Mike Magee

Mike Magee can smile about it now. But at the time, in the winter of 2009, he was burning the candle at both ends and his soccer career seemed ready to go up in smoke. "I was kind of living a bachelor lifestyle," says Magee, who enjoyed all of what New York had to offer during six seasons there. "Sometimes it was hard to focus and do the right things off the field. " Then, in quick succession, came a trade to the Galaxy, the birth of a child and a new perspective on life and soccer - both of which, Magee says, he enjoys much more now. "He has matured," says Bruce Arena, who coached Magee in New York then traded for him five months after taking over the Galaxy.

SANDY, Utah — Mike Magee and Charlie Rugg scored early in the first half, and the Galaxy coasted to a 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake on Saturday night. Brian Rowe became the first goalkeeper to earn a shutout in his MLS debut for the Galaxy (4-1-2) since Brian Perk in a 0-0 draw against Seattle on July 4, 2011. Magee scored on a header in the sixth minute. Juninho fed him a cross off a free kick into the center of the box and Magee put a perfect touch on the pass as he headed it inside the right post.

PHOENIX -- The Home Depot Center is getting a new name. The 125-acre multi-sport complex on the campus of Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson will be known as the StubHub Center starting on on June 1, when the naming rights transfer from the chain of home improvement stores to one of the nation biggest ticketing companies. The $150-million complex, designed and built by Anschutz Entertainment Group, has a 27,000-seat main stadium, a 2,450-seat velodrome, an 8,000-seat tennis stadium and an outdoor track facility.

Mike Magee was named the MLS player of the month after the Galaxy forward scored a league-best five goals in March. It's the first time Magee, 28, has won the monthly award in his 11-year career in Major League Soccer. "I have had a successful start to the season and, more importantly, so has our team," Magee said in a statement. The Galaxy's record is 2-0-2. Magee scored three goals in the Galaxy's season-opening 4-0 win over the Chicago Fire on March 3, then scored the game-winning goal in the Galaxy's 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids on March 23. He also scored a goal in the Galaxy's 2-2 tie with Toronto FC last Saturday.

Mike Magee was named the MLS player of the month after the Galaxy forward scored a league-best five goals in March. It's the first time Magee, 28, has won the monthly award in his 11-year career in Major League Soccer. "I have had a successful start to the season and, more importantly, so has our team," Magee said in a statement. The Galaxy's record is 2-0-2. Magee scored three goals in the Galaxy's season-opening 4-0 win over the Chicago Fire on March 3, then scored the game-winning goal in the Galaxy's 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids on March 23. He also scored a goal in the Galaxy's 2-2 tie with Toronto FC last Saturday.

As if things weren't bad enough for the Galaxy, winless since April 21 and buried in Major League Soccer's Western Conference cellar, the team learned Friday that midfielder Michael Stephens and forward Mike Magee will miss the next game after being suspended by the league's disciplinary committee. Both players were also fined an undisclosed amount, Stephens for a challenge that endangered the safety of an opponent and Magee for aggravated dissent against a referee, a temper tantrum that included throwing a ball in the official's direction in the 92nd minute of a loss to Houston.

The Galaxy announced Tuesday that it has signed midfielders Mike Magee and Colin Clark and goalkeeper Brian Perk for the 2013 season. The signing of Magee, who played a key role in the team's successive MLS Cup victories, was a big one given the team's uncertain status in the midfield. With David Beckham retiring from MLS play and the return of captain Landon Donovan and Juninho uncertain, the Galaxy could enter preseason camp later this month without three midfield starters from last season.

Mike Magee chose an opportune time for his first career hat trick. With Landon Donovan on a self-imposed sabbatical, Magee stepped up and helped carry the Galaxy to a 4-0 season-opening victory over the Chicago Fire on Sunday at the Home Depot Center. Captain Robbie Keane also scored a goal for the Galaxy, the two-time defending MLS champion. With David Beckham now playing for French club Paris-St. Germain and Donovan not expected to return until later this month, the Galaxy was lacking in star power.

Unmarked on the header. And unmarked, of course, on his trademark cartwheeling celebration across the soccer pitch. Robbie Keane, if nothing else, was thoroughly consistent in helping lead the Galaxy to a 3-0 victory against Vancouver on Saturday night at the Home Depot Center in Carson. He set up the first of midfielder Mike Magee's two goals, scored the second goal himself on the glancing header in the 64th minute and thrilled the crowd of 22,959 with his entertaining revelry after the goal.

David Beckham is now playing for a club team in France and Landon Donovan is in the midst of a self-imposed sabbatical from soccer. So the Galaxy's star power was muted going into its Major League Soccer opener. But veteran Mike Magee filled the void Sunday, scoring three goals in the Galaxy's 4-0 victory over the Chicago Fire at the Home Depot Center. It was the first hat trick of his career for Magee, in his 11th MLS season, and put an exclamation point on a day when the two-time defending champion Galaxy received its rings in a pregame ceremony that featured parachutists and fireworks.

Jose Villarreal, one of the Galaxy's bright young soccer stars, has joined an illustrious group with his bicycle-kick goal Saturday in stoppage time. Did you see the play that made all the highlight shows? Including No. 1 on a certain sports juggernaut? Move over Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane and the recently departed David Beckham. Villarreal, the 19-year-old from Inglewood, came in as a substitute against Toronto FC and netted the equalizer in the 92nd minute of a 2-2 draw on Saturday.

Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane, who have combined to score 111 goals for the Galaxy, weren't available for Los Angeles on Saturday night. But the team's leading scorer for 2013 was. Mike Magee scored his fourth goal of the season on a penalty kick less than four minutes into the second half, and it was all the Galaxy needed for a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids. Magee actually had a relatively quiet night, allowing the team's two homegrown starters at the top of the formation, Jose Villarreal, 19, and Jack McBean, 18, to set an aggressive pace for the team, particularly in the first half.

When: 7:30. Where: Home Depot Center. On the air: TV: TWC SportsNet, TWC Deportes; Radio: 1150, 1220. Records: Galaxy 1-0-1; Rapids 0-2-1. Record vs. Rapids (2012): 2-0-1. Update: Galaxy forward Robbie Keane (Ireland) and defender Omar Gonzalez (USA) will be absent after being called up to their national teams for World Cup qualifiers. Mike Magee could get the start for Keane, with defenders Leonardo or Sean Franklin as options for Gonzalez.

David Beckham is now playing for a club team in France and Landon Donovan is in the midst of a self-imposed sabbatical from soccer. So the Galaxy's star power was muted going into its Major League Soccer opener. But veteran Mike Magee filled the void Sunday, scoring three goals in the Galaxy's 4-0 victory over the Chicago Fire at the Home Depot Center. It was the first hat trick of his career for Magee, in his 11th MLS season, and put an exclamation point on a day when the two-time defending champion Galaxy received its rings in a pregame ceremony that featured parachutists and fireworks.

PHOENIX -- The Home Depot Center is getting a new name. The 125-acre multi-sport complex on the campus of Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson will be known as the StubHub Center starting on on June 1, when the naming rights transfer from the chain of home improvement stores to one of the nation biggest ticketing companies. The $150-million complex, designed and built by Anschutz Entertainment Group, has a 27,000-seat main stadium, a 2,450-seat velodrome, an 8,000-seat tennis stadium and an outdoor track facility.

Mike Magee chose an opportune time for his first career hat trick. With Landon Donovan on a self-imposed sabbatical, Magee stepped up and helped carry the Galaxy to a 4-0 season-opening victory over the Chicago Fire on Sunday at the Home Depot Center. Captain Robbie Keane also scored a goal for the Galaxy, the two-time defending MLS champion. With David Beckham now playing for French club Paris-St. Germain and Donovan not expected to return until later this month, the Galaxy was lacking in star power.

Mike Magee had a goal and an assist to help the Galaxy overcome the absence of David Beckham and beat the Chicago Fire, 2-0, Wednesday night at Toyota Park. Magee, a native of Chicago, scored in the 23rd minute after Jovan Kirovski converted a midfield turnover into a counter-attack for the Galaxy (8-4-10). The Galaxy was playing without Beckham after he earned a one-game suspension for a red card in Saturday's 2-0 loss to Seattle. In the 54th minute, Magee sent a lead pass to Landon Donovan, who raced 50 yards past two defenders before scoring past goalkeeper Jon Busch.

There have been times this season when the Galaxy has looked like anything but a champion. Good thing appearances aren't nearly as important as results when it comes to the playoffs, which the Galaxy opened Thursday by rallying for a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps at the Home Depot Center. Goals from Mike Magee and Landon Donovan during a four-minute span of the second half sent the defending MLS champions on to the Western Conference semifinals against the San Jose Earthquakes.

The Galaxy's David Beckham Era ended in December with a second consecutive Major Soccer League title. So Sunday afternoon a new era will begin when the Galaxy players, after receiving their championship rings, embark on a quest for more jewelry and a league-record third straight championship. Their MLS journey begins at the Home Depot Center against the Chicago Fire. But Beckham won't be the only big name not in uniform. Landon Donovan - who scored the winning goal in each of those MLS Cup finals - may show up to get his ring, but he won't be suiting up, continuing a self-imposed sabbatical that included a recent 10-day trip to Cambodia, where he apparently sought spiritual enlightenment.

Maybe the Galaxy won't miss Landon Donovan that much after all. It sure didn't Tuesday when, playing its first match on the Home Depot Center turf since last December's Major League Soccer Cup final, the Galaxy dominated a team of reserves from Tijuana of the Mexican League en route to a soggy 6-2 exhibition win. The game, played before a chilly crowd of 12,000, matched the winner of the last two MLS Cups against the reigning Mexican League champions....