SoCal MLS Capsule

FC DALLAS 4, LA GALAXY 0

FRISCO, Texas (Ticker) -- After going winless in MLS play since mid-June, FC Dallas finally decided enough was enough. Kenny Cooper scored twice in the first 17 minutes, Dominic Oduro scored his fifth goal of the season and Abe Thompson came off the bench to add another tally as FC Dallas blasted the Los Angeles Galaxy, 4-0, at Pizza Hut Park.

A smothering defensive effort kept the Galaxy - the top-scoring team in MLS - to just two shots on goal, both of which goalkeeper Dario Sala turned away to hand the Galaxy just their third blank sheet of the season. The victory by FC Dallas (5-6-7), in addition to giving new coach Schellas Hyndman his first MLS win, avenged a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of the Galaxy (6-7-5) on May 18, a result that cost his predecessor - Steve Morrow - his job.

Cooper's first goal came in the 15th minute when he sent a left-footed blast past Galaxy goalkeeper Steve Cronin and into the right corner of the goal from 22 yards to the left of the arc. Two minutes later, Cooper added his second goal, taking a short set-up from Oduro and ripping a right-footed shot just inside the left post to make it 2-0. It was Cooper's 11th goal of the season, moving him into a tie for second place with the Galaxy's Edson Buddle among the league leaders, one behind Los Angeles' Landon Donovan.

In the 36th minute, Oduro took a midfield pass from Arturo Alvarez, dribbled down the right flank, maneuvered past Cronin and drilled a shot from outside the right post into the left corner of the goal to give FC Dallas a 3-0 advantage. It was the first time since May 20, 2006, against the New England Revolution that FC Dallas had recorded three goals in the first half.

For good measure, Thompson capped the scoring in the 89th minute with a right-footed kick that snuck just under the right crossbar past Cronin, who posted seven saves in the contest.

SoCal MLS Capsule

LOS ANGELES 2, NEW YORK 2

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey (Ticker) -- Los Angeles Galaxy captain David Beckham praised the character of his team for their late comeback to avoid defeat against the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night. Landon Donovan rescued a point and nearly grabbed a winner for the Galaxy in a 2-2 tie at Giants Stadium, his cross in the 92nd minute from the left drifting into the far corner of the goal after L.A. striker Edson Buddle and the Red Bulls defense all missed the centering pass.

Until that point the Red Bulls had looked set to steal the show from visiting superstar Beckham and his teammates for the second year in a row after a great individual second-half goal from Red Bulls captain Juan Pablo Angel gave the home side a 2-1 lead. With Venezuelan international midfielder Jorge Rojas pulling the strings on his debut with flashes of creativity, the Red Bulls had looked in control heading into injury time but the Galaxy, to Beckham's delight, did not give up the chase for an equalizer. "There were chances for both teams but we showed a lot of character," Beckham said. "We were disappointed to go in 1-1 at halftime because they scored through our sloppy play. "Then we came out second half, they got a goal but we kept on battling and we didn't look as if we were going to get a goal but we did in the end. It showed the character in the team, especially when we're not playing as well as we can, to come back. So overall, maybe a draw was fair tonight."

In front of an Major League Soccer season high 46,754 fans, and 12 months after the home side had edged the same visitors 5-4, the Galaxy hit back in the 92nd minute when Donovan curled in a right-footed cross from the left that missed numerous heads, including Buddle's, and carried all the way into the corner of the net. "It was a cross, of course," Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit said. "But he kicked it so well, if Edson had touched it, it would have gone in as well. So the keeper didn't know what to do. Just the quality of the play itself made it difficult for the goalkeeper." At 2-2, the visitors sensed victory and very nearly snatched it when Beckham sent in a cross from the right that found Donovan at the back post. Donovan ripped a left-footed shot that hit the foot of the Red Bulls upright in the waning moments of the match.

With both the best offense and the worst defense in MLS, the Galaxy drew first blood in the 28th minute, when Beckham, from close to the center circle, picked out Buddle on the left with a great pass. Buddle advanced into the Red Bulls penalty area, twisting and turning van den Bergh and then crossing for Carlos Ruiz to head home from inside the six-yard box. The goal opened up the game considerably and the Red Bulls response came six minutes later, van den Bergh making amends for being dumped by Buddle. The midfielder picked up a delightful pass which Rojas sent from left to right behind his standing leg, and hammered the ball past the diving Cronin's outstretched right hand and into the bottom corner of the goal. Los Angeles came right back with Klein overlapping Beckham down the right and crossing for Donovan to volley left-footed from the back post over the bar. Van den Bergh continued the New York momentum in the second half, firing a shot from the left that forced Cronin to tip over the bar in the 55th minute and then crossing three minutes later only for Seth Stammler to fire over from point-blank range.

Again the Red Bulls atoned, and in some style as Angel received the ball from Rojas in the 71st minute and produced some brilliant footwork to round two Galaxy defenders. He cut in from the left and then curled the ball home with the outside of his boot and give the home side the lead. It should have been enough, but Donovan and the Galaxy had other ideas. "It's a very disappointed locker room," Red Bulls coach Juan Carlos Osorio said. "I think we created enough chances to win the game and the next one but unfortunately that wasn't the case. I'm optimistic, though, because there was good play at times, but we need to keep improving. Only time will tell if it's okay to get one point out of a game we should have won."

DC UNITED 4, LOS ANGELES 1

WASHINGTON (Ticker) - The motion of Moreno and control of Emilio trumped bending it like Beckham and the emotion of Landon Donovan in D.C. United's 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy. Luciano Emilio had two goals and an assist and Jaime Moreno added a goal and an assist to lead D.C. United to an emotional triumph in a chippy match played before 35,979 at muggy RFK Stadium.

Marcelo Gallardo scored off assists from Emilio and Gonzalo Martinez to give D.C. United a 3-1 lead in the 60th minute. Emilio's second goal of the game - his team-leading 10th of the season - off an assist by Fred gave D.C. United a 4-1 lead in the 68th minute. Emilio also headed home a crossing pass from the left wing by Marc Burch for a goal in the 37th minute that gave D.C. United a 2-1 lead. Emilio's header beat sprawling Galaxy goalkeeper Steve Cronin to the left corner of the net.

Moreno notched his team-high seventh assist of the season on the play. Galaxy forward Edson Buddle's 10th goal of the season tied the score at 1-1 in the 26th minute. Buddle slipped between hard-closing defenders Bryan Namoff and Devon McTavish, changed directions, and launched a shot past diving D.C. United goalkeeper Zach Wells, who charged from the goal to challenge the shot.

Moreno's goal came on a penalty kick in the fifth minute. The foul was committed by Galaxy midfielder Ante Jazic, who pushed Santino Quaranta to the turf from behind.

Galaxy Notes

CARSON, California (Ticker) -- Los Angeles Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Wicks had successful surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee Monday and is expected to miss four to six weeks. Wicks, who was injured in practice last week, is in his first season with the Galaxy and has yet to appear in any of the team's 11 games.

Galaxy forward Edson Buddle was named the MLS Player of the Week on Monday. Buddle scored his second hat trick of the season and fourth of his career on Saturday, leading the Western Conference-leading Galaxy to a 3-0 triumph over the San Jose Earthquakes. The 27-year-old began his assault in the sixth minute, blasting a right-footed shot from just outside the 18-yard box into the left side of the net. Buddle later scored his second of the night in the 63rd minute and capped the hat trick with a header in the 68th. It is the second weekly award this season for Buddle, who also won the honor on May 19. A Galaxy player has won six out of the 12 awards already this season with Landon Donovan and David Beckham each earning the other two.

SoCal MLS Capsule

TORONTO FC 2, LOS ANGELES 0 ---------------------------

TORONTO (Ticker) -- Rookie Julius James scored his first career goal early in the second half and Jeff Cunningham added a second 16 minutes later as Toronto FC blanked the Los Angeles Galaxy, 2-0, at BMO Field.

Making his MLS debut, James scored on a header to break the scoreless tie in the 49th minute for Toronto, which improved to 4-0-2 at home this season. They have allowed just one goal through their six home games. Los Angeles was outshot, 12-4, and could only record one shot on goal, failing to create opportunities for itself without leading goal-scorer Landon Donovan and midfielder David Beckham due to international team duties. Donovan had returned to the club after playing for the United States on Wednesday but did not play, while Beckham remained in England for a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday.

After neither team could manage any real scoring chances during the game's first 45 minutes, Toronto came out after halftime and immediately seized control. Awarded a free kick along the left sideline, Toronto midfielder Rohan Ricketts served a perfect ball into the middle of the box, where James rose up and headed a shot past Los Angeles goalkeeper Steve Cronin into the lower right corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.

Cunningham doubled the advantage for Toronto with his second goal of the season in the 65th minute, breaking in alone from 18 yards out and sliding the ball into the lower right corner. Toronto narrowly missed a third goal when Jarrod Smith's shot sailed just wide of the net after walking in alone from 25 yards out.

The Galaxy were whistled for seven offsides and received their only corner kick in the 86th minute. Toronto held a 9-2 advantage in shots during the second half. Toronto goalkeeper Brian Edwards had to make just one save to record his first career shutout.

Vancouver Nips Beckham, LA Galaxy

VANCOUVER 2, LOS ANGELES 1 --------------------

EDMONTON, Alberta (Ticker) - David Beckham gave the crowd a treat, but he couldn't deliver a victory for the Los Angeles Galaxy. The Vancouver Whitecaps posted a 2-1 victory over Beckham and the Galaxy in a friendly on Tuesday night.

The match was played in front of 37,104 fans at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, with most coming to catch a glimpse of Beckham in action. He set up the lone Galaxy goal late in the first half but the Whitecaps controlled play for much of the contest. Beckham helped the Galaxy tie the game, 1-1, in the 43rd minute. He fired a long cross into the top of the box for Alan Gordon, who beat charging Whitecaps goalkeeper Srdjan Djekanovic to the ball and headed it into the open goal.

Whitecaps forward Nicholas Adderly and Eduardo Sebrango both tallied for Vancouver. In the fourth minute, the Whitecaps took an early lead with a goal from Adderly, who beat Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Wicks with a low shot inside his right post. The Whitecaps took a 2-1 lead in the 66th minute on a beautiful strike from Sebrango, who fired a blast past Wicks at the left post. Midfielder Justin Moose picked up a loose ball and found forward Nick Webb up the right wing. Webb dribbled in behind the Galaxy defense and played a low cross just above the six-yard box for Sebrango to drill home.

The Galaxy put on the pressure in the closing minutes, but were not able to beat Wicks, who made a string of saves to preserve the victory. Beckham, who nearly added a goal of his own on a 30-yard free kick that just missed the near post, came out in the 75th minute to a nice ovation from the crowd. The Galaxy were without MLS scoring leader Landon Donovan, who had a strained calf and did not make the trip.

So Cal MLS Report

LOS ANGELES 2, REAL SALT LAKE 2

By Chris Bellamy

SALT LAKE CITY (Ticker) - David Beckham proved his value Saturday night, and it wasn't just the record-setting crowd he brought in at Rice-Eccles Stadium. With his team on the ropes early in the half, Beckham scored twice to take advantage of a couple of key defensive lapses as the Los Angeles Galaxy rallied to salvage a 2-2 tie with Real Salt Lake.

"It was a good game in the end," Beckham said. "I think that we started off terrible the first 20 minutes. We didn't get close enough to them as a team. We looked scared of them. And then a couple of tackles started going in, and we livened up. We got ourselves back into the game."

Real Salt Lake's Fabian Espindola and Kenny Deuchar scored just 11 minutes apart to stake the home team to an early lead. "I would say two goals in the first 20 minutes was the game plan. That's definitely how it was drawn up," Real coach Jason Kreis said. "But our reaction after that was very, very poor."

But that was hardly enough as Beckham halved the deficit when accepted a feed from Landon Donovan and fired a 20-yard strike for his second goal of the season in the 36th minute. "I saw the chance, and I saw that there was nothing going on in the box, and I decided to take the shot myself," Beckham said. "We started coming back into the game just before then, and when you're coming back into the game, it's important that you capitalize on the play." The British superstar wasted no time pulling even. Just four minutes later, Beckham drilled a 30-yard laser past Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando on a free kick for the equalizer. Beckham's two goals were the club's only shots on goal in the first half.

The high-scoring start to the game gave way to a quieter second half, as the two clubs could only muster a series of near-misses and missed opportunities. "I was kind of surprised (at the lack of second-half offense)," Kreis said. "I think both teams had plenty of opportunities, and you'd figure there would have been more goals, especially after four in the first half."

Real's Andy Williams nearly gave his team the lead four minutes into the second half, but his low line drive right in front of the net ricocheted off goalkeeper Steve Cronin's leg and popped up high and out of bounds. Los Angeles had two quick chances 10 minutes later. Rimando blocked Greg Vanney's shot, but the ball rebounded right to Alan Gordon, whose header went wide left. Probably the best chance either team had came in the 73rd minute. Beckham sailed a long cross to an open Donovan, but the veteran misfired from point-blank range. "I think that after the game, there was a feeling that we should have won this game," Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit said. "After those (first) 20 minutes, this team battled back."

Beckham Takes Knock in Galaxy Win

SHANGHAI, China (Ticker) - David Beckham set up one goal before picking up a minor knock as the Los Angeles Galaxy eased to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Shanghai-Hong Kong United in Shanghai on Wednesday night.

Carlos Ruiz scored all three goals as the Galaxy secured their first victory of the Asian tour. However, Beckham left after 70 minutes with a right thigh injury which is not thought to be serious and the decision to substitute him was taken as a precaution.

The Galaxy made a good start to the game as Ely Allen came close to scoring in the 21st minute when his close-range header flew over the bar. Beckham then swung in a corner eight minutes before the break that home goalkeeper Gu Chao did well to palm away. But, cheered on by more than 30,000 fans at the Shanghai Stadium, it was Beckham who provided the cross to open the scoring in first-half injury time. The former England captain player sent in an inviting cross to Ruiz who headed beyond goalkeeper Gu Chao to give the Galaxy the lead. Ruiz came close to doubling the advantage in the 65th minute when he went one-on-one with Gu Chao but poked his shot wide.

Four minutes later the local side had a good chance to level the scores when Zhu Zhengrong chested down a Wang Jiayu cross but shot wide. After Beckham's exit, the Galaxy extended their lead 11 minutes before time when Ruiz slotted home a cross from Sean Franklin. The forward completed his hat-trick two minutes later when he rifled a shot beyond Gu Chao. "It was nice to win the game," said Beckham.

"I think we played very well and we played good football. We had a good time here." Shanghai-Hong Kong United manager Xu Genbao shook off the defeat and said it was good for his team to test themselves against players with the caliber of Beckham. "The game was of benefit to my players who learned how to score from Beckham and his teammate who scored the three goals," he said.

Galaxy Loses in Hawaii

By Kyle Galdeira
HONOLULU (Ticker) -- In a match billed as David Beckham's introduction to Hawaii, it was Bare who stole the show in the end. The Brazilian forward's goal gave Gamba Osaka a 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy in the first semifinal match of the inaugural Pan Pacific Championship at Aloha Stadium on Wednesday night. Osaka advances to Saturday's championship match against the Houston Dynamo, who posted a 3-0 triumph over Sydney FC in Wednesday's other matchup.

Bare split a pair of Galaxy defenders and rocketed a ball past goalkeeper Steve Cronin to put the Japanese squad up, 1-0, three minutes into the match. Bare continued to press the action throughout the half, while Beckham approached the exhibition more conservatively as the crowd erupted and flash bulbs popped every time the ball came near him. The J League's second-leading scorer (20 goals) in 2007, Bare had an open look at the goal with just under 30 seconds to go in the opening half. But Cronin timed his dive perfectly to corral the ball and keep it a one-goal game.

Beckham did stir things up, however, when he reacted vehemently to what he thought was a late tackle by Osaka's Lucas just before the 65th minute. The English midfielder jumped up and started jawing with Lucas, mixing in some strong gesticulation before pleading his case to referee Baldomero Toledo, to no avail. Beckham got some measure of revenge in the 84th minute with a hard tackle that knocked Lucas to the ground and drew a large ovation from the crowd.

"Obviously it's always disappointing when you lose the game, when you don't start off the game well and properly, then that happens," Beckham said before a throng of international media gathered in the postgame mix zone. "They capitalized on that first break through, but we got back towards the end of the first half and we had a few chances. But the second half was a lot better, we started playing (soccer), we started playing with confidence."

Osaka has been training in Oahu since arriving on February 12, while the Galaxy flew to the Islands just two days ago. The Japanese squad appeared to have acclimated well, while Los Angeles seemed disorganized and sloppy at times. Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit voiced his displeasure with the playing surface at Aloha Stadium earlier in the week, stating that the FieldTurf played much faster than natural grass and that the potential for injury is greater. "In the beginning we had to adapt a lot to the pitch, we didn't train on the pitch at all," Gullit said. "It took us a little bit of time to adjust, but I was very happy with the way they interpreted the game. "In the second half, we put them constantly under pressure. We had our opportunities, but we are two weeks in training, so therefore, our physical conditioning is reasonable."

Los Angeles will face Sydney FC on Saturday at 6 p.m. local time, a match that precedes the tournament title game at 8:30 p.m. The Galaxy were without Landon Donovan, who did not suit up due to a leg injury. His status for Saturday's match is uncertain. Just three months removed from winning their second consecutive MLS Cup, the Dynamo continued to fire on all cylinders, taking control of the action against Sydney early and never looking back. The Dynamo kept constant pressure on Sydney's defenders, who only could manage to push the ball into the attack zone a handful of times. "I think (defensively) we kept them away pretty well until late in the game, and some of the goals we scored tonight were excellent," Houston head coach Dominic Kinnear said. "You never know how the other team's going to play, but I think we benefited from (having) more than a handful of guys (participate) in international camps, so those guys came in pretty fit. The other guys were pretty smart and (showed up) in pretty decent shape."

Dwayne De Rosario took possession in the attacking third and unleashed a 30-yard blast in the 27th minute to put the Houston squad up, 1-0. Just a minute later, Stuart Holden took a pass from De Rosario and rocketed a shot past goalkeeper Clint Bolton to double Houston's lead. "Dwayne just hit a bomb, not much to that one," said Houston's Brian Ching, who assisted on the game's first score. The Dynamo continued to pour it on as Chris Wondolowski took advantage of some lackluster defense by Sydney. After picking up a loose ball, he fired a shot from just outside the box in the 42nd minute to make it 3-0.

For Houston forward Brian Ching, the tournament serves as an opportunity for the Haleiwa, Oahu native to play in front of his hometown fans for the first time since representing the Kamehameha Schools as one of the state's best prep soccer players 12 years ago. Ching exited the game in the 64th minute in favor of a substitute, and the fan favorite was greeted by a wave of applause as he acknowledged the crowd.

Galaxy Dismiss Beckham Rumors

LONDON (Ticker) - Los Angeles Galaxy general manager Alexi Lalas has insisted David Beckham is not for sale to Newcastle or anyone else. The England midfielder found himself linked to the Magpies earlier this week as new manager Kevin Keegan launched his search for new recruits.

Newcastle privately dismissed the rumors, and Lalas has reiterated that Beckham is simply not for sale. "I can confidently say there is absolutely no truth in the speculation linking David with a move to Newcastle United," he told Sky Sports News. "David is gearing up for his 100th game for England and we are very proud and excited for him. "We have had no contact from any representatives for Newcastle United, but I recognize that there will always be speculation surrounding him. Every indication I have received from David is that he and his family are enjoying life in America and in Los Angeles. "

Lalas added that the Galaxy plan of having Beckham around for the full extent of the five-year contract he signed when he joined from Real Madrid last summer. "He wouldn't be put out on loan to another club - that is not an option - and David is not for sale at any price," he said. "David is not someone we are grooming and looking to sell on."

Galaxy Re-acquire Ruiz

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Galaxy on Tuesday re-acquired veteran forward Carlos Ruiz - the eighth-leading scorer in MLS history - in a trade with FC Dallas. Ruiz, 28, began his career with the Galaxy and helped lead them to their first MLS Cup title in 2002.

In his six seasons in the MLS, he has scored 81 goals in 140 regular-season games. Dallas received Los Angeles' second-round pick in the 2009 draft along with allocation money. "We are very pleased to be bringing a proven goal scorer and veteran leader in Carlos Ruiz back to Los Angeles," said Paul Bravo, the Galaxy's director of soccer. "We believe that he will be a tremendous asset to our attack." Ruiz holds the MLS record for postseason goals, scoring 16 in 17 games.

In his first season in the MLS in 2002, he registered a league-leading 24 goals en route to earning Most Valuable Player honors. The native of Guatemala also led the Galaxy in scoring in 2003 and 2004 before being traded to Dallas before the start of the 2005 campaign. "It means a lot to play for the Galaxy again because I feel like I am going back home and I am very excited about that," Ruiz said.

Ruiz spent the last three seasons in Dallas, scoring 31 goals in 68 games and another five in six postseason matches. Ruiz also has made 72 appearances for the Guatemalan national team.

Galaxy to See More of Beckham in 2008

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) - England's loss is the Los Angeles Galaxy's gain - again. When England's national team was eliminated by Croatia, 3-2, in a Euro 2008 qualifier Wednesday, it ensured the Galaxy would not lose David Beckham to national team duty for up to a month next year. Had England prevailed Wednesday and qualified for next summer's Euro 2008 finals, Los Angeles would have lost its prize acquisition for a big chunk of a second straight season.

Beckham signed a five-year contract with the Galaxy in January reportedly worth a staggering $250 million. Los Angeles did not get much bang for its buck in the first year of the deal, however, as the English superstar missed several games due to injury after joining the squad in July. Ankle and knee injuries limited the 32-year-old Beckham to just five MLS appearances - two starts - with the Galaxy. He finished the season with zero goals and two assists. Asked after Wednesday's loss if he would continue playing for England if picked, Beckham said: "Without a doubt. I'm not retiring. "I said that the moment I was taken out of the team and the moment I came back into the team. I'm not stepping down."