January 2008 Archives

U.S. international Brad Guzan is a world-class goalkeeper, but British bureaucrats pulled the plug today on his imminent $4 million move to Aston Villa.

From the (edited) Chivas USA press release:

Club Deportivo Chivas USA of Major League Soccer today announced that 2007 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and Chivas USA Original Brad Guzan will return to the club for the 2008 season. The announcement comes following the denial of Guzan’s British work permit application this afternoon, London time. The 23-year-old U.S. international had been set to join storied English Premier League club Aston Villa in a record transfer for an MLS goalkeeper.

“It has been my privilege to represent the Chivas colors for the past three years and I look forward to returning to Chivas USA this season,” said Guzan in a statement from England. “I have always appreciated the support of Chivas USA and its passionate fans and shall continue wear the colors with pride as we strive for great things in MLS and beyond in 2008.”

“Brad is a world-class goalkeeper who has attracted the interest of some of the world’s best clubs, and Chivas USA is happy to have him back for another season. Although we share in his disappointment at the denial of his British work permit, we know that Brad, like the true professional he is, will continue to work hard to improve every day on and off the field with Chivas USA,” said Chivas USA Head Coach Preki Radosavljevic.

Major League Soccer’s reigning Goalkeeper of the Year, Brad Guzan was selected by Chivas USA with its first pick in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft (No. 2 overall) out of the University of South Carolina, prior to the club’s first season as an expansion team in Major League Soccer, making the then-20-year-old the highest-picked goalkeeper in MLS draft history. After playing 24 games for Chivas USA in his rookie season and earning the distinction of 2005 Chivas USA Defender of the Year, the fan favorite known as ‘El Guzano’ would go on to make his first of five appearances to date for the U.S. National Team in 2006. In 2007, Guzan recorded 13 clean sheets for a Chivas USA side that finished first in MLS’s Western Conference.

Wonder if Jurgen Klinsmann, now with Bayern Munich, is monitoring developments?

In other Chivas USA-related news, the club announced today the 2,000 spots for tryouts with the team via a Spanish-language reality show have been filled. Applicants came from 39 different states and 17 foreign countries.

Meanwhile, Mexico Coach Hugo Sanchez today announced the roster for the Feb. 6 game against the U.S. in Houston. The full roster:

Goalkeepers Guillermo Ochoa (Club América), Luís Ernesto Michel (CD Guadalajara), Moisés Muñoz (Morelia); defenders Rafael Márquez (FC Barcelona / SPA), Carlos Salcido (PSV Eindhoven / HOL), Johnny Magallón (CD Guadalajara), Fausto Pinto (Pachuca), Israel Castro (Pumas UNAM), Oscar Rojas (América); midfielders Pavel Pardo (VFB Stuttgart / GER), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul), Francisco Arce (Santos Laguna), Andrés Guardado (Deportivo la Coruna / SPA), Antonio Naelson (Toluca); forwards Giovani Dos Santos (FC Barcelona / SPA), Carlos Vela (Osasuna), Juan Carlos Cacho (Pachuca), Adolfo Bautista (Jaguares de Chiapas), Antonio de Nigris (Ankaraspor / TUR).

ESPN confirmed today that outspoken analyst Eric Wynalda was punted from the commentary booth in favor of the presumably less controversial John Harkes. It's another defeat for those who love color and strong opinions and a victory for those who value the bland and safe. Wynalda, of course, has been on the outs with the network ever since he publicly criticized well-known soccer-hater (and loud mouth) Jim Rome a few months back.

At least soccer fans got rid of Dave O'Brien, though.

From the (edited) ESPN press release:

ESPN and ABC will kick off its 13th straight season of Major League Soccer coverage with a new line-up of in-booth commentators – veteran soccer television announcer JP Dellacamera and former U.S. Men’s National Team captain John Harkes – for MLS Primetime Thursday and U.S. Soccer telecasts including, the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.

Dellacamera and Harkes will lead ESPN’s new on-air crew for U.S. domestic soccer telecasts with sideline reporter Allen Hopkins returning for the second year on select MLS and U.S. Soccer telecasts. Rob Stone, who has been involved with soccer at ESPN since 1997, will continue his role as on-site studio host and play-by-play commentator for select MLS matches, with former U.S. Women’s National Team captain and soccer Hall of Famer Julie Foudy as studio analyst.

“JP and John will enhance our overall soccer presentation and offer consistency throughout our second season of MLS Primetime Thursday and in our coverage of the U.S. Men’s National Team, including upcoming qualifying matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup,” said Tim Scanlan, ESPN vice president for remote productions.

Dellacamera, who has called ten straight FIFA World Cups (six men’s and four women’s), will take over the play-by-play duties previously held by Dave O’Brien, who will focus on his prominent role with ESPN’s Major League Baseball and NCAA Men’s Basketball telecasts (O’Brien also handles radio play-by-play for Boston Red Sox games). Harkes, who paired with Dellacamera to call 2006 FIFA World Cup matches from Germany, will occupy the lead booth analyst role previously held by Eric Wynalda, who has been reassigned to ESPN in-studio soccer duties.

ESPN’s new commentator team will debut at 6 p.m. Wednesday during the network’s live telecast of the U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Mexico match from Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Finally, prep coverage from the Daily Breeze is here

England Manager Fabio Capello, apparently concerned over David Beckham's fitness, has told the Galaxy midfielder he will not be included in the England squad for next week's game against Switzerland.

The (London) Times story is here. The full England squad will be named shortly, by the way.

Reaction to the decision is here.

According to this unscientific poll, most fans agree with the decision.

More on Becks' Brazilian project - apparently, but not surprisingly backed by Galaxy owners Anschutz Entertainment Group, - is here.

He's soft-spoken. Unassuming. Mexican-American. The perfect No. 2 for Jurgen Klinsmann at Bayern Munich.

From the Chivas USA press release:

“Martín Vásquez has been a member of Chivas USA since the very beginning, and I would like to thank him for his service to our club. He will be sorely missed,” said Chivas USA Head Coach Preki. “Our search for an assistant who can capably fill Martín’s shoes has begun in earnest, and we look forward to making an announcement in the coming weeks.”

“Working with Chivas USA since its first season in 2005 has been a valuable learning experience and a tremendous source of pride for me. I would like to thank Chivas USA’s players, coaching staff, and all my colleagues and friends in the organization for the chance to work with this special club during the past three years,” said Vásquez. “Although I look forward to working with Jürgen Klinsmann at an important institution such as Bayern Munich, out of respect for Bayern’s current manager Ottmar Hitzfeld, I shall refrain from making further public statements until officially assuming my new post in July.”

July? Nice vacation.

Oh, and The Washington Post's Steven Goff tells us what's going on in our own backyard. Barbados may be one of the few nations that don't have So. Cal contingents outnumbering U.S. fans.

Finally, the Pan-Pacific Championship press folks generate a generally vapid weekly report that this week included this exchange with Galaxy forward Carlos Ruiz: Q:

In Dallas you were the marquee star and the go-to person on the team, but obviously on the Galaxy there are several stars like Beckham and Landon Donovan. Does this change the way you will approach your role with LA?

A: “We know what kind of stars, what kind of players we have on our team. My job is to come here, play well and try to score goals. I’m not trying to be a star. I’m trying to be a good player on the field and a good teammate outside of the field.”

No nightclubbing then?

Chivas Chatter

Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan left the U.S. training camp in Carson to sign with EPL team Aston Villa.

Guzan and Everton's Tim Howard are likely to share U.S. goalkeeping duties for years to come.

It's been a pleasure watching Guzan mature between the posts at Home Depot Center and the move is well-deserved. Still, local soccer reporters never like to see someone like the always quotable Guzan exit the locker room. And considering the state of the Chivas USA roster - no goalkeepers listed you'll notice - new Chivas USA goalkeeping coach Leo Percovich is probably wondering about his job security.

Here's more on Percovich's appointment Tuesday from the (edited) Chivas USA press release:

A native of Montevideo, Uruguay, Percovich served as goalkeeper coach for the Colorado Rapids from 2006 to 2007. He replaces Zak Abdel, Chivas USA’s goalkeeper coach from 2006 to 2007, who has left the club to pursue other opportunities.

“Leo’s professionalism and playing experience at the highest level will serve our goalkeepers and our team well as we prepare for the 2008 campaign,” said Chivas USA Head Coach Preki. “I am confident he will capably fill the shoes of Zak Abdel, who did outstanding work for us during his time with Chivas USA.”

Percovich, 39, joins Chivas USA from the Colorado Rapids, where starting in August 2006 he worked with 2006 Panasonic Goalkeeper of the Year finalist Joe Cannon, and later with Bouna Coundoul, who enjoyed a breakout 2007 season and was named to the Senegalese National Team’s roster for the current 2008 African Nations Cup. Percovich has also apprenticed under goalkeeper coaches throughout Europe and Latin America, including stints with club sides Real Madrid, Valencia, Stuttgart, Cruziero and Pachuca, as well as the national teams of Brazil, France, and Uruguay. Following the 2006 season, Percovich was also named assistant coach to Rapids head coach Fernando Clavijo.

As a player, Percovich made six appearances with the Uruguayan National Team during a professional goalkeeping career that included time with South American powerhouses Nacional de Montevideo (1987-1993), Atlético Mineiro (1994), Guaraní FC (1995), and Fluminense FC (1995-1999) and Alianza de Lima (2000), as well as Spanish side Racing de Ferrol (2001). While with Nacional, Percovich won the Uruguayan First Division twice, as a starter in 1991 and 1992, as well as the prestigious Copa Libertadores in 1989.

In other Chivas USA news, the team will participate in a preaseason tournament in Texas in early March, playing D.C. United, the Houston Dynamo and Toronto FC. Details here.

And three Chivas USA players have signed new contracts, according to the team:

Chivas USA players Jorge Flores, Bobby Burling, and Anthony Hamilton recently signed developmental contracts in anticipation of the 2008 season. Flores, a forward, won the first Sueño MLS competition which was held last spring, and made his first team debut for Chivas USA on Sept. 9 against the New York Red Bulls. Forward Anthony Hamilton made two regular season appearances last year before coming on a substitute in Chivas USA’s 0-0 tie against the Kansas City Wizards during the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs. Meanwhile, Burling, a defender, showed tremendous potential while playing for the Chivas USA Reserve team in 2007.

The Ramon Nunez experiment has apparently ended though and he's returned to his native Honduras.

Galaxy Gossip

Over at the Galaxy, David Beckham opened his third academy in Brazil this week and is anxiously awaiting word on whether he'll be named to the England squad Thursday in hopes of winning his 100th cap.

The Galaxy have belatedly got around to officially announcing their two-game tour of Asia and extended the deadline until Sunday for their open tryouts.

Incidentally, recently reacquired striker Carlos Ruiz won't be joining the Guatemalan national team for their Feb. 6 game at the Coliseum against Argentina the Galaxy announced Wednesday:

Recently acquired LA Galaxy forward Carlos Ruiz will remain in Los Angeles to prepare for the club’s preseason training and to continue to rehabilitate his right knee which underwent successful arthroscopic surgery in November to clean up his lateral meniscus. Therefore Ruiz, who was acquired by the Galaxy on January 15, was not part of Guatemalan National Team head coach Hernán Darío Gómez’s 35-man roster which reported for training camp on Monday in Guatemala.

“Carlos is coming off a period of inactivity that included arthroscopic knee surgery. To jump right back into international competition would be irresponsible and counter-productive,” said Galaxy President and General Manager Alexi Lalas. “We want Carlos to progress through a proper preseason so that he is ready for the start of the MLS season and World Cup qualifying with Guatemala later in the year.”

Ruiz initially began to feel discomfort in his right knee in September while with his former team, FC Dallas, following a U.S. Open Cup Semifinal win in Seattle. An MRI after that game revealed loose fragments in his knee, but no extensive damage. The 28-year old missed one game as a result of the injury but did not miss any more time for the rest of the regular season and postseason as a result of it.

“We had a chance to examine Carlos on Friday and upon our examination, we did not feel that his knee has progressed to the stage of being ready for the rigors of international competition quite yet,” said Galaxy club doctor Dr. Bert Mandelbaum. “We now have a plan of systematic progression in place for Carlos and with this we expect him to be ready for the upcoming season.”

Didn't take long for the Galaxy to start accumulating injuries, did it?

Nats News

U.S. Soccer has unveiled its new men's national team jersey.

Initial reviews are, to put it kindly, mixed.

Finally, tickets go on sale at noon today for the Olympic qualifying games in March:

The eight-team event, which includes national teams at the Under-23 age level, will be played as eight doubleheaders from March 11-23, 2008, and will send two finalists to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Group A, which includes the United States, Honduras, Cuba and Panama, will play at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. on March 11, 13 and 15. Group B features Canada, Guatemala, Haiti and Mexico facing off on March 12, 14 and 16 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. LP Field in Nashville will host the semifinals on Thursday, March 20, and the championship match and third-place game on Sunday, March 23. Tickets priced from $18 to $65 for each of the eight doubleheaders in the tournament go on sale beginning Wednesday (January 30) at 12 p.m. local time in each venue through ussoccer.com, by phone at 813-287-8844 (Tampa), 213-480-3232 (Los Angeles) or 615-255-9600 (Nashville) and at local Ticketmaster ticket centers in the venue cities.

Preps Press

Is here from the Daily Breeze and here and here from the Daily News.

The Long Beach Press-Telegram checks in with prep coverage here.

Here's my take on the renamed and enlarged, but still overwhelmingly underwhelming CONCACAF Champions League.

Prep news from the Daily Breeze is here and here.

CONCACAF Champions League

More on this in Tuesday's column.

But here's the basics from today's CONCACAF press release:

CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) announced today the official launch of the new continental club championship, the CONCACAF Champions League which will commence in August 2008. The CONCACAF Champions League will replace the Champions’ Cup which will cease to exist after the 2008 edition.

The CONCACAF Champions League will see a Confederation record number of 24 teams from all sectors of the CONCACAF region participating. The preliminary round begins in August 2008 with the first CONCACAF Champions League winner to be crowned in late April 2009.

The CONCACAF Champions League will feature four teams from Mexico and USA; three Caribbean sides; two clubs each from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama; and one representative coming from Canada, Belize, and Nicaragua.

Eight clubs (two Mexican, two USA, one each from Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador) will be seeded and progress directly to the first round of the CONCACAF Champions League, while the Caribbean slots have been increased to three teams for this event.

The remaining 16 teams will be paired in eight home-and-away preliminary match-ups taking place from 26-28 August and 2-4 September.

The preliminary round winners will join the other eight seeded teams in the group stage that consists of four groups of four. All the teams in each group will play each other in a round-robin system during six match dates (three home games, three away games) from 16 September – 30 October.

The top two clubs from each group will advance to the knock out phase playing home-and-away elimination. The quarterfinals commence in February 2009; semifinals begin in March; and the Finals will take place in late April.

The CONCACAF Champions League winner will qualify as the CONCACAF’s representative to the 2009 edition of the FIFA Club World Cup.

Three Dozen Looks (Or So)

U.S. Women's National Team Coach Pia Sundhage called 37 players into a camp that starts Friday in Carson.

The U.S. men are already in camp at the HDC.

Hall of Fame Builders Ballot

Former U.S. Coaches Bruce Arena and Bob Gansler head the list announced today.

Speaking of......

Sueño MLS 2008

Should American soccer fans rejoice that last year's winner of Spanish-language reality television show Sueño MLS, Anaheim's Jorge Flores, latched on with Chivas USA or worry that the domestic scouting system can't unearth players like that (especially Latinos) in more conventional ways?

In any event the show returns at noon today on Univision for a second season.

More details in this (edited) press release:

Sueño MLS, the nationally-televised search for America’s best undiscovered young soccer player, attracted in its inaugural year of 2007 an overwhelming 2,000 hopefuls from across the U.S. and several foreign countries to Chivas USA’s open tryout. After six weeks of intense competition, forward Jorge Flores, a 17-year old high-school senior from Anaheim, CA, was crowned the winner. Flores not only earned a spot on Chivas USA’s roster, but he was later called up to the United States Under-20 National Team.

Today, the dream continues for thousands of aspiring players around the nation as Major League Soccer unveils plans for Sueño MLS 2008. The program returns to Los Angeles as Chivas USA searches for the next Jorge Flores. Simultaneously, Sueño MLS will also take place in Dallas, providing an opportunity for another set of aspiring young soccer players to showcase their talent in an effort to earn their way onto the FC Dallas roster.

Celtic or Aston Villa for Guzan?

Chivas USA and U.S. international goalkeeper Brad Guzan has reportedly been offered a contract with Scottish powerhouse Glasgow Celtic by Manager Gordan Strachan and is mulling the offer, although there is at least one report claiming Guzan is headed to England's Aston Villa. Keep in mind though, the source is the breathless News of the World, among the worst examples of the English gutter press.

For what it's worth, here's what the newspaper reported:

The Celtic gaffer will miss out on American goalie Brad Guzan after Aston Villa's last-ditch £2million swoop.

(Snip)

Yank Guzan's apparent snub comes as a huge blow though. Celtic had identified him as a successor to Artur Boruc.

Last week we revealed the USA international was jetting in to join up with the Hoops at their Lennoxtown base.

The 23-year-old, voted the best goalie in the MLS last season, took just one session to convince Strachan and his coaching staff he was the real deal and well worth the £1.5m the MLS wanted.

At his weekly press conference, Strachan confirmed chief executive Peter Lawwell had offered Guzan a contract and the player was heading home "to think about things".

But it's understood he headed instead for hush-hush talks with Villa representatives, and is on the verge of signing a pre-contract.

Galaxy Head (Far) East

Details are emerging about the Galaxy's preseason trip to Korea and China. More here.

Argentina-Guatemala at Coliseum Feb. 6

Tickets start at $25 to see what is apparently Argentina's Under-23 or Olympic team play the senior Guatemala team at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at the LA Memorial Coliseum.

Among the over-age players Argentina is bringing are Liverpool's Javier Mascherano and former Barcelona midfielder Juan Román Riquelme. Barcelona's Lionel Messi is recovering from injury, in case you were wondering.

Full squad is here.

Will David Beckham be named to the England squad next week for Fabio Capello's first game as coach? Is Capello dumb enough to risk the ire of Beckham fans worldwide and run against strong public sentiment lobbying for GoldenBalls to win his 100th cap?

Highly unlikely, you gotta think. The speculation is well under way.

In Carson Saturday, fans can expect a high of 63 degrees and showers for Mia Hamm's 1 p.m. charity game at Home Depot Center. Among the soccer stars expected to play: Hamm, Landon Donovan, Chris Albright, Brad Guzan, Alexi Lalas (wonder if Albright will give the Galaxy GM a whack on the shin after his trade), Eric Wynalda, Taylor Twellman, Julie Foudy and Kristine Lilly.

Tickets are $20. Full details here.

Meanwhile, Tony DiCicco, head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team from 1994-1999, was named today as head coach of the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team and is presumably waiting in the wings should Pia Sundhage fail during her short-term contract as national team coach.

The (edited) U.S. Soccer press release:

DiCicco replaces Jillian Ellis, who has been hired by current U.S. Women’s National Team head coach Pia Sundhage as an assistant on her staff through the 2008 Olympics, should the USA qualify in April.

DiCicco, one of the most legendary coaches in U.S. women's soccer history, won 103 matches, the 1996 Olympics and the historic 1999 Women’s World Cup with the U.S. Women. DiCicco will be charged with taking over a team that will attempt to qualify for the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup being held in Chile from Nov. 20-Dec. 7. Dates and venues for the CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament have yet to be set.

“When Jill agreed to join my staff as an assistant, it left a void in a very important position,” said Sundhage. “Tony has won gold medals at the highest levels. He knows what it takes to become a great player for the National Team and that knowledge will be very valuable for these young players. With the kind of experience these young players get from playing with the U-20s and other youth national teams, I’ve seen in the past that it’s especially important for the coach to share what it takes to reach the next level. It makes the players’ experience even better.

“I am also excited that Jill has joined our staff. She knows many of the players on the National Team now and her experience internationally and knowledge of the young players will be very valuable to us.”

Last fall, DiCicco was named head coach of the Boston Breakers in the new women’s professional league, the WPS (Women’s Professional Soccer), slated to start play in 2009. DiCicco currently serves as the technical director of FSASoccerPlus Football Club in Connecticut, a youth club that he founded in 2003. He is also the head coach of the SoccerPlus CT Reds of the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) which won the USASA U-23 National Championship in 2007.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to coach an elite group of talented and motivated U.S. players,” said DiCicco, who went 103-8-8 as head coach of the USA. “Our goal is two-fold. In the last two youth world cups we have come up shy of the championship so one of our goals is to win the championship. Second, we want to help develop top international players for Pia Sundhage and our full women’s national team.”

Finally, Chivas USA defender Lawson Vaughn is out for up to six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery today to remove scar tissue from his left ankle. And practically on the eve of training camp opening, too.

Supplemental Draft

Even the name sets the pulse racing doesn't it?

The Galaxy's moves today from the team's (edited) press release:

The LA Galaxy made four selections in this afternoon’s 2008 MLS Supplemental Draft, selecting a pair of defenders, as well as a goalkeeper and a midfielder in the four round draft. These four selections, as well as the six players drafted by the Galaxy in last week’s MLS SuperDraft are scheduled to arrive at The Home Depot Center early next month when the club begins preseason training for the 2008 campaign

In the first round of the Supplemental Draft, the Galaxy selected defender Michael Gavin from Portland with the fourth overall pick. A four-year starter for the Pilots, Gavin appeared in 76 games during his four years in Portland, tallying four goals with two of them being game winners while helping his team reach the NCAA Tournament twice.

The Galaxy used their second round pick (16th overall) to select 2007 Big West Goalkeeper of the Year, Charles Alamo, from University of California–Riverside. A four-year starter for the Highlanders, Alamo had six shutouts as a senior and finished his college career with more than 300 saves.

One round later, the Galaxy took UCLA defender Greg Folk with the 32nd overall selection. An honorable mention All-Pac-10 defender as a senior in 2007, the former captain of the U.S. Under-18 National Team started 64 of his 72 career games with the Bruins, including the 2006 College Cup Final.

With their final pick of the Supplemental Draft, the Galaxy selected midfielder Daniel De Geer from the University of San Francisco. De Geer scored a career-high two goals as a senior and played 44 career games for USF where he was a teammate of Brandon McDonald, who LA drafted in the fourth round of the MLS SuperDraft.

Chivas USA picked: San Diego State University forward Kraig Chiles, UC-Berkeley midfielder Javier Ayala-Hill, North Carolina State midfielder El Hadj-Cisse and UNC defender Andre Sherard .

UCLA defender Brandon Owens was selected by D.C. United. The (edited) UCLA press release:

Owens, who was chosen as the 10th pick in the first round, was a starter on three Pac-10 Championship squads. Owens was team captain for the U.S. Under-17 National Team at the 2003 World Youth Championships and has 36 career caps with the U-17s and U-20s.

Bob's (and Pete's) Boys

U.S. Coach Bob Bradley Thursday named a 21-player roster that will train in Carson ahead of the Feb. 6 game against Mexico that's essentially the same as the camp for the Sweden game minus New York's Jozy Altidore, Fontana's Maurice Edu, Chivas USA's Sacha Kljestan and UCLA's Marvell Wynne who will participate in the Under-23 camp being held through Feb.3 in Bradenton, Fla. European players will be named later for the Mexico game.

Local participants in camp include Galaxy goalkeeper Steve Cronin (0 caps/0 goals), Landon Donovan (97/35) and soon-to-be-ex-Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan (5/0).

Coach Peter Nowak's picks included UCLA products Kamani Hill (Vfl Wolfsburg), Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Chance Myers (Kansas City Wizards) and Chad Barrett (Chicago Fire).
Also in camp: Mike Randolph (Galaxy) and Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew).

Chivas USA-Columbus Crew in Santa Clarita

The game is Feb. 23.

London-Bound

A Pasadena kid gets a chance in England.

Best Vets

Finally, the National Soccer Hall of Fame released its list of eligible vets today.

It's disgraceful that former LA Aztec (and Hermosa Beach bar owner) George Best is still not a member.

Your vote doesn't count, but presumbably you can send a message here.

Goes the old British soccer saying. And in blogging.

Here's a quick recap of the last week while 100 Percent Soccer was 100 Percent Frozen in the white wilds of Canada.

With the Galaxy set to reintroduce Carlos Ruiz to the local media today, reports out of Newcastle, England suggest the Magpies' former Nigerian left back Celestene Babayaro is apparently heading to the Galaxy to link up with his former Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit, according to reports out of Newcastle and confirmed by Galaxy beat reporter Billy Witz.

Chris Albright sounded none too pleased with the Galaxy's devious move that ended with him heading to New England on draft day telling goal.com:

They could have dealt my rights [before they re-signed me]. They negotiated an offer with me to help them on their cap. It’s a bit of a slap in the face. I felt that I’d done enough to deserve that consideration.”

Read the entire interview here.

So with left back Ante Jazic out injured (again) and right back Albright traded it looks like two new outside defenders for the Galaxy next season then?

A recap of the UCLA contribution to the MLS draft is here.

Meanwhile, Chivas USA continued its policy of picking up journeymen MLS pros by picking up Chicago's Jim Curtin.

Kudos to Torrance's Shannon Boxx for her role in leading the U.S. to a win in the Four Nations Tournament.

Dumb ass quote of the (last) week goes to Carson Mayor Jim Dear who told the LA Weekly as he talked about the 2003 Women's World Cup held in part at Home Depot Center: "You remember the woman who took her blouse off (during the games)? She did that in Carson."

Um, that would be Brandi Chastain. In 1999. In Pasadena.

Doh!

Hawthorne-based AYSO has folowed the Galaxy's lead and signed a sponsorship deal with Herbalife, which has a significant presence in the South Bay. The clue as to why the deal was done is at the bottom of the (edited) press release:

The American Youth Soccer Organization and Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE:HLF), a global nutrition and direct selling company, announced a first-ever four-year agreement that makes Herbalife the Official Nutrition Advisor and Official Health and Wellness Provider of the country’s leading youth soccer organization.

Similar to Herbalife’s agreement with the Los Angeles Galaxy Major League Soccer club, the AYSO sponsorship gives Herbalife the rights to display its name and logo on the front of AYSO jerseys, a first for the non-profit national organization. The agreement also includes Herbalife’s presence on the AYSO Web site, signage at games, an on-site presence at national and sectional events, and a nutrition column in Play Soccer, AYSO’s online publication.

“With child obesity on the rise, it is imperative to educate children and their parents about proper nutrition and how to have a healthy, active lifestyle,” said Herbalife Chairman and CEO Michael O. Johnson. “Herbalife is on a mission for nutrition, while AYSO provides children, adolescents and teens an outlet to be active.”

“It’s a natural fit as our two organizations are engaged in improving the health of today’s youth,” said AYSO National President Mike Wade. The AYSO National Board of Directors unanimously approved the agreement. “We’re excited about our partnership with Herbalife and the role we’ll play together to reach out to kids and help educate them and their parents about the importance of healthy choices.”

The AYSO was started in Los Angeles in 1964 with nine teams. Today, the organization has more than 80,000 teams, in 1100 regions serving approximately one million kids located across the U.S. Its activities are based upon its five philosophies: Everyone Plays, Balanced Teams, Open Registration, Positive Coaching, and Good Sportsmanship.

According to the United States Department of Health & Human Services, “Childhood obesity has nearly tripled for adolescents in the past two decades The U.S. government agency points to lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns or a combination of the two as the leading factors in the rise of these frightening statistics.

In July 2006, Herbalife announced the launch of the Herbalife Kids™ line of nutrition products that includes shakes and multivitamins with protein, fiber, and 100 percent of key nutrients kids need daily.

Lastly, UNICEF ambassador David Beckham made a three-day trip to Sierra Leone that ended Sunday:

No column Tuesday.

Blogging to resume later this week.

Thanks for your patience.

The Kansas City Wizards just chose defender Chance Myers as the top pick in the MLS draft.

It's draft day and rumors swirl (scroll down), the U.S. plays Sweden in Carson Saturday, the U.S. women won today.

Scant to no blogging this weekend due to other commitments.

The new women's pro league scheduled to begin play next year today announced a straightforward name - Women's Professional Soccer, - a logo that's based on Mia Hamm's image and launched its Web site. From its (edited) press release:

WPS made its official debut today at the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) annual convention, taking place through Saturday in Baltimore, Md.

“A long and careful process led to the selection of Women’s Professional Soccer and the subsequent WPS acronym,” said Tonya Antonucci, WPS commissioner. “The league and team owners reviewed countless variations of league names and logos and conducted numerous focus groups before ultimately deciding on a brand identity that we strongly believe will resonate with fans for years to come.”

The WPS logo, developed by branding agency Adrenalin, Inc., features a deep navy, red, and gold color scheme while showcasing a familiar silhouette – FIFA World Cup champion, Olympic Gold Medal winner and Hall of Fame player Mia Hamm, renowned as a pioneer for women’s soccer.

“I am extremely honored and humbled to personify the WPS brand, knowing full well that this league will be revered by generations of soccer fans around the world,” said Hamm. “Above all else, this league represents opportunity – not just for female soccer players, but for women everywhere."

The WPS is the successor to the defunct Women's United Soccer Association.

Before anyone asks, no, I haven't heard any details about the LA entry into the league that will play at Carson's Home Depot Center including the team name, coach or GM. I have a call into owners Anschutz Entertainment Group and as soon as I hear anything I will let you know.

The Associated Press released this story today apparently written by someone who has English as a second language:

WARSAW, Poland (AP) - The United States will play Poland in an exhibition March 26 in preparation for the European Championship.
The two teams last played in March 2006, with the Americans winning 1-0 on Clint Dempsey's 48th-minute goal in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Who knew the U.S. was playing in Euro 2008? No confirmation from U.S. Soccer yet, but the opponent has been something of an open secret for some time. The story doesn't say it, but the game will be played in Europe.

Finally, mark your calendars: Fox Soccer Channel airs a doubleheader March 29 on the opening day of the MLS season at 4:30 p.m. with a rematch of the MLS Cup final between the Houston Dynamo and New England Revolution followed at 7:30 p.m. by the Galaxy at the Colorado Rapids.

First, let's get the rumor out of the way: The New York Times soccer blog, Goal, is reporting that Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan is on his way to Fulham.

Considering how many Americans Fulham has on its squad, that's a little like linking CD Guadalajara with every Mexican player that's available.

Still, it's clear Guzan is going overseas sooner rather than later and deservedly so. Bet he would prefer Arsenal to Fulham, though, given their relative positions in the EPL.

Now onto Friday's underwhelming MLS Superdraft, although no-one actually calls it that largely because it's not so super. It is in fact the least important draft held by any U.S. sports league. (As if to confirm that, ESPN2 will show the first hour only beginning at 11 a.m.).

For a start, relatively few people actually pay attention to college soccer. Unlike the pointy-ball version of football that saturates the airwaves in the fall, college soccer is relegated to obscure cable channels. So while NFL draft analysts can hyperventilate about the latest running back prospect from Weber State and the average follower of college football understands the excitement (or at least recognizes the name), did anyone get pumped about the Galaxy drafting goalkeeper Tally Hall last year out of San Diego State? Probably Hall's mom.

And where is Hall these days anyway? Not with the Galaxy. For that matter how many of the Galaxy's No. 1 draft picks over the years are still with the team? Zero. And only two of last year's draft picks are still with the Galaxy, slow defender Ty Hardin and the hirstute Josh Tudela who got surprisingly few minutes last season given the extent of the Galaxy's casualty ward.

The draft is likely to decline in importance in the coming years even further as the gap between MLS and the college game widens, as it should if MLS is to continue to improve.

This year's draft is particularly weak as Michael Lewis pointed out earlier this week in the (New York) Daily News with New York Red Bulls Coach Juan Carlos Osorio pretty much writing off the process as a non-event, considering his team doesn't have a pick until the second round of the fourth round draft:

"If I am honest with you without criticizing or hurting anybody, I don't think there will be enough players to wait around for the second round," Osorio said.

The new coach said he felt that there were five players at the MLS combine in Fort Lauderdale that were good enough to compete for a starting position and not more than 10 players who could make a team.

"I'm not just speaking on behalf of my own opinion but on behalf of the all the coaches as part of a general consensus," he said. "This time around doesn't have as many players as previous ones."

Drafts it seems are all about stats. And soccer is not about stats as much as other American sports. There are more intangibles involved. It's subtler, it's about vision and reading a game.

It's not about how fast you can run a 40-yard dash. Or whether being 6 foot-1 is tall enough for a goalkeeper.

Soccer is more than athleticism or physical attributes (or should be; soccer in the U.S. is still struggling with this concept). No one cared how fast Carlos Valderrama was or whether Kevin Keegan was tall enough. It's about touch, anticipation and whether a player possessed a soccer brain.

So you can keep your player rankings, mock drafts and endless speculation. Especially since virtually every player picked will be trundled out to interviews afterwards and say a variation on "I'm really pleased to be picked by blank and will try my hardest to make the squad." Even if they're not.

Not particularly enlightening, but what do we expect?

Remain unconvinced of the draft's dubious value?

Then check out the draft history here.

And follow along here.

Wake me when it's over.

Still, at least the draft provides a modicum of publicity for U.S. soccer.

Check out the guest list for the two-hour show that begins at 8 tonight on Fox Soccer Channel (from the edited FSC press release):

Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber, NSCAA President Steve Malone, United Soccer Leagues President Francisco Marcos, Women’s Soccer Initiative Chief Executive Officer Tonya Antonucci, Houston Dynamo Head Coach Dominic Kinnear, U.S. Youth Soccer Technical Director John Ellinger and Wake Forest University Head Men’s Soccer Coach Jay Vidovich. Moderated by Fox Soccer Channel’s Max Bretos, the program will also feature network personalities Christopher Sullivan and Mark Rogondino and Fox Soccer Report’s Bobby McMahon.

Stephen Hamilton, the younger brother of late Galaxy GM Doug Hamilton, has joined Chivas USA in the newly-created position of vice president of soccer operations, the club announced today.

Hamilton, 36, "will oversee all aspects of Chivas USA’s technical staff and player development initiatives – including player identification, acquisition and development – from the club’s successful first team to its pioneering youth development teams and Chivas USA Soccer Academies," according to the club's press release.

Those responsibilities sound a lot like what most clubs would call a director of soccer.

Hamilton was plundered from the executive ranks of Anschutz Entertainment Group, the Galaxy's parent company, by Shawn Hunter, who left AEG in September to take a part-ownership in Chivas USA as its president and CEO. Hunter worked for AEG for five years as its chief marketing of officer and president of sports and worked alongside Hamilton.

From the Chivas USA press release:

“In more than a decade of service to the sport of soccer in the United States, Stephen Hamilton has established himself as one of the bright young minds in the business,” said Chivas USA President and CEO Shawn Hunter. “I am pleased to welcome Stephen to the Chivas USA family, and am confident his passion and understanding of the sport’s landscape in this country will prove an important asset to our club.”

Hamilton, 36, joins Chivas USA from AEG Sports, where since 2002 he served as the organization’s director of team services, where he helped oversee the operation of as many as six Major League Soccer properties at one time. While at AEG, Hamilton played a key role in developing relationships with renowned international clubs such as Real Madrid, Chelsea FC and Club América of Mexico and to promoting the teams’ exhibition matches in the United States. He also oversaw several non-MLS sports properties, such as the AEG-owned LA Riptide of Major League Lacrosse and the David Beckham Academy in Los Angeles.

Previously, Hamilton served as director of fan development with MLS, as national grassroots manager for soccer for adidas America and as director of business development for cc&c management group. inc., a sports management agency based in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

A native of Hazlet, N.J., Hamilton played collegiate soccer at Appalachian State University and later at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he graduated with a B.S. in Marketing.

Doug Hamilton died at age 44 in March 2006 as he flew back from a Galaxy game in Costa Rica.

USC striker Amy Rodriguez scored twice in the 4-0 U.S. win overnight in China against Canada to stake her claim for a spot replacing the pregnant Kristine Lilly on the forward line alongside Abby Wambach. The story is here.

“I coached Kristine Lilly with the Boston Breakers and I’ve seen her play many times," Coach Pia Sundhage said after her first game in charge of the team. "That is a great player, one of the best in the world, so I would love to see her on the field. But she is pregnant and I am happy that she will have a great family. That means that other players will have to step up and today we saw two goals from (Amy) Rodriguez and two goals from (Lindsay) Tarpley and that’s how it will be in the future, new players stepping up to become leaders and goal scorers.”

“(Rodriguez') speed is exceptional and the fact that she scored two good goals today is good confidence for her and for the team," Sundhage added. "There will be different players stepping up at different times and I think that can be one of our strengths. It’s not about one player, it will be about the whole team."

“The first half was a little bit quiet, there was not a lot going on," Rodriguez said. "Abby and I were trying to look for the ball and we didn’t get as much of the play as we’d like to. In the second half, things turned around. We definitely played a lot more offense and Abby and I were able to get in, I was making runs in behind and luckily the midfielder and defenders were able to play me in.”

Incidentally, the AP reporter in China was wrong that this was Rodriguez' first appearance for the U.S.; this was her sixth cap, but first start.

Galaxy beat writer Billy Witz has more on Tuesday's trade that sent striker Carlos Ruiz back to the Galaxy, observing that LA has tied up half their salary cap on just three players.

Sounds like a helluva gamble to me for a team that hasn't made the playoffs the last two years, but U.S. international Jimmy Conrad was ready with the conspiracy theory:

"The league likes to make sure the large markets have as much an advantage over everybody else as they can," Kansas City captain Jimmy Conrad said. "It's an important year - I know the final is at the Home Depot Center this year and they want to make sure they have a good team. It's interesting they all end up there - they've got three Designated Players on their team."

Lastly, the Daily News explores the dilemma for top prep soccer players who must choose between playing for their high school or elite club team here.

Relive the bad attitude. The award-winning fake falls. And hopefully the goals.

The Galaxy, without a consistent scorer since Carlos Ruiz departed, today finally announced his "replacement."

Ruiz is back.

The (edited) Galaxy press release:

The LA Galaxy today acquired forward Carlos Ruiz from FC Dallas in exchange for allocation money and a second round pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. Ruiz, who began his MLS career with the Galaxy, helped lead the club to their first-ever MLS Cup title in 2002. He is the eighth leading scorer in MLS history with 81 career goals in 140 regular season games and has scored more than 100 goals in all competitions since arriving in MLS in February 2002.

“We are very pleased to be bringing a proven goal scorer and veteran leader in Carlos Ruiz back to Los Angeles,” said LA Galaxy Director of Soccer Paul Bravo. “Carlos is an experienced forward who has averaged better than a goal every two games during his MLS career and we believe that he will be a tremendous asset to our attack.”

Ruiz, who is commonly referred to by his nickname “Pescado” or “Fish”, has played six years in MLS, scoring 81 goals in 140 games while adding an MLS record 16 postseason goals in 17 games. The 28-year old striker burst onto the American sporting scene in 2002 when he scored a league-best 24 goals in 26 games on the way to being named the Honda MLS MVP. Ruiz would go on to lead the Galaxy in scoring each of the next two seasons, scoring 15 goals, tied for the most in MLS, in 2003 and tallying 11 times in 2004.

Ruiz spent the last three seasons with FC Dallas after being traded from LA prior to the start of the 2005 campaign. He scored 31 goals in 68 games with FCD, serving as the club’s captain in 2007, while adding another five goals in six post-season matches.

“It means a lot to play for the Galaxy again because I feel like I am going back home and I am very excited about that,” Ruiz said. “I have a big responsibility now because the Galaxy’s goal is to win every game, so I want to play hard and score as many goals as possible and win the MLS Cup again.”

A native of Guatemala City, Guatemala, Ruiz is a member of the Guatemalan National Team with who he has appeared 72 times. Often serving as the captain of his national team, Ruiz has scored 35 goals for Guatemala, leaving him tied with Juan Carlos Plata for the most goals ever for the Chapins.

Predictably, reaction is mixed to say the least. (Warning strong language and opinion in link).

Does this mean the Galaxy at least gets rid of striker Carlos Pavon now?

Well, you probably didn't want to see the U.S. Men's National Team coach go that deep.

But that's a good segue into the subject of this week's column, which looks at the unique nature of January camps when the U.S. looks at untested and unknown players. Read it here.

Meanwhile, The Guardian newspaper in England has an update on U.S. striker Eddie Johnson and his pending move to
Fulham.

Voters who will select this year's National Soccer Hall of Fame inductees received ballots today with the names of 35 eligible former players including Chivas USA Coach Preki among 13 new names and Joy Fawcett the most notable of 22 holdovers.

From the (edited) hall press release:

The top holdovers include U.S. National Team stalwarts Thomas Dooley (5th named on 51.8% of the ballots cast), Joy Fawcett (3rd on 67.4%), and Joe-Max Moore (6th on 48.2%). Among the newcomers are U.S. Men’s National Team stars Jeff Agoos, Preki, and Earnie Stewart. Top MLS players on the ballot include holdovers Marco Etcheverry (4th on 58.2%) of DC United, Peter Nowak (9th on 29.1%) of the Chicago Fire, and Carlos Valdarrama (7th on 46.8%) who finished his illustrious MLS career with the Colorado Rapids.

Players who receive votes on 75% of the ballots cast will be elected to the Hall of Fame. Induction 2008 is planned for the weekend of August 22 in Oneonta, N.Y.

Eligible players: Jeff Agoos, Brian Bliss, Mike Burns, Mark Chung, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Troy Dayak, Raul Diaz Arce, Thomas Dooley, John Doyle, Marco Etcheverry, Joy Fawcett, Danielle Fotopoulos, Robin Fraser, Brian Kamler, Dominic Kinnear, Frank Klopas, Manny Lagos, Roy Lassiter, Shannon MacMillan, Pato Margetic, Joe-Max Moore, Victor Nogueira, Peter Nowak, Oscar Pareja, Cindy Parlow, Preki, Mike Sorber, Earnie Stewart, Steve Trittschuh, Carlos Valderrama, Tisha Venturini-Hoch, Peter Vermes, Roy Wegerle, Evan Whitfield, Richie Williams.

Hall of Fame members should have had a lasting and influential effect on the game in the U.S. to win admission.

My nominees:
Mauricio Cienfuegos - Creative midfield architect of a formative Galaxy whose legacy may still overshadow the team today.
Marco Etcheverry - Three-time MLS Cup winner with D.C. United and MLS MVP who helped create the D.C. dynasty.
Joy Fawcett - Whose unjust omission when Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy were inducted prompted a rule change in the induction procedures, if I recall correctly.
Shannon MacMillan - World Cup, Olympic winner over 176 internationals.
Peter Nowak - Without whose tenacity and intelligence marshaling the midfield the Chicago Fire would not have won an MLS title.
Preki - MVP in MLS, MISL and CISL, who possessed an opponent-freezing cut-back and venomous shot and was instrumental in the Wizards 2000 MLS Cup-winning season.
Carlos Valderrama - The most amazing passer of the ball MLS has ever seen.

Disagree? Read biographies and cast a ballot in the (unofficial popular) vote here.

Christie Rampone was named to succeed the pregnant Kristine Lilly as captain of the U.S. Women's National Team today.

Meanwhile, the Under-23 women's team has opened its camp at Home Depot Center. UCLA and USC both have players on the roster.

Didn't know there was a women's U-23 team? U.S. Soccer has realigned its youth teams. More details here in this (edited) U.S. Soccer press release:

The U-21 WNT has been changed to a U-23 age group as a result of the Nordic Cup becoming a U-23 competition. As a result, the U.S. U-21s, who dominated the Nordic Cup for the past decade, will become a U-23 squad with no overage players for the summer tournament that brings the USA together with Europe’s top youth teams.

The U-23s serve a valuable purpose giving players on the fringe of the full WNT player pool, some of whom have finished their college soccer, a chance to keep training at a high level in National Team camps and international matches. This year the U.S. U-23s, led by head coach Bill Irwin, will compete in the Nordic Cup in Sweden against Europe’s top U-23 teams.

The U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team, under head coach Dean Duerst, who coached the U.S. U-17s last year, is being reinstituted (after having existed from 1998-2001). The purpose is to give international competition to players who have just finished a cycle with the U.S. U-17s, but are a year away from the next U-20 cycle. The U-18 WNT provides a transition for a number of those players that could possibly make up the core of the team that would attempt to qualify for the following U-20 Women’s World Cup. FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cups are held every two years.

In addition, the U.S. Under-16 Girl’s National Team will be absorbed by the U.S. U-17s, much in the same way the Men’s U-17 Residency Program features two age groups of players every year.

Club America won InterLiga Saturday night in Carson before a capacity crowd on penalty kicks and fellow local blogger Luis Bueno was still excited about what he had witnessed at 1 a.m.

Playing a little weekend catch-up, Chivas USA has signed Coach Preki to a new contract, while Maykel Galindo and Jonathan Bornstein habe both undergone successful surgeries.

The Galaxy have released details of the open tryouts scheduled for next month. If you've got talent and $150 click here for details.

Prep action from the Daily News is here and from the Long Beach Press-Telegram here.

MLS hopefuls have begun gathering in Florida for the MLS Combine, which features more than 60 players, including a trio from South America. The combine, which runs through Tuesday, precedes the Superdraft scheduled for a week from today.

Nine of the most promising attendees have already signed MLS contracts as part of the Generation adidas program, which usually identifies the top draft prospects.

They include Bruins defender Chance Meyers of Thousand Oaks and UCLA midfielder Tony Beltran of Claremont.

More details from the (edited) MLS press release:

Highlighting this year’s class are seven players that have experience with the U.S. Youth National Teams and a finalist for this year’s MAC Hermann Trophy, college soccer’s version of the Heisman Trophy. Six of the nine players are leaving college early to enter the MLS SuperDraft - Eric Avila (UC Santa Barbara), Tony Beltran (UCLA), Chance Myers (UCLA), Patrick Nyarko (Virginia Tech), Ciaran O’Brien (UC Santa Barbara) and Rob Valentino (Univ. of South Florida). Three players – Josh Lambo (Chicago Magic FC), Alex Nimo (FC Portland) and Brek Shea (Texans FC) – are high school students who are foregoing their college eligibility to sign professional contracts.

Avila and Myers are currently training with the U.S. Men’s U-23 National Team while they prepare for Olympic Qualifying to begin in March. Beltran was a member of the U-20 Men’s National Team that advanced to the quarterfinals of last year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada.

Lambo, Nimo and Shea were members of the U-17 World Cup Team that competed in last year’s Youth World Championship in Korea.

Nyarko, a forward from Virginia Tech, led the Hokies to their first ever NCAA Final Four appearance in 2007 where they fell to eventual NCAA Champion Wake Forest. He recorded seven goals and 10 assists during the season, was named to the 2007 NSCAA/adidas NCAA Men’s Division I All-America Team and is a finalist for the Mac Hermann Trophy, honoring the country’s top Division I collegiate soccer player. The award will be announced today.

OC resident Jurgen Klinsmann has taken the coaching job with German powerhouse
Bayern Munich.

A capacity crowd is expected in Carson Saturday for the InterLiga finals:

The first match begins at 6:00 p.m. and features InterLiga newcomer San Luis versus Guadalajara-based club Atlas, followed by the match-up between Mexico City rivals América and Cruz Azul beginning at 8:30 p.m.

Call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 for tickets.

The Galaxy have announced they will hold open tryouts Feb. 9-12 at Home Depot Center. Registration forms will soon be available at lagalaxy.com.

Kids should stick with a Galaxy-sponsored indoor tournament set for Feb. 16-17 at the Home Depot Center velodrome. There are six age groups for boys ranging from Under-8 to Under-13 (girls can play on the teams, too). Register here.

This Is Greek To Me

Just when you thought things couldn't get any weirder, The Washington Post's Steven Goff, (the best soccer reporter in - ahem - LA) observed that the mercurial Clint Mathis has apparently signed with a team in Crete. Really.

Here's a translation of the Web site Goff refers to courtesy of Babel Fish:

The PAE International Union Ergote'lis announces the acquisition of American INTERNATIONAL footballer CLINT MATHIS for one year. The Clint Mathis was given birth on 25 November 1976 in the city of Tzw'rtzja. It has height 1.77 and fights as mesoepjcetjko's. It has in the asset 46 attendances with the national team of United States and has fought in teams as: Los Angelas Gka'laxj, Me'trostars, Hanover, Rea'l Solt Le'jk, Colorado Ra'pjnts and New York.

Got that?

The Greek team is apparently a horrible one, by the way. There's a lively discussion here.

So what was with that "Mathis is happy to return to LA 'cos his in-laws live in the OC thing anyway?"

For what it's worth, I just called Galaxy spokesman Patrick Donnelly and he had no idea what's going on.

Well, alrighty then, there goes my planned Mathis column, I guess.

Esky Speaks

Sticking with Goff's site, he caught up with soon-to-be Chivas USA striker Alecko Eskandarian here. And yes, I deliberately stole Goff's blog post headline.

Cobi Honored

A couple of hours before retired Galaxy great Cobi Jones was honored in Marina del Rey, the Galaxy released this (edited) press release:

LA Galaxy assistant coach Cobi Jones will be honored with a Commitment to Excellence Award at the 8th Annual L.A. Sports Fans Choice Awards on Thursday evening at the Marina Del Ray Marriott. Jones, who played his 12th and final season with the Galaxy in 2007, is scheduled to be presented his award by Los Angeles Clippers guard Sam Cassell and Los Angeles Lakers forward Ronny Turiaf.

“It’s an honor to be chosen to receive this award by the sports fans of Los Angeles,” Jones said. “I was raised in this city and I have always tried to represent it to the best of my abilities so it is truly special to be selected for this award by the people who I share this community with.”

A true Galaxy legend, Jones is the only player in MLS history to have played with the same club for each of the first 12 seasons of the league’s existence. A Southern California native, Jones officially joined the Galaxy on March 1996 and went on to win two MLS Cup championships, two U.S. Open Cup championships and the 2000 CONCACAF Champions Cup with the club. Jones, who was named an assistant coach for the club shortly after the conclusion of the 2007 campaign, is the Galaxy’s all-time leader in nearly every offensive statistic, including goals, assists, games played, games started and many more. For his career, Jones finished with 70 goals and 91 assists, making him one of just two players in league history with 70 goals and 90 assists, in 306 career games.

In addition to Jones, three Galaxy players have been nominated for various awards which will be awarded at Thursday’s ceremony. Defender Ty Harden and midfielder Kevin Harmse have been nominated for the Rising Star award while Landon Donovan is up for the MVP award. Both awards encompass all professional sports in the Southland, including nominees from the Angels, Dodgers, Clippers, Lakers, Ducks, Kings, Sparks and Chivas USA.

Of course, Cobi actually grew up in Westlake Village on the border of LA and Ventura counties, but let's not quibble. And he's probably on stage as I write this.

Becks Vitriol

Meanwhile, a particularly vitriolic anti-David Beckham column from his native England is here. Ouch.

And right after Becks met the British Prime Minister, too.