More MLS Cup Chatter

By: NathanHJ | November 22nd, 2009

2009 WC Trophy Celebration

I thought I would add one more post before the big game this evening and add a bunch of links for you to peruse at your leisure.

First, Diane added some insight into my posting from yesterday on the topic of who’s really the underdog here.

I personally think that the Galaxy should be considered the underdog because the team is older, lacks depth after the 14th player, and will probably suffer on the turf.

And, then, there’s the fact that David Beckham has been diagnosed with a bone bruise in his ankle and has played hurt or sick for the past 6 or so games.

The other half of this is, of course, the fact that RSL is peaking at exactly the right tie of the year, face no major injuries, and has the team make-up that pressures the Galaxy’s weaknesses and can contain their strengths.

Add-in the turf factor and the aged nature of the Galaxy line-up and this game will be much more of a dogfight than the dramatic glamour hounds versus the scrappy underdogs that the media would have you believe.

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100 Percent Soccer’s Nick Green is running a “Predict the Final Score” contest at his fine blog. It’s open until 5 PM today.

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Seattle weather forecast: 39-45 degrees, 90 percent chance of rain.

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MLS Cup official viewing parties

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Official LA Galaxy blog with all the inside scoop

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Alan Gordon fish toss

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Soccer Insider’s Steve Goff with a profile of the two rookie defenders AJ Delagarza and Omar Gonzalez, both out of the University of Maryland.

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GALAXY WIN MLS CUP… in FIFA 2010

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More stories for your enjoyment

Phil Collin at The Daily Breeze
Phil Collins MLS Notebook
Jared Montez catches up with Sean Franklin and has the podcast to prove it.
The wit and wisdom of Alexi Lalas
More MLS Cup than you could possible absorb from the Seattle Times
Jeff Carlisle’s preview
MLSNet MLS Cup HQ
Steve Davis preview (with that misguided RSL as underdog meme)
LA Times Cup match-up breakdown
Ives Galarcep at SBI with the Cup Preview
The Big Lead at HoopsWorld
MLS Cup background story by Steve Goff at WaPo
Chris Iorfide at CBC Sports with the preview
Angel Magana at LAist.com
Sara Becksley at Footbo.com
Marketplace (NPR) on the Beckham MLS Cup appearance impact on MLS
Sam Steiskal at the Chicago Fire Confidential blog
Grahame Jones with at Beckham profile at the… Chicago Tribune
Martin Rogers with the Cup preview
Michael Lewis at the NY Daily News
Michael Kauffman at the Miami Herald
Todd Dybas at Seattle Press Intelligencer blog
Steve Pastorino (former RSL General Manager) at the Salt Lake Tribune
Glenn Davis at the Houston Chronicle
Reuters on the aftermath of the Donovan-Beckham spat
Michael C. Lewis at the Salt Lake Tribune on friendships and the Cup
Kathryn Knapp at LA Soccer News.com
More Phil Collin
Michael Lewis at LA Soccer News.com
Greg Beacham at KTLA

Some Related Galaxy Posts:

Category: Player News

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Diane

Also, AJ DeLagarza wears the right boots and he's slight but pretty tall.
Diane

Donovan's boots were all black, these are white with black trim of some kind. From the boots I could see on the guys small enough, it could have been McGee or Birchall, and maybe Jordan but I couldn't see his boots. Would those guys have had time to put on warm-ups when you took the picture? They get them on pretty quick.

And of course we need to know which of the children are looking particularly sad at any given moment!
Laurie

Question for Galaxy fans, if anybody knows the answer. It's driving me crazy.

After the game, Beckham was comforting an upset player or staffer. (Wearing cleats, so I assume it's a player.) I can't for the life of me figure out who it was, and I was on the wrong side of the stadium to see a face. Somebody suggested it might be Donovan (who Beckham was apparently comforting after the PK -- I didn't see that.) But this guy didn't move like Donovan. By build he kind of looks like Bryan Jordan?

Anybody have a clue? Not sure why i need to know this, but I do.

http://www.theoffside.com/file...
jen

Laurie, I was just coming here to post that -- that Saunders needs to be an MLS team's #1 keeper. He can certainly do a better job than Josh Wicks did for DC.

I'm sad. Bummed. I felt so bad for the guys, especially Landon. Yeah, he should have made that shot. And yeah, shit like that happens to the best of them. But what a time for it to happen. :(

I have to say that I was very happy for Andy Williams though. After the year he's had, and with no legs left AT ALL after overtime, I was glad he was the one who made the strike for the win. If RSL had to win, that was a great way to do it. Good for you, Andy.
laurie

Would you believe I (the Beckham-hater) actually felt bad for Beckham last night? It just wasn't his night. And I kind of liked him more because he numbed up his ankle for the MLS final like he did for Real Madrid.

(Wonder if he'll be crocked for Milan the way he was for the 2007 Galaxy because of it?)

A very, very fun game to be at, though, and Saunders did an admirable job under difficult circumstances. He should be some team's #1.
SkintEastwood

Was very happy to see that side show of a club get beaten. LA Galaxy is nothing more than an expensive gimmick. (last sentence deleted by jen due to racist comment)
Diane

:-(
Colin

Wow. Sad.
jen

Kirovski to start? Oh why? Why Bruce, why?