Thursday Kicks
Given a choice between watching soccer and blogging about it, I'd much rather do the former, but the scant rewards Wednesday for doing so included a tepid Manchester United 0-0 draw with Spain's Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League and a surprising 2-0 win by Marathon of Honduras over Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF version
I will likely impose radio silence again today with two UEFA Cup games on Fox Soccer Channel (Spurs-Wisla Krakow at noon followed by Tim Howard's Everton against Oguchi Onyewu's Standard Liege) and New York meeting Sigi Schmid's Columbus Crew over on ESPN2 at 4 p.m.
The Red Bulls' Juan Osorio is calling this New York's most important game of the season. Local soccer fans know this is Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers chance to shine in prime time with likely MLS MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto expected to continue resting his aging hamstrings before the playoffs.
Catching up briefly:
USA Today brings people up to speed with a feature on the global ambitions of Chivas USA co-owner Jorge Vegara
*The U.S. Women's National Team beat Ireland 1-0 in New York Wednesday with Natasha Kai getting the goal before a little over 4,000 (an Olympic gold medal apparently not going as far as it used to in terms of crowd appeal).
U.S. lineup: 1-Hope Solo (22-Briana Scurry, 46); 17-Lori Chalupny (21-Kacey White, 70), 3-Christie Rampone - Capt, 15-Kate Markgraf (4-Rachel Buehler, 46), 2-Heather Mitts; 7-Shannon Boxx, 10-Aly Wagner, 11-Carli Lloyd, 9-Heather O'Reilly (14-Stephanie Cox, 46), 6-Natasha Kai, 16-Angela Hucles.
Finally Wednesday, the No. 7-ranked Cal State Dominguez men drew 0-0 with UC San Diego; the women lost 3-2 to UCSD.
About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005. 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.
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