It begins in 2011 where it ended in 2009.
Tonight, at a sold-out Qwest Field in Seattle, the Los Angeles Galaxy launch its 16th Major League Soccer season, still seeking the championship that has eluded the club since 2005.
Coach Bruce Arena's team has come close in the last two seasons, losing the final to Real Salt Lake in Seattle in 2009 and falling to FC Dallas in the Western Conference title game in Carson in 2010.
There is a sense around the team that this could be the year, that this should be the year. Arena has made some key off-season moves that have added depth to the team across the board -Frankie Hejduk in defence, Paolo Cardozo and Miguel Lopez in midfield, Juan Pablo Angel and Chad Barrett up top, to name only five of 11 newcomers.
It could be David Beckham's final season in MLS, his last chance to add some North American silverware to his collection before the demands of age -he will be 36 on May 2 -and his expected role in the 2012 London Olympic Games take their toll. There will also be an addition to the Beckham household this summer, a fourth child and a first daughter, due to arrive in July.
It has been six years since Landon Donovan won the most recent of his three MLS titles, the first two coming with the San Jose Earthquakes in 2001 and 2003. Donovan, who turned 29 on March 4, and defender Todd Dunivant are the only remaining members of the Galaxy's 2005 championship side still on the roster.
