Magnificent Seven Meets Magnificent Edson Against Real Salt Lake

Before the exhibition between two celebrity football sides on the hallowed grounds of Victoria Street, descenders could hear the strains of a song by the Clash (rest in peace, Joe Strummer) called "The Magnificent Seven." Whoever thought (not this columnist, no sirree) that it would be the omen that it was? That's right, readers on Bleacher Report: Edson Buddle of the Los Angeles Galaxy has set a new record in Major League Soccer with the most consecutive goals to start a season with seven, smashing the previous record set by "El Pescadito" himself—Carlos Ruiz—of six in 2002. A 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake not only saw well-deserved redemption, but history to go with it. And it's a combo that's in the same league as the Buddlevan Connection. The 12th minute was the Connection introducing itself. Donovan corner, timed in the right position for Buddle to knock it past RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando. It's FIFA 10-replicable. What I couldn't understand is the Galaxy not able to consolidate and finish off the delivery. People, the Galaxy had nine corners compared to three for Real Salt Lake...and only one goal to account for it. With this many chances ...

Juan Pablo Angel’s PK in the 89th Minute saves the New York Red Bulls

Just when it appeared the Red Bulls were on the cusp of a 1-1 tie with FC Dallas, Juan Pablo Angel scored his second goal of the game when he hammered home a penalty kick in the 89th minute. Those second half goals by Angel gave the New York Red Bulls a 2-1 victory over FC Dallas. On a night when the weather was 48 degrees and cloudy, the Red Bulls trailed 1-0 after Dax McCarthy gave FC Dallas the lead. To make matters worse, the Red Bulls were called for 10 offsides and missed the opportunity to take the lead when Juan Pablo Angel missed a penalty kick. Despite Dallas outshooting New York 17-8 and putting constant pressure on goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul, the New York Red Bulls weathered the storm. In front of a crowd of 13,667, the Red Bulls beautifully demonstrated that they're a team who are tough to beat at home. Since the opening of Red Bull Arena, the New York Red Bulls (3-1-0) have yet to lose at home this season. With Dallas leading for majority of the match, defenders Mike Petke and rookie Tim Ream aggressively disrupted Dallas in the second half. Both defenders have continued to ...

Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake: A Play-By-Play (and Other Miscellany)

T-180 minutes to kickoff: I wanted to start this play-by-play with a little bio on the man behind the TV show Hell's Kitchen, Mr. Gordon Ramsay. Ramsay would have been a staple for Rangers' success in Scotland, had it not been for a cruciate ligament playing squah while injuring his knees as a teenager for nonleague Oxford United. Eventually, Ramsay settled down as a specialist in French cuisine. Work at ski resorts and private yachts led to the opening of his first fully-owned restaurant in 1998, the Michelin three-star Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road. From there, he opened other restaurants worldwide: Petrus in London, Glasgow's Amaryllis, Gordon Ramsay's at Claridge's in Mayfair, Gordon Randsay at Conrad Tokyo and Cerise in Japan, Dubai's Verre, New York City's Gordon Ramsay at the London, and Boxwood in Los Angeles. I mention this because he will be participating in this week's Celebrity game prior to tonight's proceedings. What a great chef and entrepreneur, to go with a wonderful person. Kickoff was at 5:09 p.m. PT. T-120: Now that we have that out of the way, we now return you to the next episode of the Buddlevan Connection. This week: the ...

Seattle Sounders Took MLS by Storm in ’09, but will 2010 Bring More of the Same?

The Seattle Sounders are a strange team. They’re a riddle locked in a conundrum, a puzzle wrapped around a quandary, an enigma of what-ifs and maybes. Take last season as an example. They were the most-supported club, even though they were playing in just their first season. They had the fewest shots on goal, despite being led by the player who eventually topped the league in shots. They conceded the lowest number of goals, while having more men sent off than anyone else. In theory, Seattle should be a poorly-supported, ill-disciplined team that lets in a lot of goals and misses the playoffs by a mile. In reality, they’re loved by fans, envied by competitors, and they may just have the making of a team that could turn into perennial contenders for silverware and trophies. A second-year team, simply put, shouldn’t be this good. But the start of the 2010 season hasn’t gone all Sigi Schmid’s way. An opening day win at home to the Philadelphia Union wasn’t all that unexpected, but their Week Two defeat against the New York Red Bulls certainly was. The Sounders dominated the Red Bulls in every way possible, but despite all of their numerical advantages, they couldn’t find a ...

MLS: Philadelpha Union Seeing Red after 2-1 Loss to Toronto FC

For the second time in three games, the Philadelphia Union on the wrong end of a red card send off. Talk about playing at a disadvantage, ten against eleven is certainly no way to make a living, as Philadelphia found out in their season opening loss at seattle. In that game Philadelphia's Toni Stahl was sent off in the 40th minute after being shown a second yellow card. At the time Seattle led 1-0, but quickly pushed it to a 2-0 advantage three minutes later. Last night in the 34th minute, it was a straight red card send off for Union Captain Danny Califf. No yellow card warning needed, as Califf got called for an elbow to the head of Julian de Guzman, who had beaten Califf and had a clear path to a slow rolling ball headed toward the Philadelphia goal. That send off setup the games first score, as Toronto's Dwayne De Rosario struck a free kick past a wall of Union defenders and into the fragile hands of Union keeper Chris Seitz. It was a save Seitz should have made, but instead the ball deflected off his gloves and over the goal line, 1-0 Toronto. It was the second time in as many games a mishandled ball by Seitz has cost his team a goal (with the other being the second D.C. United ...

MLS: Defensive Woes Costly, as the Philadelphia Union Lose to Toronto FC

The Philadelphia Union went into tonight's game against Toronto FC at BMO Field with positive momentum after a win over D.C. United, but that momentum came to a halt in the 33rd minute when captain Danny Califf was issued a red card. Califf was sent off when he stuck his arm out and hit TFC midfielder Julian De Guzman in the head and referee Bardomelo Toledo thought it was enough to earn a red. For the second time in three games, the Union would have to play with ten men for more than a half. With their defensive leader now gone, the Union faltered throughout the game to make defensive stops when it mattered the most. The result of Califf's sending off was a free kick outside the box for TFC and Dwayne De Rosario took it and it looked like a easy save for Union keeper Chris Seitz, until Seitz lost control of the ball and it rolled to the back of the net. Another Seitz error gave TFC a penalty kick in the 80th minute. Seitz came out to try and stop O'Brian White from scoring, but Seitz ended up clipping White's feet on his dive and gave up the penalty. De Rosario then netted ...

Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake: The Thirst for Revenge

November 22, 2009 was a day that Los Angeles Galaxy fans would soon want to forget. Real Salt Lake, in only their fifth season of existence, won the MLS Cup 5-4 on penalties at the expense of blunders from the spot by Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle. Fast forward to April 17, 2010. With RSL earning the big X on the back, the Galaxy's thirst for revenge had never been so pronounced. And with Buddle leading in goals tallied in Major League Soccer with five, common sense would dictate that it would take a pocketful of kryptonite to prevent any hope for payback in the rematch at the Home Depot Center. "It's never easy," Buddle said at practice on his goals scored thus far. "My position always makes it tough to get free and it's physical, especially last week against Houston. They are physical and we expect that this week." “We’ve just been going out there and having a good time, just trying to stay connected and try to play defense first and worry about the offense second,” Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez said on his role in the field. Los Angeles (3-0-0, 9 points) boasts one ...

MLS: Le Toux De Force as Philadelphia Union Win Home Opener

The founding members of the Sons of Ben had been waiting for this day for three years. Formed before Philadelphia had even been awarded a MLS franchise, the support group was finally getting to take part in the team's home debut. They have Sebastien Le Toux to thank for ensuring that the day followed its scripted fairly tale ending. Le Toux scored a hat trick and led the Union to a 3-2 victory over DC United, in what the MLS hopes will become a heated regional rivalry. The Union's debut season began with a rocky start with a thorough thrashing from the Seattle Sounders two weeks ago, but their first return home was all they needed to right the ship. In front of a boisterous crowd of almost 35,000 soccer-mad Philadelphians, Le Toux turned in a memorable performance that is sure to endear him to the previously professional soccer deprived city. The party had begun long before Le Toux headed home his first goal, only five minutes into the game. Union supporters had been congregating hours before the match's 6 pm starting time, tailgating, singing, chanting, dancing, and drinking to their hearts content in preparation for the memorable event. However, the jubilation was tinged with sadness and manager Piotr ...

This Is the Los Angeles Galaxy: Landon Donovan

Part 1 in a series of articles on the players that make up the 2010 Los Angeles Galaxy.In the early history of the Los Angeles Galaxy, players like Cobi Jones made an indelible mark on Major League Soccer and the sport in the city of Angels.Fast forward to the past decade, and a similarly storied footballer that has continued the legacy of the Galaxy and of American soccer in general is a man by the name of Landon Donovan.A career that has seen him rise to greatness as a member of the USA Men's National Team, the San Jose Earthquakes and the Galaxy to go with numerous accolades in the MLS, the mystique and aura of the Galaxy's No. 10 continues to build with every minute on the pitch, every touch of the ball, every crisp pass, every penalty, and every shot that kisses the nylon of the net.Landon Timothy Donovan was born on March 4, 1982 in Ontario, California and raised in nearby Redlands, both located at the heart of the Inland Empire. The son of special education teacher Donna Kenney-Cash and ice hockey player Tim Donovan, Landon's mental and physical toughness forged with unusually gifted playmaking ability was ...

Soccer In The City: Can The Beautiful Game Survive in Philadelphia?

There is no question; the Philadelphia Phillies are currently the toast of the town when it comes to the city’s top professional sports team, thanks in part to back to back World Series trips, and a club house full of classy characters. So yes, the Phillies are the toast of the town, but make no mistake about it, the Philadelphia Eagles are still the talk of the town, especially on local talk radio, where Philly sports fans either praise their beloved birds or bash them, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Philadelphia Flyers and Seventy Sixers meanwhile, are somewhere in the rearview mirror. So what about the city’s two newest professional franchises, the Philadelphia Union and Philadelphia Independence? This past weekend, soccer fans in the tri-state area (Pa, NJ & Del.) had the chance to bask in the glow of the beautiful game, while enjoying a double dip of European Style football.  It all started Saturday night at Lincoln Financial field as Major League Soccer (MLS) made its   Philly debut, with the Philadelphia Union hosting D.C. United. 34, 870 fans on hand for this event, an event that saw the Union collect  the first victory in franchise history (3-2), thanks in part  to ...