Monday Catch Up: Rumors, Deals & Steals
I need to get down to work writing Tuesday's column, but wanted to note in passing that:
*The transfer rumor of the day had the Galaxy chasing Argentine defender Andrés D'Alessandro, who is currently with Brazilian team Internacional. The club reportedly turned down a $10 million bid from the Galaxy (and yes, that is yet another indication - were one needed - that Landon Donovan is indeed gone).
*Shocker! The steal of the year comes as former Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid is set to be announced Tuesday as the new coach of the Seatttle Sounders.
*The deal of the young week so far has U.S. Soccer confirming today what 100 Percent Soccer reported over the weekend; U.S. Women's National Team Coach Pia Sundhage has signed a a new four-year deal.
*From the Haven't We Heard This Before Department? comes word that to play for England David Beckham must play club games.
*Cal State Dominguez Hills senior forward Kyle Holland and Coach Joe Flanagan will appear live between 5 and 7 this evening on Fox Football Fone-In on Fox Soccer Channel to discuss the program's NCAA Division II National Championship.
*In a coup for Women's Professional Soccer during these tough economic times, Puma has stepped up to become the league's "official sport and lifestyle apparel, footwear and equipment supplier."
"Puma has built up a strong momentum in women's soccer over the past 10 years collaborating closely with pioneering partners that have redefined the game on a global and local stage. Today, we are proud to be one of the founding partners of Women's Professional Soccer in what promises to be a new pioneering chapter for women's soccer," said Puma Chairman & CEO Jochen Zeitz. "The WPS partnership provides Puma with a perfect platform to reinforce the brand's positioning as the most desirable sportlifestyle brand in the world as well as underline our continued commitment to women's sports."
The move makes sense given that Puma also sponsors Brazilian star Marta and is likely to be paying most of her salary if she indeed signs with the Los Angeles Sol.
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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