Idle Gossip, Baseless Rumors - and Housekeeping

Blog housekeeping that it is.

Keen-eyed readers will notice I've eliminated some outdated links, scrubbed some of limited interest entirely (most of the junior colleges are gone, for instance) and generally streamlined the list that's on the right-hand side of the blog.

I added a few here and there, too, that were long overdue for inclusion (such as the official Chivas USA blog) and Luis Bueno's new offering The Touchline (the successor to Sideline Views minus Andrea Canales). The list still needs to be worked on a bit, so if you have suggestions for links (especially those with a Southern California flavor) don't hesitate to jump in.

Thanks to Web master supreme Chris Berry for the (very) quick work updating those.

The fall housecleaning gave me the opportunity to look at blogs and sites I don't always have time to check out and so with that in mind (and the absence of much actual news this morning), here's a look at what folks are chatting about around the Web:

*First off, Mexico plays Ecuador in Arizona tonight (live at 7 on Telemundo) in a friendly that could nevertheless have a bearing on the future of Sven-Goran Eriksson, according to one writer.

*While we're on the subject of coaches and job security, although conventional wisdom has held this season that Chivas USA Coach Preki was largely helpless to do much in the playoffs given the team's crushing number of injuries, there are dissenters out there who believe otherwise and are calling for his head (or at least ouster).

Some valid points there.

Chivas USA likes to point out just how many enforced changes there were over the course of the season (the team fielded 30 different line-ups in 32 games) because of a "total of 183 man-matches (lost) due solely to injuries, averaging nearly six players per game."

True enough, but Preki also made some alterations to his line-up (or failed to in a few cases) that had more than a few observers scratching heir heads.

The tubby and past it Zach Thornton starting ahead of fan favorite Dan Kennedy in goal for the final playoff game? Jonathan Bornstein playing center back in the first playoff game for the first time in his entire life? And the signing of a clearly out of his depth Roberto Nurse from the Mexican second division that had panic written all over it.

I could go on (and probably will in a future column), but add it all up and it's not surprising some hard-core Chivas USA fans are questioning Preki's future.

Preki won't get fired, but the fact fans are discussing the possibility is healthy for a team that still needs to cultivate a larger base of support. And it's fun reading, too.

Meanwhile, there are already rumblings of potential problems for Women's Professional Soccer, while Brazilian star (and would-be L.A. Sol player) Marta is apparently demanding big bucks.

Finally, let's end with a couple of minor news items:

*The always suspect FIFA rankings are out today with the U.S. dropping three places to 24th (just above Mexico) and England rising four places to 10th. Seven nations, including American Samoa are tied for 201st and last in the table, BTW. Complete rankings here.

*Fox Soccer Channel will air live at 10 a.m. Monday the sixth-annual Match Against Poverty from Morocco.

From today's (edited) FSC press release:

Captains Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo will lead teams that will include Victor Valdes and Seydou Keita (FC Barcelona), Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (Zenit St. Petersburg), Joseba Etxeberria (Athletico Bilbao), Ivan Leko (Club Brugge) and Lauren (Portsmouth).

Not a whole lot to set the pulse racing, but hey, it's for a good cause.