Friday Football: World Cup Weekend & More
Kidding themselves it was somehow bright to continue with a full domestic league program when most others around the world are suspended this weekend, MLS officials are trying to ignore what the rest of the planet is focusing on: the dozens of World Cup qualifiers scheduled this weekend (and next week).
The action begins at 11:30 a.m. today with England playing Portugal in a Under-21 qualifier on Fox Soccer Channel.
Here's a sampling of what other games are on when and where this weekend (and, as always, consult your local listings for the complete run-down):
*7 a.m. Saturday - Azerbaijan at Wales on GolTV.
*10:30 a.m. Saturday - Denmark at Hungary on Fox Soccer Channel.
*Noon Saturday - Germany at Liechtenstein on GolTV.
*1 p.m. Saturday - Iran at Saudi Arabia (delayed) on Fox Soccer Channel.
*2 p.m. Saturday - Bosnia-Herzegovina at Spain on GOLTV.
*3 p.m. Saturday - Jamaica at Mexico on KVEA.
*5 p.m. Saturday - U.S. at Cuba on ESPN Classic, Galavision.
*8 p.m. Sunday - Japan at Bahrain on Fox Soccer Channel.
The U.S. arrived in Havana Thursday night.
BTW, FIFA released the latest version of its always suspect rankings Thursday. Spain remains atop the table, England and Scotland are 15th and 16th respectively, Mexico is 24th (up eight places) and the U.S. 28th (up three spots).
I think there's a couple of MLS games involving the Galaxy and Chivas USA Saturday, too. More on that later.
Which reminds me: former Galaxy forward Herculez Gomez is on the move again and now he really is a wizard on the field.
In other MLS news, Rolling Hills Estates' John Thorrington still intends to play for the Chicago Fire Saturday against the New York Red Bulls despite suffering a nasty broken nose last weekend.
In Chicago Thursday, Chivas beat bitter rivals Club America 2-0 in an exhibition game.
And finally, given the dominant topic in this post it's perhaps an apt time to note the documentary on the Homeless World Cup ESPN was plugging during Thursday's MLS game that will air next week was dismissed with this cursory review in Variety.
In any event, here's the trailer for "Kicking It":
About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. 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 and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
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