October 2007 Archives

Brad Guzan, who could well be on his way to Arsenal next year, was today deservedly named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.

"Winning the award reflects the hard work the guys have put in all year," Guzan said today after training. "The biggest thing for me throughout the year was to be able to keep my head straight, never getting too high and never getting too low."

Guzan beat out the New England Revolution's Matt Reis and the Houston Dynamo's Pat Onstad for the award and became the 10th different player to win.

From the MLS press release:

Guzan, 23, in only his third year as a professional, was awarded the League’s top honor for goalkeepers after leading his club to the best record in the Western Conference (15-7-8), ranking first among goalkeepers in shutouts (13), tied for second in wins (14) and second in goals against average (0.93). Guzan’s 13 shutouts rank as the second most all-time behind Tony Meola’s 16 in 2000. His goals-against average was the fourth best of all-time in MLS.

The native of Homer Glen, Ill., and former South Carolina Gamecock anchored a strong defense that allowed just 28 goals this season, the second-best mark in MLS this season.

Rumors over the last two weeks that Arsenal were scouting him were not dispelled by Guzan.

"I will wait for a later date to release that information," he said. "If it does happen, great.

"I think they're possibly one of the best teams in the world right now, if not the best," he added. "The amount of talent they have is unbelievable."

Except in the goalkeeping department, where the starter is the aging Jens Lehmann, who turns 38 next month.

Prediction: Guzan will join the English Premier League leaders when the international transfer window opens in January.

It will be a loss for MLS, but Guzan is already developing into a world class goalkeeper and U.S. Coach Bob Bradley will undoubtedly be happy if Guzan heads to England.

Goalkeepers typically peak much later than outfield players, so we can expect Guzan and Everton's Tim Howard to compete for the starting job in the U.S. net for years to come, much as Tottenham Hotspur's Kasey Keller and Blackburn Rovers' Brad Friedel did in their prime.

In other MLS awards announced today, New England Revolution defender Michael Parkhurst was named the winner of the individual Fair Play award.

In 25 regular season games, he committed just five fouls and received no yellow or red cards, a remarkable achievement for a defender and a testament to his skill, positioning and ability to read the game.

Parkhurst is also expected to pick up the Defender of the Year Award.

The Columbus Crew earned the MLS Team Fair Play award, recognizing the Major League Soccer club with the fewest disciplinary points during the 2007 regular season.

Preki Profiled

Former Kansas City Wizards star Preki is profiled by The Kansas City Star ahead of Saturday's decisive playoff clash between his old team and Chivas USA at Home Depot Center.

Preki reveals he was miffed the Wizards didn't come calling when he went into coaching. And like the Galaxy's Cobi Jones, Preki conceded he didn't initially know what he would do after his playing days ended.

The profile is here.

Meanwhile, the Wizards are auctioning off goalkeeper Kevin Hartman's pink game worn (and now signed) jersey with the proceeds going to breast cancer charities. (Fortunately pink doesn't clash with the black fingernails Hartman was sporting the last time I saw him).

Hartman, the former Galaxy, UCLA, Cal State Dominguez Hills and Peninsula High product, had a grandmother survive breast cancer.

He wore the jersey Oct. 5 in a 1-1 tie against D.C. United in observation of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The auction ends Nov. 16. Those with more than $400 to spare (that's the most recent bid as of this post) may bid here.

By the way, Chivas USA hosts a fan rally Thursday ahead of this weekend's game from 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at Plaza Mexico, 3100 E. Imperial Highway, Lynwood.

Becks for England?

The Galaxy are set to return to training Thursday ahead of Sunday's charity game for victims of the recent wildfires, but David Beckham is reportedly resisting playing in another benefit match in Spain Nov. 19 in case he gets called up by England for their Nov. 21 European Championship qualifier against Croatia.

Long Beach State Must Go Long

Long Beach State made things tough on themselves by losing 1-0 to UC Irvine in a crucial Big West encounter Tuesday.

Complete conference standings are here.

A week is a long time in soccer.

In the last week Chivas USA have gone from Western Conference champions to looking like a team unlikely to survive the opening round of the MLS playoffs.

And Galaxy Coach Frank Yallop has gone from "dead man walking" to looking like he will be around next season after all.

I took a look at both stories in this week's column.

Meanwhile to no-one's surprise, Brazil today was awarded the 2014 World Cup, while Germany snagged the women's version in 2011.

Finally, the basement-dwelling Loyola Marymount men, without a West Coast Conference win this season, lost yet again Monday, succumbing 2-0 at San Diego for their second loss to the same team in four days.

The 2-11-1, 0-7-0 WCC Lions travel to Oregon Thursday to meet Oregon State and on Sunday play at Santa Clara.

The Mexican Football Federation announced Monday the names of the eight teams that will play in the fifth annual InterLiga in January at four U.S. venues including Carson's Home Depot Center.

InterLiga determines two of the four Mexican berths for the Copa Libertadores, the Latin American version of the UEFA Champions Leagues. It's also a money-spinner for organizers, since it generally draws big crowds to Mexican-Americans starved for live Mexican futbol.

With CD Guadalajara and Pachuca already qualified for the Copa Libertadores, the eight teams playing in InterLiga area are Club America, Atlas, Toluca, Morelia, Cruz Azul, Pumas, Monterrey and San Luis.

Locally, the HDC will host a Jan. 9 doubleheader with Toluca playing Morelia and Atlas facing Club America.

The stadium also hosts the Jan. 12 finals.

Full tournament details are here.

Two Chivas USA players as well as Coach Preki and the Galaxy's Cobi Jones are among the local finalists for MLS' year-end awards, the league announced today.

Award winners, as voted by players, team officials and media members, will be named at regular intervals through Nov. 17.

First up Wednesday is the Goalkeeper of the Year Award, with Chivas USA's Brad Guzan (the regular season shutout leader) going up against seemingly ageless Canadian Pat Onstad (who had the best goals against average in MLS) of the Houston Dynamo and former Galaxy goalkeeper Matt Reis of the New England Revolution.

The same day the Galaxy's Cobi Jones will learn whether he won the Individual Fair Play Award. The other finalists are similarly retired defender Eddie Pope and the Revs' Michael Parkhurst.

Chivas USA's savvy veteran defender Claudio Suarez is up for the Defender of the Year Award, against Parkhurst and the Dynamo's Eddie Robinson.

Up against Preki for the Coach of the Year Award are Dominic Kinnear of the Houston Dynamo and Tom Soehn of D.C. United.

Also notable: the Revs' Adam Cristman, Toronto FC's Maurice Edu and New York's Dane Richards are finalists for Rookie of the Year; MVP finalists are Juan Pablo Angel of the Red Bulls, Cuauhtemoc Blanco of the Chicago Fire and MLS top scorer Luciano Emilio of D.C. United.

With no most over-hyped player award, David you know who didn't get a mention.

Attention conspiracy theorists: FIFA announced today the policy of rotating the World Cup between continents will end in 2018, when it was scheduled to be held in a North American, Central American or Carribean country.

Realistically, that meant either the U.S., Mexico or Canada was in line to be the host since they are the only nations in the region with the resources to hold the tournament. That doesn't mean the U.S. won't be awarded the tournament, it's just that there will be more competition, which was apparently the whole idea.

The move was made, not surprisingly, over the protestations of CONCACAF.

Crunch time is approaching for local colleges.

The UCLA men lost their home unbeaten record Sunday to Washington despite out-shooting their opponents 15-4.

UCLA remains first in the Pac-10 by one point.

Three second half goals by the Loyola Marymount women was enough to defeat visiting San Francisco 3-0 in a West Coast Conference match Sunday at Sullivan Field.

The win keeps LMU third in the West Coast Conference with one game remaining on the season.

The Cal State Northridge women (4-10-2, 1-4-1) and UC Irvine (8-5-2, 2-1-1) played to a scoreless draw Sunday afternoon at Matador Soccer Field.

With the draw, Cal State Northridge remains in the Big West conference basement with two games remaining on the season.

The Cal State Dominguez Hills men clinched a berth in the CCAA Championship with an 8-0 mauling of Cal State Bernadino Sunday in Carson. Sophomore Mario Guerrero scored a hat trick.

The CSUDH women beat CSU SB 3-0 with two goals coming from junior forward Yvonne Vasquez in their regular season finale.

Tournament play begins Friday in Carson with the men playing at 7:30 p.m. against Cal State LA and the women playing at 1:30 p.m. against an opponent to be determined.

A fire in a house across the street from mine delayed blogging this morning (no one was hurt), but at least the structure didn't get fully involved.

Much the same can be said of Chivas USA, which slumped to an impotent 1-0 loss Saturday in Kansas City and without their starting striking tandem of Maykel Galindo and Ante Razov never really looked like scoring.

"We have to find a way to get results," Chivas USA Coach Preki told The Kansas City Star with the team's lack of attacking depth dramatically exposed in the loss.

Former Long Beach Press Telegram Chivas USA beat writer Matt Zimmerman, who quit to go back to graduate school in Missouri, was on hand to provide the Southern California perspective.

Noteworthy:
* Should Chivas USA advance from its series against Kansas City, as the highest seed in the West the club would host MLS’s Western Conference Final the following Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (Nov. 10) against the winner of the Houston-Dallas series.

*Chivas USA midfielder Lawson Vaughn, red-carded in Chivas USA’s final regular-season game on Oct. 20 against the Houston Dynamo, served his one-game suspension and did not play in Kansas City, but is eligible to return for the second leg at home.

*On Thursday, a special Chivas USA Fan Rally will be held at 7 p.m. at Plaza Mexico in Lynwood.

*Former Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman (Peninsula High) set numerous marks Saturday including a 246-minute scoreless streak that enabled him to equal the all-time postseason shutout record of 13 with Zach Thornton.

Hartman also extended his all-time records in wins (22), minutes played in goal (3,682), saves (141), games played in goal (40) and games started in goal (40).

He now ranks second all-time in games started among all players, trailing only former teammate Cobi Jones of the Los Angeles Galaxy (43).

Despite the loss, Chivas USA midfielder Jesse Marsch remains bullish on the return game.

"We feel good about tonight's result. I thought we dominated the match. We were able to dictate the game the way we wanted. We didn't give them any chances tonight, and we were unfortunate that the free kick glanced off the wall."

CSUN Beached in Santa Barbara

The Matadors men lost 3-0 at UC Santa Barbara Saturday night, before a crowd of almost 2,000, which allowed the Gauchos to overtake Cal Poly at the top of the Big West conference.

Northridge returns to Big West action at 2 p.m. Wednesday against Cal Poly at Matador Soccer Field.

Prairie Goats

The season is now a maximum of four games long for Chivas USA, which begins its MLS Cup quest at 5 p.m. this afternoon in Kansas City. The game is on Prime.

Ahead of the game beat writer Ivan Orozco catches up with one of the few Mexicans to succeed in MLS, Chivas USA midfielder Panchito Mendoza. He's also one of only three players, (goalkeeper Brad Guzan and defender Orlando Perez are the others) to remain from Chivas USA's awful inaugural season. Check out Mendoza's stats here.

Former Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman (Peninsula High, CSU Dominguez Hills, UCLA) provides the Wizards perspective.

By the way, Chivas USA has a viewing party set at El Gordito restauarant, 11655 Valley Blvd., El Monte.

One More Galaxy Game

The Galaxy and celebrity team Hollywood United play a benefit match for victims of the recent wildfires at 5 p.m. Nov. 4 at Home Depot Center.

Here's the (edited) Galaxy press release:

All proceeds from the match, including donations collected on the day of the game, will go to the American Red Cross and The Salvation Army to aid in their efforts to assist those affected by the wildfires.

“We’ve all witnessed the destruction these wildfires have caused throughout Southern California,” Galaxy President and General Manager Alexi Lalas said. “Through soccer, we have the ability to help those who have been impacted by this disaster, and thanks to the support of the Herbalife Family Foundation, we’re proud to say that 100% of the proceeds generated will go directly to the relief effort. We encourage all Galaxy fans and soccer fans everywhere to come out and support this worthy cause.”

All tickets for the match will be $20 general admission seats, available on a first come, first serve basis, with the exception of a limited number of luxury seats available for $60.

Additionally, all firefighters will receive free admission to the match by showing their badge at The Home Depot Center box office starting on Monday.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased through the Galaxy at 877-3GALAXY or online at www.lagalaxy.com and www.ticketmaster.com with funds being donated directly to the participating charities. In conjunction with the Galaxy, Ticketmaster has waived its service fees for all tickets purchased for this charity match.

Additionally, parking for the game will be free to all spectators.

College Roundup

The top-ranked UCLA women prevailed 2-0 in their local derby against USC on Friday, while the Pepperdine and CSUN women also won, as did the UCLA men.

A quick note on the Bruins' games (the event was a doubleheader): the 3,345 fans in attendance was the second-largest crowd in UCLA history and the largest in six years.

In other games:

*The Loyola Marymount men (2-10-1, 0-6 WCC) scored first, but lost 2-1 to San Diego (7-6-1, 4-1-1 WCC) in a West Coast Conference match at Sullivan Field that was moved from San Diego because of the wildfires. The teams will meet again at 7 p.m. Monday in San Diego.

*Freshman Lily Sorentino's 35-yard strike in overtime gave the LMU women a 2-1 victory over visiting Saint Mary's in a WCC game Friday at Sullivan Field. The Lions snapped their two-match losing streak while posting their eighth straight victory at home.

The 10-5-1, 2-2-0 WCC Lions go for win number 11 on the season at 11 a.m. Sunday against San Francisco.

*The Cal State Dominguez Hills men won their sixth-straight game 3-1 over visiting Cal Poly Pomona on Friday night at Toro Stadium, in their penultimate game of the season.

The 15-3, 11-2 CCAA Toros concludes the regular season with a 5 p.m. game Sunday against Cal State San Bernardino in Carson.

The Cal State Dominguez Hills women's 2-2 draw with Cal Poly Pomona at Toro Stadium Friday keeps CSUDH in post-season limbo.

CSUDH (12-3-4, 7-3-3 CCAA) is assured a berth in the CCAA Tournament with a win on Sunday against Cal State San Bernadino in Carson, or if Cal State Stanislaus either ties or loses against Chico State today.

MLS Playoff and Awards Update

The Chicago Fire beat D.C.United 1-0 Thursday in the opening MLS playoff game, while Chivas USA left early for Kansas City because of the locally poor air quality to prepare for their Saturday playoff game against the Wizards.

Just as the NFL is making excursions into England, could we see the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United facing off at the Home Depot Center?

Meanwhile, the MLS awards season is cranking up with announcements of every stripe gradually dribbling out (I'm looking forward to that club PR department award).

You can check out why D.C. United's Luciano Emilio won the Golden Boot below:

And fan voting for the MLS Goal of the Year has just begun.

Fans are asked to choose the best 10 from 34 nominees in the first of the three-phase process, which lasts until Oct. 31.

Fans can vote here.

U.S. Nats Changes

U.S. Soccer is shuffling some coaches.

Under-17 Men's National Team Coach John Hackworth has been named an assistant coach to Bob Bradley at the full national team level.

From the U.S. Soccer press release:

In addition to joining Bob Bradley’s national team staff, Hackworth will also serve as the Development Academy Director in U.S. Soccer’s new player development initiative that launched earlier this year. The program which launched this fall is designed to improve the environment for elite players throughout the country, in many ways emulating the successful U.S. Soccer Under-17 Residency Program in Bradenton, Fla., which Hackworth has been a part of since 2002.

“Joining Bob Bradley’s staff as that team gets focused on World Cup qualifying in 2008 is a great next step as a coach,” said Hackworth. “I’ve known Bob for many years and we have a great connection in terms of how we see the game, both technically on the field and in the ways you can help prepare a team off the field. I’m greatly looking forward to being a part of his staff on the road to South Africa.”

(Am I alone in thinking that's an unfortunate name for an elite soccer coach?)

This morning U.S. Soccer introduced Hackworth's replacement, new U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team head coach Wilmer Cabrera to the media.

From the U.S. Soccer press release:

Cabrera, who holds a USSF A Coaching License, is a veteran of two World Cups with Colombia (1990 & 1998) and joins the U-17 Residency Program after serving as an assistant with the U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team this year. Cabrera moved to the U.S. in 2003 to play with the Long Island Roughriders and most recently worked with the MLS Futbolito and Verano MLS grassroots programs of Major League Soccer.

A demographically smart move by Gulati given the numbers of emerging Latino players the U.S. needs to ensure don't fall through the cracks.

College Update

Local college action today includes:

*The No. 1-ranked UCLA women's soccer team (11-1-2; 4-0 Pac-10) hosting one of its biggest matches of the year as No. 9 USC (11-1-2; 3-0-1 Pac-10) visits at 7:30 p.m. at Drake Stadium. Tickets for the match are $7 for adults and $5 for youths and students. UCLA students are admitted free with a valid Bruin Card. Friday is a doubleheader with the UCLA men's team, which plays at 5 p.m. against Oregon State.

*The Cal State Northridge women’s soccer team (3-10-1, 1-4-0) returns home for the rest of the 2007 season after playing six of its past seven matches on the road and plays at 2:30 p.m. against Cal State Bakersfield (4-10-1).

*In a scheduling change, the wildfires have forced the kickoff of the UCLA-Washington men's soccer game at Drake Stadium to be moved from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. That's because San Diego State's game against Oregon State on Sunday has been moved to Los Angeles. The Aztecs and Beavers will play at 1 p.m. at UCLA's North Athletic Field.

Updated 3 p.m.: Long Beach State announced this afternoon that poor air quality from the wildfires has forced the postponement of tonight's game at UC Irvine. The game has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Torrance's Corrie Hirokawa, Cal State Dominguez Hills' top scorer with nine goals and seven assists, sees her college soccer career coming to an end in her third post for 100 Percent Soccer:

The season has gone by quickly leaving me only two more regular season games.

These next two games are important, because it's coming down to the wire for CCAA playoff bids. We only need one win to guarantee our spot in the CCAA tournament, which we are hosting.

With this being my last year, I’ve already realized how important this season is, but as we have just two games left and need one to win to make the conference tournament, I know how important it is for all of us to give it our all this weekend.

There is no "next year" for me.

There is only "right now" and right now I have an opportunity to take my team to playoffs and I am ready to shed blood, sweat and tears.

When you have been a part of a team for four years it is hard to accept that it is coming to an end.

I have made many life-long friendships and have created memories that I will never forget. Now I want to add to those memories as much as I can with these last few games.

I love playing soccer and I love the team I play for. I couldn't have asked for a better season thus far and I am anxious to see how my season will end. Wish us luck!

GO TOROS!!

Imploding Galaxy

ESPN color analyst Eric Wynalda, holding court in the press box before the last Galaxy home game, joked that the initials of Galaxy owner AEG actually stood for Auditioning Executives Group rather than Anschutz Entertainment Group.

Wynalda's acronym makes even more sense when you learn that the suits at AEG apparently believe Coach Frank Yallop has more to do with the Galaxy's ghastly season than their greedy marketing decisions that sapped the team of any vitality.

Incidentally, Wynalda observed that after he made the AEG crack to GM Alexi Lalas, his former U.S. international teammate didn't talk to him for five days.

Lalas isn't talking to beat writer Billy Witz about Yallop either.

I wouldn't put it past the Auditioning Executives Group to fire Yallop though; after all this is the same company that fired Sigi schmid with the Galaxy in first place in MLS.

Chivas USA Flees Fires

It wasn't a mandatory evacuation, but with health concerns rising in Los Angeles because of the ash and smoke in the air Chivas USA decided to head to Kansas City a day early ahead of Saturday's playoff game.

Crummy air quality has physicians advising even elite athletes not to exercise.

Chivas USA will fly out this afternoon after a light training session.

“After training (Wednesday) morning at The Home Depot Center we decided that it is in the best interest of our players for us to depart a day early for Kansas City ahead our crucial playoff game on Saturday,” said Chivas USA Head Coach Preki. “At the same time, as residents of Southern California, I want to say that our hearts go out to the thousands of families who have lost their homes, as well as to the brave men and women who are fighting on the front lines to help contain the fires.”

Who's The Biggest Hunk

This is terribly tabloid, but try as I might I just can't resist.

Askmen.com readers have just voted David Beckham as their No. 1 choice in the Web site's annual survey of the year's 49 top men. Allegedly the voters were mostly male.

Meanwhile, trashy NBC celebrity gossip show Extra has pronounced Chivas USA's (injured) striker Ante Razov a "soccer hottie" "with gorgeous green eyes."

He also has a reputation as being a generally moody type (team officials recently tried to convince me Razov is just terribly shy, but on this video evidence I'm not buying that).

Oh, and because enquiring minds will want to know, Torrance's Jack Stewart (latterly of Real Salt Lake) did not win Cosmo's Bachelor of the Year contest.

College Shorts

A 51st minute goal by Rafael Garcia was enough to give Cal State Northridge (5-3-5) a 1-0 win and their first victory of the Big West Conference season Wednesday over visiting Cal State Fullerton (5-8-2).

Northridge returns to action at 7 p.m. Saturday when they travel to UC Santa Barbara, in what many consider the most heated rivalry in the Big West.

The NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Committee has released its first soccer regional rankings of the season and Cal State Dominguez Hills, ranked No. 16 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), finds itself 3rd in the NCAA Far West Region poll.

From the (edited) CSUDH press release:

The Toros, winners of five straight and seven of their last eight, boast a 14-3 overall and 10-2 CCAA record, and sit eight points ahead of Cal State L.A. in the CCAA’s south division.

CSUDH is led by a potent 1-2-3 offensive punch in seniors Sammy Rivas (Long Beach, CA/CS Fullerton) and Jose Serpas (Costa Mesa, CA/Orange Coast College), and sophomore Mario Guerrero (Riverside, CA/La Sierra HS), who have combined for 20 goals, 11 assists and 9 game-winning scores, a stellar defensive line in senior Devin Toohey (Santa Paula, CA/Ventura College) and sophomore Kevin Gallaugher (Walnut, CA/Rio Hondo JC) that has blanked opponents in eight contests and has allowed just 13 goals all season, and stellar play in net by sophomore Derby Carrillo (La Mirada, CA/St. John Bosco HS), who recently picked up his second Brine/CCAA Player of the Week Award and leads the conference in shutouts, save percentage and goals against average.

Seattle University, which the Toros bested 2-0 on September 2, sits atop the NCAA Far West poll with a No. 6 ranking in the NSCAA, and is followed by Sonoma State, ranked No. 11 by the NSCAA.

The Toros conclude their regular season with two home games this weekend, hosting Cal Poly Pomona at 7:00 pm on Friday, followed by a 5:00 pm match-up against Cal State San Bernardino two days later, which will also mark the final regular season home game for eight Toro seniors.

Guest-blogger Brian Boswell, coach of Rolling Hills Estates-based Ajax America Women of the Women's Premier Soccer League, a team that is usually a contender for the national championship, is familiar with many of the prospective candidates for the U.S. Women's National Team coaching job.

For instance, he coached Carin Gabarra (Jennings) when she was growing up on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. In a recent e-mail to me she cited him as one of two local youth coaches (Bill Merrill was the other) who helped provide a solid foundation to her career.

Here, he handicaps the field of potential successors to Greg Ryan, who was fired Monday:

There are two main female candidates, UCLA and Under-20 U.S. Women’s National Team coach Jill Ellis and Navy’s Carin Gabarra Jennings, a former U.S. National Team star who grew up on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Under Ellis, UCLA is a perennial NCAA championship contender.

As coach of the U.S. U-20 team, she has the twin advantages of access to the inner workings of the U.S. Soccer Federation and knowledge of up and coming young players.

I have always found her to easy to talk to and a good person to coach against.

Would Jill give up the security of UCLA for the national team job? Her ego may say “yes,” but I don’t know. She would do a good job if it was offered to her.

Gabarra has done a great job at Navy; military academies are difficult places to recruit players.

One of the original greats of U.S. soccer, she was MVP of the 1991 Women’s World Cup and an Olympic gold medal winner.

Her husband, Jim, who coaches the Washington Freedom, is another candidate for the job. While she would have no problem commanding the respect of the U.S. team, she’s had great offers before. Would she leave Jim in Washington D.C.? I don’t think so.

The male candidates are former U.S. National Team Coach Tony DiCicco, Santa Clara University Coach Jerry Smith, the aforementioned Jim Gabarra, former coach of the WUSA’s San Jose CyberRays Ian Sawyers and Australian National Team Coach Tom Sermanni.

DiCicco, coach of Soccer Plus Connecticut in the WPSL, has also just accepted the position of coach of the Boston franchise in the new women’s professional league.

If the U.S. are looking for a coach just through next year’s Olympics, DiCicco, the highest profile candidate is the man.

Advantage: he knows the players and more importantly the inner workings of the U.S. Soccer Federation.

Disadvantage: he isn’t the coach now, so something was wrong for Tony and the job to part company previously.

I have coached against Tony, who is courteous, professional, knows the game and a competitor. The post for the short term would still leave Tony available for Boston.

Smith has created a soccer dynasty at Santa Clara, the little Catholic school near San Jose.

He has the knowledge and ability to do a great job with the U.S. and has interviewed before for the job.

The husband of outspoken former U.S. national team star Brandi Chastain, he is open and honest and likely told the U.S. Soccer Federation things that at the time they did not want to hear.

Now it’s time for them to listen.

Jim Gabarra, coached the Washington Freedom to the 2007 W-League championship and also coached the club in the WUSA when the roster included Mia Hamm (a member of the three-person U.S. Soccer coach search committee).

He has coached at the highest level with the best players, has great knowledge of the women’s game and has accepted a position to coach in the new women’s professional league with the Washington franchise.

But I don’t think he would leave Washington, Carin and their three kids to spend a lot of time in California.

Brit Sawyers, who has the instant credibility that comes from being married to former U.S. National Team star Julie Foudy, has been out of coaching at the top level for some time developing his wife’s camps. Still, that would not stop him doing a good job with the U.S.

Sermanni, whose Australian team has put in some good World Cup performances, is surely worth a look. A Scot with a great sense of humor, he was coach of the New York Power in the WUSA, so knows the women’s game on the national level and has great club experience.

If the U.S. Soccer Federation decide they need a quick fix, DiCicco has the inside track.

If it’s someone for the Olympics it could be Smith or Sermanni, although any of the others are capable of getting the U.S. back on top.

Of Razov and Playoffs

Injured Chivas USA striker Ante Razov insists he will return for the playoffs at some stage.

Just don't expect to see him in Kansas City Saturday night for Chivas USA's opening game. The game is live at 5 p.m. on Prime.

The MLS playoffs start Thursday, by the way, when D.C. United plays the Chicago Fire live at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2. Details on all the playoff series are here.

FIFA Rankings Released

I'm not big on the monthly FIFA world rankings released today, but then I'm not from Argentina (the country reclaimed the top spot from Italy, which dropped to third behind Brazil).

The World Cup winners got knocked off the top, despite playing just one game - and winning it. That sort of thing just increases the irrelevance of the ranking system.

Still, for what it's worth the U.S. stayed in 18th spot, Croatia was unchanged at 10th, England dropped two places to 11th, Scotland rose one place to 13th and Mexico dropped two places to 15th, after losing to Guatemala at the Coliseum.

The entire list is here.

Soccer and Fire

Not surprisingly, the catastrophic wildfires sweeping through Southern California are beginning to take their toll on local soccer games. Doctors are advising athletes to avoid physical exertion in some spots because of the smoke and ash that's seemingly everywhere.

Loyola Marymount's men's team have been forced to move Friday's game in San Diego to Sullivan Field.

Here's the full release from LMU:

LMU's men's soccer games versus the University of San Diego have been rescheduled and moved due to the wildfires and smoke in San Diego County.

The Lions and USD will now play at LMU on Friday at noon and on Monday night at 7 p.m. in San Diego.

The women's soccer games against St. Mary's and San Francisco will go ahead as planned.

LMU will play St. Mary's at 3 p.m. on Friday following the men's match.

Sunday's game against USF that was originally part of a doubleheader will now be a single game at 11 a.m.

Pepperdine's women's team have also been dealing with the fires in Malibu.

Still, the fires didn't stop Cal State Dominguez Hills from snagging the right to host the CCAA men's and women's championship games next week.

Here's the full press release:

Cal State Dominguez Hills has been selected to host the 2007 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championships, commissioner Robert J. Hiegert announced on Tuesday.

The CCAA Championships are scheduled for Nov. 2-4 at 8,000-seat Toro Stadium in Carson, Calif. The event will feature four men’s and four women’s teams competing over three days with the winners claiming the conference title.

Cal State Dominguez Hills will be hosting the championships for the fourth time and first since 2004 when its women’s team captured the conference title and them men lost in the title match.

Heading into the final weekend of the regular-season, Cal State Dominguez Hills’ men’s squad has secured a postseason berth while its women’s team remains in contention.

The CCAA consists of a North and South Division and each division winner advances to postseason play along with the next two teams with the highest point totals.

Currently on the men’s side, Sonoma State, which leads the North Division with a 13-0 conference mark, has clinched a berth along with Cal State Dominguez Hills (14-3, 10-2). Cal State L.A., Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State Monterey Bay are still in contention.

On the women’s side, Chico State (11-5-1, 9-3-1) and UC San Diego (12-2-1, 9-2-1) lead their respective divisions and have clinched spots in the championships. Cal State Stanislaus (9-8-2, 7-4-2), Cal State Dominguez Hills (12-3-3, 7-3-2) and Cal State L.A. (9-5-1, 6-4-1) remain in contention.

The complete bracket for both tournaments will be announced late Sunday, following the completion of the regular season. The tournament format will have the women playing during Friday’s first session with match times scheduled for 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The men will play at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday.

The women’s championship match is slated for 11:30 a.m. on Sunday and the men’s title match will kickoff at 2 p.m.

As many expected it would after the conclusion of the three-match post-World Cup series between the U.S. and Mexico, the ax fell Monday on Women's National Team Coach Greg Ryan.

On a personal and professional level, I enjoyed dealing with the soft-spoken Ryan.

He was always accommodating and happy to give reporters the time they needed.

That was the case again Monday when Ryan returned my phone calls so I could include comments from him in today's column, while Torrance's Shannon Boxx also took the time to give her reaction. Read it here.

And Daily Breeze columnist John Bogert received a flood of e-mails from readers happy to see him call out a boorish AYSO parent in his column last week.

Here's the reader reaction.

Finally this morning, after the Galaxy season ended Sunday, the team wasted no time in rescheduling exhibition games in Vancouver, B.C. Nov. 7 and Minneapolis Nov. 11.

That's two games in five days for Beck's. Hope the ankle holds up.

U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati announced the firing Monday of U.S. Women's National Team Coach Greg Ryan.

Ryan was informed of the move Sunday morning by U.S. Soccer Executive Director Dan Flynn, the day after the last game of a three-match series against Mexico.

"We want to move in a different direction," Gulati said, adding that Ryan's player management in relation to the Hope Solo debacle played a role in the move. "I'm not going to point to any one factor or any one individual decision. Obviously, coach's decisions impact games and all of that was weighed in."

Gulati said a three-person search committee - consisting of himself, Flynn and soccer great Mia Hamm - would make a decision on a new coach within 30-45 days.

The new coach could be American or foreign, male or female, but must have experience at the highest level of the game and familiarity with the U.S. team given that Olympic qualifying begins in February, Gulati said.

In addition, Solo remains part of the national team pool and is not suspended, Gulati said.

"My guess is a number of participants ... if they could do it all over again would do it differently," he said of that situation. "I'm not sure the decision was made to ostracize (Solo)."

Ryan was appointed national team coach in January 2005 and led the U.S. to unprecedented success before the World Cup, but the team's humiliating performance in China convinced Gulati to oust Ryan.

Ryan finished with a 45-1-9 record.

I'll have more on Ryan's firing in Tuesday's column in the Daily News and Daily Breeze.

Ryan Out

At least that's the supposition after you receive an e-mail from U.S. Soccer calling a 1 p.m. news conference today with President Sunil Gulati "to address the status of U.S. Women’s National Team Head Coach Greg Ryan."

No mention of Ryan being on the call, so whether he resigned or was fired you gotta figure he's gone.

The Washington Post's Steven Goff is already speculating about Ryan's successor here.

College Roundup

A summary of Sunday's women's college action is here.

Not mentioned in the roundup: The Cal State Northridge women’s (3-10-1) lost 3-1 to Cal State Fullerton (9-6-1) Sunday night at Titan Stadium, the Matadors' seventh consecutive loss to the Titans.

As for the men, Palos Verdes Estates' Kyle Nakazawa scored the game-winning goal in the last minute of the game to lead UCLA to a 3-2 win Sunday over Washington and lift them to first place in the Pac-10.

Nakazawa's clutch goal was his first of the season and the sophomore midfielder also had an assist in the game, which saw UCLA extend its unbeaten streak to four games.

The Bruins’ win, coupled with San Diego State’s 2-0 loss at Oregon State, gave UCLA (7-5-2) the Pac-10 lead with 10 points at the season's halfway mark.

Despite a Michael Clegg goal after just 62 seconds Sunday, Northridge and Maryland tied 1-1. Northridge dropped to 4-3-5 and Maryland to 6-4-4.

Cal State Dominguez Hills won 2-0 over visiting Chico State Sunday to improve to 14-3, 10-2 CCAA.

Sophomore forward Mario Guerrero out of Riverside's La Serra High scored the game-winner, while sophomore goalkeeper Derby Carrillo of La Mirada got his eighth shutout as CSUDH posted its fourth-consecutive win.

Loyola Marymount (2-9-1, 0-5-0 WCC) out-shot Saint Mary's 17-9, but still lost their fifth-straight game in a 1-0 defeat Sunday in a West Coast Conference game at Sullivan Field.

Chivas USA Playoff Tickets on Sale

Game 1 of the Chivas USA-Kansas City Wizards playoff series kicks off at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, while game 2 of the aggregate-goals series is set for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3 at Home Depot Center.

Tickets start at $14 and fans who purchase them by calling (1-877) CHIVAS-1 receive a limited-edition Chivas USA Road to Glory Playoffs T-shirt.

Rogers Rips D.C.

Finally, we should belatedly acknowledge Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers, who scored two goals Saturday in the Columbus Crew's road win over D.C. United. The Crew also beat the New England Revolution in their previous game, meaning they ended the season with victories against the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.

"Two really big wins," Rogers said to The Columbus Dispatch. "So now it's, 'Gee, if we just could have got that other point here or that one there..."

Incidentally, in contrast Lawndale's Kei Kamara ended the season on a down note, reportedly getting dropped for the game by Crew Coach Sigi Schmid

At the start of this season former Chadwick School star John Thorrington, waived by the Chicago Fire, failed to hook on with either the Galaxy or Chivas USA.

But he stayed fit playing with his brother's Palos Verdes Peninsula club team, Fram, and after re-signing with Chicago and playing just two minutes for the Fire before Sunday, delivered a dramatic goal in second half stoppage time with a calmly taken chip over Joe Cannon that killed off the Galaxy's season and sent the Fire into the playoffs.

The Fire's 1-0 win means Chivas USA begins the playoffs Thursday in Kansas City.

Updated: Game story is here.

And with the end of the Galaxy's season, this column was inevitable.

Chivas USA's Western Conference decider Saturday with the Houston Dynamo was so dull, the biggest talking point came after the final whistle when the opposing coaches exchanged words and shoves.

Still, Chivas USA got the point they needed to clinch the top seed in the West.

The Galaxy's playoff hopes are still alive too after Real Salt Lake remarkably actually won a game and L.A. will set up a pulsating first-round series with Chivas USA with a win over the Fire at noon today on FSN. Lose or tie and the Galaxy are out and Chivas USA plays Chicago instead.

Despite the fact we're unlikely to see much of Beckham Sunday, there was the inevitable Blanco-Beck's news conference Saturday in Chicago and the equally inevitable story on the "meeting" of the two superstars.

Meanwhile, Briana Scurry played in goal as the U.S. women tied Mexico 1-1 Saturday.

MLS Down To The Wire

In contrast to the Galaxy's muddled playoff picture, Chivas USA must simply avoid losing tonight to the Houston Dyanamo at Home Depot Center.

Chivas USA beat writer Ivan Orozco has more on Chivas USA's motivation.

I have another commitment tonight so Ivan will guest-blog from the HDC.

The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy doesn't play today, but it's still the most important day of their season, too. Galaxy beat writer Billy Witz will spend the day following the Galaxy's playoff fate on MLSnet.com

He breaks down what needs to happen (and what doesn't) here.

Ryan's Hope

The U.S. plays the final game of its post-World Cup three-match series against Mexico today in Albuquerque, N.M.

Estranged former first-choice goalkeeper Hope Solo didn't dress for the first game (in a supposed gesture of reconciliation), and third-choice Nicole Barnhart got the start in the second, so it will be interesting to see what happens today.

Cynical observers might say Coach Greg Ryan will get fired after the final whistle no matter who plays in goal, but U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati isn't known for pulling the trigger quickly.

Still, the soap opera gives extra resonance to the accompanying magazine cover as well as the fact that before the tournament Ryan told me he thought Solo would be the most likely player on the U.S. team to emerge from the tournament as a star. I'm guessing he didn't mean like this.

The USA has outscored Mexico, 9-1, in the previous two games so there's unlikely to be much suspense about the outcome.

Still, since there's no TV, the curious can check out the MatchTracker at ussoccer.com

Kick off is at 3:30 p.m.

College Update

A summary of Friday's local college action is here.

In another college game, the Cal State Northridge women’s team (3-9-1) defeated UC Riverside (8-6-1), 3-1, Friday afternoon at the UCR Soccer Stadium in Riverside.

A frightening collision between Northridge goalkeeper Ivette Esqueda and Riverside’s Jill Del Rosario delayed the final 12 minutes of the game for nearly half an hour.

Esqueda, making her fourth start of the season for the Matadors, left the field under her own power; Del Rosario had to be carted off the field by ambulance.

The win snapped the Matadors’ five-game losing streak and was their first win in 2007 on the road and in the Big West Conference.

The Matadors wrap up the road portion of their 2007 schedule at 6 p.m. Sunday against Cal State Fullerton.

Get Your Playoff Tickets Today!

In a case of either very weird timing or chronic optimism, the day after the Galaxy put their playoff hopes in jeopardy by only managing a draw with New York the team announced that tickets to the post-season go on sale at 10 a.m. today to season ticket holders only.

They couldn't have waited until Monday when the season could be over?

For what it's worth, here's the release:

Current Galaxy season ticket holders will have the exclusive rights to purchase their seats until 5 p.m. on Monday, October 22 at which point all seats will become available to the general public.

The Galaxy will discover their post-season fate on Sunday after their game against the Chicago Fire (noon on FSN West and Telefutura) at Toyota Park. If the Galaxy qualify for the playoffs, individual tickets will go on sale immediately after the conclusion of the game. Regular season ticket pricing applies.

Additionally, fans can purchase a special Playoff 4-Pack, which includes four tickets to the Galaxy’s home playoff game and four Galaxy T-shirts for as little as $100.

If the Galaxy qualify for the post-season, they would play as the No. 4 seed in either the Eastern or Western Conference, meaning that they would host game one of their Conference Semifinal at Home Depot Center on either Saturday, October 27 or Sunday, October 28. The Galaxy’s opponent in that semifinal series is yet to be determined and could be Chivas USA, D.C. United or the Houston Dynamo.

Numbers Game

A couple of statistical postscripts to Thursday night's Galaxy game.

After Thursday's game Cobi Jones moved into sole possession of fourth place on the all-time games played list for professional soccer players in the U.S. compiled by for National Soccer Hall of Fame.

The list includes all regular season and playoff games played in three major leagues, the American Soccer League (1921–1931), the North American Soccer League (1967–1984), and Major League Soccer since its first game in 1996.

New England Revolution midfielder Steve Ralston could eclipse the mark set by leader Bill McPherson, whose ASL career extended from the early 1920s into the mid 1930s, if the Revs go all the way to MLS Cup this season.

The top seven:
1. Bill McPherson ASL 370
2. Steve Ralston* MLS 366
3. Bart McGhee ASL 352
4. Cobi Jones* MLS 350
5. Jimmy Gallagher ASL 349
6. Chris Henderson MLS 348
7. Jason Kreis MLS 327
*Active player

In addition, the Galaxy left it (too) late Thursday to score, something they had grown accustomed to doing.

During the Galaxy's five-game winning streak, their winning goal came during the final 20 minutes of the game:
* Chris Klein in the 72nd minute on Sept. 23, giving LA a 2-1 win over FC Dallas.
* Gavin Glinton in the 80th minute on Sept. 27, giving LA a 1-0 win in Kansas City.
* Gavin Glinton in the 77th minute on Oct. 7, giving LA a 2-1 win in Houston.
* Edson Buddle in the 78th minute on Oct. 13, giving LA a 2-1 win over Toronto FC.

Not this time.

Now the Galaxy must win in Chicago Sunday to make the playoffs.

But even then they may not make it; if Kansas gets at least a point and Colorado wins Saturday the Galaxy are out.

The Galaxy failed to apply the finishing touch despite having a succession of (mainly poor) corners taken by Beckham in the second half.

Jozy Altidore could have ended the Galaxy's season in the 91st minute when he broke through and sent a 10-yard shot whistling past the far post.

Both teams picked up the attacking tempo in the second half as the game turned into a more wide open affair, but neither team - and in particular likely MLS MVP Juan Pablo Angel - could score the crucial goal.

Updated:

Tonight's capacity crowd meant the Galaxy averaged 24,252 at the HDC this year, the biggest per game turnout since the inaugural year of 1996.

Kyle Martino's yellow card means he misses Sunday's game because of an accumulation of disciplinary points.

It took the Galaxy 25 minutes to open the locker room to the media, despite the prominent sign outside that reads "Media access 10 minutes after game by order of Commissioner Don Garber."

"It's just a sign," said David Beltran, one of the Galaxy's three media relations types.

Beckham didn't deign to speak to reporters despite playing his first game for seven weeks.

Cobi Jones, however, was gracious and clearly emotional about playing for the last time with the Galaxy at the HDC.

"It was a pretty touching (pre-game) ceremony they put on," he said. "I don't have any torches or anything to pass. It's the nature of sports that players come and go and the team stays."

Jones said he didn't exactly know what he would do in retirement, but would like some sort of ambassador's role if possible.

"One of my goals is to give back to the game," he said.

"Cobi means a lot to this city, to this club and this league," Coach Frank Yallop said. "It was fitting he played 90 minutes. He's been one of the best American players to play the game."

Yallop conceded he'll be glued to the Internet Saturday looking for updates of other games, while Landon Donovan said he and Joe Cannon, who room together on the road, will probably do the same.

The game story is here.

Highlights are here.

David Beckham returned from seven weeks out injured in the 68th minute when he came in for Pete Vagenas with the score tied 1-1 and the Galaxy needing to avoid losing to end their season.

The crowd has gone bananas and the flash bulbs are popping.

Two goals in two minutes proved the high point of an otherwise tepid first half with each team only getting a couple of shots on target apiece.

The Galaxy struck first, Landon Donovan getting the better of Seth Stammler to deliver a cross that floated over goalkeeper Jon Conway and was met at the far post by unmarked defender Troy Roberts, who nodded home his second goal of the season. It was Donovan's 13th assist of the season, tying him for the MLS lead with Chivas USA's Sacha Kljestan and New England's Steve Ralston.

New York equalized moments later, when Dave van den Burgh crossed to a completely open Jozy Altidore, who scored his ninth goal of the season from seven yards out.

A buzz goes around the stadium every time Cobi gets the ball, with the crowd willing him to set a up a goal or score.

Coach Frank Yallop has named an unchanged line-up for the second consecutive game as the Galaxy tonight seek their sixth consecutive win.

Joe Cannon is in goal as usual, Chris Klein and Mike Randolph are the full backs, with Chris Klein and Ante Jazic the central defenders.

Cobi Jones, playing the final regular season home game of his long career, starts in midfield with Josh Tudela, Pete Vagenas and Kyle Martino.

Up front is captain Landon Donovan and Carlos Pavon.

And yes, David Beckham is on the bench.

Bruce Arena makes two changes to the Red Bull team that beat Kansas City Saturday, their first win since Sept. 1.

Joe Vide comes in for the suspended Dema Kovalenko in midfield, while striker Francis Doe has a hip injury and did not travel with the team; former Galaxy forward John Wolyniec gets the start alongside Juan Pablo Angel, while Clint Mathis is on the bench.

Claudio Reyna is out with a sprained toe.

Cobi Jones will be honored before the game with what's likely to be a lengthy presentation.

Updated: After a video presentation that included Cobi Jones highlights and comments by the likes of Sigi Schmid, Kevin Hartman and Steve Sampson (who was roundly booed), MLS Commissioner Don Garber was hauled out and he called Cobi "a great corporate citizen."

Is that the biggest compliment the league's head honcho could give one of the greatest American soccer players ever?

Oh, and Cobi got a skiing vacation anywhere in the world as a gift. Apparently, he's not allowed to ski under the terms of his contract, but has always wanted to try it. Should do wonders for his chronically injured hip.

Of Cobi, Angel and Beck's

Galaxy great Cobi Jones plays his final home game tonight, likely MLS MVP Juan Pablo Angel plays his first MLS game against the Galaxy at Home Depot Center and there could be an appearance by David Beckham.

Beat writer Billy Witz has a Cobi profile and explains the substitution rule and how it relates to Beckham for soccer illiterates.

Kick off is at 8 p.m. on ESPN2 and I'll blog as usual.

Given the quality of the designated players on the field tonight, (and no, I'm not going to explain what that means) MLS has just released a timely YouTube clip of the pricey imports' season highlights:

U.S. Wins & Mexico Loses

Guatemala inflicted a rare defeat on Mexico at the Coliseum last night, while the U.S. men and women both won.

I don't even want to talk about England.

El Tri Time

European Championship qualifiers are under way as I write this, the U.S. Men's National Team plays at 11:30 a.m. in a friendly against Switzerland that airs live on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision, but here in Southern California the big game is the Mexico-Guatemala contest tonight at the Coliseum.

Ivan Orozco has a preview.

Former Galaxy striker Carlos Ruiz is on the Guatemala roster, by the way.

No Time For Beckham Thursday?

With the Galaxy mounting a late season surge, Coach Frank Yallop must decide how much and, indeed, whether to play David Beckham in Thursday's crucial game against the New York Red Bulls.

Beck's (still) isn't talking to local soccer writers, but Galaxy beat writer Billy Witz takes a look at the pros and cons of that decision.

Prediction: Expect Beck's to come off the bench if needed.

Meanwhile, columnist Paul Oberjuerge has more on the Galaxy's