LA Galaxy vs. FC Dallas: More preview questions

In a couple hours FC Dallas will kick off against the LA Galaxy with second place in the Western Conference within range. We've seen Big D Soccer's answers to my questions, but here are my answers to their questions for me.

Big D Soccer: LA took on a significant amount of extra playing time by participating in the Guinness International Champions Cup tournament. How'd the team do, and was it worth it? How will those additional minutes impact league play?

LAG Conf: Despite the name and the purse, well and the slogan, the ICC was no different than any other friendly tournament between European clubs taking place in Asia or Africa. There were wholesale changes to the lineups at halftime, regardless of the score or if third place was on the line.

Looking at it from that perspective, the tournament actually helped the Galaxy. Robbie Keane and Robbie Rogers were both in questionable fitness going into the first weekend of the tournament with hip flexor and hamstring issues respectively. It's likely they would have been unavailable to start had LA had an MLS tilt that weekend. Instead they were able to play 45 minutes here and there

By the rules of the tourney LA finished fourth, but I think the low impact high turnover friendlies might have been the breath of fresh air the team needed as it got back to full strength.

Big D Soccer: The Galaxy is on the verge of having several key players back on the field, returning from injury and international duty during the summer. Who is still out, and who can we expect to see on the field in Frisco?

LAG Conf: The only player still out is Brian Perk, and he's done for the season with concussion symptoms. LA went down to Panama to find a third goalkeeper to replace him, Jaime Penedo. I'm hi-jacking your question to say that LA should have a full strength squad in Frisco, but the goalkeeper position is no longer assumed to be Carlo Cudicini's. Bruce Arena could have signed a pool keeper if he was just looking to add depth (as he did last year with Brian Rowe). Using an international certificate on a keeper means the job is up for grabs. So we'll see who ends up in goal on Sunday.

Big D Soccer: I have to ask about the 3rd kit. It obviously received enough votes to be chosen, but it has received mixed reviews in the US soccer twittersphere. How does the Galaxy faithful feel about it?

LAG Conf: Your honor, my client the third kit is the victim of unfair circumstances. When adidas set up the third kit contest, they gave fans a very limiting template. The goal of the designer was to get all the colors of the original home kit onto the template, and fans voted for it out of nostalgia. It is not my client's fault that the template didn't allow for the free expression that would have made those original colors truly pop.

Your honor, the defense ignores the fact that those early MLS jerseys were truly terrible. Yes, there is something noble about wanting to honor the history of your club. However we can all agree it's a history we'd all like to leave behind. Shootouts to break draws? Playing with gridiron lines and end zone logos of NFL and college teams clearly visible. It was indeed our darkest hour from which we emerged like a phoenix. And really, nostalgia for something sixteen years old? That's like wearing a diaper to your sweet sixteen party.