Home Depot Center, 7:30 pm
It's a familiar chant in the soccer world, "one-nil, one-nil, one-nil". The Philadelphia Union have been living that taunt so far this season, winning both of their first matches one-nil. In one of the biggest weekends of their brief history, Philadelphia travel to the Home Depot Center to take on the Los Angeles Galaxy. Undefeated and unscored upon, sitting atop the Eastern Conference, the Union have possibly their best chance to score their first victory over Los Angeles. The Galaxy are coming off one of their worst defeats in years, losing to Real Salt Lake 4-1. The Galaxy will have back Captain Landon Donovan, and should finally get back defender Omar Gonzalez. Gonzalez can't come back fast enough, as much of last week's result comes from a howler by Leonardo in the back.
"We know we’re better than that," Juan Pablo Angel said. "But we have to prove it on the field. … We put ourselves in a very difficult position right from the beginning...It was good [getting my first goal], but I wish it would have been under different circumstances," Angel said. "But it is always important to get off the mark, especially on a new team. I have a mix of emotions because it wasn’t a good game for us."
While the Galaxy have only managed to get four points out of three matches, the Union are rolling with six points in two matches. The Union found their goal against Vancouver Whitecaps FC last week playing a man up. Sebastian LeToux picked up a deflection in the box and slotted it over to Carlos Ruiz. It was Ruiz' first goal with Philadelphia. Goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon made six saves over these first two games to keep the clean sheets. With two shutouts in two games to begin the season, the Union have tied their club record for shutouts.
There's another subplot to this game involving David Beckham and Faryd Mondragon. This is the third game the two players will face each other in, but the first in MLS play. The first two were international matches between England and Columbia. Back on June 26, 1998 the two faced each other for the first time, during the World Cup in France. David Beckham bent in a free kick, his first World Cup goal in his World Cup debut.