LA Galaxy vs. Toronto FC: Rating David Beckham’s Performance

In hindsight, it was probably a good idea for David Beckham to not jump ship and head off to Paris Saint-Germain after a solid season for the Los Angeles Galaxy, arguably the best ever in his career.After all, his deliveries would be smothered rather easily in Ligue 1. Or they might find someone in a PSG shirt; you never know.Beckham had an average night against Toronto FC in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, and it could have been a downright awful evening had he not set up the equalizer for Landon Donovan in the 89th minute of play.What was perhaps the highlight of Becks' performance was the way he cleared out all those confetti streamers and beer cans in the corners. Not even an avalanche of paper and aluminum projectiles could prevent Beckham from recording at least one assist at the Rogers Centre.After recording the assist, Beckham evened the score in more ways than one. From the the Globe and Mail's Jeff Blair:“Tonight was a great atmosphere," Beckham told Sportsnet as the players filed off the pitch. “The majority were here to enjoy the spectacle. It’s a shame some people spoiled it. It’s disappointing kids see it … but it ...

LA Galaxy vs. Toronto FC: Rating the Galaxy Players

Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy rallied from a 2-0 first-half deficit to salvage a 2-2 draw ahead of the second leg of the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals against Toronto FC.Mike Magee scored in the 29th minute of play, while Landon Donovan equalized in the 89th minute. The Galaxy hold the advantage on away goals, 2-0.Here are the player ratings for the Galaxy against Toronto. David Beckham: 5It was probably a smart move to stay stateside and finish a long, illustrious career in Los Angeles. Beckham had his share of deliveries, but could not find anybody on the receiving end. His deliveries need some work. More on him later this week. Landon Donovan: 6Donovan wasn't up to full health on Wednesday night against Toronto, but he had a solid game, and was persistent in his finishing. If there is one player than is capable of delivering in the clutch for a team, it's the captain. Robbie Keane: 5Offsides one too many times, and the finishing leaves much to be desired. Still, Keane had a solid loan spell with Aston Villa, and LA fans can expect a much better result from the Irishman next Wednesday in Carson when paired alongside Edson Buddle. Edson Buddle: 6.5The ...

LA Galaxy vs. Toronto FC: 6 Things We Learned

For the majority of the second half between Toronto FC and the Los Angeles Galaxy in the first leg of the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, it seemed as if the most unexpected of heroes would be the difference for the Reds.However, Luis Silva's 17th minute goal failed to hold up late, and the Galaxy now lead the aggregate on away goals with a 2-2 draw at Rogers Centre at Toronto, ON.With that said, here are six things we learned from the match. 1. LA is going to find their title defenses to be a tough nut to crackEven though the MLS season does not start until this weekend, the Los Angeles Galaxy did not convince anybody—at least not this columnist—that they are a club that can defend their MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield. They stumbled out of the gates in front of a hostile crowd and needed all of 89 minutes to regain their form from last year. 2. The long days without Omar Gonzalez...beginOmar Gonzalez's lack of presence on defense has made things difficult for the Galaxy back line, and it showed against a team that had an entire nation on its back. Andrew Boyens did not particularly impress, nor ...

Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Toronto FC: Analysis, Reaction and More

A long, arduous, demanding season for Bruce Arena’s Los Angeles Galaxy begins in Toronto, Ontario, Canada against Toronto FC in the first leg of the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. The Galaxy, managed by Bruce Arena, finished Group A with a 4-2-0 record (12 points) good for first place due to the head-to-head with Morelia and Alajuelense. As for Toronto FC, managed by Aron Winter, they finished Group C with a 3-1-2 record (10 points), good enough for second place. The winner of this home-and-home will take on either the Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer or Santos Laguna of the Mexican Primera Division. It is expected to be a sellout crowd, with over 45,000 tickets sold for the first leg. Kickoff is scheduled for March 7 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Soccer Channel. Keep it right here on Bleacher Report for continuing coverage of the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League and all things world football.Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Toronto FC: 10 Bold Predictions

And so it begins. The quest for glory begins for Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy as they prepare for a season that is sure to provide excitement at home, on the road, and all points in between.And the road begins, not with the first match of the MLS season...but with regional action.The Galaxy take on the champions of Canada, Aron Winter's Toronto FC, at the Rogers Centre in front of a sellout crowd sure to wave their Red and White with pride.Here are 10 bold predictions for Wednesday's first leg of the 2011-12 CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal Round.Begin Slideshow

Desert Diamond Cup: LA Galaxy Build Steam with 4-2 Penalty Win over New England

One down...up to four, maybe five, to go?Well, it is safe to say, readers on the View from Victoria Street and Bleacher Report that the Los Angeles Galaxy will not end 2012 without at least one trophy to their name. Sure, it's only a preseason cup, but winning preseason hardware equals massive momentum, according to the mindset of this columnist.And for Bruce Arena's Galaxy, they got it in the form of a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over the New England Revolution in the Desert Diamond Cup Final in Tucson, AZ.The shootout came on the heels of what was an abysmal day of finishing. The player that is going to have to endure his share of misfortunes the worst: Jack McBean.This young man had an embarrassment of chances on goal, and he was unable to finish. Now, it may only be his second year, but McBean has to get one on net if he expects to earn more minutes when the real business begins in a few days.Also, Michael Stephens did not look sharp. The passing is not even USL Pro-worthy, and he is on the Galaxy's first team. I like to see Stephens work on his passing skills in the ...

This Is the Los Angeles Galaxy: Bill Gaudette, Goalkeeper

This is Part 14 in a series of players who will play for the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2012.One stint in Major League Soccer may not be enough. Sometimes a second stint will come after spending time in the lower leagues of football and reaching success at those levels. Then the big boys will come calling for you to give you another opportunity to shine.Such is the case with goalkeeper Bill Gaudette, who earns a second opportunity to play in MLS, this time as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy. Gaudette has enjoyed a career that has seen success in Puerto Rico and this season, he looks to improve on his skills as a netminder for MLS's glamor club.Bill Gaudette was born on Sept. 14, 1981 in Hummelstown, Penn., a small town of 4,360 people outside of the state capital, Harrisburg.At St. John's University, he led the Red Storm to a 43-13-12 record from 2001 through 2004 while playing for USL Premier Development League side Brooklyn Knights.Gaudette was selected as the ninth overall draft pick by the Columbus Crew in the 2005 MLS Supplemental draft and was with the club through 2007. However, the lack of playing time forced ...

Desert Diamond Cup: LA Galaxy Fall to New York 2-1 but Advance to Final

The Los Angeles Galaxy will be playing in the 2012 Desert Diamond Cup final against the New England Revolution, but it is apparent that the MLS Eastern Conference is not the lesser of the two conferences many American soccer fans will conclude it to be.Goals from Kenny Cooper and Thierry Henry paced the Red Bulls to a redeeming 2-1 victory over the Galaxy in Tucson, but a consolation goal from Marcelo Sarvas was enough for LA to get another shot at defeating the New England Revolution in what has been an Eastern-dominated preseason tourney.My opinion of this match is this: They are saving energy for the final. It is very clear that for the people who watched this on MLSSoccer.com, the Galaxy players were only doing enough to advance to the final.I didn't see any sense of urgency from the team, but I did see some questionable play from Hector Jimenez. This player, who may only see time with the reserves, has not shined at all this tournament, and it has shown.It's simple: Let Thierry Henry get his chance to score because his team will not be playing for silverware because we have Sarvas, and they don't. And Thierry is ...

Los Angeles Galaxy: Ins and Outs, February 29, 2012

Bill Gaudette in, Nick Noble outAny trialist that impresses will get his chance to shine for the long haul. Such is the case with Bill Gaudette, who was signed by the Los Angeles Galaxy after performing well during the preseason.In response, Nick Noble has been waived from the team.Gaudette started his MLS career in 2005 with the Columbus Crew after being selected by the club in the first round of the MLS Supplemental Draft. Following a standout four-year career at St. John’s, Gaudette appeared in six games as a rookie in 2005, keeping a clean sheet and earning his first career win in a 1-0 win over Colorado on June 11.Following the 2007 season, Gaudette signed with the Puerto Rico Islanders, who currently play in the North American Soccer League (NASL). He was instrumental in helping upset the club he now plays for, the Galaxy, in the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League preliminary round.Gaudette played for the Montreal Impact last season in the NASL last year.A special on Bill Gaudette will be posted as part of the This is the Los Angeles Galaxy series later this week. Tough February for Landon DonovanAfter leaving Everton with the flu, Landon Donovan has been diagnosed with bronchitis and will ...

Los Angeles Galaxy: Ins and Outs, February 22, 2012

Another day, another defeat for LAOpinion/analysis time. My take on soccer can be boiled down to one simple sentence: if you don't know how to finish, and you don't know how to defend, you don't deserve to win the game.Such is the case with Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy—most specifically, Juninho, who gifted a pass in the 82nd minute to give the New England Revolution a 3-2 victory tonight at the Desert Diamond Cup in Tucson.Now this will not have any impact on Week 1 of the Power Rankings, but this is a result that will drop LA a few places if this took place in the regular season.To their credit, Edson Buddle and Mike Magee each finished at least one of their chances.The problem is that this took place in the first half, and scoring goals will not mean much if you allow them as well.The defense was a liability at times last year, and it was more of the same from an opponent that I don't have high expectations for in Jay Heaps' New England Revolution.Tommy Meyer is being groomed as the next Omar Gonzalez. It was apparently with his start today that he is tipped to replace ...