Tag: LA Galaxy

The MLS playoffs begin with three days of potential upsets and chaos

Thoughts and predictions from every opening-round playoff match

After the obligatory long, strange trip, the MLS playoffs are here.

The first round will feature six one-off games, with the higher seeds all hosting. While LAFC and the Philadelphia Union kick their feet up and watch, the remaining playoff sides will try to navigate a first round that is typically volatile. If your playoff predictions are looking pretty chalky, you’re probably off base.

Pro Soccer Wire is ready for the kind of drama MLS virtually always manages to conjure up at this time of the year, and we’re diving into each and every first round match-up with analysis, broadcast information, and predictions.

MLS playoff brackets are set after Decision Day drama

Thoughts on every playoff pairing after Decision Day’s drama

It’s officially playoff time in MLS.

Sunday afternoon saw some high tension in the Eastern Conference that ended with Orlando City coming back to secure the final playoff spot over the Columbus Crew. For the Crew, a season of lost leads ended with Facundo Torres netting an 84th minute penalty kick, giving the 2022 US Open Cup champions a win they had to have to get into the playoff spot.

Fans then watched Minnesota United and Real Salt Lake win the race for the last two spots in the West, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers in what turned out to be effectively an appetizer for the actual postseason. Minnesota largely held Vancouver to little en route to a 2-0 win in St. Paul, while the Timbers controversially dropped midfielder Eryk Williamson and were run over by RSL, falling behind by three goals before a very late goal gave them a more respectable-sounding 3-1 loss.

While the playoff dates and times are yet to be announced, we now know all 14 playoff teams, and what the first round looks like.

En México no lo quieren, en Estados Unidos Chicharito renueva contrato con Galaxy

Chicharito compartió a través de rueda de prensa la extensión de contrato con el LA Galaxy al menos por un año más.

Mientras que en México Tata Martino se sigue reusando a llamar a Chicharito Hernández a jugar con la selección, en Estados Unidos quieren más del mexicano.

Este jueves el Chicharito compartió a través de rueda de prensa la extensión de contrato con el LA Galaxy al menos por un año más. El futbolista de Guadalajara se ganó la extensión puramente con sus buenos resultados en la cancha.

En el acuerdo de Chicharito con el Galaxy se determinó una cláusula donde el equipo de la MLS renovaría el contrato en automático al delantero en caso de que anotara 11 goles en la campaña y jugata el 60% de los minutos, ambas cosas se cumplieron. De hecho, Chicharito superó el acuerdo.

Hasta ahora, Chicharito acumula 18 tantos con el Galaxy, sumando 17 de la temporada más 1 de la US Open Cup.

Ahora el mexicano necesitará mantenerse libre de lesiones y sumando anotaciones para mantener su éxito con el equipo. Aunque ha tenido sus altibajos en Estados Unidos, Chicharito ha encontrado aquí un nuevo hogar, entre un equipo y una afición que disfruta tenerlo en casa.

Las Chivas tendrán que esperar otro rato más para que el hijo pródigo regrese a casa.

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LAFC, LA Galaxy will open 2023 MLS season with El Tráfico at Rose Bowl

A big stage for both teams to start 2023 off with

MLS hasn’t finished its 2022 regular season, but that’s not stopping teams from announcing 2023 season openers.

LAFC and the LA Galaxy will begin their schedule next year by taking El Tráfico to the Rose Bowl, which will host the LA rivals on Saturday, February 25.

“This rivalry has, from day one, delivered an energy and electricity that together with incredible moments and memories on the pitch, has established it among the most engaging not only in Los Angeles but across MLS,” said LAFC Co-President & CBO Larry Freedman in a team statement. “It is only fitting that we are now taking it to one of the most iconic venues in all of sports.”

“The LA Galaxy are excited to write a new chapter in the storied soccer legacy of Los Angeles as we kick off our 2023 campaign against our intercity rival LAFC at the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium,” added LA Galaxy President Chris Klein in a statement from the elder club’s side of things. “We have a great history at the most legendary sports venue in the United States and know this will be a great spectacle for fans as we place one of the most exciting new rivalries in the world on LA’s biggest stage.”

Why a move to the Rose Bowl?

While various organizations that hold games there disagree on exactly how many seats are available at the Rose Bowl, that capacity is exactly why the teams would want to move. You could fit a sellout crowd from both the Banc of California Stadium and Dignity Health Sports Park into the Rose Bowl and still have plenty of tickets to sell.

The move also gives MLS a marquee match to lure fans over to their new broadcast partner, Apple TV. Typically, El Tráfico is one of the big draws for MLS, and one of the few games every year that seems to break through to the sports mainstream to any serious degree.

Given the Galaxy’s early history, when the Rose Bowl was their full-time home, it is fitting that the match will technically be a home game for the MLS original. The Galaxy played their first seven years (1996-2002) at the Rose Bowl before moving to Carson to the stadium now known as Dignity Health Sports Park.

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It’s not a great idea to call Chicharito a clown

“The best way to respond to a tifo like that is scoring two goals and celebrating like a clown”

San Jose Earthquakes fans learned a harsh lesson on Saturday night: Don’t call Javier “Chicharito” Hernández a clown.

The Quakes met the LA Galaxy in the latest edition of the Cali Clasico, and the home fans unveiled a tifo before the match that didn’t quite sit well with their opponent’s star forward.

“The LA circus — same clowns, different costumes,” read the banner, along with a picture of a pair of clowns.

Just 12 minutes into the game, Chicharito opened the scoring in front of the home fans at Stanford Stadium and celebrated, of course, like a clown.

The striker would go on to score again in the second half, reaching 17 on the season, as the Galaxy notched a crucial 3-2 victory. After the game, Hernández thanked the Quakes fans for providing him with a little extra motivation on the night.

“You know, sometimes people think that those kinds of stuff is going to put our confidence in ourselves down and they do completely the opposite. They motivate us, they motivate me at least,” he said.

“So, thank you. Thank you for the people to put that [tifo] because that brought something else from me, because now I had more desire to win and to get the three points.”

The striker added: “The best way to respond to a tifo like that is scoring two goals and celebrating like a clown.”

Watch Chicharito’s clown celebration

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El increíble record negativo que acaba de romper Chicharito en la MLS

No todos los récords son positivos y este definitivamente es de los que no quieres que tengan los jugadores de tu equipo.

Chicharito Hernández se echó encima a la afición del LA Galaxy cuando falló tremendamente un penal ante el Sporting KC, empatando el partido 2-2. Después de lo sucedido, emitió una disculpa pública, pero los fans no la recibieron nada bien.

Ahora, Chicharito tiene un nuevo récord en la MLS que solo enfurecerá más a los seguidores del Galaxy.

Con el penal fallado del fin de semana, Chicharito suma 4 penales fallados, de un total de ocho. Nadie más en la MLS ha fallado tantos (50%) penales como él.

¡Ups!

No todos los récords son positivos y este definitivamente es de los que no quieres que tengan los jugadores de tu equipo.

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Fans no recibieron bien la disculpa de Chicharito tras fallar penal

Le llovió duro a Chicharito, quien rápido pasó de héroe del juego a enemigo de la afición.

Las cosas iban muy bien para Chicharito Hernández el domingo por la noche, cuando había anotado dos tantos en contra del Sporting KC. Sin embargo, lo que parecía que sería una noche triunfadora para el mexicano se convirtió en degracia cuando falló un penal, lanzado al puro estilo Panenka.

Este tipo de lanzamientos siempre es un riesgo. Si el portero no se adelanta, el gol está perdido y eso fue justamente lo que le pasó a Chicharito. Quien no solo se perdió de tener un hat-trick en el juego sino que evitó que se fueran con el triunfo, empatando 2-2.

“Decidí tomarlo así y no entró, la otra semana entró muy bien y el portero se había tirado y ahora no entró. Tiré uno, pensé que se iba a tirar al mismo lado que yo. Es un juego mental esto y me atreví a tirarlo y la responsabilidad de no haber obtenido los dos puntos cae en mí y la asumo al ciento cien”, dijo posteriormente a TUDN.

A través de Twitter, la cuenta del LA Galaxy compartió un video en plena cancha donde Chicharito se disculpa con la afición por haber fallado el penal.

“Lo siento, está claro que teníamos la oportunidad de quedarnos con los tres puntos. Acepto la responsabilidad, lo siento. He estado trabajando muy fuerte, hace dos semanas el penalti a lo Panenka salió bien, esta vez no funcionó. Necesito seguir hacia delante, aceptar la responsabilidad y seguir trabajando”, dice el mexicano en el video.

Algunos aficionados recibieron bien la disculpa. Pero la mayoría alegan que Chicharito no vuelva a patear un penal nunca más.

Le llovió duro a Chicharito, quien rápido pasó de héroe del juego a enemigo de la afición.

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Oh no, Chicharito. No. No. No.

There are not many worse things than a failed Panenka

There is nothing worse than a failed Panenka.

The only thing worse, actually, is a failed Panenka deep into stoppage time of a tie game that your team really needs to win to reach the playoffs.

Javier “Chicharito” Hernández lived that nightmare on Sunday as the LA Galaxy drew Sporting Kansas City 2-2 at Dignity Health Sports Park.

To be fair to Chicharito, he did score the first two goals for the Galaxy on the night. And he has been on a tear lately, as his brace took him to seven goals in seven games.

But let’s return to that failed Panenka.

Just minutes after he scored a penalty to tie the game, Chicharito got another chance to win it from the spot and he … did not win it.

Oh no. No. No. No.

After the draw, the Galaxy sit in eighth place, three points behind seventh-place Portland in the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Galaxy do have two games in hand over the Timbers but, had Chicharito opted for a normal penalty at the end of Sunday’s game, they would probably also have two more points.

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Video: ¿Chicharito atacado o le aprendió show a Neymar?

Michael Bradley, Richie Laryea y Chris Mavinga rodearon a Chicharito para reclamarle la jugada anterior y las cosas se descontrolaron.

¿Qué demonios pasó el miércoles en el empate 2-2 entre Toronto y LA Galaxy con Chicharito Hernández y Michael Bradley, Richie Laryea y Chris Mavinga?

En la segunda parte del partido, los tres jugadores del Toronto rodearon a Chicharito para reclamarle la jugada anterior. Pero de pronto todo se descontroló y Chicharito terminó en el suelo.

La cosa es que todo el encuentro resulta súper extraño y parece más una mala actuación de telenovela que una agresión.

Echen un vistazo:

Los aficionados en redes están divididos. ¿Hubo agresión o Chicharito tomó clases con Neymar sobre cómo armar un escándalo de nada?

Algunos fans han analizado el video una y otra vez y hasta han sugerido que le pican las costillas con algún objeto. ¿Será?

La verdad es que por más que vemos el video cuadro por cuadro no logramos ver eso que dicen estos usuarios. ¿Ustedes sí?

El árbitro Ted Unkel calmó las cosas y no llevó a más el altercado. Nosotros nos quedamos con su decisión y más bien vemos a un Chicharito armando un escándalo bastante exagerado.

Sí, se pasaron echándole montón los tres del Toronto, pero tampoco era para rodar por los suelos.

Un día más en el mundo del futbol y sus exageraciones.

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Riqui Puig may prove that bringing Barcelona players to MLS is a good strategy

The Galaxy may not always get it right, but Puig is looking like a success

Riqui Puig, who last year was making the gameday squad for Barcelona every week, is probably going to be a top MLS player.

You already know this instinctively, as someone who has seen Barcelona play soccer. Or, perhaps you just saw Puig pick up an unreal first assist in the league on the notoriously bad turf surface at Gillette Stadium. Either way, you probably knew that signing him was a good plan for the LA Galaxy.

Let’s say you’re a skeptic, though. A real “can he do it on a Wednesday night in Canada?” type. It’s not a completely indefensible position, given the struggles supposed superstars have had coming to MLS to play in 90% humidity after an eight-hour travel day with two connecting flights.

You could also be a keen MLS observer falling back on a pretty solid truism from recent years: the Galaxy do not do good plans. They flail around, sometimes it works, but it’s never what anyone would call strategic. The Galaxy signing Puig, if you’re in this category, points more towards Puig having some unknown issue than it does LA getting its act together.

So if you’re in either of those last two groups, Puig would like to offer a further rejoinder in the form of his first goal in the league.

With the Galaxy down 2-1 at Toronto FC in the 89th minute, having given up a late Federico Bernardeschi penalty to fall behind, LA needed some inspiration. Puig, pinned to the touchline at midfield, provided it. He burst through a seam, catching TFC on their heels, to play a one-two with Gastón Brugman.

Puig then used his first touch on the return pass to cut inside two Toronto defenders before rifling a 24-yard shot into the upper corner, equalizing out of nowhere to give the Galaxy a potentially crucial road draw.

So congrats to the early Puig adopters, and welcome to the party for the skeptics. The Galaxy may not always have good plans, but signing a player from Barcelona? It looks like a good one.

Watch Puig’s wonder goal

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