Mike Magee

Galaxy tonight VS. SAN JOSE When: 7:30. Where: Home Depot Center. On the air: TV: Prime Ticket; Radio: 1330 (Spanish). Records: Galaxy 13-3-9; San Jose 5-9-10. Record vs. San Jose: 0-0-1. Update: It's been a bit of a crazy week in Carson. In a matter of five business days, the Galaxy inquired about Irish forward Robbie Keane, signed him, traded designated player Juan Pablo Angel, helped expedite Keane's visa, flew him in and had the striker training by Friday.

The Galaxy's Robbie Keane proved that he will fit right in to Hollywood. Only a star of Keane's stature could soak in the spotlight as he did Saturday night at the Home Depot Center. It took the Irish striker less than a half-hour to endear himself to Galaxy fans with a nifty goal in the 21st minute of a 2-0 victory over rival San Jose. But it was the celebration afterward that earned him points with fans. After giving the Galaxy a 1-0 lead, Keane cartwheeled his way to the southwest corner of the field as he has done for 14 years.

With a dive to his right and a kick to his left, Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart provided the difference in Sunday's exhibition match against the Galaxy. Hart blocked A.J. DeLaGarza's attempt and then made his own to win the shootout, 7-6, after nine rounds. "I couldn't wait," Hart said of his rare chance to view the goal from the outside. "I was trying to take it earlier. " After 90 minutes the match stood knotted up at 1-1, thanks to a 53rd-minute goal from Galaxy forward Mike Magee that equaled Manchester City forward Mario Balotelli's penalty-kick goal in the first half.

In its eighth Major League Soccer game of 2010, the Galaxy banged four goals past the Seattle Sounders in a 4-0 rout that left the team with a 7-0-1 record and 15 goals scored, almost two per game. In its eighth MLS game of 2011, on Saturday night against the Portland Timbers in Carson, the same sort of output was not expected from the Galaxy. That's because goals have been more difficult to come by this year. One-fifth of the way into the season, the Galaxy is 3-1-3 but has scored only seven goals in seven games.

In its eighth Major League Soccer game of 2010, the Galaxy banged four goals past the Seattle Sounders in a 4-0 rout that left the team with a 7-0-1 record and 15 goals scored, almost two per game. In its eighth MLS game of 2011, on Saturday night against the Portland Timbers at Home Depot Center in Carson, the same sort of output was not expected from the Galaxy. That's because goals have been more difficult to come by this year. One-fifth of the way into its season, the Galaxy was 3-1-3, and had scored only seven goals in seven games.

Before setting out on their three-game trip Thursday, Galaxy players and coaches talked about how being on the road for 10 days or so would be a positive. "It'll be tough, but from our standpoint we'd rather have this kind of a road swing than having to go back and forth logging all those miles," said defender Todd Dunivant. "It could be a good thing," said midfielder David Beckham. "We're together as a team and you bond when you're away together for so long. " For Coach Bruce Arena the games at Washington, Toronto and Chicago were a matter of business as usual, nothing more.

Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena predicted wet weather for the team's Major League Soccer season-opener at Seattle last Tuesday. The rain came and the Galaxy won. Arena made no prediction for the Galaxy's home opener Sunday in Carson. The rain came anyway, along with a cold and swirling wind, and the Galaxy had to settle for a 1-1 tie with the New England Revolution. Not that they settled quietly. The Galaxy put the ball in the net four times in all, but three of the goals were disallowed by referee Hilario Grajeda.

The Galaxy's newest star introduced himself to the Los Angeles media Tuesday and said that the Southern California weather was great, that he was happy to be here, that the team had a good mix of veterans and youngsters and that winning a championship was his goal. Other than that, striker Juan Pablo Angel did not venture into any new territory, so listen, instead, to what Landon Donovan had to say about him. "First of all, he's a guy who's always tuned in in a game," Donovan said.

"Change is good," former Galaxy player and general manager Alexi Lalas once proclaimed, and change is most definitely headed in the Galaxy's direction. On Monday, in two unrelated moves, Edson Buddle, the hotshot Galaxy striker from last season, and Cobi Jones, the face of the Major League Soccer team since its 1996 formation, both said their farewells. Buddle, 29, left because he was a free agent coming off the best season in his career and realized it was now or never if he wanted to play in Europe.

Davy Arnaud scored one goal and created another Saturday night, and goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen made two exceptional saves as the Kansas City Wizards defeated the Galaxy, 2-0, at the Home Depot Center. The loss was the second in a row for Coach Bruce Arena's suddenly slumping team and the fourth in six games in what has been an abysmal August for the league leader. The Galaxy has lost seven of its last 11 games in all competitions, including the U.S. Open Cup, the CONCACAF Champions League and a friendly against Real Madrid.