Thursday Kicks: USWNT to Play China in Carson & More
Tickets to a Dec. 13 game between the U.S. Women's National Team and China at the Home Depot Center in Carson go on sale Friday priced between $18 and $150.
The game is part of a post-Olympics "Achieve Your Gold Tour," which continued Wednesday night in Cincinnati with a 0-0 tie against South Korea before 5,877.
U.S. lineup: 18-Nicole Barnhart (22-Briana Scurry, 46); 2-Heather Mitts, 3-Christie Rampone (capt.) (4-Rachel Buehler, 60), 15-Kate Markgraf, 17-Lori Chalupny (19-Marian Dalmy, 66); 9-Heather O'Reilly (21-Kacey White, 46), 7-Shannon Boxx (14-Stephanie Cox, 33), 10-Aly Wagner, 16-Angela Hucles; 5-Lindsay Tarpley, 6-Natasha Kai.
Incidentally, Torrance's Shannon Boxx, named a finalist for the FIFA Women's Player of the Year Award last week, e-mailed me her thoughts on that:
"It is an honor to be named as one of the top 10 for the FIFA Player of the Year Award. To be considered with this group is quite amazing. I believe that you need great people around you to perform your best and I've been very lucky to be surrounded by great teammates."
In other women's soccer news:
*Long Beach State plays a 2 p.m. Big West Conference Tournament semifinal game against Pacific at George Allen Field today.
*Ventura County Fusion General Manager Ranbir Shergill will take over as coach of the Fusion's W-league team for the 2009 season. Shergill was with the Cal South Olympic Development Program in 2008 and won a national championship as coach of the Cal South Under-16 girls team. Incidentally, the Fusion's men's and women's teams have open tryouts Dec. 13. More info here.
*Named to the California Collegiate Athletic Association first team were Cal State Dominguez Hills junior forward Melanie DeSalvo (Chula Vista) and former West (Torrance) High star Jessica Murphy.
In other college soccer news:
*Cal State Northridge men's team Coach Terry Davila notched his 100th collegiate victory Wednesday as the Matadors came from two goals down to beat Cal State Fullerton, 3-2. With the win, the Matadors keep pace with fourth-place UC Irvine in the Big West standings; the teams meet Saturday in Northridge in the final game of the season with the winner earning the fourth and final spot in the inaugural Big West Men's Soccer Postseason Tournament.
*Former Galaxy defender Paul Caligiuri has resigned as men's soccer coach at Cal Poly. The team's record this season: 4-11-3.
*Cal State Dominguez Hills junior defender Kevin Gallaugher (Walnut, Calif) and Kyle Holland (Anchorage, Alaska) were named CCAA first-team selections.
Lastly:
*Former Galaxy forward Clint Mathis is profiled here ahead of Saturday's Real Salt Lake-Chivas USA clash in Carson.
*In Utah, they're thinking skiing not soccer.
*David Beckham clears up just when he's leaving for Italy here.
*The MLS playoffs resume tonight with the Palos Verdes Peninsula's John Thorrington and his Chicago Fire taking on the New England Revolution. Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
*And Columbus Crew's Chad Marshall was today named MLS Defender of the Year.
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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