Major League Soccer’s Galaxy makes a few changes

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The 2010 Major League Soccer season is still a couple of months away, but the Galaxy already is reshaping the team, which last season reached the championship game in Seattle only to be denied on penalty kicks by Real Salt Lake.

The Galaxy lost midfielder Stefani Miglioranzi to the Philadelphia Union in the MLS expansion draft and Coach Bruce Arena opted not to invite four of 2009’s players into preseason camp, which began this week. They are midfielder Kyle Patterson and defenders Leonard Griffin and Tony Sanneh and Julian Valentin.

Also absent from the Home Depot Center are Landon Donovan and David Beckham, who are on loan with Everton in England and AC Milan in Italy, respectively. Similarly, Chris Klein and Todd Dunivant are in New York taking part in the MLS Players Union negotiations with the league on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Two newcomers are in camp: midfielder Clint Mathis, acquired from Real Salt Lake, and former UCLA midfielder and first-round draft pick Michael Stephens. Three others, defenders Alex and Leonardo and midfielder Juninho, all of whom will be joining the Galaxy on loan from Sao Paulo FC, are still in Brazil awaiting the completion of paperwork before coming to Los Angeles.

-- Grahame L. Jones