Real Madrid to come stateside to face LA Galaxy this August

Looks like los Blancos will be back on the Golden Coast to face the other galácticos, LA Galaxy.  The men will play the Los Angeles based team in a preseason friendly as part of the World Football Challenge.  The match will take place Thursday, August 2^nd, at the Home Depot Center.

This will be the fourth time Madrid faces LA Galaxy.  Perhaps the fourth time could be the charm for Galaxy?  The defending MLS Cup champions will face the recently crowned La Liga campeones.  The first time the two met was back in 2005 when current Galaxy man David Beckham wore RM's colors, the Spanish powerhouse winning 2-0.

LA Galaxy's Chief Operating Officer, Chris McGowan, had the following to say:

Heartache for Liverpool: The Reds Fall to The Blues in the FA Cup Final

Chelsea 2:1 Liverpool

Ramires (11'), Drogba (52'); Carroll (64')

Liverpool's hopes for a double this season were high as they arrived at Wembley ahead of the FA Cup Final clash with Chelsea. The two sides met for the 31st time since the start of the 2004-2005 season.

Kenny sent out a solid starting XI, electing to leave Andy Carroll and Dirk Kuyt on the bench, but providing skipper Steven Gerrard as support for Luis Suarez.

The Reds were in for a wake up call early on as Chelsea's Mata sent a ball past Jose Enrique to Ramires, who was able to slip away from the full back. Pepe Reina dove too soon for anyone's taste, rather than waiting for the shot, and could only watch as the ball went in easily at the near post at the 11th minute.

Craig Bellamy wasted no time, sending in a strong shot on the counter attack, only to have it blocked by Ivanovic.

Liverpool's midfield finally began to work after the half hour mark, with Steven Gerrard finding himself farther and farther up the pitch. Jordan Henderson was able to send in a marvelous header to Luis Suarez, who was only able to send it wide.  Any momentum the Reds were able to build was stopped at the half.

Disappointment at Anfield: Liverpool Falls to Fulham

Liverpool 0:1 Fulham

Skrtel (OG 5’)

Fulham visited Anfield on Wednesday in the last match before the Reds’ FA Cup Final against Chelsea. Fulham hadn’t seen a victory at Anfield in any of the clubs’ match-ups. If Liverpool were hoping to get a boost in confidence from the clash, they were somewhat mistaken.

Martin Skrtel received the captain’s armband while Stevie G. was rested ahead of the Cup Final and led a somewhat stripped down version of a Liverpool side, with Doni replacing Reina in goal. King Kenny made a whopping nine changes to his starting lineup versus Norwich City.

Alas, it was at the captain’s own hand (or chest) that Fulham found themselves ahead. Danny Murphy’s cross, intended for Alex Kacaniklic, managed to rebound off of Skrtel’s chest, leaving us (and Skrtel) unable to do anything but watch in horror as the ball found its way past Doni and into the corner of the netting.

Skrtel nearly made amends moments later, though his header from Aurelio’s cross went just wide of the net. Doni made an impressive save in the 15,’ preventing Fulham from furthering their lead. Maxi, Carroll, and Shelvey all looked increasingly dangerous as half time approached. 

Woe for the Reds: Liverpool Fall to West Brom at Home

Liverpool 0:1 West Brom

Odemwingie (75')

It was the same old song and dance for Liverpool on Sunday as Roy Hodgson made his return to Anfield with West Brom. Maxi returned to the starting XI, while Steven Gerrard was left off the roster entirely, watching from the stands next to Charlie Adam, as a precaution.

Liverpool dominated early on, their first good chance coming in the 10th minute as Luis Suarez found Dirk Kuyt inside the box, though Kuyt sent the ball soaring past West Brom's goal. Opportunity knocked again for the Reds, Suarez finding an opening and sending an excellent ball across the front of the goal, though none of his teammates were able to capitalize and provide a finish. Moments later, Maxi was brought down inside the box by West Brom's Billy Jones, but to no effect as calls for a penalty went unheeded.

Despite Liverpool's domination of possession, West Brom's Shane Long was able to beat Daniel Agger to the ball in mid-air, sending a header to Chris Brunt, whose low shot was brilliantly saved by Pepe Reina, el capitán for the match. Agger, meanwhile, nearly made up for missing out on a clearance just before the break, though his low shot was blocked by Foster.

The King Speaks: Dalglish on Hodgson, Chelsea, and Liverpool's Confidence

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish firmly believes that Roy Hodgson will get nothing but a warm welcome when he returns to Anfield on Saturday as Liverpool take on West Brom for the first time since being sacked 15 months ago. Hodgson left after half a season with the Reds only to save West Brom from relegation.


Kenny spoke to reporters at Melwood on Thursday, praising Hodgson, saying "It will be good to see Roy. To see him back at Anfield - obviously we've played them down there already - will be good and I'm sure he'll get a warm reception from the supporters.


"He's a man with real integrity and dignity and he tried his best for this football club. I'm sure the supporters will respect that.


"As a person I respect him tremendously so he'll get a warm welcome from us.
"He's done very well (at West Brom). He's a good coach and manager. He's got a lot of experience behind him. Last year at West Brom he kept them up, this year they've easily stayed up."

Andy to the Rescue: Liverpool Through to FA Cup Final

Liverpool 2:1 Everton

Suarez (62'), Carroll (87'); Jelavic (24')

The name "Howard Webb" is enough to strike fear into the hearts of many a fan, however Liverpool had few complaints in their FA Cup semi final against an Everton side that has showed excellent form in the past few weeks.

Prior to kick-off, Wembley observed a minute of silence out of respect for the 96 Liverpool fans that lost their lives at Hillsbourough ahead of the 23rd anniversary on Sunday. Captains Steven Gerrard and Phil Neville touchingly presented flowers to the families of the 96 killed.

How Sweet It Is: Liverpool Finds Relief at Blackburn

Liverpool 3:2 Blackburn
Rodriguez (13’, 16’), Carroll (90’); Aiyegbeni (36’, pen 61’) 

The Reds found relief at long last on Tuesday night, facing Blackburn with an upended side from Saturday’s draw against Aston Villa, Kenny making a whopping 6 changes to his line-up.

The first 13 minutes saw little action until de facto skipper Martin Skrtel flawlessly picked out Craig Bellamy who sent a precise cross in Maxi Rodriguez’s direction, making the Argentine’s finish an easy one. A mere 3 minutes later saw Maxi in nearly the same spot as he pounced on the ball after Andy Carroll and Jonjo Shelvey had both been denied, putting Liverpool ahead by 2 and sending yours truly into fits of sheer joy.

The 25’ saw things go wrong. So wrong, as Doni received a straight red for bringing down Hoilett in the box after an off pass from Flanagan.  Doni had been set to fill in for the suspended Pepe Reina in the FA Cup match against Everton at Wembley and was, understandably, inconsolable. 

An Improvement. Of Sorts: Liverpool Draws at Anfield

Liverpool 1:1 Aston Villa

Herd (10'), Suarez (82')

Liverpool faced another relegation-threatened club on Saturday as they took on Aston Villa at Anfield. The Reds were undoubtedly on edge, having lost to both Wigan and QPR.

If Liverpool's confidence was low before, the loss of Pepe Reina in goal certainly didn't help matters, Doni, whose last appearance in an October friendly lasted only 57 minutes, taking his place. Doni's anxiety-ridden debut was only made worse in the 10' when he cleared Warnock's cross awkwardly and allowing Bannan to pass the ball to a wide open Chris Herd who put Aston Villa on the score-sheet.

Red's Denied: Late Goals Left Liverpool Frustrated

Queen's Park Rangers 3:2 Liverpool

Coates (54'), Kuyt (72'); Derry (77'), Cisse (86'), Mackie (91')

Liverpool headed to London Wednesday night, with Luis Suarez and Martin Kelly, who had both walked off limping in the match against Stoke, still in the line up against a QPR side threatened with relegation. They joined their teammates in donning shirts in support of still recovering Fabrice Muamba during warm-ups.

The Reds were lively from the start, Luis Suarez getting several attempts early on, taking QPR's defense and 'keeper Kenny by surprise, but unable to beat the 'keeper. A link up between Martin Kelly and Stewart Downing caused Ferdinand to come to QPR's rescue.

Liverpool had 7 corners in the first 9 minutes of the match, the last finding Kuyt near the post. Again, a goal was thwarted by Anton Ferdinand.

The 25' saw Martin Skrtel unable to find the net with a header from Liverpool's 11th corner of the match.

Despite Liverpool's sharp passing and a good performance from Luis Suarez, an opening goal seemed elusive.

Former Red Djibril Cisse seemed determined to prove himself to his old employers, sending one good attempt just wide of the posts.

A not-quite-fit Martin Kelly was subbed of for Sebastian Coates, Jamie Carragher moving to right-back, as QPR capitalized on LFC's inability to score, applying more and more pressure before the half. 

The Reds Return to Wembley: Liverpool Defeat Stoke City in FA Cup Quarter-Finals

Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City

Suarez (23'), Crouch (26'), Dowing (57')

Stoke City arrived at Anfield for the FA Cup Quarter-Final tie, facing a Liverpool side fresh off a 3-0 Merseyside Derby win.

Dalglish only made one change to his side that defeated Everton, Maxi Rodriguez starting for Jordan Henderson.

The match kicked off after a round of applause for midfielder Fabrice Muamba, who, as of Sunday, remains in intensive care. Fans from both teams showed their continued support for the Bolton player, chanting his name throughout the game.

Maxi Rodriguez made the first shot, sending a cross from Steven Gerrard just above the bar in the 3'.

Play started to slow after a few touches from Peter Crouch, but before this writer could finish her complaint about the dullness of things, Luis Suarez found the ball in Stoke's half in the 23rd minute, finding Maxi before Maxi returned the pass. Suarez controlled the ball expertly and sent the ball soaring into the back of the net, putting Liverpool in the lead.

Pepe Reina's Words of Wisdom: Liverpool's Keeper Calls Gerrard "An Inspiration."

Steven Gerrard was on fire in his 400th league appearance on Tuesday. The Liverpool skipper was not only responsible for all the goals that won the Merseyside derby for the Reds, but also became the first Liverpool player to score a hat trick against Everton since the great Ian Rush in 1982.

Stevie G's stellar performance prompted Pepe Reina to call him an "inspiration." The 'keeper spoke to Liverpoolfc.tv about the midfielder and the Merseyside derby, saying "Stevie is always a key player for us. He is an inspiration, on and off the pitch. He showed in the game he is fully fit now and he is coming back strong.

"We all love playing against Everton because they are special games. For local lads like Stevie, Spearo or Carra, those games mean a lot - and the rest of us know how important they are for the club."

No Luck for Liverpool: Sunderland defeat Liverpool in an Uninspiring Match

Sunderland 1-0 Liverpool

(56' Bendtner) 

After a disappointing loss against an overall out-played Arsenal last week, Liverpool were looking to gain some ground in the clamor for 4th place, despite being 10 points behind. All we've heard out of Melwood this week was that no one had given up the race for Champions League football next season. Today's match at Sunderland did little to calm any nerves.

Steven Gerrard made his return, to the bench at least, after returning to training on Thursday. Kenny made only two changes to the line-up against Arsenal, with Sebastian Coates and Craig Bellamy in for Jamie Carragher and Stewart Downing.

RVP- Knight In Shining Armor: Liverpool Fall to Arsenal at Anfield

Liverpool had high hopes going into Saturday's clash against Arsenal. Despite missing several key players - Steven Gerrard and Daniel Agger out due to injuries sustained while on international duty, Glen Johnson missing out on another match since the Carling Cup final - the Reds were fresh of their Carling Cup win and looking for another 3 points to get them closer to Champion's League action.

Arsenal, too, were hungry for another win after their comeback performance against Tottenham last weekend. They arrived at Anfield, a fit Robin Van Persie in tow, hoping to regain a grasp on 4^th place and close in on 3^rd.

Liverpool, even without skipper Stevie G, dominated most of the match.

Pepe Reina saved Theo Walcott's early attempt, while Jose Enrique forced Mikel Arteta to send his diagonal shot far over the top. If anything, it looked as if Arsenal were being smothered by a strong defensive line.

Despite Dirk Kuyt missing an early penalty (from Luis Suarez being tripped up by Arsenal 'keeper Szczesny) in the 19^th minute, the Reds were still first on the score sheet.  Szczesny was unable to save Jordan Henderson’s cross after a panicked Koscielny turned the ball into his own net in the 23^rd minute.

Luis Suarez celebrates Liverpool's first goal as Koscielny blunders and sends the ball past Szczesny.

Victory At Last: Liverpool Win Carling Cup Final On Penalties

Liverpool 2-2 Cardiff City (3-2 on PK)

Liverpool fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief as LFC defeated Cardiff City in a nail-biting Carling Cup final, ending the Reds’ 6 year drought without silverware and setting a record 8 Cup wins for the club.

King Kenny took every precaution against Cardiff City, sending in a strong starting XI, making sure all of his signings since becoming manager were on the roster. Liverpool were attacking from the start, full of energy, like any great team to come out of Anfield, lacking only in the last, finishing touches. Glen Johnson sent in a shot from 25 yards before the 2 minute mark, only to find the post. Though, they soon fell into the rhythm of sending long balls in Andy Carroll’s direction, whose headers weren’t cutting it (shall we blame the ponytail?), falling wide, high, and right into Cardiff ‘keeper Heaton’s hands.

Back on Track: Liverpool Hit Brighton for 6 in the FA Cup

Liverpool 6-1 Brighton

Skrtel (5’), LuaLua (17’), Bridcutt (OG 44’, OG 71’), Carroll (57’), Dunk (OG 74’), Suarez (85’)

As if to atone for the depressing nature of last weekend in the life of a Liverpool fan, the football gods that be blessed us with the FA cup match up between Liverpool and Stoke City at Anfield.

Kenny made several changes to last week’s line up, handing out starts to Jamie Carragher, Charlie Adam, and Andy Carroll. Daniel Agger and Craig Bellamy, meanwhile, weren’t even on the substitute’s roster (perhaps in anticipation of the Carling Cup final next week?).

Dalglish’s shifted starting XI wasted no time, with Andy Carroll looking excellent from the start. Stewart Downing took a shot in the 5^th minute, prompting Brighton keeper Peter Brezovan to tip the ball over the cross bar, leading to a Steven Gerrard corner™. An on-form Carroll (!) was enough to keep Brighton’s defense busy while Martin Skrtel broke away long enough to score.

Liverpool’s form remained impressive, Kazenga LuaLua’s 17^th minute shot into the bottom corner coming as a bit of a surprise.

A Slew of Statements: Suarez and Dalglish Apologize

Saturday's fixture between Liverpool and Manchester United began on a disappointing note, with the drama between Liverpool striker Luis Suarez and Man United defender Patrice Evra escalating after Suarez snubbed Evra during the traditional pre-match handshakes, though both players had seemingly agreed with their respective managers to clear the air and move on. An additional clash in the tunnel at half-time only added fuel to the fire.

If the incidences during the match weren't enough, the resulting comments from key figures at both clubs certainly sent PR into a frenzy.

Oh, There Was A Match On?: Manchester United Defeat Liverpool

Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool
Rooney (47’, 50’), Suarez (80’)

If the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United is usually enough to ensure an interesting match-up, the teams’ previous Premier League clash, in which Liverpool’s Luis Suarez received his eight-match ban for a racial slur against United’s Patrice Evra, solidified the prospect as Liverpool looked to leave Old Trafford with a result similar to their FA Cup victory over United weeks earlier at Anfield.

With Suarez back in Liverpool’s line-up, many were assuming we could all simply look around awkwardly during the pre-match handshakes and move on to what is usually an excellent display of football.

We should never assume anything. Ever. Lesson learned.

Bad blood boiled between Luis Suarez and Patrice Evra in several displays that overshadowed the match.

Luis Suarez brought the drama even before kick-off, refusing to shake Patrice Evra’s hand. Just in case the pot needed stirring.

A Battle With No Result: Liverpool Draw At Home Against Tottenham

Liverpool 0 : 0 Tottenham

Anfield set an ominous stage for the Premier League clash between Liverpool and Tottenham, with the fog that settled in clearing away less than an hour before kickoff.

Anfield covered in fog.

Tottenham came to Anfield fresh off their FA Cup win and without their manager. Harry Redknapp was due to fly from London, where his trial on charges of cheating the public revenue are still underway, before his plane had unexpected technical issues, rendering him decidedly ineffective to his men. Spurs has been without its manager before, however, in November, when Redknapp missed three weeks after a heart procedure.

One Man’s Trash: Liverpool Through to Carling Cup Final

Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City (Agg: 3-2)
De Jong 31’, Gerrard 41’, Dzeko 67’, Bellamy 74’
 

Manchester City arrived at Anfield at a one goal disadvantage in the second-leg of their Carling Cup semifinal against Liverpool after Steven Gerrard scored in typical fashion in a penalty at Etihad.

Despite facing a top of the table Man City, Liverpool went into the clash holding the advantage: home turf, no new injuries, and the prize of a trip to Wembley- their first since 1996- within their grasp.

Manchester City found themselves ahead of Liverpool after Nigel Kung-Fu de Jong, in perhaps a moment of confusion, connected with the ball instead of an LFC player’s leg and scored from 25-yards away.

Liverpool retaliated before the half, drawing even after a perfectly placed Steven Gerrard penalty™, given after City’s Micah Richards deflected a shot from Liverpool’s Daniel Agger only to have it bounce back up to his hand.

Skipper Steven Gerrard takes his penalty, placing it well away from Joe Hart.