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.Sources: Ruud Gullit the Next Galaxy Coach
A source with Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns the Galaxy, confirmed Wednesday that barring any last-minute snags, flamboyant former Chelsea Manager Ruud Gullit will become the team's next coach.
He would succeed Frank Yallop, who resigned Sunday to join the expansion San Jose Earthquakes.
The Dutchman is reportedly in Los Angeles tonight ready to sign a three-year contract. General Manager Alexi Lalas has returned to Los Angeles from Vancouver, where the Galaxy will kick off an exhibition game against Vancouver in less than an hour. He could not be reached for comment.
Another fall-back candidate remains in the mix, but it appears that the Dutch player whose brand of exciting, attacking soccer at Chelsea in the mid-1990s gave the team its first trophy in a generation is the Galaxy's first choice.
Galaxy spokesman Patrick Donnelly did not deny Gullit was a candidate when contacted late Wednesday afternoon.
In another broad hint, Gullit coined the term "sexy football" as a television commentator in England and Lalas made a point of saying Monday that the team was looking for a "sexy" coach.
The former two-time World Player of the Year also coached at the likes of England's Newcastle United.
Here's the Wikipedia entry on Gullit.
Here's The Times (of London) story.
Here's what Fox Sports is reporting.
There are other reports, too, but those are the best.
If all the reports are true - and every indication is they are - this would be an inspired choice.
The Dutchman epitomizes total football, flair and flash, just the thing to energize a moribund Galaxy organization and give it overseas credibility.