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MLS LA Galaxy

LA Galaxy Weekly Update

November 2, 2009 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
LA Galaxy News Release


CARSON, Calif. (Monday, November 2, 2009) - Following the 2-2 draw with Chivas USA in Game #1 of their Western Conference Semifinal Series on Sunday afternoon, the LA Galaxy will now get to play as the home team as the series concludes this weekend. The Galaxy will host Game #2 against Chivas USA on Sunday, November 8 at The Home Depot Center. This game, which is presented by Pechanga Resort, will kick off at 4:30 p.m., with ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes covering all the action live nationally. The game will also be available live locally on the radio, with KTLK 1150 AM carrying the game live in English and ESPN Deportes Radio KWKW 1330 AM carrying the game live in Spanish.

The Galaxy were 2-0-1 against Chivas USA in the regular season and know that a third win on the year would push LA one step closer to their first MLS Cup final appearance since 2005.

Following the draw in Game #1, whichever team wins this weekend will advance to the Western Conference Championship to play the winner of the series between the Houston Dynamo and Seattle Sounders FC. If Sunday's game is tied at the end of 90 minutes, the series will go to 30 minutes (two 15-minute halves) of extra time. If the series is still tied after extra time, it will be decided by kicks from the penalty mark.

THE WEEK THAT WAS

Saturday, October 31

LA Galaxy U-16's 0 - Cal Odyssey U-16's 1 - Keith Tice Memorial Park

LA Galaxy U-18's 1 - Cal Odyssey U-18's 4 - Keith Tice Memorial Park

Sunday, November 1

LA Galaxy 2 - Chivas USA 2 - The Home Depot Center - Attendance 25,218

INJURY REPORT

Galaxy Injury Report

OUT - Alecko Eskandarian (Head - Disabled List), Julian Valentin (Right Foot - Disabled List)

DOUBTFUL - None

QUESTIONABLE -Stefani Miglioranzi (Left Groin - Strain)

PROBABLE - None

TEAM NOTES

ALL SQUARE AFTER GAME 1: Sunday's Western Conference Semifinal Series Game #1 ended level at 2-2 between the Galaxy and Chivas USA on Sunday. Both teams now head into this weekend's game, which is the second game of the two-game, aggregate goal series, knowing that whoever wins on Sunday will advance to the Western Conference Championship.

In the first six years of the current playoff format, Game #1 has finished in a draw on eight occasions, with the team that hosts Game #2 going 5-2-1 in the return leg. In the 2007 and 2008 playoffs, five of the eight Conference Semifinal Series opened with a draw, with the home side going 4-1-0

The Galaxy are now 2-1-1 in Game #1 of a Conference Semifinal under the current format, advancing to the Western Conference Championship in both 2004 and 2005.

DATE SET FOR WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP: Major League Soccer announced today that if the Galaxy are to defeat Chivas USA in Game #2 of their Western Conference Semifinal, they will host the winner of the series between Houston and Seattle on Friday, November 13 at The Home Depot Center. This game, which would be shown live on ESPN2, would kick off at 8 p.m. (PT) and would be the first-ever Conference Championship to be played at The Home Depot Center.

Tickets for this potential game are currently available through a Playoff Two-Game Pack, which gives fansa ticket for Sunday's game against Chivas USA as well as the Western Conference Championship, starting at just $40.

Since the start of the 2003 MLS Cup Playoffs, the home side has won four of the six Western Conference Championships and five of the six Eastern Conference Championships.

MLS AWARDS FINALISTS ANNOUNCED: On Monday afternoon, Major League Soccer announced the finalists for their annual year-end awards. Three finalists were named for each of the nine league awards, with four members of the Galaxy named as finalists.

* Bruce Arena is up for the Coach of the Year award. Arena was named the MLS Coach of the Year in 1997and will look to join Bob Bradley and Sigi Schmid as the only coaches in league history to win the award twice.

* Landon Donovan is up for the Volkswagen Most Valuable Player award. This is the second straight season that he has been a finalist for the award, losing out to the Columbus Crew's Guillermo Barros Schelotto in 2008.

* Omar Gonzalez is up for the Rookie of the Year award. He is aiming to become the second Galaxy player to win the award in as many years after Sean Franklin claimed the prize last season.

* Donovan Ricketts is up for the Goalkeeper of the Year award. He would become just the second Galaxy goalkeeper ever to win the award and the first since Kevin Hartman won the award in 1999.

The winner of Goalkeeper of the Year award will be unveiled on Wednesday, November 4, with the Coach of the Year announcement following a week later on Wednesday, November 11. The Rookie of the Year award will be handed out the following day on Thursday, November 12 and the Most Valuable Player award being presented on Thursday, November 19 to round things out.

Click here for a full list of the nominee's and the complete awards announcement schedule.

FOX SPORTS RADIO GO "INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM" WITH ARENA AND BECKHAM: On Wednesday evening, Fox Sports Radio and the Petros and Money Show will go "Inside the Locker Room" for a full hour interview with the LA Galaxy, featuring head coach and general manager Bruce Arena and midfielder David Beckham. The interviews will air locally on the Galaxy's English radio partner, AM 570, from 5-6 p.m. (PT). Arena and Beckham will discuss the 2009 MLS season, the MLS Cup Playoffs and the Galaxy's Western Conference Semifinal Series against Chivas USA.

The Petros and Money Show or "PMS" is AM 570 and FOX Sports Radio's afternoon drive time sports talk program. The show, which is hosted by Petros Papadakis and Matt "Money" Smith, airs every weekday from 4-7 p.m. (PT).

DONOVAN ONE FROM RECORD: Landon Donovan's first half goal on Sunday gave the Galaxy a 2-1 lead and was the 15th postseason goal of his MLS career. Donovan is now just one goal behind Carlos Ruiz for the most goals in MLS playoff history. The 27-year-old Galaxy captain has played in 19 career playoff games, scoring 15 goals and adding seven assists, recording a goal or an assist in 14 of his 19 playoff games, including four of his five playoff games as a member of the Galaxy.

Since joining the Galaxy in 2005, Donovan has five goals in five postseason games with the club. He is now tied with Ezra Hendrickson, Carlos Hermosillo and Greg Vanney for the fourth most postseason goals in club history. Carlos Ruiz is the club's all-time leader in postseason goals, scoring 11 of his 16 career postseason goals as a member of the Galaxy from 2002-04, including an MLS record eight goals in the 2002 playoffs, while Mauricio Cienfuegos is second with seven goals and Cobi Jones is third with six goals.

Of the eight players who scored a goal in Conference Semifinal Series Game #1's last week, only Donovan and the Chicago Fire's Chris Rolfe had previously scored a postseason goal.

FIRST FOR MAGEE: A seven-year MLS veteran, Mike Magee scored the first postseason goal of his career on Sunday, beating Zach Thornton in the 14th minute to tie the score at 1-1. Magee had spent the first six seasons of his career with New York, appearing in just three postseason games and making one start, with that coming nearly six years ago on November 9, 2003 at New England.

POSTSEASON DEBUTS: Six Galaxy players made their MLS postseason debut on Sunday afternoon, with David Beckham, Gregg Berhalter, Chris Birchall, Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez and Donovan Ricketts all playing their first playoff game. Berhalter, Birchall, Gonzalez and Ricketts are all in their first season with the Galaxy, while Franklin is in his second and Beckham is in his third.

Additionally, five other players, Edson Buddle, Chris Klein, Dema Kovalenko, Eddie Lewis and Mike Magee, made their Galaxy postseason debut in the game. Of the 14 players who appeared in Sunday's game for the Galaxy, only Landon Donovan, Todd Dunivant and Alan Gordon had appeared in a postseason game for the club.

YOUTH ACADEMY

DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY TEAMS DROP A PAIR: The LA Galaxy Youth Academy teams were back in action last weekend when they traveled north to Fresno on Saturday to take on Cal Odyssey. The Galaxy's U-16's dropped the day's opening game 1-0, while the U-18's lost 4-1 later in the day.

Both teams are back in action this weekend when they travel to San Diego to take on the San Diego Surf. Those games will be played at the San Diego Polo Club on Sunday, November 8, with the U-16's kicking off at 12 p.m. and the U-18's starting at 2 p.m.

IN THE COMMUNITY

FOUR PLAYERS PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY CLINIC: Tristan Bowen, Edson Buddle, A.J. DeLaGarza and Josh Saunders will be at The Home Depot Center on Wednesday, November 4 to participate in a youth soccer clinic. The clinic, which begins at 5 p.m., will be held on Field #5 at The Home Depot Center, with the players helping to run drills and teach soccer skills to all the participants while also signing autographs and taking photos with the young players.

For more information about this clinic and how to participate, please contact Galaxy Account Executive Ben Stockler at 310-630-2226.

GALAXY "GO FOR GOLD" IN MLS CUP PLAYOFFS

2009 MLS CUP PLAYOFFS TICKET AVAILABLE NOW: Tickets are now available for the Galaxy's home playoff game on Sunday, November 8 against Chivas USA. The game, which is presented by Pechanga Resort, kicks off at 4:30 p.m. (PT) at The Home Depot Center. Playoff ticket prices are the same as regular season prices, meaning that tickets start at just $24 for the club's first playoff game since the 2005 MLS Cup.

Additionally, fans can purchase a special Playoff Family 4-Pack for as little as $66. This special package includes four tickets to the Galaxy's home playoff game, four hot dogs and four sodas.

Fans wishing to purchase MLS Cup Playoff tickets can do so by visiting www.lagalaxy.com or by calling 1-877-3GALAXY (342-5299), as well as www.ticketmaster.com and through all Ticketmaster outlets.

NEED TO KNOW

SEASON FINALE OF GALAXY DEPORTIVO AIRS SATURDAY: The season finale of Galaxy Deportivo, the Galaxy's official half hour show in Spanish, will air this Saturday, November 7 at 6 p.m. on KWHY-22. Join hosts Alejandro Navarro and Elmer Polanco as they break down the Game #1 draw with Chivas USA, look ahead to this weekend's deciding game against Chivas USA and much more.

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 espa=F1ol. 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 freepodcasts 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.

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