By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Jul 19, 2017) US Soccer Players - The LA Galaxy seem to have more hope now than at any point in 2017. Perhaps not playing any league matches since July 4 has distanced onlookers enough to have forgotten the sting of losses and how poor the Galaxy have looked, particularly at home. The club seems to have renewed energy heading into the unofficial second half of the . . .
Why does MLS continue to schedule midseason friendlies?
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Jul 12, 2017) US Soccer Players - In the early days of Major League Soccer, gimmicks abounded. Part of the thinking then was that both soccer and non-soccer fans needed some sort of reason to pay attention to the fledgling league. Perhaps that was the right mindset to take in 1996. this league has grown quite a bit since and some of those gimmicks need to go by the . . .
The Galaxy’s excuse might not be enough
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Jul 5, 2017) US Soccer Players - The LA Galaxy had turned an important corner just last month. A rough season-opening patch seemed to have toughened up the team. The Galaxy won three consecutive road games and built up a seven-match unbeaten run. Having reached the midway point in the season, however, it looks like the destitute, effort-lacking collection of players . . .
The Galaxy plays relevance games
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Jun 28, 2017) US Soccer Players - Since the start of the Major League Soccer, the LA Galaxy has been the most relevant team in California. Mostly, anyway. There was a time when the San Jose Earthquakes had more championships than the Galaxy and was winning them at the Galaxy’s expense. Outside of the early part of the last decade, California has long been the . . .
LAFC intrigue and Mexico asks their fans to stop
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Jun 21, 2017) US Soccer Players - There is still quite some time until LAFC takes the field. Many things with this club are still up in the air, but the possibilities seem unlimited. The roster will not start to take shape until sometime after a team lifts the 2017 MLS Cup. Already, rumors swirl linking a top Mexican player to LAFC and the potential for more such . . .
The LA Galaxy plays their schedule
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Jun 14, 2017) US Soccer Players - Bruce Arena’s shadow looms large over Curt Onalfo. The new LA Galaxy coach has tried to do his best to focus on the present without looking to the past. How he handles the Galaxy over the next few weeks will determine if others will stop looking at the past as well. The Galaxy will play their busiest stretch of the year, beginning . . .
El Tri in qualifying, the Confederations Cup, and the Gold Cup
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (Jun 7, 2017) US Soccer Players - Busy summers are part and parcel for national teams. For Mexico though this summer will be busy and historic, with long-lasting effects that could set El Tri up well for the next few years. Whether or not all that comes to fruition depends on how coach Juan Carlos Osorio and the players respond and what they prioritize. Mexico’s . . .
The Galaxy starts their transition
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (May 31, 2017) US Soccer Players - Transitions can be tough on soccer clubs. Swapping out coaches and players en masse, as the LA Galaxy did following the 2016 season, can lead to a difficult transitional period. Transitions can also work in a team's favor. Not quite through with their transitional phase from the Bruce Arena era to the Curt Onalfo one, the Galaxy has . . .
Chivas needs a trophy
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (May 24, 2017) US Soccer Players - There is no greater club in Mexico than Club Deportivo Guadalajara, known more commonly as Chivas. At least, that’s what their supporters say. Chivas indeed have a storied history. Famous for their red-and-white striped jerseys, Chivas is the only team in Mexico to use only Mexican-born players and, more recently, players of Mexican . . .
Gio Dos Santos for club not country
By Luis Bueno – RIVERSIDE, CA (May 17, 2017) US Soccer Players - Earlier this week, Mexico released its roster for upcoming friendly matches against Croatia in Los Angeles on May 27 and Ireland in New Jersey five days later. One name not on the list was the LA Galaxy’s Giovani Dos Santos. Perhaps that was not surprising. The Galaxy play at San Jose on May 27 and at DC United on June 3, two . . .
