Steven Gerrard’s LA Galaxy Debut Ends in Victory as Midfielder Impresses

STUB HUB CENTER, LOS ANGELES—Steven Gerrard made his Los Angeles Galaxy debut in their friendly match against Club America of Mexico on Saturday evening. Gerrard played the opening 45 minutes of the International Champions Cup game, which ended in a 2-1 win for the Englishman's new club. The visit of the Mexican side to Southern California meant for a lively atmosphere on Gerrard's first outing in America and there was a sense of anticipation around the stadium ahead of the marquee player's debut. The 35-year-old showed a few signs of nerves and rustiness early on, but he grew into the game and began to dictate the play—making more passes and having more touches than any other Galaxy player during the opening 45. The former Liverpool captain lined up alongside diminutive Brazilian Juninho in Galaxy's midfield, with head coach Bruce Arena having explained this week that the pair will work in tandem but that Gerrard "needs to be a little bit closer to goal." After Club America took an early lead through Carlos Quintero in the seventh minute, Gerrard and his team-mates initially looked somewhat shell-shocked and a miscommunication between the Englishman and his new team-mate, Galaxy centre-back Leonardo, almost let the visiting side in for a second goal. But ...

LA Galaxy vs. Club America: Takeaways from International Champions Cup Match

Los Angeles Galaxy opened their International Champions Cup foray vs. Club America with a 2-1 victory. After a brilliant opening goal from CF America's Darwin Quintero, playing on the edge of the Galaxy's defensive line, then scoring through Brian Rowe's legs—Los Angeles battled back. Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Robbie Keane leveled the scoreline, after a sublime first touch in the 45th minute; beating both his defender and the goalkeeper in one motion, the MLS MVP rolled the ball into an empty net. Reigning MLS MVP Robbie Keane draws the Galaxy level with a first-class touch and finish. #ICConFOX http://t.co/DpVg2NojEY — FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 12, 2015 After a massive wave of eight new Galaxy players at halftime, the game stalled in the second half, but Alan Gordon gave Bruce Arena's side a 79th-minute winner—using his head to great effect, lobbing Club America keeper Hugo Gonzalez. The friendly had drama, and that would have been the main story, but the reason people came was to see ex-Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard. Making his debut for the Galaxy, the 35-year-old central midfielder looked his usual composed self in his opening half of North American football. What Gerrard needs now is time—time to find rapport with his new team-mates, time ...

New York City FC vs. Toronto: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview

After all the anticipation, Frank Lampard will not be making his MLS debut for New York City FC at Yankee Stadium on Sunday against Toronto. The Chelsea legend has been ruled out after picking up an injury, per Bleacher Report UK: However, Jason Kreis' side—who currently sit just outside of the play-off places in the Eastern Conference—can still be confident of claiming all three points, having won four of their last five matches after a terrible start to the season.  Toronto, though, lie two places and three points ahead of City, and they will provide a stiff challenge. Read on for a full preview of an intriguing clash, along with scheduling and television details.    Date: Sunday, July 12 Time: 3 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. BST TV Info: Live on ESPN (US) and Sky Sports 1 (UK) Live Stream: WatchESPN, Sky Go   Preview Kreis' side made a shocking start to the MLS season, as they won just one of their first 13 matches. However, they have had a pick-up in form of late, with one of their four recent victories a 2-0 win against Toronto in Canada in June. On that occasion, David Villa scored both goals, and the Spaniard will be vital again in attack on Sunday. Villa is in great form, having scored five in four matches, ...

Daily Fantasy Soccer 2015: DraftKings WFB Player Picks for July 11

International duty has done little to quell the action surrounding Major League Soccer, with a six-match slate getting ready to flood DraftKings lobbies with contests for Saturday. Some of the household names are absent from squads, but that can just open the door for another player to shine. Usual stat-dominating clubs like Toronto FC, the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Vancouver Whitecaps are missing from the schedule, but options are boundless for DraftKings glory. Take a look below at the best picks of the matchday.     F: Fanendo Adi, Portland Timbers ($8,500) and Anatole Abang, New York Red Bulls ($6,100)  Call it a coincidence or a recipe for fantasy explosion, but Fanendo Adi is recently removed from a two-goal, 29-point outburst and gets ready to visit the league's worst defense. The Philadelphia Union have conceded a league-worst 32 goals, and they look bound to take on a few more with Adi set to shine again.  New York Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips isn't a heady buy as the most expensive option of the day, but Anatole Abang could produce some fantasy production from the Red Bulls attack. With a starting nod on July 4, Abang put up 16 DK points with his third goal of ...

Gyasi Zardes: American Soccer’s First Super-Athlete

Twenty years ago, it would have been virtually impossible to imagine an American soccer player like Gyasi Zardes sprinting down the left side of a Dutch soccer field, outpacing defenders and making a difficult goal look like a simple tap-in to start the scoring for the United States men’s national team in what would become a furious 4-3 comeback win against the Netherlands. Zardes, simply put, is an athlete. With a perfect blend of speed, agility and determination, he is a menace when racing up and down the sideline. His first touch is a revelation, blending spin moves and quick turns typically seen in the NBA Finals onto the grass soccer fields rapidly emerging across the country. It’s not that Zardes would have lacked the ability or work ethic. When he was growing up in Hawthorne, California, that was never in question. "I always wanna work hard, and that’s always been my motto," Zardes told Bleacher Report. "I’m from Hawthorne, and people from Hawthorne work hard." That’s not just his opinion. You might have heard of another hardworking young baller from Hawthorne by the name of Russell Westbrook. Back in 2011, Westbrook's dad shared this story of Russ' childhood drive with Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman: ...

LA Galaxy vs. Club America: Team News, Predicted Lineups, Live Stream & TV Info

If any competition signals the beginning of a new season, the International Champions Cup (ICC) has surely taken that particular mantle. Hailing from the World Football Challenge (2009-2012), the past two pre-seasons have witnessed true European giants take their campaign's first steps on North American soil. Real Madrid were the inaugural winners of the ICC in 2013, followed by Manchester United last summer. We’re partnering with the @IntChampionsCup to bring all your team’s pre-season news. Download! http://t.co/1C7yB74arZ pic.twitter.com/9pc11Hiua9 — Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) July 9, 2015 This year, the tournament has expanded further; more heavyweights are planning to indulge spectators in four continents and seven countries over the next 25 days. It begins with the MLS' Los Angeles Galaxy hosting Liga MX's Club America on July 11.   Date: Saturday, July 11 (USA) / Sunday, July 12 (UK) Time: 11:30 p.m. EST/4:30 a.m. BST Venue: StubHub Center, Carson, California TV Info: Fox Sports 1 / ESPN Deportes / Sky Sports 1 Live Stream: Fox Sports Go (USA only) / Sky Go (UK only)   Form Line    Team News / Starting XIs  #LAGalaxy XI: Rowe; Gargan, DLG, Leonardo, Dunivant; Husidic, Juninho, Gerrard, Lletget; Villarreal, Keane #ICC2015 pic.twitter.com/2qKE19otJU — LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) July 12, 2015 11 #Águila vs @LAGalaxy: Gonzalez, Burón, Pimentel, Goltz, Mares, Guerrero, Rivera, Andrade, Sambueza, Quintero y Arroyo #ICC2015 — Club América ...

David Beckham Shouts Out Steven Gerrard Ahead of LA Galaxy Debut

Steven Gerrard is set to make his debut for the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday, and the most famous player in the team's history wants the club's fans to know just how big a deal it is. David Beckham posted a picture of the former Liverpool captain on his Instagram page on Friday with a message that read: Big day for LA GALAXY tomorrow .. To have a player joining the team and club with this much passion and talent can only bring more success and excitement to the city of LA... The fans are going to enjoy this time ....Gerrard will make his Galaxy bow in the team's match against Club America in the International Champions Cup on Saturday.[Instagram: @davidbeckham]Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Photographer Covering Los Angeles Galaxy Has No Idea Who Steven Gerrard Is

Steven Gerrard may be one of the most celebrated names in English football, but the Liverpool legend is in Los Angles now. In Southern California, where the silver screen rules and there's a bazillion other professional franchises, it's already been proved that most Angelenos don't know who Gerrard is. But a photographer assigned to cover Gerrard at the Los Angeles Galaxy? That's...none of our business. Such is the case, though, as a journalist was overheard at training asking a press officer to point out who was Gerrard and who was Robbie Keane while the former Premier League stars stretched. You're not in Liverpool, anymore, Gerrard. [Goal, h/t Dirty Tackle] Read more MLS news on BleacherReport.com

Exclusive: Bruce Arena on Steven Gerrard’s LA Galaxy Role

STUB HUB CENTER, LOS ANGELES—Steven Gerrard was officially unveiled as a LA Galaxy player on Tuesday, taking part in training with his new teammates and meeting the media at his unveiling press conference. The 35-year-old midfielder joins the current MLS champions after 17 years at his boyhood club, Liverpool. "I love Liverpool Football Club and I always will do, I'm still a fan to this day but I needed a fresh challenge," said Galaxy's new No. 8. "I'm a proud scouser," declared Gerrard as he fielded questions on how he's settling in to life in Los Angeles, the adaptation after being at one club for his whole career, and the influence of both David Beckham and Robbie Keane on his decision to move to California. Gerrard admitted his biggest difficulty so far had been the jet lag he suffered in his first three days on the west coast of America, while the only advice Keane had given him was to pack the factor 50 sunscreen.  After the press conference, Bleacher Report spoke exclusively to Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena on how he sees Gerrard's role in LA's midfield. Will he be used in the deep-lying midfield role he's been used most often at Liverpool in the ...

New York City FC’s ‘Win Now’ Philosophy Comes with Benefits and Setbacks

New York City FC has been active this summer. It signed Juventus playmaker Andrea Pirlo as the club's third designated player, per the official MLS website. NYCFC also acquired former Athletic Bilbao defender Andoni Iraola and Manchester City youngster Jose Angel Tasende in June. It's clear that the expansion side wants success right away and is aiming to make a splash in MLS. However, like every other philosophy, ignoring the long-term future has some negative connotations for NYCFC. In March, when ex-Barcelona midfielder Xavi was linked to the club, head coach Jason Kreis revealed that the signing wouldn't make any sense, per Goal.com's Ives Galarcep. Kreis hinted that it would be best for the team to acquire a younger designated player. The same issue was brought up again when the rumors of Pirlo joining NYCFC first surfaced. In all likelihood, Kreis and his assistants reiterated their desire for a younger designated player, but ownership insisted on the Italian midfielder instead, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News: If City Football Group did pursue Pirlo despite the protests from staff, it presents some new issues. Firstly, Kreis will be forced to shuffle his lineup and possibly tinker his system to accommodate Pirlo and Frank Lampard ...