I’ve done the past two years, to score goals and to help the team compete in the tournaments this year.”

To read more of the other posts by LA Galaxy fans, do visit the Official LA Galaxy Website.

At BeckhamGalaxy, check out other posts related to Juninho.

Edson Buddle is back and much more!!!(This includes the Return of Juninho.)

Omar Gonzalez Injured – LA Galaxy’s Replacement Strategy (At that time, Juninho had already returned back to his old club and BeckhamGalaxy speculated that Chris Birchall will be helming in the absence of Juninho. Who will have expected an opposite turn of events?)

BeckhamGalaxy Scouts Out Marcelo Sarvas (BeckhamGalaxy identified Marcelo Sarvas as the potential replacement for Juninho. But of course, Juninho’s return is a BIG BONUS!)

Listen to what David Beckham has to say as to whether he has to add padding in the front.

“I’ve never, ever done a James and padded out my pants, or shoved socks down there though.

‘I’ve never had to for any of the photoshoots I’ve done because, hopefully, I don’t need to. Well, let’s just say I’ve been told I don’t need any help in that department. I think I’m pretty OK!”

CNN Roland Martin became the first person in the world, I believe, to be fired over Tweets directed towards David Beckham’s advertisement.

 “Ain’t no real bruhs going to H&M to buy some H&M underwear!”

“I have an exciting new campaign from H&M that I thought you would enjoy sharing with your readers. David Beckham is debuting his Bodywear collection for H&M, a men’s undergarment line fashioned on his own wardrobe. Lined with comfortable elastic, a label that does not scratch, and seams that do not rub against the body, the collection is focused on providing maximum comfort and will be sold exclusively at H&M nationwide.”

I was about to add on to the above statement, how about offering a discount online for BeckhamGalaxy readers, when they purchase the David Beckham’s Underwear Collection at H&M outlets?

Supplemental Draft into the Professional MLS teams, it is not the end but the

beginning of an all-out war to battle it out in pre-season training and matches.

A typical MLS First Team Roster is made up of 30 players, who have received the

offer to sign professional contracts with the MLS Team. Let us have a closer look

at the 2012 Draft Picks of LA Galaxy.

7 players were drafted into LA Galaxy for the Season 2012, with the MLS Rights

of the players belonging to LA Galaxy as well. The players are Bill Gaudette,

Bryan Gaul, Stephen Posa, Justin Davies, Rafael Garcia, Yuri Gorentzvaig,

Tommy Meyer and Kenney Walker. 2 of the 7 has been released by LA Galaxy,

Midfielder Stephen Posa and Brazilian Yuri Gorentzvaig. (I felt it was a pity that

LA Galaxy released this talented young Brazilian, but I guess the Foreign Player

slots has been used up with the return of fellow Brazilians, Juninho and

Leonardo.)

In most cases, the MLS SuperDraft picks will be safe from the axe. In a quick recap,

LA Galaxy picked up Defender Tommy Meyer and Midfielder Kenney Walker in

2012. Both have received good reviews from Head Coach Bruce Arena himself, and

will also be featured in his future plans.

I am expecting 1 more player to be cut from the current LA Galaxy team roster.

It could be one of the older fringe players, or the one of the new wannabe Draftees

of 2012. Wild Guesses, anyone?

The Cut from LA Galaxy - WHO's NEXT???

Robbie Keane is set to expire soon! Landon Donovan was expected to return

this weekend. Robbie Keane due to return, at a later date, on 25 February 2012.

Up next in LA Galaxy’s schedule is FC Tucson Desert Diamond Cup. Mark your

calendar if you planning to travel and throw in your support for LA Galaxy.

LA Galaxy's Schedule in Desert Diamond Cup 2012

In the previous post, we covered on the Deep Impact of Landon Donovan in the EPL.

Take a further look at the impressive stats of Robbie Keane, the deadly finisher

terrorizing the defence of EPL teams.

Robbie Keane, LA Galaxy's Irish Assassin

Since Robbie Keane joined Aston Villa on loan, he has quickly adapted to the

team’s style of play. He started slow off the block, with his first appearance

as a late substitute in the game versus Landon Donovan and Everton FC.

However, his next appearance in the game against Wolves led him to plunder

two late goals, including a winner to help Villa to a 2-3 away win. In the game

against Newcastle, Keane’s goal helped to equalize the score to 1-1 before Villa

collapsed to a 2-1 away defeat.

Given the incredible form of Robbie Keane, there is no surprise that Alex McLeish

and Aston Villa is try their best to extend the loan. The comparison between

Keane and the rest of Villa strikers showed the glaring difference in the area of

shots-to-goals percentage, as well as the total goals scored, based on the last 5

EPL match appearances.

Comparing the Stats of Robbie Keane

The predatory instincts of Robbie Keane will be sorely missed by Aston Villa for

the remaining season. Aston Villa is running a lean squad of players, and the

number of strikers on the roster is rather inadequate. Nevertheless, Keane had

a great runout of games, epitomised by his great performance with two goals

against Wolves, one a classy 20-yard half-volley and a screamer that went in

under the side of the crossbar.

LA Galaxy fans will be able to catch early glimpses of Robbie Keane and Landon

Donovan in action during the FC Tucson Desert Cup 2012. This year’s round

-robin tournament pits LA Galaxy against 3 other MLS teams, and it will be an

early preview before the long-awaited start of the MLS season. LA Galaxy has

suffered three consecutive defeats during the Pre-Season since the 7-2 drubbing

of LA Blues. The LA Galaxy Defence seems to be out of sort, conceding 8 goals in

3 matches.

Juninho and Edson Buddle will be travelling with the squad, and LA

Galaxy fans can expect to able to catch the both of them in action. Coupled with

Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane returning to join the rest of the squad,

fans catching the FC Tucson Desert Cup are in for a treat.

LA Galaxy fans, are you ready for the start of MLS Season 2012?

Donovan have not been banging in goals, but he came up BIG with an invaluable assist,

helping Everton secure 2-0 victory, and precious points in the Premier League. This is

a follow-up from BeckhamGalaxy’s earlier post,

Premier League Exploits by LA Galaxy Players.

An assist to a goal by Darren Gibson led Everton to a 1-0 victory over BPL leaders

Manchester City. There is no wonder Everton is trying their best to negotiate an extension

of Landon Donovan’s loan till April 15.

Check out the ASSISTS CHART of Landon Donovan after joining Everton.

The Assists Chart of Landon Donovan

It was another Déjà vu experience, Landon Donovan came up big with an assist as well in

his previous 2010 loan, in Everton’s match against Chelsea, helping to secure a 2-1

victory. Donovan may yet have a hand in giving Chelsea an excuse to sack Andre-Villas

Boas for their recent slump. In meeting Robbie Keane and Aston Villa, Landon Donovan

was a huge influence in contributing an assist to salvage a point for Everton.

Landon Donovan has yet to score a goal in the Premier League this season. Last season,

Everton missed out on the chance to sign Landon due to insufficient funds. LA Galaxy fans

will be thankful that this time Landon transfer to Everton is not permanent, due to a similar

financial situation. That, and the fact that Everton brought back Steven Pienaar, further

quashed any potential transfer move away from LA Galaxy.

According to the terms of the loan, Landon is expected to be reporting back to LA Galaxy

by March 7. The matches in which Landon can play in are the FA Cup Round 5 match

against Blackpool, on February 18, and another BPL away match against QPR on

March 7.

Landon Expressed His Desire to Stay?

Landon has expressed his desire to stay and help Everton until the end of the season in

April 15. LA Galaxy’s first match of the season begins with the CONCACAF Champions

League Quarterfinal match versus Toronto FC on March 7.

Will Landon Donovan be back by then?

Landon Donovan, on the possibility of extending loan stay

“Both Everton and the Galaxy know I would like to stay, but logistically it is

harder than just saying I want to or I am going to stay. There are a lot of

factors involved, and we will see what the Galaxy want. I think we will

have a lot more information this week.”

And if the loan is extended,

Will LA Galaxy be able to cope with the absence of Landon Donovan?

The Two-Way Midfielders of LA Galaxy

LA Galaxy has no shortages in the center of midfield, with so many able bodies

capable of playing the ball in central midfield. The above diagram explained

perfectly what defines a two-way midfielder. A two-way midfielder is …….

“A versatile midfielder who is responsible for organizing play in midfield area.

He is often regarded as the team’s energetic leader.”

 

Besides Beckham, I will roll out the names of the rest of LA Galaxy’s Two-Way

Midfielders:

Michael Stephens, Samba Juninho (YES, HE’S BACK!!!), Kenney Walker,

Kyle Beckerman, Fellow Samba Marcelo Sarvas and Dan Keat.

Wealth in Central Midfield, Poverty in The Wings

With a wealth of two-way midfielders at Bruce Arena’s disposal, the rest of the MLS

teams are definitely envious of the depth in LA Galaxy. There is plenty of options

for Bruce Arena to consider, but he will need to choose the best men to line up before

the start of the whistle.

Bruce Arena on being over-loaded with two-way midfielders

“With the CONCACAF Champions League and Sarvas cup-tied, it’s important

to have Juninho here,” Arena said. “Beckham and possibly Stephens could

be gone to the Olympics, we need that position to be a position with depth and

quality and I think we have that now.”

 

Bruce Arena has a selection headache, and it is a good problem that most MLS managers

will rather have. It is a pity that Chris Birchall has decided to find a career in England

and has ruled out any chances of a return. In Birchall’s absence, Michael Stephens and

New Zealander Dan Keat looks set to step up to become able back-ups. Kyle Nakazawa

also has much to offer with his MLS playing experience, having played regularly for

Philadelphia Union in spite of his youth. Samba compatriots, Marcelos Sarvas and

Juninho, are among the front-runners to partner Beckham regularly in the center of

midfield.

In the event of losing Stephens and Beckham to the 2012 Olympics and Sarvas being

cup-tied, Kyle Nakazawa and Juninho will most likely be pairing up to hold the fort

in midfield. Rafael Garcia and Defensive player Kenney Walker are waiting in the

wings, but the MLS Draftees will need to first prove that they are worthy enough to

be included into the final team roster.

Argentinian Winger Miguel Lopez won’t be back at LA Galaxy, as he would be

returning back to Argentinian side Quilmes. Home-Grown player Jose Villareal is

out injured, with only Paolo Cardozo, Mike Magee and Landon Donovan the only

players who can play on the wing. Without wingers to run with the ball down the

channels, LA Galaxy will be playing with litlte width and will be making most of

the plays down the middle. This makes the playbook of LA Galaxy very predictable.

In fact, it falls flat and is dangerously one-dimensional. If the need arises, Beckham

may be called upon to play on the right side, where he has been dishing out

dangerous crosses for his teammates to score from his assists.

Midfielders who can play in Multiple Positions

Bruce Arena may look to convert some of the midfielders into wingers, and to

include a training session for them to learn a new position. Bruce has been

known to deploy Birchall on the wings, even though his favored position is

in the center. Rafael Garcia, Kenney Walker and Dan Keat may be receiving

instructions to act as cover for the wings. Younger players are more “malleable”

in learning a new position as they also tend to pick up faster as well. One example

is Brek Shea of FC Dallas, who was converted from a defender into an explosive

and very effective winger.

Another way is to deploy a 4-3-3 formation instead of Bruce’s favored 4-4-2

formation. In the 4-3-3 position, with Juninho making defensive covers, Beckham

can then move to the right-side where he can often accurately cross or send long

-range passes cross-field. Marcelo Sarvas can be given a free role where he can

receive passes on the left wing and also to cut into the middle to shoot on goal or to

make a final pass.

With converted midfielders, LA Galaxy will not have to worry about shortages of

players on the wings. Playing with width and deploying wingers will be

advantageous to LA Galaxy, and also increase the chances of delivering accurate

crosses to Newly-Acquired Edson Buddle. In the recent Preseason Game versus

LA Blues, Paolo Cardozo has been effective on the wings and linked up well with

Adam Cristman. Cristman, who had not been clinical to a fault, was set up by

Cardozo to surprising finish with two goals in that friendly.

Depth in LA Galaxy Required for Hectic Schedule

LA Galaxy is overloaded with two-way midfielders, and the lack of wingers  can

be rather worrying. This will further restrict LA Galaxy to play the ball through

the middle and attempt through balls. The Defence of LA Galaxy has not played

convincingly in the absence of injured Omar Gonzalez, letting in six goals in the

last two Pre-Season Friendlies. In contrast, the LA Galaxy Defence led by Omar

Gonzalez has kept 41 clean sheets over three seasons.

Edson Buddle is Back. Juninho is Back, along with Leonardo returning

without LA Galaxy paying a single cent. There is reunion of familiar faces,

with LA Galaxy looking to keep as many of the old players playing together

as possible.

If LA Galaxy continues to let in goals at an alarming rate, one can look no

further than to ensure that the strike force of Edson Buddle and Robbie Keane

will be much, much more productive on the other end. I don’t mind if that

means more goals scored, as long as LA Galaxy is the one who is scoring more

goals and winning games.

No, that’s not all. Along with the return of Edson Buddle back to Los Angeles,

there is a number of perks that comes with the transfer. It was a opportunity

that LA Galaxy did not pass up, and was duly rewarded. The timing was

perfect, and Galaxy exercised their option on Buddle.

Released by German FC Ingolstadt, Buddle became a free agent and went on trial

to English Premiership clubs like Everton and West Ham. He tried to impress

the managers in training, but no one is willing to take the chance on 30-years-

old Buddle.  The transfer window closes, with Buddle still without a professional

contract. I must say the English Premier League’s Loss is the Major League

Soccer’s Gain.

LA Galaxy caught wind of Edson Buddle’s availability and was absolutely

ecstatic to offer a deal to bring Buddle back to Major League Soccer. The fans

were thrilled with the official announcement of the Signing of Edson Buddle.

Ecstatic LA Galaxy fans flocked to the airport to welcome the arrival of their

Hero, who is back from his European adventure.

In salutation, BeckhamGalaxy will like to pay tribute to Edson Buddle and

this Youtube Video best represents the goals scored of Super Ed.

(Found in the previous post.)

Super, Super Ed. Super, Super Ed…….. The fans sang in anticipation of the

arrival of their Hero.

Consistent Scoring Problem Solved

Let us look at the roster of strikers: Jack McBean, Adam Cristman, Chad Barrett,

Mike Magee, Pat Noonan, Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane, and last but not least,

Edson Buddle.

Now, we check back the Top Scorer Record of the Past Regular Season for 2011.

Landon Donovan – 12 Goals (0.56 goals/game)

Chad Barrett – 7 Goals (0.40 goals/game)

Mike Magee – 5 Goals (0.25 goals/game)

Robbie Keane – 2 Goals (0.65 goals/game)

Adam Cristman – 1 Goal (0.17 goals/game)

Jack McBean – 1 Goal (1.00 goals/game)

For the Regular Season 2010

Edson Buddle – 17 Goals (0.74 goals/game)

Landon Donovan – 7 Goals (0.23 goals/game)

Jovan Kirovski – 4 Goals (0.39 goals/game)

Tristan Bowen – 2 Goals

Juninho – 2 Goals (0.09 goals/game)

David Beckham - 2 Goals (0.39 goals/game)

In the recent updates of the Friendly Scrimmage, LA Galaxy vs LA Blues,

Adam Cristman, who was poorly inconsistent in taking his chances in the

past (0.17 goals/game), managed to put himself on the scoresheet with two

goals. The arrival of Buddle means that LA Galaxy has no lack of strikers to

field. Hopefully, this will promote more consistency in putting the ball into

the net and also to create a healthy competition amongst the Galaxy strikers.

In my opinion, Robbie Keane and Edson Buddle looks set to lead the Forward

Line. In light of the departure of Keane to Euro 2012, it is still unknown who

will be pairing up with Edson Buddle. Bruce Arenas may try the old Classic

pairing of Buddle-Donovan, or he may also decide that Buddle will play the

Lone Striker role, and Buddle is more than capable in holding up the ball

with his strength and tenacity.

LA Galaxy Has More Options

It is a good problem for the Coach to have several options to choose from.

For the MLS Season 2010, Edson Buddle was in red-hot form with the top

scorer’s haul of 19 goals for both Post and Regular Season. Most of the fans

are paying their tickets to watch Edson Buddle play, and Buddle looks set

to be starting every match, barring injury.

The second spot vacated by Keane’s departure to Euro 2012 is up for grabs.

Chad Barrett and Pat Noonan are Seasoned Veterans, and they will be

competing to be on the starting lineup. Adam Cristman is another physical

player with added height and strength, and he needs to prove that he is a

consistent goalscorer.

I doubt very much that Bruce will play both Cristmanand Buddle together,

given that their style of play is almost identical and they are often played

as a targetman. Jack McBean is a Scoring Prodigy, and Pre-Season

observations have shown that he has buffed up himself and has the ability

to hold off physical defenders, en route to scoring a goal vs LA Blues.

More Great News for LA Galaxy – JUNINHO IS BACK!!!

In an auspicious U-Turn of events, Juninho is returning back to LA Galaxy,

apparently having reached a loan agreement with Sao Paulo.

Brazilian Media reported of Juninho’s falling out with the Sao Paulo coach.

It soon became clear that Juninho is no longer in the coach’s plans, and that

means LA Galaxy’s Central Midfield Vacuum is filled up by the man himself.

The Centre of the Park is further backed up by Michael Stephens, Kyle

Nakazawa, and young Draftee Kenney Walker.

LA Galaxy also managed to grab a bargain with Brazilian Defender Leonardo

signing on a Free Transfer. Leonardo, who is also nursing from knee injury,

looks set to add depth in central defence. The starting Central Defender spot

will be tightly contested between Leonardo, New Zealeander Andrew Boyens

and 19th Draft Pick Tommy Meyer.

With great players like Edson Buddle and Juninho returning to LA Galaxy,

the burden of Title Defence is much lighter now. The 2012 MLS Cup is only

for LA Galaxy to lose. With Unstoppable Offence and Inpregnable Defence,

LA Galaxy will be establishing a title-winning MLS Dynasty in America.

“Edson Buddle’s Reunion with LA Galaxy”

I can hear thousands of fans screaming along with the Headline.

You can also go to the page where you can download quality wallpaper of Edson

Buddle at the Official LA Galaxy Website.

And Yes! I will like to repeat again, HE’S BACK IN LA!!!

To feel the heat of Fan Fever in reaction to the Buddle move, just log onto twitter

with all the tweets about “LA Galaxy Signs Forward Buddle” getting retweets.

Check out the number of re-tweets! And of course, LA Galaxy’s #14 Jersey has

found back its rightful owner.

Check out the Re-Tweets by @Beckgalaxy (Me) and 114 others

For those of you with Old #14 Jerseys, it’s time for you to dust them off.

Guess who’s back?

L.A. #14′s BACK!!!

For some of you who wish to reminisce the goals scored by Buddle for

LA Galaxy, there is the old MLS Youtube Video of all the Buddle Goals

scored during Season 2010, uploaded by @classifiedblind.

away for international duties. A.J. DeLaGarza was called up by Klinnsmann to

the USMNT, Michael Stephens and Brian Perks to the U-23 squad, also known as

the Olympics Team, with a possible matchup with David Beckham and the GB

Olympics Team, (should Beckham be included.) I’d think so, though Beckham

has humbly declared himself as one of the GB Olympics hopeful.

A.J DeLaGarza was a regular feature in Klinnsmann squad, in international

friendlies sparring with Venezuela and Panama. DeLaGarza had a successful

runout and was given the full 90 minutes. In both games with DeLaGarza

defending as rightback, USMNT managed to maintain clean sheets, and it was

the offensive end that the National team has to work out on. Venezuela and

Panama are weaker opposition sides, compared to heavyweight Mexico. Well,

bear in mind that this squad is made up of players plying their trade in the

MLS, and it will be a team with different players who are playing in Europe,

should this be the World Cup Qualifiers.

A.J was often played as a centerback, partnering with Omar Gonzalez to keep

a lockdown on clean sheets, and was a big part of LA Galaxy’s successful MLS

Cup run. A.J has shown versatility by being able to play anywhere on the

defensive line, and while he played as rightback in friendlies, he will most

likely be assigned the LA Galaxy’s Centerback role. The only question lies

is who is going to partner him, with Gonzalez out for the rest of the new season.

Caleb Porter called up midfielder Michael Stephens and Goalkeeper Brian Perks

for the U-23 January camp, and will most likely to be called up for another camp

in February before the Olympics Qualifying Games in March. Brian Perks earned

his first invite by Caleb Porter and will be looking to impress Porter in a bid to

gain the starting Goalkeeper spot. With Porter looking to continuity and less of

experimenting, Stephens and Perks will be looking forward to another Call-Up.

Michael Stephens will also be likely to have more first-team opportunities in the

midfield, with Juninho returning back to Sao Paulo and Chris Birchall out of

contract.

“I think it’s going to be a big year for me,” he said. “Obviously losing Juninho

hurts, and I don’t know what’s up with Birchall. He’s not here right now.”

 

“There’s going to be a lot of opportunities, and I want to take as many of them

as I can and have a better year than last year and get more playing time than

last year. I’m definitely ready to go.”

 

Into his third season with LA Galaxy, Michael Stephens has played in a total of 50 games,

scoring once and creating 9 assists along the way. Stephens is certainly improving as

player and I am looking forward to seeing him gaining more minutes on the field.

However, LA Galaxy will be missing out on both Stephens and Perks, should they be

included in the Porter’s final squad to compete in the Olympics.

Goalkeeper Brian Perks starts his first training at LA Galaxy, and is one of the new faces

appearing for Pre-Season training at Home Depot Center. Perks looks set to provide

additional cover, and he is most likely behind the pecking order of Josh Saunders and

Nick Noble. One of the highlights of his career is starting in goal on his MLS debut,

keeping a clean sheet and saving a Freddy Montero penalty. To see how difficult it is to

save a Freddy Montero penalty, watch Freddy Montero’s goal being the first nominee

for Goal of the Year Video.

It is great to see that A.J DeLaGarza, Michael Stephens and Brian Perks back in LA from

international duties, and most importantly, free from international duties. The LA Galaxy

is seriously undermanned, and every player, from starting 11 right down to the

substitutes and backups are all important as the Galaxy is going to compete in a hectic

schedule of games spread across 4 tournaments. It will be 5 for the Club World Cup,

should they win the CONCACAF Champions League.

My fingers are crossed for Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane playing abroad.

the rest of the Old Vanguards. Along with new changes to the Galaxy team roster,

there are new changes to the jersey numbers. Most notably, Chad Barrett will

receive the #19 jersey which was made available with Juninho’s departure. Chad

had stated that he would rather have Juninho back though.

LA Galaxy’s Title Defence is further bolstered with David Beckham re-signing with

a new 2-year contract. Apparently, Beckham wished to continue what he had started

in promoting American soccer and the MLS. Beckham is also determined to do his

best to ensure that the MLS Cup will stay put on LA Galaxy’s soil.

The following are the new additions to the squad: Andrew Boyens (DF), Nick Noble (GK),

Pat Noonan (FW), Marcelos Sarvas (MF), Jose Villareal (MF), Tommy Meyer (DF),

Kenny Walker (MF), Bryan Gaul (DF), Rafael Garcia (MF), Yuri Gorentzaig (FW),

Stephen Posa (FW) and Justin Davies (DF). There were also two players who were on

trial, Bill Gaudette and J.T Murray.

(From Left) Galaxy President Tim Leiweke, David Beckham and Manager Bruce Arena at the Press Conference

As to the news of the South American players, the loan of Brazilian Leonardo to LA

Galaxy has been extended and fans can expect him back for the new season. The

contract details of Paolo Cardozo from Quilmes is not yet confirmed, but LA Galaxy

is looking forward to adding Cardozo into the roster. On the other hand,

Argentinian Miguel Lopez has returned back to Quilmes with the Quilmes coach

having decided that Lopez still figures in his plans.

In comes the Young, and Out goes with the Old. LA Galaxy has decided to release

the veteran defenders, Dasan Robinson and Frankie Hejduk. Jovan Kirovski has

decided to hang up his playing boots and to take up the Assistant Coaching position

at LA Galaxy. The new young players at LA Galaxy looks set to tap on Kirovski’s

playing experience, which spans from beginning as a Manchester United trainee

with David Beckham, Neville brothers, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. Kiroski was

also the first American to win the Champions League with German club,

Borussia Dortmund and also the first American to score in the competition as well.

Check the complete Team Roster of LA Galaxy here.

Bruce Arena has stated that the Team Roster is not yet finalized. The question

is still open as to whether the Draftees from the MLS SuperDraft and

Supplementary Draft will be able to make it for the final cut. The Starting

1st 11 is also not concluded until the end of the Pre-Season. Bruce is like to

tinker with the line-ups and experiment around a little, in a bid to see how the

old and new members will gel and to strengthen the chemistry among

the players. I can’t wait to see Bruce’s masterplan unveil in the upcoming

FC Tucson Desert Cup.

Curious to Know who’s Bill Gaudette and J.T Murray?

Currently at age 30, Bill Gaudette has been playing as a goalkeeper and last

played for Columbus during his third season in 2007. Gaudette also played

for three years at Puerto Rico Islanders and was part of the team that won

against LA Galaxy in the preliminary round of the 2010/2011

CONCACAF Champions League. Last Season, he played for Montreal Impact,

who is turning up as the new 19th MLS Club for the upcoming season.

J.T Murray, 23,  entered the MLS scene as a second-round selection by Kansas

City, but he missed the cut on the roster and played for Sevilla FC Puerto Rico

until the club was booted out Third Division USL Pro. Murray turned out for

University of Louisville, and was instrumental in helping the team to the

NCAA final.

LA Galaxy’s Injured Players and Counting

DF Omar Gonzalez, out with ACL rehabilitation

DF Leonardo, out with knee injury

DF Sean Alvarado, out with injury (unconfirmed)

DF Justin Davies, out with left ankle sprain

FW Chad Barrett, out and recovering from dislocated right foot

There is no wonder that the word is out that LA Galaxy is looking for a able

defensive reinforcement, if one is to look at the number of defenders out

injured. Leeds United Defender Alex Bruce, son of former Sunderland Manager

Steve Bruce, is in the shortlist of LA Galaxy.

I am crossing my fingers that the two LA Galaxy players abroad, Landon Donovan

and Robbie Keane, will return safely back to LA injury-free. Please don’t join the

Injured List.

Mike Magee, The Valet Gonzalez secured to walk his dogs and hold his drink

The Jury is still out for the newcomers, as to whether they will make it for the

final cut. Much of this will depend on their performances during training and

pre-season matches. On a positive note, LA Galaxy will benefit from the coaching

support of Jovan Kirovski and he will be helping Bruce in the capacity as Assistant

Manager. LA Galaxy will need to finalize their final team roster and starting 11

selection soon. The clock is ticking.