Los Angeles Galaxy Ins and Outs, November 8, 2011

No Paris trip for Landon Donovan

Los Angeles Galaxy team captain Landon Donovan has said "non" to the USA men's national team ahead of Friday's international friendly with France in Paris.

"The plan was to have Landon come in for the match against France and then return to the L.A. Galaxy in preparation for MLS Cup, but after further discussion, Landon expressed his desire to stay in Los Angeles," USA manager Jurgen Klinsmann told ESPN's Scott French. "While my preference was to have Landon with us for this important match, I respect his decision."

However, Chris Birchall and Robbie Keane will need to be on international assignment. Birchall will be donning the colors of Trinidad and Tobago in FIFA 2014 World Cup qualification, while Keane will represent the Republic of Ireland against Estonia in Euro 2012 qualification play.

Mama, here comes that trophy!

The Philip F. Anschutz Trophy, the MLS Cup, will be arriving in Los Angeles tomorrow at 11 a.m. PT/2 p.m. ET at the Santa Monica Pier, and Pacific Park.

The trophy will arrive with a police escort at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier accompanied by former MLS Cup winners and Los Angeles soccer legends Alexi Lalas and Mauricio Cienfuegos, riding in style atop a 2012 Volkswagen Eos convertible with Continental Tires.

This is the fifth time MLS Cup will be played in Southern California (The Home Depot Center 2003, 2004, 2008 & 2011; Rose Bowl 1998).

A stiff challenge awaits

As for Galaxy manager Bruce Arena, he dismissed rather easily the notion that the Western Conference Final was the de facto MLS Cup Final.

"Houston finished second in the conference during the year, beat the hell out of us a couple of weeks ago, beat what I understood a lot of people thought a team could probably win the MLS Cup in Kansas City and deserved to win that game," Arena told MLSSoccer.com's Luis Bueno. "They’re going to come into Los Angeles thinking they can win the next one as well. It’s going to be a real battle.”

Without Brad Davis, Dominic Kinnear's Houston Dynamo took apart Sporting Kansas City thanks to goals from Andre Hainault and Carlo Costly.