Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders: 6 Things We Learned

Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy are building a reputation of being the masochists of Major League Soccer. It is a creepy, scary, unenviable dishonor bestowed on them by those who have a penchant for woodshed.One of those bestowers is Sigi Schmid's Seattle Sounders, who played their most complete game of the season and whipped, hung, drawn, quartered and burned the Los Angeles Galaxy to ashes to the tune of 4-0 at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash. on Sunday night.With the defeat, Los Angeles falls to 10-11-3 (33 points), while Seattle continue their pursuit of the San Jose Earthquakes and Real Salt Lake with a record of 10-5-7 (37 points).Here are six things we learned from this one-sided affair.Begin Slideshow

How the Chicago Fire Came Back to Stun Toronto FC 2-1

Resilient is the best way to describe the Chicago Fire this season. There was no better term to use for the Fire’s 2-1 win over Toronto FC than resilient. With the win, the Fire improved to 10-7-5 and 35 points with a stellar 7-2-2 home record. The Fire could have packed it in once they went down 0-1 midway in the first half when some miscommunication on a pass ended up a turnover. TFC’s forward Ryan Johnson was at the right place at the right time intercepting a Marco Pappa pass meant for Austin Berry. Both Pappa and Berry would later make up for the gaffe when they scored on the tying and game-winning goals. On the first Fire goal, Pappa used some nifty footwork to capitalize on a TFC miscue. On the shot, Pappa drew the TFC defenders with a hesitation play with his feet to knock in the left-footed goal. Berry was in good position for a beautiful header in the second goal, in the 85th minute that proved to be the game-winner. Before those two goals, TFC’s goalkeeper Milos Kocic had a marvelous match denying the Fire on seven shots on goal. The match was a physical ...

Kirk Urso: Columbus Crew 22-Year-Old Midfielder Passes Away

The Columbus Crew and Major League Soccer are mourning after news broke that rookie midfielder Kirk Urso passed away Saturday night, according to MLSSoccer.com. The Crew's No. 10 overall pick in this year’s MLS Supplemental Draft was just 22 years old. The team released a statement Sunday: While the circumstances of Urso’s passing are still being determined, no further comments will be made at this time. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Columbus Crew and Hunt Sports Group are with the Urso family in this time of need. Urso attended college at The University of North Carolina and was a soccer star there. He had 15 goals and 24 assists over his career there, and he captained the team to the 2011 NCAA Men’s College Cup. The MLS rookie started the first five matches as a member of the Crew, but had been “recovering from right adductor tendonitis,” according to the reports. He had one assist and five shots in 2012. At only 22 years old, this is an absolute tragedy; there was so much promise for the young star and a bright career ahead. As a born leader with a great work ethic, Urso was working towards being ...

Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders: Analysis, Reaction and More

Bruce Arena’s Los Angeles Galaxy knew they were up against an impossible task in stopping Real Madrid. This Sunday, the task is a little bit more manageable, as the Galaxy face Sigi Schmid’s Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash. The Galaxy are currently 10-10-3 (33 points) and are fifth in the MLS Western Conference. The Sounders, meanwhile, are third in the West with a record of 9-5-7 (34 points). They could be staring at fifth place if Los Angeles gets payback for its 2-0 defeat to Seattle at CenturyLink Field on May 2. Can the Galaxy bounce back against their Northwest rivals, or will Seattle shift the balance of power even further? Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN2. Keep it right here on Bleacher Report for continuing coverage of the 2012 Major League Soccer season, the Olympics and all things world football.Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders: 10 Bold Predictions

After an embarrassing 5-1 exhibition defeat at the hands of Real Madrid, Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy will pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and prepare for Sunday's crunch-time encounter with Sigi Schmid's Seattle Sounders at the CenturyLink Field in Seattle, Wash.The Sounders are coming off a 3-1 victory over Caledonia AIA in CONCACAF Champions' League action and currently sit third in the MLS Western Conference with a record of 9-5-7 (34 points). As for the Galaxy, they are 10-10-3 (33 points) and can leapfrog over the Sounders with a victory on the road.Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN2. Here are 10 bold predictions for Sunday's blockbuster tilt between the Galaxy and Sounders.Begin Slideshow

Real Madrid vs. Los Angeles Galaxy: Rating David Beckham’s Performance

David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy were dancing with wolves dressed in all white on Thursday night against Real Madrid. Predictably, they fell by a score of 5-1 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The only contribution Beckham made to the match—aside from a number of set-piece opportunities—was a delivery in the 23rd minute that found defender Omar Gonzalez, who immediately found a waiting David Junior Lopes for the Galaxy's only goal of the match. Afterward, it seemed as if Beckham was left out to dry.He did have some touches, but the midfield of Jose Callejon, Lass Diarra, Xabi Alonso, Kaka and Angel Di Maria was too much for him to take.He couldn't do it alone, but there was no chance that Juninho and Marcelo Sarvas could run with Real's midfield. After 45 minutes, Beckham took a curtain call and watched the reserves get a lesson in how to play with pride. There are those who really feel that David Beckham deserved to be on Team Great Britain. Jose Mourinho is one of them. “There is something I don't understand,” Mourinho told Yahoo! Sports. “I know because I was also inside of that project: if the Olympic Games are ...

Real Madrid vs. Los Angeles Galaxy: Rating the Galaxy Players

These are matches where the outcome is predetermined. No matter how many times you prepare for an opponent, the outcome is going to be the same.Such was the case for Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy, who were punchless for the most part on Thursday night in Carson, Calif. They were outrun, outworked, outhustled and outplayed by Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid, ultimately falling by a score of 5-1. Don't get me wrong, this is just a friendly. The match featured two teams with huge discrepancies in talent, skills and fitness. But if Los Angeles had at least made the score respectable and lost with their heads held high, you would see some good, if modest, player ratings. You can only wonder if the Seattle Sounders smell blood in the water like they did the last time and take advantage of the lapses in defending. Here are the player ratings for all the Galaxy players that took part in the friendly with Real Madrid. Josh Saunders: 1A.J. DeLaGarza: 3Omar Gonzalez: 3.5David Junior Lopes: 4.5Bryan Gaul: 3Sean Franklin: 3.5David Beckham: 4.5Juninho: 3Marcelo Sarvas: 3.5Landon Donovan: 4Robbie Keane: 5Brian Perk: 2Bryan Jordan: 3Tommy Meyer: 4Andrew Boyens: 4Hector Jimenez: 3Mike Magee: 3Rafael Garcia: 3.5Michael Stephens: ...

San Jose Earthquakes Don’t Miss a Beat with Alan Gordon Leading the Line

Alan Gordon didn’t earn a starting nod in last Wednesday’s Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Star game. He didn’t open the scoring, either, in what would become a thrilling 3-2 victory for the MLS' best over Chelsea, last season's European Champions. Those distinctions went to Gordon’s San Jose Earthquakes teammate, and fellow striker, Chris Wondolowski, a man who is poised to enjoy a potentially historic 2012 season. Wondolowski’s 17 league goals, accrued in just 21 games for an astounding return rate of 0.81 goals per game, have captivated the hearts and minds of supporters around the league.Many believe the late-blooming 29-year-old presents the most formidable threat to Roy Lassiter’s record of 27 goals in an MLS season, a feat the former Tampa Bay forward achieved in the league's inaugural 1996 campaign.With 11 games remaining, the record is very much within "Wondo's" reach. But the 'Quakes' captain will be the first to tell you that he'd never have reached this blooming stage in his career without the teammates who take the field with him for each game.There's a reason that the San Jose starting eleven huddle up before, and often during, games. There's a reason the players often hug each other before ...

Sporting Kansas City Gets Fluke Equalizer, Draws with Stoke City 1-1

When Sporting Kansas City started to schedule international friendlies with teams from the English Premier League, they probably expected they might lose one.Three years in, they have yet to lose to one of their EPL opponents. In the latest installment, Sporting KC got a fluke equalizer from academy product Kyle Miller in the 92nd minute to pull out a 1-1 draw with Stoke City.It was the second-latest goal scored in a match at Livestrong Sporting Park, behind Omar Bravo's 93rd-minute goal against Chivas USA on July 9, 2011.Sporting KC's Teal Bunbury had the first scoring chance of the match when his shot from just outside the penalty area was deflected out for a corner in the fourth minute.Five minutes later, Soony Saad's attempt from about the same distance was just wide of the left post.Stoke City's first dangerous chance came in the 15th minute. Kenwyne Jones struck one from approximately 35 yards out that went just over the crossbar.The Potters also came close in the 25th minute when Jonathan Walters put in a nice cross from the left wing, but Peter Crouch's header from close range went over the crossbar.Saad answered for Sporting KC in the 27th minute when he ...

MLS: Landon Donovan and the Top 10 Designated Players in League History

With New York officially signing the league's latest designated player in Tim Cahill, I thought it would be the perfect time to take a look at some of the best to ever wear that label. Although only created in 2007, there have been a number of teams that have used the DP rule to enhance their team.Of course, some designated players have lived up to their reputation more than others. Here are the top 10 DPs of all time. Enjoy!Note: The rankings were based primarily on the success each player had on the field under the designated player label. Off-field successes such as merchandise/ticket sales were also taken into account, but with far less weight. Begin Slideshow