Soccer

England's Football Assn. will not order teams to observe a moment of silence in memory of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher before English Premier League, Football League, or FA Cup games this weekend. And that has proven unpopular with many club owners. Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan, for example, has called for a minute's silence at London's Wembley Stadium ahead of his team's FA Cup semifinal Saturday against Millwall to remember Thatcher, who died Monday at 87. "We owe Mrs. Thatcher a minute's silence," Whelan told The Guardian newspaper.

GALAXY AT MONTERREY CONCACAF Champions League When: 7 PDT. Where: Estadio Tecnologico, Monterrey, Mexico. On the air: TV: Fox Soccer, Galavision; Radio: None. Update: This is the second game of the two-leg CONCACAF Champions League semifinals. The winner is determined by aggregate score. Monterrey won the first game, 2-1, at the Home Depot Center last Wednesday. Landon Donovan might make his first start of 2013 after returning to the Galaxy from a self-imposed sabbatical.

His self-imposed sabbatical over, Landon Donovan made his first appearance of the year at the Home Depot Center on Wednesday night. The Galaxy's all-time leading scorer entered as a substitute in the 63rd minute in the first game of the Galaxy's two-leg semifinal against the Monterrey Rayados of Mexico in the CONCACAF Champions League tournament. But there was nothing Donovan could do as Monterrey then got the best of the Galaxy's defensive back line and scored two late goals to win, 2-1, before a crowd of 21,745.

GALAXY ON WEDNESDAY VS. MONTERREY CONCACAF Champions League When: 7. Where: Home Depot Center. On the air: TV: Fox Soccer, Univision Deportes; Radio: None. Update: Playing in the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals for the first time in club history, the Galaxy will face the Monterrey Rayados of Mexico, who have won the tournament the last two years. This is the first game of the two-leg semifinals; the second will be played April 10 in Mexico. The Galaxy's outlook has improved markedly with the return of the team's captain, Landon Donovan, from a self-imposed sabbatical.

A 44-year-old youth soccer coach convicted of molesting six boys in 2010 and 2011 was sentenced Tuesday to 225 years to life in prison. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Henry Hall handed down the sentence to Jose Duarte after hearing four of the coach's victims read statements to the court. Duarte molested the boys, who were ages 11 to 14 at the time of the attacks. A jury on Feb. 14 deliberated less than a day before finding the coach guilty of 20 counts of child molestation and five counts of sending harmful material.

Lost in the euphoria over the United States national team's tie with Mexico in a World Cup qualifier Tuesday was one simple fact: This American team isn't very good. Gritty, gutty, determined, yes. But good? Not so much. Consider that in three World Cup qualifiers this year the U.S. has scored twice, been outshot by a margin of more than 2 to 1 — including an incredible 17-1 in the Mexico game — and managed only three shots on goal. Its only win came in a snowstorm near Denver in a game that should have been suspended.

GALAXY AT TORONTO FC When: 11 a.m. PDT. Where: BMO Field, Toronto. On the air: TV: TWC, TWCD; Radio: 1330. Records: Galaxy 2-0-1, Toronto FC 1-2. Record vs. Toronto FC (2012): 1-0. Update: The Galaxy is likely to play Saturday without captain and star striker Robbie Keane, who strained a calf while on international duty with Ireland last week. The team may also choose to rest defender Omar Gonzalez, who is coming off two monster games with the U.S. national team in World Cup qualifying.

CHIVAS USA VS. VANCOUVER When: 7:30. Where: Home Depot Center. On the air: Radio: 690. Records: Chivas USA 2-1-1, Vancouver 2-1. Record vs. Vancouver (2012): 0-2-1. Update: Sure it's early, but it's still significant that Chivas USA could move into first place in the Western Conference with a win over Vancouver on Saturday. A number of other things would have to take place to make that happen, but remember we're talking about a Chivas franchise that hasn't had a winning season in four years.

Landon Donovan admitted Thursday that he nearly walked away from soccer for good after the Galaxy won last year's MLS title. But after a four-month break to alleviate physical and mental exhaustion, the former Galaxy captain returned to training this week "very motivated again" and with the hope of regaining his job with the U.S. national team by the next round of World Cup qualifiers in June. "I have a long way to go and a lot of work to do," said Donovan, the all-time leader in goals and assists for the U.S. national team.

MEXICO CITY — It may be the greatest home-field advantage in sports history. Seventy-five times Mexico's national soccer team has played a World Cup qualifier at home and only once has it lost — 12 years ago to Costa Rica. Six other times Mexico was held to a draw, giving it a winning percentage at home of 91%. Juergen Klinsmann, who will lead the U.S. into a World Cup qualifier at the sprawling Estadio Azteca on the southern edge of Mexico City on Tuesday, said his team won't be intimidated.