Monday Witchcraft, Former Galaxy Midfielder Returns to L.A. & More
I wasn't kidding about the witchcraft.
Depressing way to start the week (sorry about that), but somehow in tune with the catastrophes, accidents and Wall Street mayhem afflicting us of late.
As expected, not a great deal happened on MLS trade deadline day, but don't tell that to former Galaxy midfielder Sacha Victorine; the now former Kansas City Wizards player and Southern California native is back in L.A. - with Chivas USA - which also signed largely unknown Brazilian attacking midfielder Dejair (pronounced 'dey-zha-IR'), as an international player.
"As we enter the last six weeks of the season, we are pleased to be adding some additional depth to our midfield in the face of injury and international call-ups," said Chivas USA Head Coach Preki Radosavljevic. "We hope both Sasha and Dejair will make important contributions to Chivas USA as we continue our push toward the playoffs."
Translation: We are desperate.
Victorine will be in L.A. Tuesday and be available for Saturday's game in Salt Lake City; Dejair awaits his visa.
In related transactions today, Chivas USA placed midfielder Raphaël Wicky and defenders Lawson Vaughn and Eric Ebert on the season-ending injury list.
Swiss international defender Wicky, 31, was a major disappointment after signing in the off-season from FC Sion. He started just one game before undergoing reconstructive ankle surgery in July.
Vaughn, 25, managed seven games. He's slated for left ankle surgery.
Ebert, 24, also started two games this season before suffering a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee during Chivas USA 's Sept. 6 game in Toronto.
From the (edited) Chivas USA press release on the trade:
Former Bruin Sacha Victorine, a nine-year MLS veteran, Victorine was drafted in 2000 by the Galaxy as a first-round pick. Victorine has played in 227 MLS regular-season games (starting 205). He has four U.S. capsA product of the Botafogo youth system, attacking midfielder Dejair joins Chivas USA from Brazilian club ABC FC of Natal, which won the 2008 Rio Grande do Norte state championship. The 12-year veteran has played in Brazilian Serie B and C football with Criciúma and won state championships with club sides Moto Clube and ABC FC.
Meanwhile, the as yet unnamed L.A. entry in Women's Professional Soccer will participate in Tuesday's draft of national team players - without a coach being officially named. L.A. will receive three players.
The U.S. women beat Ireland Sunday, BTW, 2-0 in the first of three post-Olympic victories games against the nation.
Sunday college scores:
No. 3 USC 6 Clemson 2 (USC 16 goals in last three games).
UCLA women 0 (5-0-1) Brown 0
Cal State Northridge women 2 Saint Mary's 1 (CSUN moves to 5-1)
UW-Milwaukee 2 Cal State Northridge men 1
Loyola Marymount women 0 (3-2-2) Utah 0
Pepperdine 1 (3-3-1) Washington State 0
Long Beach State 3 (4-1-2) Oregon 3 (double overtime)
No. 7 Cal State Dominguez Hills men (7-0) 4 San Francisco State 1
Lastly, the group stage of the UEFA and CONCACAF Champions League starts Tuesday. More on that in Tuesday's column.
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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.
Putting Keller on that list is disingenuous because Seattle has yet to play an MLS game.
Besides, how many players on that "incoming" list have actually made substantial contributions to their clubs? Five, if that? Outside of Huckerby and Lima in San Jose, the list gets pretty thin.