By IVES GALARCEP
CARSON, Calif.– The LA Galaxy take on Club Tijuana in CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal action at Stub Hub Center (10pm ET, Fox Soccer Plus/Galavision).
The battle for Southern California will see both sides fielding close to full-strength squads as they each look to take control of this two-leg series, which will conclude in Tijuana on Tuesday.
The Galaxy are fielding a full-strength team just four days after kicking off the 2014 MLS season. Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan lead a Galaxy attack that will look to punish a vulnerable Xolos defense.
For Club Tijuana, Americans Greg Garza and Joe Corona are in the starting lineup, while Javier Gandolfi and Fidel Martinez will lead the Club Tijuana attack.
SBI will be providing live commentary from the match, so please feel free to follow the action here. As always, please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action (Tonight’s commentary is after the jump):
So what MLS team has the best shot at getting through?
Probably galaxy. But i would like to pount out that the besler-collin and bernardez-goodson combos (my favorite CB pairings in mls) will be a force against the mexican teams. That being said i think Skc has a decent chance of going throigh, but i think its over for SJ
I think SKC might be the most likely to make it ugly and steal an away goal, However Galaxy probably still have the best match up, considering travel ect. Even with San Jose, they might of created more chances then any of the MLS sides, get an early away goal and they are in that one.
Good point about SJ, i didnt see the skc or LA game but i saw SJ’s and they easily could have scored at least 3
Second half was terrible for the G’s you can tell which team was in mid season form. Two things I wanted to point out… Omar looked really really good out there. Composed and dominant in the air. Made some very good decisions and runs in the attack as well. On the xolos side, I was very impressed with Greg garza on the left. Second game I’ve seen where he was a defensive and offensive force on the left. Good crosses into the box and he tracked back very well against Zardes.
No mls teams lost? Good week
LAG holds on, but thoroughly outplayed in second half.
Good performance from Donovan, and surprisingly sturdy showing from James Riley.
Disgusting dive by Herc must have learned it from Deuce or Jones.
Pathetic dive by Herc. Pathetic.
Everything about Tijuana is disgusting.
Was that a Herc dive?
Pellerano should be gone.
Herc enters. Having flashbacks to what he did to Seattle with Santos last year.
Do they do anything except dive and scream at the referee? Serious question because I don’t even want to watch this anymore.
And that mass attempt to get a Galaxy player sent off for one of those magical off the ball he stomped on me look how bad it hurts manure piles?
How can anyone respect these types of players?
Pinedo is for real.
Is it weird that I love CCL matches more then MLS? Maybe it’s because I can always root for the MLS teams. I don’t see why MLS or ESPN doesn’t get a hold and really build up these matches, you already have that US – Mexico rivalry right there.
ESPN might as well, they love Mexico.
The first game and the first half of the galaxy game have been well played and entertaining. The speed of mls matches, with the passing and movement of Mexican league. Sic and galaxy both look solid. Much better than San Joseast night.
Whoever is the captain of Tijuana is a giant jack@ss and it’s amazing he hasn’t been carded yet for the half dozen reckless fouls he’s been called for OR dissent.
Wrecks Landon with a really late slide tackle, gets up, and starts screaming at Landon. Seriously, what the h*ll is wrong with some of these players?
I love the man and he’s a great player, but is Keane gonna put in zero effort on defense all season? Could end up hurting the team.
Yeah, at this point he hardly even runs to win loose balls or 50/50 challenges. I saw him stand still and glare over at Samuel like – “that’s your job rookie” – when there was an airball near midfield. But I guess when you score that many goals and are that dangerous in the box I guess you can do that.
He’s getting up there in age.
The guy is lethal and clearly appears to be choosing when and where–strategically–he’s going to go hard.
He is beating 20 year olds for pace still. Can’t call him for sandbagging. It’s a long season though and he’s their main goal scorer.
Great first half by LAG, but you’ve gotta say that Xolos did not look sharp at all.
Took about 30 minutes into first CCL gamr for me to remember why I have zero respect for anything to do with Mexican soccer.
Cheap shots, diving, more cheap shots, screaming at ref after you hack someone down.
I see that in every soccer league i have ever watched
You have to understand that most of these fans that complain about this are use to getting orange wedges at the end of the game.
I remember when watching MLS was so f***ing boring and the home MLS teams had no atmosphere in the CCL games! Congrats to the league they’ve come a long way
Yep i heard skc sold out tonight!
Great energy in the stadium even though capacity is reduced because the college is in session. Interest in Champs League really improving.
Helps TJ is 2 hours down I-5.
Ha, you obviously are not from socal
I live in Orange County. It’s 2 hours from my house – depending on a number of factors (freeway and border-crossing traffic).
Skc did their part. Up to la to keep earning mls respect
You earn respect from winning championship…
And when the final is skc/la will you stop being so negative? Other than rsl a couple of years ago, mls teams didn’t even put up a fight in these matches. Cruz azul was outplayed for large stretches tonight. I guarantee you they respect their northern opponents more now than last night.
I think MLS should just buy Liga MX and add it to the league.
And when the Final doesn’t include a mls team, then will shut it? Who to say the Mexican teams even put up a fight in these matches, for all we know no team has ever.
Keane will say later that he meant to do that all along.
It’s on Galavision, spanish station.
Thanks for the Galavision tip. I’ve got that one. FS+ not so much and probably never.
Thanks SBI for doing the live commentary for this very fun matchup. Knew you guys were on it.
http://firstrowusa.eu/soccer/first-los-angeles-galaxy-tijuana-row45242a#
its on fox soccer plus. sucks!
is this game on t.v.?
Galavision.