Saturday Soccer Smörgåsbord: WCQ, MLS & More
First off, why did Fox Soccer Channel inflict the overly chatty and not particularly insightful Nick Webster and Warren Barton on viewers from an L.A. studio rather than on-site English commentators during the England-Kazakhstan game this morning? (Which also has the effect of lowering the crowd noise from the almost 90,000 in attendance, further detracting from the game).
David Beckham came on for the last 10 minutes of the 5-1 England win, creating the fourth and final goal from (what else) a free kick. (An incredibly horrible Ashley Cole howler led to the Kazakhstan goal).
Sticking with World Cup qualifying for the moment, it seems the Cubans forgot to ensure they had a hall monitor and players are again making a dash for the exits ahead of the U.S. game today. A reported 18,000 tickets were sold for the game by Friday. Kickoff is at 4 p.m. on ESPN Classic.
Noted: Bob Bradley has started the defensive quartet of Steve Cherundolo, Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra and Heath Pearce six times, with England and Spain the only
teams to score against them. This group has recorded four of the USA's eight shutouts this year.
Classic comment on Goff's blog, BTW:
MLS really should hold an allocation each time the Cuban team plays here. It would streamline the process.
Posted by: Alejandro Ruiz | October 11, 2008 12:28 AM
Here's a breakdown of the playoff implications in MLS this weekend:
*Chivas USA can qualify for the playoffs with a win over the San Jose Earthquakes today if Colorado fails to win against the Galaxy Sunday and FC Dallas doesn't beat Toronto this afternoon. But as Chivas USA press types point out:
"At this stage (of the season), four points (a win and a draw) from (the club's) remaining three games will be enough to guarantee Chivas USA a third straight spot in the playoffs, regardless of other results."
*The Galaxy will be eliminated from the post-season with a loss to the Rapids OR if the Galaxy tie Colorado AND FC Dallas defeats Toronto.
*The Houston Dynamo clinchs the top spot in the Western Conference and home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win over D.C. United Sunday and a Chivas USA loss.
Chivas USA-Earthquakes preview here. The game is on at 7 p.m. on KAZA and delayed at 10 p.m. on Prime.
Friday College scores:
No. 5 USC 3 (11-1) No. 16 Washington 2 (9-3)
USC came from behind twice to win the game in double overtime with Amy Rodriguez scoring twice including the winner. The Trojans have now won nine straight games.
LMU men 1 (3-3-4) Portland 0 (4-5-2)
Freshman Artur Jozkowicz got the winner to even the Lions' West Coast Conference record at 1-1.
UCLA 3 men (3-3-5) No. 6 California 2 (6-2-3)
Junior midfielder Michael Stephens scored the game-winning goal from a penalty pick in the 93rd minute.
No. 3 UCLA women 2 (10-0-2) No. 25 Washington State 1 (6-3-3)
UCLA wins in double overtime
UC Santa Barbara women 3 (9-5) Cal State Northridge 2 (5-6-1)
CSUN had just one shot on target as they lose their Big West Conference season opener.
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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.
I agree about commentators.. not that I dislike Nick Webster, he's just not as practiced as the guys covering the Premiership week in week out. I've been searching, but haven't found an answer anywhere: Why was this England game on FSC instead of the usual pay-per-view for $24.95? That was certainly a pleasant surprise! Is it a one-off?
Nick replies: I was thinking the same thing. And I don't know the answer.