MLS Major League Soccer

Donovan, Galaxy Stare Down Important Milestones - this Week in MLS

October 14, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


Landon Donovan hopes to reach an individual milestone this week while also pushing the LA Galaxy into the MLS Cup Playoffs, as they pursue a third straight MLS Cup.

Donovan needs just one more goal to become the all-time leading goal scorer in MLS history. He scored twice in the Galaxy's last game, running his career regular season total to 134 and tying him with Jeff Cunningham, who has held the record since August 27, 2011.

Donovan played 45 minutes in the U.S. national team's 2-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Jamaica last Tuesday, and is questionable for this week's action. The Galaxy host the Montreal Impact Wednesday night (10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Live) and the San Jose Earthquakes Sunday (9 p.m. ET, ESPN).

The Galaxy sit in a precarious playoff position, holding just a one-point advantage over San Jose with a game in hand.

Playoff Scenarios

Houston Dynamo will clinch a berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs IF

- Houston Dynamo win vs. New York Red Bulls on Saturday

AND IF

- Montréal Impact tie or lose vs. LA Galaxy on Wednesday

THEN

- Chicago Fire tie or lose vs. Toronto FC on Saturday OR

- New England Revolution tie or lose vs. Columbus Crew on Saturday

OR IF

- Houston Dynamo win vs. New York Red Bulls on Saturday

AND IF

- Montréal Impact win vs. LA Galaxy on Wednesday

THEN TWO OF THE FOLLOWING

- Philadelphia Union tie or lose vs. Montréal Impact on Saturday AND/OR

- Chicago Fire tie or lose vs. Toronto FC on Saturday AND/OR

- New England Revolution tie or lose vs. Columbus Crew on Saturday

Montréal Impact will clinch a berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs IF

- Montréal Impact win vs. Philadelphia Union on Saturday AND

- New England Revolution tie or lose vs. Columbus Crew on Saturday

OR IF

- Montréal Impact win vs. LA Galaxy on Wednesday AND

- Montréal Impact tie vs. Philadelphia Union on Saturday

AND

- Chicago Fire lose vs. Toronto FC on Saturday OR

- New England Revolution tie or lose vs. Columbus Crew on Saturday

Chicago Fire will clinch a berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs IF

- Chicago Fire win vs. Toronto FC on Saturday AND

- Montréal Impact win vs. Philadelphia Union on Saturday AND

- New England Revolution tie or lose vs. Columbus Crew on Saturday

New England Revolution will be eliminated from playoff contention IF

- New England Revolution lose vs. Columbus Crew on Saturday

AND TWO OF THE FOLLOWING

- Houston Dynamo win or tie vs. New York Red Bulls on Saturday AND/OR

- Chicago Fire win vs. Toronto FC on Saturday AND/OR

- There is a winner in Montréal Impact vs. Philadelphia Union

OR IF

- New England Revolution tie vs. Columbus Crew on Saturday AND

- Houston Dynamo win vs. New York Red Bulls on Saturday AND

- Montréal Impact win vs. Philadelphia Union on Saturday AND

- Chicago Fire win vs. Toronto FC on Saturday

Columbus Crew will be eliminated from playoff contention IF

- Columbus Crew lose or tie vs. New England Revolution on Saturday

OR TWO OF THE FOLLOWING

- Montréal Impact win vs. LA Galaxy on Wednesday OR

- Montréal Impact win vs. Philadelphia Union on Saturday OR

- Philadelphia Union win vs. Montréal Impact on Saturday

- Chicago Fire win vs. Toronto FC on Saturday

Portland Timbers will clinch a berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs IF

- Portland Timbers win or tie vs. Real Salt Lake on Saturday

OR

- San Jose Earthquakes lose or tie vs. LA Galaxy on Sunday

OR

- Colorado Rapids lose or tie vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday

Real Salt Lake will clinch a berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs IF

- Real Salt Lake win vs. Portland Timbers on Saturday

OR

- Real Salt Lake tie vs. Portland Timbers on Saturday AND

- Colorado Rapids lose or tie vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday OR

- San Jose Earthquakes lose or tie vs. LA Galaxy on Sunday OR

- LA Galaxy lose to both Montréal Impact on Wednesday and San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday

OR

- LA Galaxy win vs. San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday AND

- Colorado Rapids win vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday

Seattle Sounders FC will clinch a berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs IF

- Seattle Sounders FC win vs. FC Dallas on Saturday

OR

- Seattle Sounders FC tie vs. FC Dallas on Saturday AND

- Colorado Rapids lose or tie vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday OR

- San Jose Earthquakes lose or tie vs. LA Galaxy on Sunday OR

- LA Galaxy lose to both Montréal Impact on Wednesday and San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday

OR

- LA Galaxy win vs. San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday AND

- Colorado Rapids win vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday

Colorado Rapids will clinch a berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs IF

- Colorado Rapids win vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday AND

- LA Galaxy win vs. San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday

LA Galaxy will clinch a berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs IF

- LA Galaxy win vs. San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday

OR

- LA Galaxy win vs. Montréal Impact on Wednesday AND

- LA Galaxy tie vs. San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday OR

- Colorado Rapids lose vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday

Vancouver Whitecaps FC will be eliminated from playoff contention IF

- Vancouver Whitecaps FC lose vs. Colorado Rapids on Saturday

OR

- Vancouver Whitecaps FC tie vs. Colorado Rapids on Saturday AND

- LA Galaxy win or tie vs. Montréal Impact on Wednesday AND

- San Jose Earthquakes win vs. LA Galaxy on Sunday

San Jose Earthquakes will be eliminated from playoff contention IF

- San Jose Earthquakes lose vs. LA Galaxy on Sunday AND

- Colorado Rapids win vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday

New York Red Bulls and Sporting Kansas City have clinched a berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

D.C. United, Toronto FC, Chivas USA and FC Dallas have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Week 34 National Broadcasts

Friday, October 18

Sporting Kansas City vs. D.C. United, 8:00 p.m. ET (NBCSN)

Saturday, October 19

FC Dallas vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 2:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

Chicago Fire vs. Toronto FC, 8:30 p.m. ET (TSN2, RDS2)

Sunday, October 20

Houston Dynamo vs. New York Red Bulls, 4:00 p.m. ET (UniMas)

LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 9:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Quotables

"It's been tough, and the longer it goes, the more frustrating it gets. Like I said, you've just got to keep fighting and pushing. I've proven that I can score, and I've just got to keep my head up and keep going. And once I got this one, hopefully they keep coming now."

Philadelphia Union forward Jack McInerney after scoring a goal (his first in 15 matches) in the 1-1 tie against D.C. United

"I certainly don't remember both conferences being this tight with two games to go. It speaks to the parity in this league, and that's a good thing. It's a good thing for this league and MLS soccer to have such a close competition down to the end."

Real Salt Lake defender Chris Wingert on the tight playoff race

"The last five or 10 minutes when we were really playing well, and we scored that second goal, I was looking around at all the fans. That was a moment I'll always remember."

Sporting Kansas City and U.S. national team defender Matt Besler on playing in the 2-0 U.S. win over Jamaica in his hometown

"I can't think of anyone in the sport, as long as I've been involved the last 30 years, who has been this accomplished in three different areas in the sport. As a player ... 66 caps, 11 goals ... as an administrator, he was on U.S. Soccer's Board of Directors for 20 years...and now as a coach and administrator."

U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati during the induction of Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes to the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame

"I always have this feeling every game that I'm going to make an impact, no matter how much time I play, if I start or come from the bench...These are the games as a player we dream to play in, in front of this crowd. All we can do is be excited to play the game."

Vancouver Whitecaps FC forward Kekuta Manneh on his hat trick against Seattle Sounders FC

Sweet Tweets

@divaio9 - October 14 - Marco DiVaio, Montreal Impact

Happy #thanksgiving to my second Country! #imfc

@ClintIrwin - October 14 - Clint Irwin, Colorado Rapids

I'll be on @COPublicRadio this morning around 10 am, speaking in a slow, detached and tranquil tone about @ColoradoRapids.

@JebBrovsky - October 14 - Jeb Brovsky, Montreal Impact

Congratulations to @MLSWORKS on their new partnership with @SpecialOlympics #SocialGood

@ Brad Rusin - October 13 - Brad Rusin, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Cascadia Cup Champs!! The best fans deserve it and they certainly got it!!!

@MikeChabala - October 13 - Michael Chabala, Houston Dynamo

Great display #MLSonESPN. Well done #SoccerCityUSA!

‏@wingert17 - October 13 - Chris Wingert, Real Salt Lake

How did that not go in?!! Crazy finish to this game. #PORvSEA #MLSonESPN

MLS Week 34 Previews

Wednesday, October 16

LA Galaxy vs. Montreal Impact, 10:30 p.m.

- The Galaxy return to action after a weekend off, after scoring five goals in a game for a second consecutive season in a 5-0 victory vs. Chivas USA on Oct. 6

- Landon Donovan scored two goals to tie Jeff Cunningham as the all-time MLS goalscoring leader, now with 134 goals in league play. Donovan is with the Galaxy for the Montréal match after being released by the U.S. national team following their World Cup qualifier vs. Jamaica.

- The Impact were shut out for a second consecutive match and the third time in four games last weekend, a 1-0 home loss to New England. Montréal has not been blanked in three games in a row this season.

- The teams are meeting for the second time ever. They played to a 1-1 draw last May 12 in Montréal's inaugural season before a crowd of 60,860 at Olympic Stadium, the 14th-largest crowd in MLS history.

Friday, October 18

Sporting Kansas City vs. D.C. United, 8 p.m. (NBCSN)

- Sporting Kansas City became the second team to clinch a berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs, following their scoreless draw at the Houston Dynamo last weekend.

- Sporting have not allowed a goal in back-to-back games, their first consecutive matches without conceding since five straight shutouts March 16-April 17, part of a 546-minute shutout run, the longest in MLS this season.

D.C. United are looking to avoid becoming the fifth team in league history to complete a league campaign winless on the road, now 0-13-3 on their travels. The last to have completed an MLS season without a road victory was Vancouver Whitecaps FC in 2011.

- The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Claudio Bieler's goal in the 89th minute gave Sporting a 1-0 home win on April 5; the teams traded goals midway through the second half in a 1-1 draw May 19 at RFK Stadium.

- Sporting KC have a six-game undefeated streak alive vs. D.C. United. The last D.C. victory in the series came May 5, 2010 at RFK Stadium. United have not won in Kansas City since 2007; Sporting have won all three meetings lifetime at Sporting Park.

Saturday, October 19

Montreal Impact vs. Philadelphia Union, 2 p.m.

- Jack McInerney scored his first league goal since June 1, bringing Union back for a vital 1-1 draw at D.C. United last weekend. The equalizing goal came in the 90th minute; it was McInerney's third goal this season scored in the 90th minute or later, of his 11 goals in MLS play.

- The Impact return home having lost their last three matches at Stade Saputo. Their last goal in a home game came Sept. 14 in a 2-1 loss to Columbus, now 247 minutes since scoring on their home ground.

- The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Marco Di Vaio had a hat trick before the first half was complete, leading the Impact to a 5-3 victory May 25 at Stade Saputo. The teams played to a scoreless draw Aug. 31 at PPL Park.

- The win in the first meeting is the only one in four encounters lifetime between the teams. The teams split their two meetings in Montréal's inaugural MLS season.

FC Dallas vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 2:30 p.m. (NBCSN)

- Following a five-game winning streak, Sounders FC have gone on a five-game winless run - including three losses in a row - following their 1-0 loss at the Portland Timbers last weekend.

- FC Dallas were officially eliminated from playoff contention following their 3-2 home loss to the Chicago Fire on Saturday evening. Kenny Cooper scored both FCD goals, now with three goals in the last two games.

- The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Eddie Johnson scored a pair of goals to send Sounders FC on their way to a 4-2 victory May 18 at CenturyLink Field, then Johnson, Obafemi Martins and Brad Evans all scored in a 3-0 Seattle home victory on Aug. 3.

- Sounders FC have never lost at FC Dallas Stadium, victorious on trips to Frisco each of the last two seasons. FC Dallas have won just once in 11 meetings in the all-time series, a 1-0 victory in Seattle on May 25, 2011.

Colorado Rapids vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 6 p.m.

- The Rapids begin the home-and-home series between the clubs over the final two weekends riding an eight-game undefeated streak at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, since the July 4 win vs. New York.

- Whitecaps FC have won their last two away matches, coming off a 4-1 win at Seattle last weekend behind three goals from 18-year-old Kekuta Manneh, the youngest player in MLS history to score a hat trick.

- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Deshorn Brown and Edson Buddle scored to lead the Rapids to a 2-0 victory Aug. 17 in Commerce City.

- The Rapids defeated Whitecaps FC for the first time since 2011 in the first meeting, after winning both encounters in Vancouver's inaugural MLS season.

New England Revolution vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.

- The teams are playing the first game in a home-and-home series to conclude the MLS season, and only one of the two teams has the possibility of reaching the postseason - both cannot qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs.

- The Revolution kept their playoff hopes afloat last weekend by extending their undefeated streak to four games as Jose Gonçalves scored his second goal of the season in a 1-0 win at Montréal.

- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Jose Gonçalves and Diego Fagundez both scored in second-half stoppage time to give the Revolution a dramatic 2-0 win July 20 at Crew Stadium.

- It was the Revolution's first win in Columbus since a 1-0 victory on the final day of the 2009 season that gave them a berth in the MLS Cup Playoffs. New England's 2-0 victory in the series season finale last year was the Revolution's first at home vs. Columbus since 2006.

Chicago Fire vs. Toronto FC, 8:30 p.m. (TSN2, RDS2)

- The Fire return home after taking victories from both games on their two-game road swing, scoring three goals in each, last a 3-2 win at FC Dallas, to pull back into the top five in the Eastern Conference and a playoff position.

- Mike Magee scored his third goal in the last three matches in the win at FC Dallas, and now has 19 goals for the season, tied atop the MLS Golden Boot standings with Montréal's Marco Di Vaio.

- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Chicago's Dilly Duka and TFC's Robert Earnshaw traded goals three minutes apart in the first half to leave the teams in a 1-1 draw Sept. 11 at BMO Field.

- TFC has not defeated Chicago since a 4-1 win May 8, 2010, a span of seven games without a victory in the series. Toronto FC have never won at Toyota Park. The Fire have taken points from their last four trips to BMO Field.

Portland Timbers vs. Real Salt Lake, 10:30 p.m.

- The Timbers extended their late-season undefeated streak to six games and took over leadership of the Western Conference following their 1-0 home win vs. Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday evening. Kalif Alhassan scored the game's lone goal.

- Real Salt Lake conclude their Cascadia tour over the last month with the visit to Portland. RSL's last two away matches have been at Seattle (a 2-0 loss Sept. 13) and Vancouver (a 1-0 win Sept. 28).

- The teams are meeting for the third time in league play this season. They reached a wild 3-3 draw Aug. 21 at Jeld-Wen Field as RSL's Cole Grossman scored deep in stoppage time, then Javier Morales and Luis Gil each had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 Real victory Aug. 30 at Rio Tinto Stadium. The teams also played in a U.S. Open Cup semifinal Aug. 7 at Rio Tinto Stadium, a 2-1 RSL victory.

- The Timbers have won once in seven league meetings all-time - a 1-0 win in the first encounter between the clubs, April 30, 2011 in Portland.

Sunday, October 20

Houston Dynamo vs. New York Red Bulls, 5 p.m. (UniMas)

- The teams are meeting for the third time this season, and the Red Bulls have won both. The Dynamo allowed a club-record four goals in a home match in a 4-1 New York win Sept. 8 at BBVA Compass Stadium; Fabian Espíndola and Jonny Steele scored second-half goals to lead the Red Bulls to a 2-0 win June 30 in Harrison.

- It was New York's first win ever in Houston; the Dynamo came into the last meeting 4-0-3 all-time at home vs. New York. The Red Bulls are 6-0-3 all-time at home vs. Houston.

- The Dynamo are coming off back-to-back defensive shutouts for the first time since May 5-8, following their home scoreless draw with Sporting Kansas City last week.

- The Red Bulls extended their late-season undefeated streak to six games in their last match, a second consecutive draw in a 2-2 result with the New England Revolution at Red Bull Arena, the equalizer coming from Tim Cahill seven minutes into second-half stoppage time.

LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 9 p.m. (ESPN)

- Robbie Keane scored a pair of goals in the Galaxy's last game, the 5-0 victory vs. Chivas USA. It was his fifth multiple-goal game this season, tied for the league lead with Vancouver's Camilo Sanvezzo. In 20 MLS games this season, Keane has 15 goals and 11 assists.

- The Earthquakes kept their playoff dreams alive with a third consecutive victory and fifth game in a row without a loss last time out, a 1-0 home win vs. Colorado.

- For the second consecutive game, the Quakes won by a 1-0 scoreline, the lone goal coming from Chris Wondolowski. It was Wondolowski's 10th goal this season; he has scored 10 or more goals in four consecutive seasons.

- The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Robbie Keane scored two goals and Landon Donovan added another as the Galaxy strolled to a 3-0 win Aug. 31 at StubHub Center. On June 29 at Stanford Stadium, Shea Salinas and Alan Gordon each scored in stoppage time with the Earthquakes a man down, leading to a 3-2 San Jose victory.

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