The Supporters Shield-winning LA Galaxy will try to move a step closer to the MLS Cup Final with a win (or draw) at Home Depot Center against the New York Red Bulls tonight (11pm, ESPN2) in their Western Conference semifinal second leg.
The Red Bulls have other plans, trying to continue a surprising run from last team in the playoffs to MLS Cup Final.
The Galaxy posted a 1-0 victory in the first leg at Red Bull Arena, but the Red Bulls definitely pushed LA to the brink, creating several quality chances that forced Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Saunders into some truly stunning saves.
There will be some lineup changes from the first leg after the post-game scuffle in the first leg led to suspensions for Rafa Marquez and Juninho. The return from suspension of Red Bulls right back Jan Gunnar Solli should also play a factor tonight.
SBi will be providing commentary on tonight's match, so please feel free to follow the match here. As always, you are welcome to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (Commentary is after the jump):
What’s your problem? GF/BF break up with you? Bitter that you aren’t good at sports? Hemorrhoids? or you just felt like being a turd tonight.
Fitting that the RBNY season ends with the same problems that plagued them all season.
1) Lack of organization and focus (1st goal). Another set piece goal, really?
2) Lack of discipline. Another stupid foul… in the box no less?
I hate to call for anyone’s job, but a team with no organization and no discipline is typically poorly coached. These are 2 of the few areas a manager can directly influence. Backe may be in a bad situation with prima donna players, but he hasn’t gotten a handle on these problems at all. RBNY needs a more authoritarian manager with better support from the RBNY hierarchy. Soler has been equally awful. The Marquez move was a disaster and trading DeRo for Dax is a joke.
Come now, I don’t think your namesake would approve of such hostility.
You shouldn’t drink – if you killed a brain cell you’d only have half of your brain left.
I don’t know, home court’s pretty big in this league
I only saw the replay once and I was a bit lubricated at that point so I reserve the right to change my mind, but it looked pretty dastardly to me.
Don’t make me try to tap all y’all
Ball beat hands to the spot. Game’s in 3D
Agreed, and yet Gonzalez’s team won. What are you gonna do?
I’d like somebody to compile the W-L record of Red Bulls with and without Tainio.
Very easily when your defenders mark that badly
I would have liked to have seen Tanio play the full game, bu tcongrats to the Gals. Beckham was great for them tonight.
Darn if you didn’t stop riding him after just one comment. What happened?
Ream was so much better than Gonzalez today.
So Lindpere is off. Hans Backe: You have made an enemy. The hell with this team. Go Cosmos.
I predict another feisty finish to this game.
Solli wants to get back to his DJ gig.
Miller: “Oh, look! I’m in the penalty area and Beckham is right next to me with the ball. I think I will simultaneously push him with both hands in the back and kick him. No one will notice.”
This puts the cheap shot comments in perspective.
Auvray off, please. Ballouchy — I can’t believe I’m saying — on. Or is Kandji available??
Clearly Miller was bribed. 🙂
Well, that’s that. Roy Miller, what the hell are you thinking?
Roy Miller what was that?
Talk about stupid!
I can’t believe NYRB fired Arena after such a short period but then stuck with two consecutive chumps for so long. Backe should go Backe to Austria. He’s probably the only one who would keep Agudelo on the bench. He seems to favor Europeans.
The best defender in all of history, whose greatness Klinsmann should apparently be fired for not recognizing (or so I read on here earlier today), is currently getting flame-broiled by something called a “Luke Rodgers.”
Well if NYRB can come back and win Juan might actually get to play now due to Theirry being Theirry…
Beckham is obviously a great passer but I think the best man won this year as far as the assist title is concerned. Brad Davis is incredible and continued his ways in the playoffs today. While Beckham seems to be hitting quite a few right at the goalkeeper, Davis has been curling them in perfectly and away from the keeper. Just an observation. I am NOT saying Davis is a better player than Beckham!
His defensive clearance was admirable. I was shocked he actually shot the ball….
I think Donovan was motivated to make that great defensive play by the fact that it was going to Rogers!
Fortunately for him he isn’t actually required to play. Everyone will just keep saying how great he is anyway.
Oh, look at that, he just shot. Now if he could shoot on the goal.
I keep hearing that he hasn’t fully recovered from an injury?
I love Donovan for all he’s done for the nats and will always support him but I almost wonder if he’s just racking up too many miles right now and needs to be left to rest for a while after MLS rather than jumping back into US games.
OK, maybe I need to see it again. I don’t even like Donovan so I’m not biased.