YALLOP GIVES GALAXY NEW LIFE.

Byline: SCOTT FRENCH SOCCER

CARSON - The difference has been startling since Frank Yallop took charge in early June. The Galaxy, MLS's worst team in the standings and on the field, have evolved into something else, and if it can maneuver into the postseason, anything seems possible.

That's how it worked last year, when Agoura Hills' Steve Sampson was in charge. A lackluster regular season was capped with a marvelous playoff run, and the Galaxy won its second Major League Soccer title.

That will be tougher this time. L.A. still stands last in the Western Conference, product of a horrid start under Sampson -- 2-8-1 before his June 7 dismissal, then two more losses in Yallop's first three games in charge -- but it's only three points out of the playoff zone with five games to go and one of five teams battling for the final three Western slots.

It's a difficult road: Chivas and Colorado have a game in hand, and the final two games are against runaway Western leader FC Dallas. But the slate includes Home Depot Center showdowns Saturday with Colorado and Sept. 30 with Chivas, and based on current form, the Galaxy will be tough to beat.

That's what happened Sunday. L.A. played perhaps its best 45 minutes of the year in the first half but had little to show for it and fell 2-1 to second-place Houston. Another such failure, and it all could be over.

The Galaxy is confident they'll be there at the end, and all credit goes to Yallop, a players' coach -- unlike Sampson -- who has quickly turned the team around and has it playing some invigorating soccer, even when the results aren't there.

``It's one person, right?'' noted star forward Landon Donovan, who won two MLS titles with Yallop in San Jose. ``Frank's come in and made things clearer for us, made things more definitive. Roles are very defined. This is what he wants from you, and you do that, he's going to accept it. You don't have to play great, you don't have to have a good game. If you give the effort and try, he's going to stick by you.''

Donovan and defender Chris Albright were in Germany, with the U.S. World Cup team, when the change was made, and they could see the difference in the locker room the moment they returned.

``Frank coached Landon in San Jose and me (as an assistant coach) in D.C., so we knew what we were going to get,'' Albright said. ``We stepped back into it with open arms to the situation, were really excited to start with Frank, and you could tell all the guys were in disbelief at how good the situation was. Because Frank puts a lot of responsibility on you as a player and as a man and trusts that you can handle that. That was something the guys were in need of.''

Yallop, a defender during nearly 20 years in England and three in MLS, emphasized defense when he arrived. Once the results began to turn, ``once he got that ingrained in our minds,'' said Albright, ``he allowed us to express ourselves more offensively.''

Alan Gordon emerged as a target forward, providing a physical presence that wears down defenders and enables Donovan to create. Santino Quaranta arrived from D.C. United, providing attacking dimensions previously lacking. Ante Jazic, who played for Yallop on Canada's national team, helped stabilize things in the back. Youngsters Josh Gardner, Quavas Kirk, Nathan Sturgis blossomed.

The Galaxy reeled off a seven-game unbeaten streak from late June into August, and it's won four of its past six games.

``Guys are playing with a ton of confidence,'' goalkeeper Kevin Hartman reports. ``That's something Frank has really brought out in a lot of guys. ... Frank is a guy you want to fight for.''

The Galaxy hopes that fight will lead to another MLS title. If not, there's next season. With Yallop in charge, L.A. surely will be a favorite.

Diarra makes Real the real choice

There are at least seven genuine contenders this season to win the UEFA Champions League, which kicks off in earnest today with eight group-stage openers, followed by eight more Wednesday.

Defending champion Barcelona and English champion Chelsea, paired together in Group A, seem the likeliest favorites, but 2005 champ Liverpool, their English rivals Arsenal and Manchester United, Real Madrid and Italian ``champion'' Inter Milan also have solid hopes of playing in the final next May 23 in Athens.

AC Milan's aging side might not have enough for the later stages, and German champ Bayern Munich, unable to afford the talent heading to top teams, has all but given up on advancing beyond the final eight.

The additions of Ukrainian forward Andriy Shevchenko, who has scored a record 56 goals in 99 Champions League matches for AC Milan, and German midfielder Michael Ballack makes Chelsea a solid bet, but our pick is Real Madrid, which added Fabio Cannavaro, Emerson, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Mahamadou Diarra to its roster and brought back coach Fabio Capello, who won the title in 1994 with AC Milan.

Diarra, a central midfielder, is the pivotal pickup, and his presence makes Wednesday's showdown at Lyon, his former club, the most compelling of the first ``match day.'' (ESPN Deportes will show the game live at 11:30 a.m.; it will air on ESPN Classic at 2 p.m.)

The ESPN2 games: Today -- PSV Eindhoven vs. Liverpool; Wednesday -- Manchester United vs. Celtic.

A better plan?

Germany's 13-0 destruction of San Marino in Wednesday's European Championship qualifiers renewed calls to boot the continent's minnows from such competitions.

``It is obvious we will lose against Germany, but if we have a good day, then perhaps we will keep the score down,'' San Marino coach Giampaolo Mazza told German newspaper Die Welt beforehand. ``It is no fun losing 8-0 or 9-0.''

With the need to slice games from an overcrowded schedule, it might make sense to send the no-hopers -- Andorra, Liechtenstein, Faeroe Islands, Malta, perhaps Luxembourg -- to a prequalifying event before European Championship and World Cup qualifying. San Marino, a tiny republic near Italy's Adriatic coast, has never won in official competition, and such a scenario would allow it to compete on a more even playing field. And the winner could advance to the real qualifiers.

Bulgaria's Pete Rose?

Bulgarian legend Hristo Stoitchkov, who spent a spell with D.C. United and now is his country's national team coach, wagered with three of his players that they would lose their European qualifier last week against Slovenia. It was meant to motivate his players, who went on to a 3-0 victory, costing Stoitchkov $19,000.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1) The Galaxy has climbed into the playoff race, losing three of its past 13 MLS games, under Frank Yallop.

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

(2) DIARRA

Box:

Etc.