Galaxy Re-Acquire Juninho, Form Voltron, Defend Universe?

The offseason loss of creative midfielder Juninho was supposed to be a stake in the heart of LA Galaxy’s hopes of an MLS Cup repeat.  The 23-year-old Brazilian’s loan was not extended by his parent club, Sao Paulo, as they wished to bring his maturing talents back home, going so far as to lock him in to a new 3-year contract.

Galaxy began seeking out and acquiring several hopeful replacements, most promising amongst them fellow Brazilian Marcelo Sarvas and former Union man Kyle Nakazawa.

Additionally, after a series of below-the-radar moves, Los Angeles announced over the weekend that they had… re-acquired Juninho on loan.  The best man to fill a set of empty shoes is the same man who once wore them, it turns out, and Galaxy have gone from finding an acceptable replacement to having a set of midfield options unrivaled in the league.

And when you add in the return of David Beckham and last week’s re-acquisition of former Galaxy striker and Golden Boot finalist Edson Buddle, you have to ask yourself: Is this the official start of the most potent MLS strike force… ever?

Share your thoughts in the comments.

Jersey Review: Galaxy Unveil 2012 Kit

If there is one thing many of the MLS Original clubs have in common, it is a history of kit design with little continuity and even less tradition.  Los Angeles shares the top spot  on this unfortunate list – alongside Kansas City – with a radical departure in design coming every year or two since their inception.

But the beginning of the Bechkam era (MLS 2.0) coincided with a league-wide push for brand identity and as a result, in the years since, the casual fan can identify the teams around the league using only the clues provided by a color swatch.

And as far as brand identity goes, Los Angeles Galaxy has led the way.  Their all-white home kit with accents of blue and gold is not only recognized by casual soccer fans the world over, but by American soccerphobes as well, an arguably bigger achievement.  On top of that, the Galaxy’s #23 jersey is one of the most-sold jerseys in the world.  In any sport.  Ever.

The Beckham-era Galaxy jersey, love it or hate it, works.

So why does the 2012 version radically depart from it?

British Tabloid: MLS to Miami Part of Becks Deal

We’ve heard the “MLS to Miami” story before, and we’ve heard the “Beckham gets a team” story before. But with the new deal between David Beckham and the LA Galaxy inked last week, Britain’s Daily Star “exclusively” reports that his getting to helm an MLS team was the sweetener in the two-year deal and that Beckham’s choice is Miami, citing a senior AEG source.

Who Else Has Tuned In for the Beckham YouTube and Google+ Interviews?

Here it is on YouTube (live at noon ET):

And on Google+ (live at 1:30 ET)

 

On Beckham, European Arrogance and LA’s Allure…

The New Year is here and with it, a wide open transfer window.  And while the list of smart acquisitions and shock buys is just now beginning to take shape, most had assumed one man had been waiting for so long for the window to open he had fogged up the glass.  It turns out that this may not have been the case.  At all.

Getting Intimate…With LA Galaxy

One of the great things about MLS – and one of the things that has always been great about MLS – is the fan’s accessibility to their favorite players.  These last couple of years have seen a rapid increase in players – both big-name stars and up-and-comers – take to social media to share their soccer-related thoughts as well as their day-to-day doings. It all comes together to create a product that fans not only support, but also identify with.

The Los Angeles Galaxy – arguably the biggest brand in the league – is no different.  In addition to the hard-working social media folks in the front office whose updates are dispatched morning, day and night, several LA Galaxy players share the Twitterverse with their fans.  This list of accessible players includes two Rookies of the Year and, perhaps leading by example, the team’s captain.  A sublisting of my personal favorites are after the break.

gay4soccer MLS Schedule Mini-Roundtable

The MLS Schedule was released yesterday, setting Twitter into its usual flurry of comments surrounding the many changes featured. It’s the premiere of the Montreal Impact, who will get their season started against cross-country rivals the Vancouver Whitecaps. It’s the longest MLS schedule ever, with the MLS Cup Championship game pegged for Saturday, December 1. It’s a return to an unbalanced schedule, creating some interesting rivalry match-ups that seem ready-made to be featured as part of MLS’ return to broadcast television as part of the new deal with NBC Sports.

So what does our slate of gay4soccer writers think of the schedule and how it affects their team. Check out some of their thoughts after the jump. 

Tuesday Happy Hour: Beckham! Beckham! Beckham!

Happy New Year! One feature we will be bringing you almost daily is a set of “happy hour links” – a few things we think you’ll be talking about with your friends at your local watering hole tonight.