Columnist Nick Green has written 100 Percent Soccer
since 2005. A
native of England, he began writing about soccer in
the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat
in the stands for one in
the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home
Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas
USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer.
Married to a long-suffering soccer widow, he has a cat
named Pele.Saturday Soccer
Can't We All Just Get Along
Galaxy beat writer Billy Witz follows up today on the growing rivalry between some elements of Galaxy and Chivas USA fans that was displayed at Thursday's SuperClassico.Not surprisingly, the scuffles and taunting that apparently took place are the subject of several threads over on the LA Riot Squad message boards you can check out by clicking the link to the right under the "Los Angeles" listing. (Parental advisory: strong language and opinions).
Despite the name, the Riot Squad are not and have never been violent types. Still, it seems all concerned need to take more responsibility for their actions and/or words (stadium security gets blamed by one Chivas USA fan because they didn't park the cars of opposing sets of fans in different lots? C'mon, grow up).
Still, security at games has been a problem dating back to the day the stadium opened. Reporters also grumble about the inaction or apparently arbitrary decisions made by what appear to be power hungry stadium security types. Here's a hilarious example of stadium security in "action," for instance.
Witz' story is in sharp contrast to one published Friday about Chivas USA fans.
College Roundup
Friday's local college action is here.World Cup Update
Lastly, Torrance's Shannon Boxxx didn't come on the field until half time, but the U.S. women beat Sweden in its second group game.Boxx teamed up in midfield with Leslie Osborne.
"We’ve always known that we could have the two of us back there if we’re up a goal or if we needed the presence of two defensive center mids," Boxx said. "Me and Leslie just work so well together. It made it very easy for us to defend. ... We have the same kind of mentality. We are both hard, good in the air and we were very organized back there.”