2012 MLS standings: All playoff spots locked going into final week

The biggest development this weekend was the San Jose Earthquakes clinching the MLS Supporter's Shield when Sporting Kansas City and the New York Red Bulls played to a nil-nil draw.

Galaxy vs. Earthquakes preview: LA fights for playoff positioning

With a win, the Galaxy can prevent the Earthquakes from clinching the top overall seed in the MLS playoffs.

Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake preview: L.A. looks to improve playoff standing

The LA Galaxy have a chance to move into second place in the Western Conference when they host Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

2012 MLS Standings: Surging Galaxy Taking Aim At Second Place In West

The defending MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy has punched its ticket to the league postseason, and now is shooting for second place with four matches left to play.

Catching the first place San Jose Earthquakes, the leaders of the MLS Western Conference, is a longshot. But the Galaxy know it will be in the tournament to defend its title. The Galaxy is currently tied with Real Salt Lake for second place with 49 points and identical 15-11-4 records.

With San Jose thinking about the regular season conference title and the Supporter's Shield for most points in the entire league, the Galaxy is in solid position to take second though RSL and the Seattle Sounders are right with it in the standings.

Seattle has five matches left to play in the regular season, the Galaxy and RSL have four. Second place is important because that team would get to host a conference semifinal, while fourth place means a play-in game just to get into the conference semifinals.

More on the LA Galaxy can be found over at LAG Confidential. Head over to SB Nation's Soccer hub for everything else about the beautiful game.

Galaxy Vs. Toronto FC Recap: Los Angeles Clinches Playoff Spot With 4-2 Victory

Just six months removed from seeing their CONCACAF Champions League hopes dashed by Toronto FC, the Los Angeles Galaxy topped Toronto on Saturday night from the Home Depot Center, 4-2, clinching a spot in the MLS playoffs.

Juninho proved key for the Galaxy on Saturday night, scoring two early goals to give Los Angeles an early and important edge. Juninho struck a free kick in the 12th minute past Toronto goalkeeper Freddy Hall to give the Galaxy the early edge. Just more than 20 minutes later, the Brazilian scored from distance to put Los Angeles up 2-0.

The Galaxy would extend that lead just three minutes later, when in the 36th minute, Robbie Keane scored to produce a three-goal advantage. The goal would prove the difference in the game, but Toronto was able to close the gap to 3-1 on a Terry Dunfield header.

An 86th-minute goal from Toronto FC's Luis Silva brought the game to a nail-biting conclusion, but Keane struck again from short range to close the game out for the Galaxy.

The Galaxy's 49 points puts them in a tie for second in the MLS's Western Conference, tied with Real Salt Lake at 11 points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.

For more MLS coverage, check out SB Nation's MLS hub.

Galaxy Vs. Toronto FC Preview: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The LA Galaxy welcome Toronto FC to The Home Depot Center on Saturday night with an eye towards the playoffs. With five games left in the regular season, LA can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Toronto.

In addition to securing a spot in the playoffs, the Galaxy are looking to improve their positioning as the postseason draws near. LA is currently in third place in the Western Conference standings, tied with Real Salt Lake on 46 points but ahead on goals. A win on Saturday could push the Galaxy into second place as they are currently two points behind Seattle Sounders FC.

David Beckham is expected to miss his third consecutive match with a left ankle sprain, but the Galaxy hope that his absence will be tempered by their captain Landon Donovan returning to full fitness after a hamstring injury has limited him in the last month.

The two teams have not met since March and this will be the first time that they face each other in MLS play in 2012. The first two meetings of the season came in a CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal that Toronto took 4-3 on aggregate. Striker Ryan Johnson torched LA in the two earlier meetings; he was involved in three of the club's four goals against the Galaxy in March.

The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. PT and is being broadcast on KDOC in the Los Angeles area. The game can also be seen on a Spanish-language broadcast on KWHY.

More on the LA Galaxy can be found over at LAG Confidential. For everything TFC visit Walking The Red. Head over to SB Nation's Soccer hub for everything else about the beautiful game.

Galaxy, MLS Face Suit Over Robbie Keane Transfer Fee

The LA Galaxy are reportedly being sued by an L.A. sports agency over a fee as a part of the 2011 signing of forward Robbie Keane. According to a report from Reuters, the Galaxy paid a $5.7 million transfer fee for Keane in 2011 and the agency Real Time International Ltd. has filed suit looking for a percentage of that fee.

In the lawsuit, Real Time International claims that they provided information to the Galaxy and Major League Soccer that helped with the transfer and are now seeking at least $385,000 for their role in the transaction. Neither Major League Soccer or the Galaxy commented in the report.

The Galaxy signed Keane, the captain of the Republic of Ireland National Team, in August of 2011 from English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. Keane and the Galaxy won the MLS Cup in 2011. In 23 games this season, Keane leads the Galaxy in scoring with 12 goals.

Stick with this StoryStream for more coverage of the LA Galaxy, or head over to our Galaxy blog, LAG Confidential. For complete soccer coverage, check out SB Nation's soccer hub.

Rapids Vs. Galaxy Final Score: Galaxy Climbs To Third Place With 2-0 Win

The Los Angeles Galaxy topped the visiting Colorado Rapids Friday night, 2-0. With the win the Galaxy moved into third place in Major League Soccer's Western Conference standings, leaving them just a point behind the second-place Seattle Sounders.

Robbie Keane put the Galaxy on the board in the 15th minute, taking a pass from Landon Donovan and putting it in the net. It was Keane's 12th goal of the year, ranking him fifth in the league. Swedish midfielder Christian Wilhelmsson, making his MLS debut, had the team's other goal. He made a move past Marvell Wynne and Luis Zapata at the top of the box and put it in low from 20 yards out to put the Galaxy up 2-0 at the 58th minute.

The Galaxy won the time of possession battle and had significantly more offense. They picked up eight shots on target, where the Rapids only forced L.A. goalkeeper Josh Saunders to make one save.

Stick with this StoryStream for more coverage of the LA Galaxy, or head over to Galaxy blog LAG Confidential. For complete soccer coverage, check out SB Nation's soccer hub.

LA Galaxy Vs. Rapids Preview: Galaxy Look To Secure Playoff Spot

The Los Angeles Galaxy will attempt to solidfy their spot in the MLS playoffs Friday when they host the Colorado Rapids.

The Galaxy are currently fourth in the Western Conference with 43 points. They are six points up on fifth place and could make up even more ground with a win on Friday. Los Angeles trails third place Real Salt Lake by just three points and is just four points behind second place Seattle.

Los Angeles is coming off back-to-back wins and won their only meeting against Colorado this season. The teams played in April with the Galaxy coming away with a 2-1 victory. The Galaxy also hold the edge in the all-time series, winning 30 of the previous 57 meetings.

The Rapids are currently seventh in the Western Conference with 29 points. They have especially struggled away from home. Colorado is 2-12-0 on the road this season.

For more discussion and analysis of the L.A. Galaxy, head over to LAG Confidential. And for continued MLS coverage, head over to SB Nation's dedicated soccer hub.

2012 MLS Standings: Galaxy Remain Locked Into Fourth Place

The LA Galaxy have been idle since Sept. 1, allowing the Seattle Sounders and Real Salt Lake to extend their points leads.

The Galaxy (13-11-4) are sitting on 43 points, three behind Salt Lake and four behind Seattle. Los Angeles also still owns a solid lead over the fifth-place Vancouver Whitecaps, who have 37 points through their first 28 games.

The Galaxy will take the field again Friday against the Colorado Rapids with just six games left to lock up a playoff spot. And the remaining schedule heavily favors the Galaxy, with five of the six games being played at the Home Depot Center.

Following the Rapids match, Los Angeles has another CONCACAF Champions League match against Puerto Rico, a team the Galaxy beat, 4-0, at home in late August.

For more discussion and analysis of the L.A. Galaxy, head over to LAG Confidential. And for continued MLS coverage, head over to SB Nation's dedicated soccer hub.

LA Galaxy Midfielder Dan Keat Called Up To New Zealand National Team

Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Dan Keat has been called up to the New Zealand National Team as it begins the final round of FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, the Major League Soccer club announced Thursday.

Keat will join the All Whites for games against New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands. New Zealand travels to New Caledonia Friday, Sept. 7 and plays at home against the Solomon Islands Tuesday, Sept. 11.

The 5'11'', 170-pound midfielder has previous international experience having played for New Zealand's U20 and U23 teams. He made his debut for the national team earlier this year, Feb. 29, in a 3-2 loss to Jamaica. This season for the Galaxy, he's made one appearance.

Keat, who was drafted by the Galaxy in the 2011 supplemental draft, underwent surgery on May 31 to repair damage to the meniscus in his right knee before returning to the team in July.

The Galaxy return to action Friday Sept. 14 with a home game against the Colorado Rapids.

For more on the Galaxy, head over to LAG Confidential.

LA Galaxy Sign Midfielder Christian WIlhelmsson

The Los Angeles Galaxy announced on Wednesday the signing of Swedish international midfielder Christian Wilhelmsson. He will be officially placed on the roster pending the receipt of his P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).

Wilhelmsson, 32, arrived in the L.A. area late last week and has been training with the club. He played 58 minutes for the Galaxy in a Reserve League game against the San Jose Earthquakes on Tuesday.

A native of Malmo, Sweden, Wilhelmsson began his professional career at the age of 17, signing with Mjallby of the Swedish Division 1 Sodra. He has 78 caps in his international career, scoring nine times for Sweden since making his debut in 2001.

The Galaxy return to the pitch on Friday, September 14 when they host the Colorado Rapids at The Home Depot Center.

For more discussion and analysis of the L.A. Galaxy, head over to LAG Confidential. For more on MLS in general, head over to SB Nation's dedicated soccer hub.

2012 MLS Standings: LA Galaxy Close Gap On Third Place

After a win over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday, the LA Galaxy stayed in fourth place in the Western Conference, a point behind the Seattle Sounders FC and two points behind Real Salt Lake. The San Jose Earthquakes continue to lead the conference with 53 points.

The Galaxy (13-11-4) feel secure in the race for a playoff spot during an up and down season as they look to defend their MLS Cup championship. The Galaxy don't have another MLS match until September 14 when they host the Colorado Rapids. After that, only five more games remain until the Galaxy do or do not get the chance to defend their title as a playoff team.

The Galaxy should benefit from playing the Rapids twice in their last six games as the Rapids currently sit in last place in the Western Conference with 26 points and an 8-17-2 record.

For more on the Los Angeles Galaxy, visit LAG Confidential.

LA Galaxy Vs. Puerto Rico: Galaxy Win 4-0

The Los Angeles Galaxy knocked off the Puerto Rico Islanders on Wednesday, 4-0, continuing their strong play in the CONCACAF Champions League.

The Galaxy, playing with a reserve lineup that featured only one regular starter, took the lead early with a Tommy Meyer goal in the seventh minute. They maintained that 1-0 lead into halftime, but extended it shortly after the second half began with a Jose Villarreal goal in the 46th minute. Los Angeles added a third goal in the 80th minute from Jack McBean, with Michael Stephens capping the scoring with his goal in the 82nd minute.

The game also marked the return of Edson Buddle, who came on as a substitute in the 71st minute. It was Buddle's first appearance since May, after he missed time due to a meniscus injury.

Los Angeles moved to 2-0 in CONCACAF Champions League play and currently leads Group 5 with six points. Their next CONCACAF match will be on Sept. 19, when they once again face the Islanders.

To stay updated on LA's CCL run, stick with this StoryStream. For more on the Galaxy, visit LAG Confidential.

LA Galaxy Vs. Puerto Rico: Preview, TV Time & More

The LA Galaxy continue the group play stage of the CONCACAF Champions league as they take on the Puerto Rico Islanders at the Home Depot Center on Wednesday evening. The Galaxy won their opening match in CCL group play over Isidro Metapan last Thursday.

A win over Puerto Rico would put LA in favorable position headed towards the CCL knockout rounds. With six points, they would be at the the top of the group with visits to Puerto Rico and Metapan still to come.

In the last meeting between these two teams at the Home Depot Center, the Islanders dominated in a 4-1 victory. That game took place in the 2010 CCL preliminary round. LA will be looking for revenge this time around.

Match Time: 7 pm PT

TV: Fox Soccer

Tickets: Here

To stay updated on LA's CCL run, stick with this StoryStream. For more on the Galaxy, visit LAG Confidential.

2012 MLS Standings: Galaxy Remain In Fourth Following Victory Over FC Dallas

The Los Angeles Galaxy are still sitting at fourth in the western conference following their 2-0 victory over a visiting FC Dallas squad.

Los Angeles did manage to break out of a tie with the Vancouver Whitecaps though and now sit at 40 points through 27 games played.

The Galaxy also crushed Isidro Metapan 5-2 in Los Angeles' first CONCACAF Champions League game of the season this past week. The match was highlighted some impressive play from David Beckham who forced an own goal to go along with an assist and an additional goal in the 46th minute. LA now sits at the top of Group 5 with the win.

The Galaxy will now take on the Puerto Rico Islanders this Wednesday in another CONCACAF match. The team will then get back to MLS action on Saturday when the Whitecaps come into town for a key battle of western conference relevancy.

Fore more CONCACAF updates, pay a visit to SB Nation's Champion League stream.

2012 MLS Standings (Weekly Update): Los Angeles Galaxy In Fourth

The Los Angeles Galaxy picked up four points from its two most recent Major League Soccer matches -- including a 4-0 drubbing of Chivas USA on Aug. 13 -- and are firmly in fourth place in the league's Western Conference with only one MLS match to play this week.

The Galaxy (11-11-4) sit at 37 points, the same number as the Vancouver Whitecaps. But the Galaxy have the advantage in goal differential despite having been a very hot-and-cold team this season.

The defending MLS Cup champions are right in the hunt for a playoff spot, but also have the CONCACAF Champions League matches to play in addition to their league schedule as the season continues.

The Galaxy have a CONCACAF Champions League match against Metapan of Central America Thursday night at the Home Depot Center. LA's next MLS match is Sunday afternoon at home against FC Dallas. That game will be seen on the NBC Sports Network at 4 p.m. PT.

For more on the Los Angeles Galaxy, visit LAG Confidential.

2012 MLS Standings Week 23: LA Galaxy Close In On Third Place

The LA Galaxy helped their own cause this weekend with a 4-0 drubbing of Chivas USA, and also got some help in their climb toward third place in the Western Conference standings. While a third straight Supporter's Shield seems out of the question, third place would keep the Galaxy from having to play the play-in game to make the playoffs, and keep them from facing current MLS juggernaut San Jose until the Western Conference final.

The gap between fifth and sixth also grew with Chivas losing to the Galaxy, lessening the chance one of the teams currently out of playoff range can make a run. Vancouver was able to defeat Real Salt Lake over the weekend, keeping them in the fourth place spot, but Seattle could not get past San Jose. The results bunched up spots two through five, while putting San Jose even further away from the rest of the pack.

This week the Galaxy face Columbus on Wednesday, meaning they could climb past Seattle and Vancouver into third place as only one point separates the three clubs. They'll have to do it without Landon Donovan, who has been called into national team duty in Mexico City.

Landon Donovan and LA Galaxy Dominate Chivas 0-4 To Take SuperClasico

Landon Donovan had four assist last night as the LA Galaxy steamrolled to a 0-4 road victory over Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center. In the last eight league matches, the Galaxy DP trio has contributed 12 goals and 15 assists, as the Galaxy have reemerged as a legitimate challeneger in the west.