Meet the Galaxy
PROBABLE STARTERS FOR TONIGHT’S MATCH:
* Joe Cannon -- Cannon, 32, is a four-time Major League Soccer All-Star and twice has won the league’s goalkeeper-of-the-year award. Cannon is in his first season with the Galaxy, having replaced Kevin Hartman, who played for the Galaxy from 1997-2006.
*--* GOALKEEPER
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*--* DEFENDERS
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* Abel Xavier -- Xavier signed with the Galaxy in May and joined the club in June when the MLS transfer window opened. Xavier, 34, has 20 caps with the Portuguese national team and played for Middlesbrough of the English Premier League before coming to Los Angeles. In 2005, he tested positive for the anabolic steroid dianabol and served a 12-month suspension.
* Ante Jazic -- Jazic, 31, has been an occasional starter for the Canadian national team since 1998. He played in Croatia, Austria and Russia before signing with the Galaxy in 2006.
* Ty Harden -- Harden, 23, is the youngest regular for the Galaxy. Harden, a four-year starter at the University of Washington, was drafted in the second round of the 2007 SuperDraft. He has played every minute of all 12 of the team’s MLS games this season.
* Troy Roberts -- Roberts, 23, is in his third season with the Galaxy. The Galaxy drafted him with the eighth pick in the first round of the 2005 draft. He has taken over the starting right back position, which opened when veteran Chris Albright tore his right hamstring this season.
*--* MIDFIELDERS
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* Kyle Martino -- Martino, 26, was acquired in a trade in May 2006. The six-year MLS veteran has 11 goals and 21 assists in his career, including a goal and an assist this season. He has shown a penchant for drawing fouls in the box, including two that led to Landon Donovan penalty kicks against the Chicago Fire on July 4.
* Kelly Gray -- Gray, 26, will be the defense-minded central midfielder in the Galaxy lineup, complementing David Beckham’s attacking game. The Galaxy traded forward Nate Jaqua to Houston for Gray on July 3, and Gray has shown an ability to make runs up the middle of the field. He has seven goals and nine assists in his six-year career.
* Landon Donovan -- Donovan, 25, has been an MLS All-Star in each of his seven seasons in the league. The native of Ontario has 60 goals and 53 assists in his MLS career. He is tied with Eric Wynalda for the U.S. national team’s all-time record with 34 goals but has earned a reputation of sometimes disappearing on the big stage because of inconsistent play in the 2006 World Cup.
* Cobi Jones -- Jones, 37, is the all-time leader in caps with the U.S. national team with 164. The former UCLA star has been a member of the Galaxy since the inception of MLS in 1996. Jones has four goals and one assist this season, which will be his last. He has 70 goals and 87 assists in his career.
*--* FORWARDS
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* Carlos Pavon -- Pavon, 33, was a star for the Honduran national team during the 2007 Gold Cup. He scored four goals in a 5-0 win against Cuba on June 13 and signed with the Galaxy a week later, though negotiations were already in progress when Pavon came to the Gold Cup. The striker had 15 goals in 20 games for Real Club Deportivo Espana, which won the 2007 Honduran League title.
* Alan Gordon -- Gordon, 25, is in his fourth year with the Galaxy. After sitting out the first three months of the season because of a left foot stress fracture, Gordon made his return to the starting lineup last Saturday against Chelsea. He had four goals and two assists in 25 games in his first three seasons.
*--* OFF THE BENCH
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* David Beckham (midfielder) -- Beckham, 32, won’t play tonight because of an ankle injury. Born in London, Beckham has 96 caps with the English national team and is the only player in English history to have scored in three World Cups. Beckham has played most of his career on the right wing but this season will play at central midfield for the Galaxy. He has 101 goals in his 15-year club career, which includes stints at Manchester United of the English Premier League and Real Madrid of Spain’s La Liga.
* Edson Buddle (forward) -- The Galaxy acquired Buddle, 26, in June from Toronto FC in exchange for veteran defender Tyrone Marshall. Buddle has two goals in four MLS games with the Galaxy. He has 50 goals and 20 assists in his career.
-- KEN FOWLER
