Chivas USA Choke

Carson's other soccer team, Chivas USA, squandered a chance to secure a playoff berth Sunday in Denver, a ghastly defensive miscue allowing the Colorado Rapids to nab a draw.

Here's a playoff update from MLS:

“NEW YORK (Monday, Sept. 17, 2007) – By winning their respective matches over the weekend, the New England Revolution and Houston Dynamo secured berths in the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs, bringing the total number of teams to clinch a spot to three. D.C. United clinched a spot last Wednesday.

Five spots remain unclaimed as 10 teams vie for a chance to reach MLS Cup 2007 on Nov. 18 in Washington, D.C. Among those, Chivas USA is the closest to clinching, as only a wild sequence of outcomes could remove them from playoff contention. While the Colorado Rapids could match Chivas USA’s current point total of 44, they would need to make up a large margin in goal differential to win the tiebreaker. Thus, Chivas USA can clinch with a win or a tie in their next game. FC Dallas could also clinch this week with a win and some help from other results.”

USA World Cup Preview

There was a brief look ahead to Tuesday's U.S. Women's World Cup game at the end of the Chivas USA story. A few more details from U.S. Soccer follow. Kick off, by the way is at 4:55 a.m. on ESPN for those who want to get an early start on their day.

Here are the various scenarios for the U.S. to win the group (and likely avoid playing China)

“If North Korea defeats Sweden, the USA must:
1. Win and beat Nigeria by a greater margin than North Korea beats Sweden.
2. Win and beat Nigeria by the same margin than North Korea beats Sweden, but score more goals than North Korea.
If North Korea ties Sweden, the USA must:
1. Defeat Nigeria
2. Tie Nigeria, and either score more goals in its tie than North Korea, or if both the USA and North Korea score the same amount of goals in their tie, emerge from the match with less overall cards (yellow and red) than North Korea received in its three group matches. The USA currently has one yellow and North Korea has two.
If Sweden defeats North Korea, the USA must:
1. Tie, or beat Nigeria by any score”

Got all that?

And just to complicate matters further, here's a weather report:

“Heavy rain is expected in Shanghai on game day as Typhoon Wipha is expected to batter the east coast of China. There is a 90% chance of rain – meaning it’s going to rain – and the already chewed up field at Shanghai Hongkou Stadium will certainly present a most difficult playing surface. Winds could reach between 30 to 55 miles per hour, and as any soccer fan knows, wind wrecks havoc on a soccer game.”

College Roundup

UCLA's Maxwell Griffin got the Bruins' first hat trick since former Chivas USA forward Matt Taylor recorded one in 2003 in a 4-1 win over Penn State Sunday afternoon.

The 10th-ranked Bruins improved their record to 2-2-1.

In the earlier match-up at Drake Stadium, 12th-ranked Ohio State defeated Cal State Fullerton, 6-1.

Meanwhile, the sixth-ranked UCLA women found the back of the net three times Sunday, posting a 3-1 victory over Cal State Northridge at Matador Soccer Field. The Bruins, paced by a pair of goals from sophomore Lauren Cheney, improved to 3-1-1 on the season. The Matadors fell to 1-4-1.

The Loyola Marymount women scored three times in the second half to defeat Michigan 3-0 in the finale of the LMU/Four Points Sheraton Culver City Classic at Sullivan Field Sunday in Westchester.
The Lions earned a share of the title at their home tournament for the fifth straight season and improved to 2-3-1.

The No. 13-ranked Cal State Dominguez Hills men's team crushed Cal State Monterey Bay 4-0 Sunday at Toro Stadium.

One highlight, according to the CSUDH press release:

“As the second half opened, freshman Tibu Casillas (Gardena, CA/Animo Leadership High gave the crowd a thrill as he took a loose ball just past mid-field and weaved in, out, around and through what seemed like the entire CSUMB defense before sending his blast past Baca for a 3-0 cushion.”

The Toros, now 6-1, continue their CCAA homestand at 7 p.m. Wednesday against UC San Diego.

Senior Corrie Hirokawa (North Torrance High) and junior Kelly Matosian of Lakewood each scored to lead the CSUDH women (5-1-2) past Cal State Monterey Bay Sunday morning at Toro Stadium. The women also play UC San Diego Wednesday.

Long Beach State (4-3-0) posted their second-straight victory of the weekend, beating Baylor 3-0 on Sunday afternoon.