February 2009 Archives

Few players are more qualified than former Galaxy and likely future Chivas USA left back Ante Jazic (Jonny Bornstein has been playing left half during preseason) to provide a perspective on both clubs. Jazic played more than 40 games with the Galaxy over the last three years before being traded to their intra-stadium rivals in the off-season. I spoke to Jazic earlier this week (and used some of his comments in Tuesday's column) before he headed off to a yoga session. Ante didn't dish on the Galaxy as much as I'd hoped, but you can read between the lines a little. BTW, Jazic and Chivas USA play a charity game against the PDL Ventura County Fusion at 5 p.m. Sunday in Santa Clarita at the College of the Canyons. Tickets are $20 apiece or $40 for a family of four.

Question: What was your reaction when you got traded to Chivas USA?
Answer: If you're going to get traded then this is probably the easiest way to do it - just grab your boots and go 50 feet down the hall, so relocation-wise it was easy on me. I'm happy to be here (it's) a great locker room here at Chivas. It was a little strange at first, but I'm getting used to everything around me now.

Q: How do the Galaxy guys and Chivas USA guys get along?
A: I knew a lot of the guys, you see them every day in the gym, so it's not like this "hate thing" as people might like to say. We see each other daily, we share the stadium. There's a little pride who rules this stadium. The Galaxy guys think they own the stadium, the Chivas guys think we own the stadium, so we'll see, it will be interesting. I'm looking forward to the SuperClasico that's for sure.

Q: How do the two locker rooms compare?
A: Here at Chivas we don't have a marquee player, we don't have any designated players - not that I know of anyway. Everyone's pretty much on an even keel, guys are good friends off the field. In the Galaxy locker room (there's) a great bunch of guys - I had a lot of friends there - it's just a different dynamic. It's just different because of people on different (wage) scales; (there's) just a different aura around the club, whereas (with) everyone here it's almost like a lunch pail mentality.

Q: Were you glad to get the hell out of the Galaxy considering what's been going on there the last couple of years?
A: You know what, I enjoyed my time at the Galaxy, it was a great experience. A change of scenery definitely at this point in my career was good for me. The locker room (at Chivas USA) is great. Everyone jokes around with each other. Everyone is on an even keel - there's no one ahead of anybody here on the team, so the young guys have their voice in the locker room and it's fun. Everyone has a go at each other. It's just a different dynamic. It's tough at the Galaxy when you have David who's a great guy, but it's hard sometimes - you can't really make fun of David, y'know. Well you can, but most guys are afraid to. Here everyone can make fun of everyone. ... Hopefully, the Galaxy get things together, but now I'm with Chivas and we rule the stadium now.

Q: What was your relationship with David Beckham?
A: With David I had a great relationship. More on the road we'd hang out. He was fine, but it's not easy being David as well, y'know? Coming here, it was different surroundings for him. He's not used to MLS and the salaries and all that. David does his best - it takes time.

Q: Is it better for the Galaxy that David stay in Italy?
A: David is a good player. You have a better chance of winning games if David is on the field. I'm not in the locker room anymore, I don't hear what guys are saying and I don't really ask. But I would think if I was with the Galaxy (still) we'd have a better chance of winning with David Beckham than without David Beckham. If (someone says) it's going to be a better team without David in the side, I don't really know what that person is talking about.

Q: Some fans are trying to figure out what was going on with you leaving the Galaxy and left back Todd Dunivant returning to the team. What was your take on the trades?
A: (Laughs) Similar salaries. Similar surgeries - Todd had a micro-fracture (like me). I needed a change of scenery. I'm glad I was traded to Chivas. I thank Bruce for that because who knows where I could have been traded to. I like Los Angeles and wanted to stay in LA. I'm happy to be with Chivas, (where there's) a good bunch of guys and we've bonded well through training in camp and we're working hard and looking forward to the new season.

Q: One of the criticisms of Chivas USA is they haven't seemed to have added an impact player or two that might give them a better chance of getting through the first round of the playoffs. How do you see the situation here?
A: You can tell you're coming into a stable locker room. They've had a couple of good seasons - (and been) a little unlucky not to get past the first round. They're still looking to add players in this training camp period. I've been impressed, guys work hard, training sessions are extremely difficult. Everyone works hard, we're grunting our way through it. Hopefully the work will pay off and we can get past the first round of the playoffs because that's obviously our goal. There's a lot of good players, a lot of good characters in the locker room and it has just been a joy. I'm enjoying my soccer, that's for sure.

Q: How close is your spot in the locker room to the other Ante (Razov)? And is that confusing?
A: (laughs) He's a few seats down. It's a little weird. I feel like I'm in Croatia again. Ante is a common name in Croatia, but definitely not in America, so when I hear someone say "Ante" I'm always turning around. So it's definitely weird. I never thought I'd experience that. He's Croatian himself so sometimes we can chat in Croatian. We have a whole melting pot of guys in the locker room, it's a good group of guys. He's been injured, but when he gets on the field we'll have to sort something out. Maybe I'm Ante Junior, he's a little bit older.

Q: Compare the two teams' training sessions?
A: I'm hoping this training camp ends soon because it has been different with Preki, that's for sure. We run a lot - that's what I've noticed here. Every training session is difficult. Preki has a philosophy that you train once a day, but that one a day covers about two training sessions, I think. Fitness won't be an issue; hopefully we can keep healthy this year and start to win some games, if we have a healthy squad. I think our team is pretty deep this year - a good blend of young guys and experienced players. I want March 21st to roll around as soon as possible.

The Galaxy host the Colorado Rapids at 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 7 in an U.S. Open Cup qualifying game in Carson.

The winner enters the knockout tournament proper.

Or as one wag put it in the newsroom "I see the Galaxy will be out of the cup by April." (Ahem).

The Galaxy, two-time cup winners, lost 1-0 to the Rapids in a qualifying game last year at Home Depot Center.

It's the second bonus game of the season for season ticket holders.

And with salary cap and roster size compliance day Monday, a highly-motivated bunch of young players should be on display against the Ventura County Fusion of the PDL (who will likely have former Chivas USA forward Anthony Hamilton in the side).

More on the charity game is here.

And fans will be tailgating.

Meanwhile, a player often mentioned in connection with Chivas USA is on his way home from Europe. And as if on cue, too, since club officials reiterated their desire earlier this week to sign a designated player if available this summer. I have no inside info. I'm just sayin'.

Over in Galaxyland, first round draft pick Omar Gonzalez scored his first goal in a Galaxy uniform in a closed door scrimmage against UCLA. Highlights here:

It appears Seattle and ex-Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid will be giving L.A. a run for its money leading MLS in attendance this season.

The pick of the televised games this weekend includes:
*Arsenal-Fulham 7 a.m. Saturday on Fox Soccer Channel
*Real Madrid-Espanyol 1 p.m. Saturday on GOLTV
*CD Guadalajara-Pachuca 5 p.m.Saturday on KVEA

*Sampdoria-AC Milan 9 a.m. Sunday on FSC (delayed)
*Club America-San Luis 2 p.m. Sunday on KMEX

Finally, congrats to the sports staffers at the Daily News. The section was recently named one of the 10 best in the nation in its circulation category, despite a significant loss of staff in the last few years. My soccer column appears every Tuesday in its pages (as it does in several sister newspapers in Southern California including the Torrance-based Daily Breeze) so I'll claim a small role in that success.

More here.

David Beckham and AC Milan play Germany's Werder Bremen today in a UEFA Cup encounter and critics are increasingly questioning the Italian club's policy of signing veteran players .

One of the best soccer writers in the country, Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl, observed this week that the Galaxy win more without Beckham in the side than with him and crunched the numbers to prove it:

"L.A.'s winning percentage since his arrival has been better in the 22 games Beckham has missed (.477) than in the 32 games he has played (.406)."

Read the whole thing here.

Adoring crowds greeted Beckham in a Milan store earlier in the week.

Finally, here's Beckham on his on-going transfer saga:

"I have not heard from Galaxy, but from what has been said, I gather there could be good news."

Glad that's cleared up then.

Updated 6 p.m. - Becks is getting worried he won't get his way and stay in Italy (oh dearie, dearie me):

MILAN (AP) - Just over week before his scheduled return to the Los Angeles Galaxy, David Beckham is becoming frustrated by the delay in his possible transfer to AC Milan.

Beckham's loan to Milan from Major League Soccer is scheduled to end March 8. Milan
offered $3 million, but Los Angeles said it wanted at least $10 million.

Milan vice president Adriano Galliani responded by saying that the club was not
prepared to go any higher for the 33-year-old midfielder, who can terminate his MLS
contract in November.

"There's a lot going on and a lot being said, and every day someone is asking me
questions about what's happening," Beckham said Thursday night after Milan was
eliminated from the UEFA Cup by Germany's Werder Bremen. "It needn't be said every
day, but so far I am trying to concentrate on the football. At the moment, we'll have to
see what happens. At the moment it is being discussed and negotiated."

Beckham played the full 90 minutes for Milan, which wasted a 2-0 lead. The 2-2 tie left
the teams 3-3 in aggregate, and the German club advanced because of more away
goals.

"It doesn't change me wanting to play at this club and hopefully it doesn't change other
people's views of me wanting to stay at this club," he said.

I gave in to the latest Internet craze when it came time to order new business cards.

I twitter at Twitter.com/LAsoccerblog.

Think you can belt out a stirring rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner?"

The Los Angeles Sol, the new Women's Professional Soccer franchise based in
Carson, is holding a national anthem "sing-off" at its Sol Fest March 8 at Home Depot Center.

The winner of the contest, performed in front of a panel of judges, will be
invited to sing at a Sol home game.

The free Sol Fest, which includes an open practice by the team, music, games
and locker room tours, runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. And not so coincidentally you can buy season tickets and pick out your seat.

Would-be singers should click here.

Those who would rather read a profile of Sol star Marta should click here.

And let's hope this guy doesn't show up at the contest:

Word came down a little later than expected today, but the Galaxy just announced they have waived five players: goalkeeper Steve Cronin, defender Mike Randolph, defender Troy Roberts, last year's fourth-round draft pick Brandon McDonald and midfielder (and 2008 second round SuperDraft pick) Ely Allen.

None of these names will come as a surprise to regular readers of this blog, which has previously reported that the majority of these players will be leaving the club (perhaps a bigger surprise is that goalkeeper Josh Wicks is not on the list - although Monday is the official MLS roster compliance date, so stay tuned).

Moreover, Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena has either not deployed these players at all - or in the case of Allen, sparingly - in preseason. And while Arena has said he wanted to take a look at newcomers, it's pretty clear in retrospect he was clearing out the squad players he inherited and doesn't believe are up to snuff.

Updated from the (edited) Galaxy press release:

Roberts joined the Galaxy in 2005 and was part of the club's double winning side that season. Roberts played in 61 career games for the club, including a career-high 17 in 2008. He scored twice in his four years with the club and appeared in nine of the ten games that the Galaxy played in 2008 under Bruce Arena.

Cronin also joined the Galaxy in 2005 and became the team's No. 1 goalkeeper in 2008. He appeared in and started a career-best 22 games, compiling a 6-9-6 record with a 2.05 goals against average before missing the final two months of the season with a fractured right hand that he suffered against New England on August 30.

Randolph was signed by the Galaxy in September in 2006, appearing in 39 games over the past two years with the club, tallying four assists. Utilized as a left back, as well as on the left side of midfield, Randolph tallied three assists in 20 games played last season.

Updated: To the survivors go the spoils and so the official Galaxy blog tells us that goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts will now wear a jersey with No. 1 on the back, Todd Dunivant will wear No.2, Omar Gonzalez will wear No. 4, Josh Saunders will wear No. 12 and Mike Magee will now wear No. 18 (which he debuted at the Pan-Pacific Championship).

Marta and Swedish defender Johanna Frisk model the new Sol kit.

The seven Women's Professional Soccer teams, including the L.A. Sol, unveiled their uniforms in a fashion show tonight in New York.

Perhaps taking a page from the L.A. Galaxy (owned by Anschutz Entertainment Group, which also has an ownership interest in the Sol), the Sol unveiled a navy blue and yellow home kit and traditional white away jersey. (The Galaxy has a blue away jersey I always thought should be the home version). And, of course, the W-League champion Pali Blues were a kind of precursor to the Sol, too, and the owner of that team is the co-owner with AEG of the Sol.

From the WPS press release:

PUMA brings a sense of fashion, flare and femininity to the kits with tailored jerseys, shorts and wraps instead of the oversized men's soccer shorts and tees traditionally seen in the sport. Although the uniforms have a more tailored silhouette, the technical materials, cuts and shapes are driven purely by performance, designed for the players to have the maximum flexibility to get them to the ball faster. Made with 100% polyester, the PUMA WPS kits contain contract mesh inserts for comfort and breathability and, a shaped hem and flatlock stitching for a more feminine silhouette. Each garment also has a wicking finish to allow for moisture management, keeping the players dry and comfortable.

And here's the winner of the "how many times do I get the name of my sponsor into a quote award:

"PUMA has made apparel and footwear with the player in mind and they have truly proven themselves once again with the new WPS uniforms," said Leslie Osborne of FC Gold Pride. "As a PUMA player, I enjoy PUMA both on and off the field. Not only do they make athletic wear that performs, but its comfortable and stylish."

The home colors of WPS are:
Boston Breakers - Team Royal
Chicago Red Stars - Team Pearl Blue
FC Gold Pride - PUMA Black (gold is the away color)
Saint Louis Athletica - USA Forest Green (grey is the unfortunate away color)
Sky Blue FC - Team Pearl Blue
Washington Freedom - New Navy

The Galaxy have named David Kammarman as the club's director of soccer operations with responsibilities that include player personnel, scouting, talent evaluation, MLS communication and collective bargaining agreement compliance.

He replaces Paul Bravo, who left for the Colorado Rapids.

Kammarman, 37, has worked with three other MLS clubs - the Chicago Fire, D.C. United, and the MetroStars - as well as with ESPN on their broadcasts of MLS and U.S. National Team games.

He's also the identical twin brother of U.S. Men's National Team Press officer Michael Kammarman.

The Galaxy today announced that single game tickets are on sale.

Given the economy the Galaxy has kept the price hikes down to a minimum. General admission and the seats at the extreme ends of the upper tier - the two cheapest categories of seats - remain $25 and $15 respectively.

Other categories have increased between $5 and $2, making the club's most expensive ticket for a game $85 (not including club or fieldside seats). Fieldside seats, BTW, cost $275.

Would you pay prices like that to see a team that has failed to make the playoffs in three years, especially if Beckham doesn't return? Thought not.

BTW, if you want to complain about (or praise) facilities at Home Depot Center direct your comments to new General Manager Katie Druetzler-Pandolfo, who joined the HDC two years ago as event manager. She replaces Rod O'Connor, who left to become chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Energy. A few more TV's for fans stuck in those way to long concession lines would be a good start.

In another Galaxy related item, the team's youth program, formerly known as the Galaxy Rios, will now simply be known as the L.A. Galaxy Youth Academy. The academy fields Under-16, U-18 and U-20 teams.

Midfielder-defender Mike Randolph virtually invisible for the Galaxy in preseason, is apparently gone from the team if you believe this posting on Big Soccer from someone who is friends with him on Facebook.

I'm awaiting confirmation from Galaxy officials, but I have no reason to believe it's not true (and it's fascinating how social networking sites and message boards can play a role in breaking news). Goalkeeper Steve Cronin was first reported heading to Portland on a Big Soccer thread Monday and a source with the club all but confirmed that later in the day.

(Updated 1:44 p.m. Tuesday: Randolph is gone. He was at the club's offices today, but did not train. A formal announcement on his departure - and other cuts - is expected Wednesday).

In other Galaxy news, the club said Monday that Fox Sports West will show 18 Galaxy games this year, meaning only the Wednesday May 6 game against Real Salt Lake will not be shown on either local or national television.

That's one reason I'm giving up my $79 Direct Kick package for the first time (another is that too many games are on at the same time anyway, making them difficult to watch). BTW, there's a free preview of Direct Kick (available on DIRECTV, Dish and In Demand on cable) on March 21.

In New York later today, Women's Professional Soccer will unveil all seven team uniforms with Sol star Marta and Sol Swedish defender Johanna Frisk modeling the gear of the local entrant.

Incidentally, there's an excellent Marta profile covering her time in Sweden and eventual exit at the similarly excellent Web site The Global Game. It's a long piece, but well worth the time.

Read it here.

Finally, this has little to do with soccer in L.A., but Galaxy fans might be a little more willing to put up with a ghastly team if they received a pay-off like this.

Chivas USA faces the Premier Development League's Ventura County Fusion at 5 p.m. Sunday at Cougar Stadium at the College of the Canyons in Valencia, in what is becoming an annual benefit for the non-profit Michael Hoefflin Foundation, which provides financial and emotional support to children with cancer and their families. (Tickets are $20 or $40 for a family pack of two adult tickets and two for kids - call 661-250-4100 for info).

But some key players will be absent this weekend as the column points out. Chivas USA is continuing to struggle with injuries that severely hampered its season last year. And the opening game of the MLS season is less than a month away. (Atiba Harris is also out injured, it should be noted).

Read the column here.

I always collect more material than can fit in a column; below are some leftovers.

Here's Preki on why Ante Razov is back with the team after saying in no uncertain terms at the end of last year he didn't expect to return:

"He was out of contract. When you're out of contract you always want to keep your options open."

Here's co-owner, President and Chief Executive Officer Shawn Hunter on the team's financial status in the contracting economy. The club is still losing money, but the gap between revenues and expenses is narrowing, a trend expected to continue this year:

"Last year we went up 10 percent in revenues and this year we're expecting to do the same," he said, adding the franchise is focused on retaining its season ticket base rather than expanding it.

"We should hold steady at around 2,000 (season ticket holders)," he said. "We made a jump from about 800 in 2007 to about 2,000 last year. The first three years (of the club's existence) Chivas never renewed more than 50 percent of its season ticket base. ... "We're doing a better job of not only getting fans, but keeping them. We're projecting about a 75 percent to 80 percent retention (rate) and that will get us back to the 2,000. We could be a little bit higher or a little bit lower, but we feel like were holding ground.

"Over the last few years we've been the stabilizing brand for soccer in this marketplace and where this brand got off to a very rough start on the pitch and off we repaired that."

A club source tell me the deal hasn't yet been finalized, but the Galaxy's Steve Cronin is indeed off to the USL Portland Timbers, which is apparently exactly what he told a member of the Big Soccer message board Sunday.

Anyone who saw goalkeeper Josh Saunders' performance in the final of the Pan-Pacific Championship Sunday - or Cronin's contribution to the Galaxy's season last year - will know why. Saunders looked far less shaky than Cronin did in the net and made one outstanding save Sunday that prevented what appeared a certain goal. (As an aside, Saunders' wife was at the game and players don't usually bring along relatives if they don't think they will hang around long with the team they're trying out with).

Also, I understand the Galaxy will announce some player cuts in the next couple of days (the team and most staff had today off). I'm betting goalkeeper Josh Wicks goes, too, leaving Saunders to back up Jamaican Donovan Ricketts.

In other local MLS news, Chivas USA had midfield Diego Scotti training with the team for the first time today in Carson. He and Mexican forward Eduardo Lillingston (who was given a couple of days off to attend to personal matters south of the border) are the only two players remaining on trial with the team in its 29-player strong camp.

On player still absent from camp is veteran Mexican defender Claudio Suarez who is negotiating a new contract with the team.

I will have much more on Chivas USA's preparations for the new season in Tuesday's column.

Lastly, UCLA goalkeeper Brian Perk and Chivas USA reality show winner Jorge Flores were named today to Thomas Rongen's U.S. Under-20 squad for the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, set for March 6-15 in Trinidad & Tobago.

Four of the eight teams in the tournament will qualify for the U-20 World Cup scheduled for Sept. 24-Oct. 16 in Egypt.

The full U.S. roster:

goalkeepers - Sean Johnson (Central Florida; Lilburn, Ga.), Josh Lambo (FC Dallas; Middleton, Wis.), Brian Perk (UCLA; Rancho Santa Margarita)

defenders - Gale Agbossoumonde (Unattached; Syracuse, N.Y.), Kyle Davies (Southampton; Danville, Calif.), Jorge Flores (Chivas USA; Anaheim, Calif.), Aaron Maund (Notre Dame; Dorchester, Mass.), Amobi Okugo (San Juan Lightning; Sacramento, Calif.), Anthony Wallace (FC Dallas; St. Petersburg, Fla.), Sheanon Williams (Unattached; Boston)

midfielders - Bryan Arguez (Hertha Berlin; Miami), Danny Cruz (Houston Dynamo; Glendale, Ariz.), Dilly Duka (Rutgers; Montville, N.J.), Jared Jeffrey (Club Brugge; Richardson, Texas), Brian Ownby (Virginia; Glen Allen, Va.); Brek Shea (FC Dallas; College Station, Texas)

forwards - Sam Garza (Denver; Highland Village, Texas), Peri Marosevic (FC Dallas; Rockford, Ill.), Billy Schuler (North Carolina; Allentown, N.J.), Tony Taylor (Jacksonville; Jacksonville, Fla.) .

I'd never really spoken to Mike Magee before when he was with New York, but after he converted two penalty kicks Saturday in the Pan-Pacific alleged Championship and appears likely to make the roster I figured I should get acquainted:

Question: What did you think of the team's performance tonight compared to Wednesday?
Answer: I thought it was a little more inconsistent today. Last game we were pretty solid across the board and I think today our legs kind of showed a little bit. Some guys were a little bit heavy. They started maybe five or six new guys and I think we only started three, so that kind of showed. I thought we were a little bit inconsistent and that has a lot to do with Wednesday's game. I thought in the second half we picked it up a little bit and we gave ourselves the chance to win the game.

I thought Wednesday we were a little bit better. I think maybe in the final third today and Wednesday we were a little bit off. Our crossing, our finishing, our through balls were a little bit off.

Q: How is your comfort level?
A: It's getting there. Fitness has been a little bit of a problem for me the last couple of years, but I'm finally getting fit, y'know. ... The guys are great. Bruce is an incredible coach. I've been welcomed with open arms. I couldn't think of a better place to be.

Q: Was Arena a big reason for you coming here?
A: Bruce is great. I'm not sure why New York didn't work out for him. But he's a great manager, a great coach. He's a great man and he's definitely righting the ship here in L.A., I believe.

My contract had expired in New York and things weren't going as well as I would have liked there. And I needed a fresh change and Bruce expressed some interest in me and I told him if he could get me here I'd love to be here.

Q: How does Bruce seeing you contributing to the team?
A: He saw me as a kind of versatile player. He knows I like being by the goal - I'm not too defensive-minded. Obviously, I'll put in the work like anybody else, but he said he was going to try me at forward, or play me in midfield, wherever the team needs me at the time or wherever he feels I am at the time. Last year I was healthy on and off and he didn't really have too much to judge from last year. He was, more or less, taking it from the couple of weeks we had in New York.

Q: How did you guys view the Galaxy last year?
A: Whenever you guys came to us there were about 65,000 people in the stands cheering for you guys so, we didn't like you guys too much.

A stream of "interesting," but ultimately ineffective crosses from David Beckham and a Clarence Seedorf goal gave AC Milan a narrow 1-0 win over Cagliari today.

Becks is still holding out hope of a transfer.

But tragic news from his other half; Posh is dehydrated from eight trips to Milan in the last month.

Can you imagine the amount of moisturizer she's using? Will this Italian opera never end?

Meanwhile, Chivas played two scrimmages Saturday against Sweden's Hanmmarby and UCLA, emerging undefeated. Video and details here.

The Galaxy lost the oh so prestigious Pan-Pacific Championship final 4-2 on penalty kicks tonight, Edson Buddle responsible for a horrendous opening kick that narrowly missed entering orbit and draft pick Kyle Patterson sealing the defeat by fluffing the fourth PK.

A 10-man Galaxy - defender Sean Franklin was issued a straight red for a foolish studs up tackle right in front of the referee in the 79th minute - forced penalty kicks by converting a spot kick 10 minutes after the ejection. Buddle was held from behind at the near post by a defender and Mike Magee scored.

In the end justice was done; the Bluewings out shot the Galaxy 17-9 despite what was a far better performance for the home side than Wednesday, which is what Bruce Arena will be most concerned about.

Attendance: 9,160.

More after the press conference.

Updated: This is why I dislike mixed zones, which means reporters wait in the tunnel and hope a player wanders by. But tonight most chose to slip out by another door, save for a personable Mike Magee who chatted for quite a while. I'm short on time tonight, so I'll post that Q&A later.

For now, here are some quotes from Coach Bruce Arena, who observed that the Bluewings were more experienced than a young Galaxy team and it showed.

"The first half we struggled with the speed of play," he said. "The Suwon team put us under a lot of pressure, they did a great job stepping to the ball. We weren't quick enough technically or mentally to deal with it. I thought they really had the better of us in the first half. In the second half I thought our team played much better and obviously the game had slowed down and it benefited us.

"Today we had an opportunity to play a lot of young kids - I thought Omar Gonzalez had a great game. Yohance Marshall did well and A.J. DeLaGarza. And these are young kids who have just played their first couple of games professionally, so I was impressed by that.

"We still haven't passed the ball very well. Our passing was not good - that needs improvement. We need a little bit more speed in attack; (Landon) Donovan will give us that when he gets back.

"Defensively we were actually pretty solid compared to last year."

BTW, Eddie Lewis, projected as the starting left back, has a strained hamstring and "will be out a few weeks," Arena said. It's the first time in his career the 34-year-old has had a hamstring injury.

Galaxy trivia question (and I'll not take credit for recalling this) suggested by the resident stats guru on the Galaxy PR staff who remarked as the club chased a one-goal deficit in the game: when was the last time the Galaxy were down by an own goal late in a "championship" match played at Home Depot Center and what happened? I had to think for a moment about this one - and it was an unforgettable ending to a great game.

First to answer in the comment section gets a copy of oh, how about the Official Pan-Pacific Championship Program so you can truly experience the tournament in all its glory.

Highlights:

Galaxy 0 Bluewings 1

The Galaxy went behind on a freak goal in the 39th minute when Bluewings captain Kim Dae-Eui made a long pass from inside his own half that connected with the top of Sean Franklin's head from 20 yards out, the ball looping over goalkeeper Josh Saunders who was well off his line. Franklin was under pressure from midfielder Choi Sung-Hyeon at the time, but didn't look like he knew a whole lot about the own goal.

Left back Eddie Lewis left the game in the 32nd minute with a left hamstring issue. He's being evaluated by medical staff.

A sharper looking Galaxy tonight had several looks at goal, but it's Suwon Samsung that leads at the break both on the scoreboard and on the shot tally; the Galaxy had three shots, but didn't force the opposing goalkeeper into a save, while the Bluewings responded with eight.

First, a little news: 24-year-old Honduran central defender Osman Chavez confirmed Friday to media in the Central American country he is considering an offer from the Galaxy. Chavez said he had other offers, including one from China, but wanted to play in MLS so he could continue his national team career and play with David Beckham (assuming I suppose, he returns). I'll ask Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena to comment after the game.

Arena has made three changes to the lineup from Wednesday's team that defeated Japan's Oita Trinita: Josh Saunders comes in for Josh Weeks in goal, while Stefani Miglioranzi and Ely Allen move into midfield in place of Josh Tudela and Jovan Kirovski. Edson Buddle is on the bench tonight though and Kirovski will play as a striker.

No sign of the still apparently injured goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.

The 4-4-2 lineup then is: Saunders, Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, Tony Sanneh, Eddie Lewis, Chris Klein, Dema Kovalenko, Miglioranzi, Allen, Alan Kirovski (at least that's how he's listed on the lineup just handed out in the press box) and Alan Gordon.

Oita Trinita just beat China's Shandong Luneng Taishan 2-1 in the first game of the doubleheader, with both teams ending the game with 10 men.

The Galaxy play for a trophy tonight in Carson.

The opponent is Korea's Suwon Samsung Bluewings FC. Kickoff is 8 p.m. Lots of tickets available (I'm hearing rumors the Galaxy are allowing all season ticket holders in for free in a bid to boost the microscopic attendance of 5,000 or so of Wednesday - and presumably they'll recoup cash with their gouging $15 parking fee). The game is also live on Fox Soccer Channel - and on this blog.

An unimpressive Galaxy beat a bad opponent Wednesday to reach the final, but at least they won.

Still, the game illustrated how badly the Galaxy miss playmaker Landon Donovan.

Presumably, that won't be for long; Donovan came on at half time today for Bayern Munich, but was unable to prevent them slumping to a shock defeat at home to lowly Cologne. Donovan's most significant contribution: clearing a ball off Bayern's goal line.

Meanwhile, that other Galaxy player in Europe may also be returning sooner rather than later - at least until the end of the MLS season.

Updated: Galaxy officials tell me all season ticket holders are receiving tonight's doubleheader as part of their season ticket package. It's bonus game No. 1.

OK, I know we all have serious David Beckham fatigure, but Anschutz Entertainment Group head honcho Tim Lieweke has finally erupted, telling an Italian newspaper no talks between AC Milan and the Galaxy are scheduled and that the club wants between $10 and $15 million for Becks and not the "ridiculous" offer of $3 million received so far.

"With that figure, Galaxy don't even cover the damages deriving from the shortfalls of not selling his shirts," Leiweke is (tellingly) quoted as saying.

Which, of course, is what Beckham is all about, rather than what he does on the field. (Hey, Tim, why don't you just do a swap for Ronaldinho?).

More here.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy-less Beckham play for the Pan-Pacific Championship trophy Saturday at 8 p.m. against Korea's Suwon Samsung Bluewings. China's Shandong Luneng Taishan FC faces Japan's Oita Trinita in the first game at 5:30 p.m. Tickets to the Home Depot Center doubleheader start at $15 (that's the same price it was Wednesday to park your car - and it doesn't get to see the game). A cheaper alternative: watch for free on Fox Soccer Channel or drop by and read this blog.

In non-Beckham related news:
*Chivas USA returned home from its Mexican trip to practice Thursday at the HDC with two new trialists: Mexican midfielder Rafael Rodríguez, whose prior clubs include Chivas and Tecos, and 38-year-old Argentine defender Leonel Gancedo, who has played for the likes of Spain's Osasuna and Argentina's River Plate.

*Chivas USA has put its single game tickets on sale for the season (see schedule at top right of the blog) starting at $15 a seat. It also has a five-game pack that works out to just $10 a game. Call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 for more info.

*Chivas USA plays two scrimmages Saturday at the HDC on university field No. 2 against Sweden's Hammerby (11 a.m.) and UCLA (1 p.m.).

*Also this weekend is the annual Cal South Soccer Expo at the convention center in downtown L.A. Lots of exhibitors, giveaways and Chivas USA, Galaxy, Sol and other players on hand. Best of all - admission is free.

*For those not wanting to leave the comfort of their living room, games on TV this weekend include Bayern Munich-Cologne (8:30 a.m. Saturday GOLTV); Manchester United-Blackburn Rovers (9:30 a.m. Saturday Fox Soccer Channel); Monarcas-CD Guadalajara (5 p.m. Saturday KAZA); Tigres-Club America (5 p.m. Saturday KVEA); Manchester City-Liverpool (7 a.m. Sunday FSC); and AC Milan-Cagliari (9 a.m. FSC).

*L.A. WPS entry the Sol has announced the club will open training camp March 2 and has scheduled preseason games against USC March 10, FC Gold Pride March 14 and 17 and an opponent to be determined March 21. The Sol opens its season March 29 at the HDC. The club also announced Thursday the signing of French midfielder Camile Abily (46 caps/eight goals), Chinese forward Han Duan and Swedish defender Johanna Frisk.

*Oh, and tickets for next year's World Cup went on sale today. It will be interesting to see how sales go with a crummy economy and the event in far-off South Africa.

I took the day off (in case you didn't notice), but wanted to acknowledge the efforts of Web master Chris Berry in adding several links on the right hand column of the blog over the last few days.

Among them: 2009 schedules for the Galaxy, Chivas USA, Sol, MLS and WPS - handy links to help plan your soccer year.

In addition, several other links were added - including the popular Soccer by Ives blog and Galaxy fan group Angel City Brigade (happy now guys?).

More refinements are on the way as time and motivation permits, but suggestions are welcome.

Yawn.

And the Beckham aftermath is still reverberating in New Zealand.

Reaction to tonight's 2-0 Pan-Pacific Championship victory - yes, victory, even if it is only preseason - over Japan's Oita Trinita AKA the "Terrible Turtles," comes from Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena, veteran midfielder Chris Klein and top draft pick Omar Gonzalez.

Here's Arena on tonight's performance compared to last season:

"I saw more of a team tonight than I saw in a number of games last year. ... We have a lot of new faces and there's always a lot of unknowns at this time of year. To have a start like this in February with a positive result is good."

On Edson Buddle's first half goal:

"Really an alert play to strip the defender; the finish was incredible."

On Gonzalez' professional debut:

"Omar did well for his first game. A couple of mistakes he made on the ball and his positioning could have been better on a couple of plays, but overall I was very pleased with his performance. I think he's a good young player with a lot of potential so hopefully he can continue to move forward. .. Omar's a talented kid, he's going to have his ups and downs, but he's a player whose certainly going to contribute to make our back line a little bit better than it was last year."

On not dressing the likes of Ely Allen, Brandon McDonald, Mike Randolph, etc., for the game:

"Most of the players I introduced tonight were new faces. ... We've seen those other players in the past and have a pretty good feel for them, not that we know them completely. We wanted to look at some new faces at a time you can do that. Tonight was the occasion and we took advantage of it."

On goalkeeper Josh Wicks:

"He was solid tonight and the group in front of him did a real good job. I liked the fact that Josh was pretty steady tonight. At times last year we saw an inexperienced guy out of the goal, (who) at times ran himself out of position or his decision-making wasn't good. Tonight I thought he was pretty solid in the goal."

On what the team will look like Saturday:

"I don't know yet. ... This is the first time any of our players played over 60 minutes so we know they're going to be feeling it come Friday. We'll have to make some smart decisions to have a fresh team on the field come Saturday."

Here's Klein on the game:

"I'll tell you one thing - it's good to win. It's good to walk off the field and win. No matter who we're playing or where we are or what group of guys we have in the locker room, we have to create a winning mentality here in this locker room and it's a decent start."

On the feeling in the locker room:

"It feels like a group now and a lot of that comes from the themes Bruce is trying to instill within our locker room. He's demanding (of) the older guys (that) not only are they inclusive of the younger guys, but (they) take responsibility for the locker room and if something is not right it's up to us to fix it.

Here's Gonzalez' assessment of his performance:

"In the very beginning of both halves I gave two bad balls away, but I got over that hump and I thought I did well after that."

On the difference between the college and pro games:

"It's a lot harder, the players close down the space a lot faster and it's harder to get the ball at your feet and I think I've just got to get used to the overall speed of the game. I think if I do that I can come into my own."

On the foul on him that led to the penalty kick decision:

"I just had to sell it y'know."

On playing with a former national team player like Tony Sanneh in the center of defense:

It was just amazing. He's just so calm back there and I obviously have a lot to learn from him. I think he's going to teach me a lot and I hope to be one day as good as he is and go to the places he's been."

Not a terribly (ahem) compelling game:

Galaxy 2 Oita Trinita 0

Jovan Kirovski converted a 53rd minute penalty after defender Omar Gonzalez was allegedly brought down on a corner kick that frankly looked like a dubious call with minimal contact.

Notable individual performers included:
*Hard-working Chris Klein, the best Galaxy player on the night, and Mike Magee who sparked a couple of scoring chances after coming on as a second half substitute.

*Goalkeeper Josh Wicks, who did well to get a hand to a 35-yard blast from Shingo Suzuki that appeared to be heading for the corner of the net in the 71st minute. Have we seen the last of Steve Cronin, who was uninjured?

*Omar Gonzalez and Tony Sanneh were quietly competent in central defense, although to be fair their opponents offered little in the way of dangerous scoring threats; right back Sean Franklin, however, was dispossessed in midfield at one point, bringing a concerned Bruce Arena to his feet.

The attendance: just 5,624.

The Galaxy win means they will face Korea's Suwon Samsung Bluewings, which dispatched China's Shandong Luneng Taishan 1-0 in the earlier game, in the final at 8 p.m. Saturday.

More later, but there's no locker room access, which usually means players take their time getting to the mixed zone, so don't hold your breath.

Edson Buddle, the Galaxy's second highest scorer last season with 13 goals, showed he hadn't lost his opportunistic touch just before half time, picking off an errant pass between defenders to break free and blast a left-footed shot inside the post to put the Galaxy 1-0 up against Oita Trinita.

That was largely it for goalscoring opportunities in a choppy first half, with both teams struggling to find their feet as one might expect at this stage of the year; Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Wicks made just one save, while Oita's keeper made none.

The Galaxy had a goal disallowed in the 10th minute for offside.

Updated: Buddle came off at the half and was replaced with draft pick Kyle Patterson, who dropped into midfield, with Jovan Kirovski moving forward to partner Alan Gordon up front.

The Terrible Turtles is (are?) the weird nickname of Japan's Oita Trinita.

And it's almost as weird as Bruce Arena's lineup:

In goal: Josh Wicks (where's Donovan Ricketts)?

In defense, Cal State Northridge product Sean Franklin is at right back as expected (he played one game there last year), top draft pick Omar Gonzalez partners geriatric Tony Sanneh in central defense (no wonder the Galaxy are still looking for a central defender), while Eddie Lewis, captain for the night, is on the left.

In midfield, Josh Tudela and Dema Kovalenko clog up the middle of the park (which Kovalenko might well do literally given his reputation, but I suppose he's the playmaker), Chris Klein is on the right in Beckham's spot and Jovan Kirovski will wander around on the left.

Up front: Edson Buddle and Alan Gordon.

On the bench: draft picks A.J. DeLagarza and Kyle Patterson are joined by Stefani Miglioranzi, Bryan Jordan and Mike Magee. Goalkeeper Josh Saunders (where's Steve Cronin exactly?) is back for another go around with the Galaxy, while there's also a new face - defender Yohance Marshall out of South Florida. Press box colleague Scott French observed some had projected Marshall as a first round draft pick, but played himself out of the draft altogether with a terrible combine, so that's comforting.

As for Oita Trinita: you're on your own.

Updated: Ricketts has a tight left hamstring and the medical staff advised rest. But how to explain the absence of the likes of Ely Allen, Brandon McDonald, Julian Valentin and Mike Randolph? Those guys are under contract, of course, so one Galaxy official suggested Arena perhaps wants to take a look at those who aren't. We'll ask after the game.

Apparently.

Updated: And as if to confirm reality isn't too far from satire there's this manufactured report in today's L.A. Times that breathlessly tells us Mrs. Beckham says her hubby is "hooked" on Milan.

The actual news in the story is in the fifth graph.

The Galaxy (pre-) season begins tonight with the first of two doubleheaders at Home Depot Center in four days.

Up first at 5:30 p.m. are Suwon Samsung Bluewings (Korea) vs. Shandong Luneng Taishan FC (China) followed at 8 p.m. by the Galaxy against Oita Trinita (Japan). Plenty of tickets starting at $15 are available, although both games will also be shown live on Fox Soccer Channel.

Fortunately for the Galaxy, considering last season's results and the absence of David Beckham and Landon Donovan, the team also apparently known as the "Terrible Turtles" (!) are in fact fairly damn terrible according to this Web site that has more information than you ever wanted to know about the franchise.

Not much time today to add more, but I plan to blog from the game so join me this evening for updates and quotes from coaches and players

The Galaxy's Landon Donovan is apparently too old for Germany's Bayern Munich:

MUNICH (AP) -- Landon Donovan is unlikely to stay with Bayern Munich on a longer contract once his loan expires in mid-March, according to the club's chairman.

Donovan practiced with Bayern in December and then joined the German champions during the Bundesliga's winter break in a loan deal similar to the one his Los Angeles Galaxy teammate David Beckham has with AC Milan. Donovan's loan expires March 15.

"Donovan is an interesting player," Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told the Munich newspaper TZ in an interview published Tuesday. "But when you have Klose, Toni and Olic already under contract, we think the fourth player (striker) should really be a young player with perspective."

Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni are Bayern's starting strikers, while Hamburg's Ivica Olic has been signed as a free agent for next season. Backup striker Lukas Podolski is returning to FC Cologne at the end of the season.

After arriving at Bayern, Donovan said he would be interested in a longer contract. He scored four goals in practice games and has made four appearances, all as a substitute, in the Bundesliga and the German Cup, without scoring.

Donovan failed to break through in two earlier Bundesliga stints, both with Bayer
Leverkusen.

Donovan, BTW, is all of 26 years old.

So where now for Donovan if Jurgen agrees with his chairman? Does he try somewhere else? And why aren't European clubs lining up to buy America's best-ever player? Thoughts?

In other soccer news today:

*The U.S. Women's National Team squad for the annual Algarve Cup in Portugal in March was named today and included Torrance's Shannon Boxx and Kendall Fletcher of the Sol.

The squad (in parenthesis are the number of Algarve Cups the player has participated in):

Goalkeepers - Nicole Barnhart (3) (FC Gold Pride), Hope Solo (6) (St. Louis Athletica)

Defenders - Rachel Buehler (2) (FC Gold Pride), Lori Chalupny (6) (St. Louis Athletica), Kendall Fletcher (1) (Los Angeles Sol), Heather Mitts (5) (Boston Breakers), Christie Rampone (9) (Sky Blue FC)

Midfielders - Shannon Boxx (6) (Los Angeles Sol), Tina DiMartino (1) (FC Gold Pride), Carli Lloyd (4) (Chicago Red Stars), Heather O'Reilly (7) (Sky Blue FC), Lindsay Tarpley (7) (Chicago Red Stars), Kacey White (1) (Sky Blue FC), Angie Woznuk (2) (St. Louis Athletica)

Forwards - Angela Hucles (5) (Boston Breakers), Natasha Kai (4) (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (1) (Chicago Red Stars), Amy Rodriguez (4) (Boston Breakers).

*Eight players were signed to letters of intent at the UCLA women's program it was announced today including U.S. Youth National Team players Zakiya Bywaters (Las Vegas) and Chelsea Cline (Des Moines, Iowa).

Others include defender-midfielder Sierra Mack (Anaheim/ Fullerton High) and national team pool players Lucretia Lee (Bothell, Wash.) and Ahsha Smith (Oakland).

*in the first Pepperdine's women's soccer game of the year, the program lost 2-1 to UC San Diego and then returned home to defeat UC Riverside by the same score. The Waves return to action at 10 a.m. Saturday against UC Irvine and at 1:30 p.m. against Westmont. Admission is free to all three games.

*The U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team is in Madrid, Spain, for a week-long training camp through Sunday, that includes matches against Spain, a Real Madrid youth team and Rayo Majadahonda.

Included on the squad is Carlos Martinez of San Pedro.

The Goats are winging their way back to L.A. today after a 10-day camp in Guadalajara, roughly the amount of time (including weekends) I was absent.

So to bring you (and me) up to date, here's a look at what's been going on south of the border.

Before stepping on an airplane today, Chivas USA downed Irapuato 1-0 with top draft pick Michael Lahoud scoring his first goal for the team with a 65th minute volley off a pass from former Galaxy defender Ante Jazic.

Here's the Chivas USA lineup:

Zach Thornton, Carey Talley (Dan Gargan '57), Shavar Thomas (Javier Ledesma 57') , Jim Curtin, Ante Jazic, Sacha Kljestan (Jesse Marsch 5') (Gilson Tussi 57'), Michael Lahoud, Diego Scotti, Jonathan Bornstein (Jamie Franks 46'), Eduardo Lillingston (Justin Braun 57') , Román Cuello (Alecko Eskandarian, 52').

Some of those names a tad unfamiliar?

*Cuello is a Uruguayan forward who began a trial with the team last Wednesday (along with Mexican defender Omar Briceño and no, I don't know his current status with the team, but he didn't play today).

*Defender Ledesma is the son of former Chivas USA assistant coach Javier "Zully" Ledesma.

*Midfielder Scotti, 32, is another Uruguayan who has bounced around various South American teams, most recently with Argentina's Newell's Old Boys.

*Striker Lillingston, 31, has played for five different Mexican teams, most recently Tecos.

*Tussi is a 24-year-old Brazilian midfielder.

Chivas USA scrimmages at 11 a.m. against Swedish club Hammarby and 1 p.m. against UCLA on Saturday at Home Depot Center.

We'll soon find out.

A correction to the column: there is television coverage. It's on Fox Soccer Channel. But the fact I wasn't immediately aware of it (even if I have just returned from a week off) is yet another indication of how little promotion the tournament is receiving from organizers.

Also, Scott Wolf has the latest on Milan's machinations.

Need a break from the Beckham talk?

Me too.

Naturally reporters were much more interested in talking about David Beckham today than the much more important-sounding than it really is Pan-Pacific Championship, the four-team preseason tournament that begins Wednesday at Home Depot Center.

So here's the latest from Coach Bruce Arena, although let's keep in mind he conceded today he's never spoken to Milan officials or Beckham representatives about any possible deal, since all that is being handled by AEG President Tim Leiweke (so Arena said he is unaware, for instance, whether AC Milan officials are on en route to L.A. to continue negotiations over Beckham's contract, as reports out of Europe suggested today).

On whether a deal was still possible, despite the unilateral Beckham trade deadline "imposed" by MLS Commissioner Don Garber that came and went last Friday:

"Legally, technically, March 8 would be the final date of altering the loan agreement," he said. "I think that would be accurate."

On whether the Becks and Landon Donovan trade issues are a distraction:

"Whenever you have these type of situations and two important players away from your team, it's a less than perfect way of preparing, but it hasn't been a distraction of anything we've been doing,"he said. "We prepare (the team) like you do everyday when you have players not here whether they're away on loan or injuries or because of suspension. It's the business of the game. You're constantly making adjustments for players you do or don't have."

But veteran Galaxy midfielder Eddie Lewis conceded today that if the Galaxy forces Donovan or Beckham to return, that does not bode well for the team:

"If they're not happy to come back I think it would be silly to not think there would (not) be some sort of hangover effect. They're both playing with extremely big clubs in powerful leagues."

Finally, here's some non-Beckham team news. Last week the Galaxy cut five players from camp - Vardan Adzemian, Venezuelan central defender Leo Bautista, 2008 first round draft pick Mike Gavin and midfielder Mike Muñoz (formerly of Chivas USA) - to leave the Galaxy's roster at 33 players.

Arena was asked why Bautista, who came in as a highly-touted possible starter, was cut:

"He's a somewhat inexperienced player who might not be physically strong enough to deal with the speed of the game in MLS," he said. "He wasn't the answer for us at this point in time."

Salutations from the soggy South Bay, where the winter's biggest storm is drenching us.

Thanks to Scott Wolf and others who contributed to the blog during my week-long absence.

I'm off to a press conference at Home Depot Center shortly where the Galaxy and representatives of the other three teams in the Pan-Pacific Championship will attempt to explain the import of this preseason tournament.

At least for Galaxy fans the Wednesday and Saturday doubleheaders will provide an opportunity to see what sort of job Coach Bruce Arena has done rebuilding the team so far. More on the tournament in Tuesday's column.

But just have time to note that:

*David Beckham, reportedly the subject of a rejected $3 million bid Friday by AC Milan, limped out of the derby against Inter Sunday after an undistinguished hour or so. More here.

*Landon Donovan meanwhile, came on as a first half substitute for an injured Luca Toni, but couldn't prevent Bayern Munich from sliding to a 2-1 defeat to Hertha Berlin on Valentine's Day. With the loss, Bayern relinquished the top spot in the Bundesliga to Hertha.

*And Women's Professional Soccer announced this morning it has reached a contractual agreement with members of the U.S. Women's National Team so expect a flurry of signings soon. From the (edited) WPS press release:

"The contract may extend over three seasons and provides for players in the U.S. Women's National Team pool to be compensated by the teams for on-field play and for off-field commercial and marketing appearances.

The average league salary: about $32,000.

Here's a quote from David Beckham after today's Milan derby.
``After saying that I want to stay here it would be difficult to return to play in the United States.''

Here's some David Beckham quotes from the News of the World.
"Has it been a success? Off the field, yes. On the field? Well . . . we haven't even made the play-offs so that's the tough part.
"So off the field, it has been a success. I don't know if I have left any sort of legacy -- we'll just have to wait and see."

"I've always said I don't regret things and I don't regret the two seasons at LA. They might have been disappointing in that we haven't won anything or even made the play-offs -- but I've met some really good people and there are really good people at the club."

Does it really matter what the Galaxy say if David Beckham and AC Milan ignore them?

Here's the Galaxy official statement regarding David Beckham.
"Today's deadline imposed by Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber regarding a resolution of David Beckham's potential transfer to AC Milan has passed and we did not receive an acceptable offer for the player. As a result, David remains an LA Galaxy player and we look forward to having him back with the club starting March 9."

Tim Leiweke told the Associated Press that David Beckham will return to the Galaxy next month.
``We didn't receive an offer today," Leiweke said. "We will abide by the commissioner's wishes, so we are clear at this point that we don't want to have any further conversations."
So Becks is back. Or is this merely another chess move?

For what it's worth, a source in Milan just emailed to say club officials do not believe a deal for David Beckham will be completed today.

You don't have to go all out like this guy, but for the first time ever U.S. Soccer is encouraging fans across the country (tickets to the game were sold to addresses in 43 states) to wear red on Wednesday to show their support for the U.S. Men's National Team's match against bitter rivals Mexico in the opening game of the final round of World Cup qualifying.

The sold out match is live at 4 p.m. on ESPN2, ESPN2 HD and Univision.

Three nations in the six-country round-robin final round - the so-called haxagonal - qualify directly for South Africa; the fourth-placed team will take on the fifth-placed finisher in South American qualifying for spot in the World Cup finals.

Vital fact: The U.S. are unbeaten against Mexico at home since 2000 and have scored 17 goals here to the Mexican's three.

Daily Breeze intern Lisa Hirschmann graduated from Columbia University in December with a bachelor's degree in Hispanic Studies. The Pasadena resident has studied in Madrid and Argentina (and came away from the experience a fan of Real Madrid and that South American country's national team) and played soccer for 10 years. She offers a different perspective of U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati ahead of the start of World Cup qualifying.

Most United States soccer fans know Sunil Gulati as the president of the United States Soccer Federation. But before I was aware of his alternate life as the USSF president, I knew Gulati as the teacher of the only college economics class I remotely enjoyed.

Gulati is a very popular professor who teaches two introductory level economics courses for undergraduates at Columbia University: "Principles of Economics" and "World Economy". I took the latter in spring of 2006. It's a large lecture that covers the basics of international trade.

He hardly mentions soccer in the classroom and appears to fit in well with his colleagues, which is why I say he leads an alternate life. Most of his students don't, and probably won't, ever find out how important he is to U.S. Soccer.

In general, Gulati is a great professor who cares a lot about challenging his students. With so many them, he treats each class a bit like a performance. He has a high energy level, and he tries to engage his students. Sometimes he gives fun trivia questions and asks students to e-mail him the answer (i.e. What is a technological device that creates jobs? Answer: a shovel, a pick, a wheelbarrow, etc.) He tries to get to know his students by taking them to lunch in the faculty dining room in small groups. He invites his international trade expert friends like Jagdish Bhagwati and Joseph Stiglitz to give guest lectures.

One of the biggest complaints about his class, which I share, is that it is too math-heavy (his dad was a math professor - maybe he's math-oriented?). As an introductory level course, "World Economy" emphasizes calculations more than concepts, which leads non-economics and non-math majors to retain less information than they otherwise might. It is also the reason that Gulati's classes are considered tough.

The other complaint you hear from some students about Gulati is that he is slightly arrogant. I can see how he might come across to some students in this way, but they probably have not bothered to Google his name, and still haven't discovered his claim to fame.

(And as a final anecdote, I'll add that in December, as I was studying for my last round of finals, I saw Professor Gulati on campus walking with Claudio Reyna. I looked around to see if anyone else was starstruck, but I was the only one.)

Here is a USA Today article about Prof. Gulati.

Read reviews from Gulati's students here.

With Nick on hiatus, here's a column I wrote on the massive failure David Beckham's been with the Galaxy.

The 100 Percent Soccer blog is on hiatus until next weekend and there is no Tuesday column in the print edition either.

I have a couple of posts scheduled to appear and a guest blogger or two may show up, but there will be no news updates from me.

Is it a coincidence this happens during a week when the U.S. opens World Cup qualifying against Mexico at 4 p.m. Wednesday with the game live on ESPN2 HD? I think not.

Enjoy the game.

And here's a sampling of recent 100 Percent Soccer posts for those looking to get caught up:

The failures of David Beckham.

My subsequent interview with The Guardian on the Beckham effect.

The Sol sign the "female Beckham."

Tuesday's Column: Handicapping the 2018 and 2022 World Cup Bids.

Chivas USA Camp Update: Razov Signs Contract, Promptly has Surgery & More.

The only U.S. player on Wednesday's World Cup qualifying roster who doesn't play in MLS or in Europe is Pachuca midfielder Jose Francisco Torres. The 21-year-old Texan has two U.S. caps.

After an InterLiga game in Carson last month, I asked Torres, who has a Mexican father and an American mother and now has two U.S. caps, about the possibility of playing a World Cup qualifying game against Mexico:

"That would be a dream come true," he said. I've always wanted that to come true. The first (goal) was to play a few games for the U.S. - that came true - and now it's a U.S.-Mexico game I'm looking forward to. I really want to play in that game."

After picking up his first cap against Sweden at Home Depot Center last month, Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers has retained his place in the U.S. squad for the game against Mexico in Columbus. (He has the fewest number of caps of any player on the squad).

Also on the 20-man roster announced today: the Galaxy's Landon Donovan, a 72nd minute substitute today in Bayern Munich's win over Borussia Dortmund, Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan and his club teammate Jonny Bornstein of Los Alamitos.

The complete squad.

The game is at 4 p.m. Wednesday on HD ESPN2.

Galaxy to AC Milan: Can I have some more please?

Beckham is on the verge of history.

After penning this missive to 100 Percent Soccer Hermosa Beach Galaxy ticket holder Ed Kaspar makes his television debut.

Lastly, always good to know publications like The (London) Times don't like to perpetuate stereotypes.

Saturday:

7 a.m. Fox Soccer Channel Blackburn Rovers-Brad Friedel's Aston Villa

9:30 a.m. FSC Portsmouth-Liverpool

11:30 a.m. FSC AC Milan (and David Beckham)-Reggina

5 p.m. KVEA Chivas-Necaxa

Sunday

8 a.m. FSC West Ham United-Manchester United

8 a.m. GOLTV Landon Donovan's Bayern Munich-Borussia Dortmund

2 p.m. KMEX Club America-Pachuca

Briefly:
* Good Q&A on the career of Cal State Dominguez Hills product Kei Kamara of Lawndale here.

* The UCLA men are reloading.

* And U.S. Soccer wants to see this nation awash in red Wednesday.

Well, sort of.

Here's the back story: By now, anyone who pays the slightest amount of attention to MLS knows David Beckham and Landon Donovan, the team's biggest stars, both want to flee for Europe, where they are on loan with two of the continent's biggest clubs.

Donovan has openly agitated for a move for months and appears to be closing in on a transfer to Bayern Munich, while Beckham said for the first time Wednesday he wants to play for AC Milan. That's something he reiterated today, telling the Associated Press he has "rediscovered" himself as a footballer in Italy.

Beckham's remarks are the culmination of weeks of speculation over AC Milan's intentions, with club officials from the president down virtually to the janitor (well, O.K. it was the AC Milan lawyer, but you get the idea) saying over and over again they want Beckham to stay.

The Galaxy's response? Almost total silence. The club has had nothing of any substance to say about either player.

In a sense, it's understandable. The Galaxy won't want to tip its hand publicly to anyone - rivals or the two clubs it must negotiate with - with so much at stake.

Moreover, the corporate culture of Galaxy owner Anschutz Entertainment Group has always been what one could charitably call "cagey" or realistically describe as fear-filled. And if your boss was the brash and outspoken Tim Leiweke, you'd be reticent to speak publicly, too.

But let's not mistake the Galaxy's silence as part of a calculated let's play hard to get bargaining strategy.

In truth the lack of comment from the Galaxy borders on the ludicrous. At best it's insulting to fans who deserve to know what's going on before they plonk down money for season tickets .

At worst it just makes the Galaxy and MLS look amateurish.

A week or so ago I was one of a trio of journalists who spent a good 15-20 minutes with Bruce Arena as he dodged and weaved his way through an interview without truly saying anything.

It was amusing in passing, but largely a waste of time. Since then things have only deteriorated further as columnist Martin Rogers pointed out in a Yahoo! column:

As a money-making venture, the Galaxy must be viewed as a success, with a value far greater than any other MLS team, for now at least. But as a sports organization it is rotten, having cannibalized itself with the wrong decisions made for the wrong reasons.

The decision to close ranks on Wednesday and fail to offer comment on the Beckham situation, even after the 33-year-old had announced his desire to leave, was typical Galaxy.

Training was closed to the media, and no players were allowed to speak publicly. The acquisition of Todd Dunivant from Toronto FC was deemed to be the most newsworthy item on the team website.

Ignore the issue and it will go away? Barring a miracle, Beckham has gone away.

(You can read the whole thing here, BTW.

The Los Angeles Times has similarly weighed in:

His departure will focus attention on the shortcomings of MLS and of the Galaxy in particular. If the league wants to be taken seriously on a global level, it has to learn how to play the game off the field as well as on it.

It is no good putting up the shutters, as the Galaxy did this week, and saying "no comment" when stories began pouring out of Europe on an almost daily basis about Beckham's desire to stay in Milan and Milan's desire to keep Beckham.

(You can read the whole thing here).

It's one of those occasions when the media is reduced to interviewing each other to provide context to the story.

Amusingly, the Galaxy moved into damage control Thursday, issuing this statement last night to the media:

"Just want to confirm with everyone that we do in fact have media availability after training tomorrow. Training begins at 10 a.m. and should finish right around 11:30, with players and coaches available after.

I know that we have not had much out there from the club over the last two days, but we have been open every day and will be once again on Friday."

And, as if to prove their intention of actually communicating, the Galaxy issued this statement from Arena Thursday regarding Beckham's remarks about staying in Milan:

"I really didn't have the opportunity to see the full context of his comments. However, we've been evaluating the situation. We're going to do in the end what's best for the Galaxy."

Gee, thanks for clearing that up, Bruce. Nice to know you're looking out for the team first (I bet you are opposed to crime and cruelty to puppies and kittens, too).

Llong-winded comments that are essentially the equivalent of "no comment" only confirm the lack of candor from the club. That's something that has not gone unnoticed in Europe as this excerpt of an interview on the Bayern Munich Web site with chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge shows, who was asked whether the Galaxy would allow both Donovan and Beckham to leave:

"I don't know. AC Milan rang up yesterday with the same question. They're obviously doubtful whether Galaxy would let both go. But if I know my Americans, it probably comes down to the price."

So we are left to scour the back alleys of MLS to find out what's going on with an anonymous source this morning telling The Washington Post's Steve Goff that the Galaxy are chasing Ghanian midfielder Stephen Appiah who has left his Turkish club.

Care to comment, Bruce?

Kljestan hasn't signed a new MLS contract.

He hasn't joined Glasgow Celtic.

Yet Chivas USA was moved to confirm this evening that the club have "officially announced that midfielder Sacha Kljestan, U.S. Soccer's 2008 Young Male Athlete of the Year and Chivas USA's reigning team MVP, will return to the Red-and-White for the 2009 MLS season, which kicks off on March 21."

O.K. That's good. Figured as much.

The press release was apparently prompted by inquiries from (apparently worried) fans wondering about his status.

I shouldn't poke fun: more info about players is always more welcome than less (are you listening Bruce Arena and the Galaxy?).

And at least he's cut that ratty hair of his (and yes, I sound like my grandfather).

More from the Huntington Beach kid here:

Oh, and if he keeps playing out of his skull like he is, a European club or two will come calling when the transfer window opens this summer anyway and he'll pull a Brad Guzan.

The WPS released the schedule for its first season today, including games for the Los Angeles Sol, which becomes the third (!) professional soccer team at Carson's Home Depot Center.

Here are the basics from the league's (edited) press release:

The previously announced home openers that begin Sunday, March 29 with the WPS inaugural match between the Los Angeles Sol and the Washington Freedom and continue during WPS Kick-Off Week with a full slate of league games on April 5 will be followed by regular weekly action over the next five months for a total of 70 league match-ups, three post-season contests and one WPS All-Star Game.

Teams will play a 20-game regular season schedule with 10 home games and 10 away games. Each team will play the other teams in the league three times with a fourth game against two regional rivals to round out the 20-game schedule. Games will be played primarily on weekends with 14 games scheduled for weeknights, primarily on Wednesdays. Weeknight games will not begin until midway through the season on June 3.

Every week, Fox Soccer Channel will broadcast "WPS Sunday on FSC" nationally to over 34 million homes with appointment television. The season culminates with the WPS Playoffs including the First Round, Super Semifinal and WPS Final. The WPS Final on August 22 will reach up to 80 million homes nationally on Fox Sports Net's owned and affiliated regional sports networks.

The WPS regular season culminates the weekend of August 8/9 with three league games. The first round of the playoffs will be played August 15, the WPS Super Semifinal is set for August 18/19 with the WPS Final scheduled for August 22 at the home field of the 2009 WPS Regular Season Champion. The All-Star Game will be played following the conclusion of the season.

The complete WPS schedule is here.

The Sol schedule is here.

In other women's soccer news, U.S. Women's National Team Coach Pia Sundhage today announced an 18-player roster for the annual 12-team Algarve Cup scheduled for March in Portugal.

Striker Abby Wambachis not included; she's not yet considered match-fit, while continuing her comeback from a broken leg.

Here's the roster:
Goalkeepers - Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Hope Solo (St. Louis Athletica)

Defenders - Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Lori Chalupny (St. Louis Athletica), Kendall Fletcher (Los Angeles Sol), Heather Mitts (Boston Breakers), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC)

Midfielders - Shannon Boxx (Los Angeles Sol), Tina DiMartino (FC Gold Pride), Carli Lloyd (Chicago Red Stars), Heather O'Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Lindsay Tarpley (Chicago Red Stars), Kacey White (Sky Blue FC), Angie Woznuk (St. Louis Athletica).

Forwards - Angela Hucles (Boston Breakers), Natasha Kai (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (Chicago Red Stars), Amy Rodriguez (Boston Breakers).

Here's a roster breakdown from U.S. Soccer:

The U.S. roster features 13 players from the 2008 Olympic gold medal champions, including three-fourths of the starting back line in captain Christie Rampone and flank defenders Heather Mitts and Lori Chalupny. With Kate Markgraf pregnant, Olympian Rachel Buehler and uncapped Kendall Fletcher will compete for playing time, although Torrance's Shannon Boxx also trained at center back during the recently completed camp. Boxx has twice been named the MVP of the Algarve Cup (2004 and 2006).

Sundhage named three relatively inexperienced midfielders to go along with Olympians Boxx, Lindsay Tarpley, Heather O'Reilly and Lloyd. Among midfielders Angie Woznuk (6 caps, 1 goal), Tina DiMartino (1/0) and Kacey White (15/0), only Woznuk has attended the Algarve Cup before, playing in two matches last year.

The U.S. plays Demark, Iceland and Norway in the opening round of the Algarve Cup.

Lastly, Chivas USA midfielder Jorge Flores and UCLA goalkeeper Brian Perk are among a 26-player group that will train in Bradenton, Fla., until Feb. 15 as part of final preparations for the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, which takes place in Trinidad and Tobago from March 6-15.

After the camp, U.S. Coach Thomas Rongen will name a 20-player squad for the championship.

His soon to be aborted American adventure with the Galaxy makes three.

The first came in 1998, when a petulant Beckham threw away England's best chance of winning the World Cup since its lone triumph in 1966, getting himself sent off with a childish, retaliatory foul in the second round against Argentina.

The second came in 2003 when Manchester United Manager Alex Ferguson showed him the door at the world's biggest club, concerned his growing fame and celebrity was undermining the team.

And now Beckham has failed in MLS, playing no small role in transforming what was the league's flagship franchise into its worst. A player who was supposed to bring star power and credibility to MLS instead merely exposed the inherent weaknesses of a league with a relatively low salary cap and small squads.

In the end, Beckham proved he's no Pele or even a Juan Pablo Angel.

Beckham is a simple, uncomplicated chap. What you see is what you get.

I have no doubt that when he originally left on loan for AC Milan it was, as he said, to keep fit at his relatively advanced age of 33 during what is by soccer standards a long off-season.

In Milan, he was allowed to do what he could not in MLS; play a specific role that emphasized his strengths rather than expose his increasing fragility, surrounded by players as good or better than him.

Beckham has said he was surprised by how much he enjoyed playing for Milan. The bigger surprise is that he was surprised by that.

It became clear last season, playing for an abysmal team surrounded by average players, that Beckham was both increasingly frustrated and disinterested.

Some players are capable of making a team better, hauling less talented teammates up to their level, inspiring them and setting an example.

Beckham is not that kind of player.

At the Galaxy, it became clear with virtually every pass, every cross and every free kick Beckham made that he needed a competent and accomplished supporting cast. That safety net simply did not exist.

Beckham is a role player with a knack for sublime free kicks and long, accurate passes perhaps no other player in the world can duplicate.

But when Beckham continually sends in crosses teammates are unable to finish or make passes less talented players are incapable of reading, the predictable result is a disenchanted, dissatisfied player.

Beckham's inaugural, injury-plagued season was little more than joke - some might use the word scam - that saw him make just two MLS starts, despite drawing huge crowds wherever he didn't appear.

Last season was in some respects even worse, his mediocre output of five goals and 10 assists in 25 MLS starts serving largely to underline his, and the team's, lack of achievements.

The often maligned Landon Donovan proved last year that even on a horrific team a talented player can have the best season of his career, especially if he's motivated by the prospect of a lucrative move abroad.

Donovan deserves a move to Bayern Munich and the U.S. National Team is likely to benefit from a player turning out for one of the world's best teams in one of this planet's best leagues.

Beckham had no such motivation.

Commercially, he had already enriched himself and Galaxy owners Anschutz Entertainment Group merely by signing on the dotted line of his $6.5 million a year contract and adding even more lucrative commercial endorsements along the way in the world's largest economy.

MLS may be a second-rate league - as is every other in the world outside of England, Italy, Germany and Spain - but it is incredibly demanding.

On the field, MLS is a physical, tough slog full of young, strapping athletes if not overly-talented players. Off it, there are thousands of miles of air travel and frequent time zone shifts capable of sapping the stamina of all but the most focused players.

Beckham, it's clear, was never focused. Worse, he underestimated the demands of MLS. Beckham has more in common with failures like Lothar Matthaus than successes such as Darren Huckerby.

There are 45 days until the season begins.

Replacing players of the stature of Beckham and Donovan will not be easy in that short time frame. But it does give Coach Bruce Arena considerable latitude under the salary cap to find a talented playmaker capable of putting his mark on the team in a way Beckham never did.

Beckham has failed - again, again and again - when it mattered most.

His time has gone. It's time for the Galaxy and American soccer to move on.

Because the only thing worse than failing is not owning up to a mistake.

And Beckham has proved a colossal mistake.

For the first time today, Galaxy midfielder David Beckham said publicly he wants to leave the Carson-based team and join A.C. Milan for good:

"I have expressed my desire to stay at AC Milan now, and it's just down to Milan and Galaxy to come to an agreement," he said. ""I've said what my feelings are to both clubs."

Naturally, the Galaxy aren't talking.

Below is the story that will appear in the newspaper Thursday.

From staff and news reports

David Beckham wants to leave the Galaxy and stay with AC Milan after his stay with the Italian team ends next month.

The English midfielder announced his intentions Wednesday after playing in Milan's 2-2 tie at Glasgow Rangers in Glasgow, Scotland.

Beckham has played well with the Italian club during his three-month loan, which is up March 8.

"At the moment my lawyers are not talking to the Galaxy," Beckham said. "But I have expressed my desire to stay at AC Milan now, and it's just down to Milan and Galaxy to come to an agreement."

"I have enjoyed my time here," he added. "I knew I would enjoy it but I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I have and do as well as I have."

Beckham is about two years into a $32.5 million, five-year contract with Major League Soccer. The Galaxy had no immediate comment.

"At this point it's out of my hands," the 33-year-old star said. "I've said what my feelings are to both clubs."

Since coming to Italy, Beckham has scored twice and helped to lift Milan to second place in the Serie A standings.

Beckham has five goals over parts of two seasons with the Galaxy.

"At the moment I'm still a Galaxy player," he said. "I respect the Galaxy and everything they have done for me. They have always been great to me."

Beckham wants to maintain his place on the England national team and play at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Before joining AC Milan, he said playing in Italy against top-flight international competition would allow him to stay in shape.

"To be given the chance again to play at this level at my age is pretty incredible and I've enjoyed it so much I would like to continue it," he said. "I think people have seen the way I've been since playing at this level again."

"It's nothing against the MLS and the football over there because it's a game that will grow, but it will take quite a few years," he added. "I'm still confident that will happen eventually, but I want to have a chance of being involved in 2010 and I believe my best chance of doing so is to remain here."

Galaxy coach Bruce Arena has avoided the recent speculation that Beckham would try to get out of his MLS contract.

"I'm expecting him to be coming back here and having a full season and that he's healthy and he plays well," Arena said last week.

After two seasons of Beckham-induced upheaval, which included a third consecutive non-playoff season, the Galaxy appear to be on another collision course with some turmoil.

Added to the mix is that Landon Donovan, the top goal scorer in MLS last season, doesn't appear to be headed back from his loan to Bayern Munich either.

"I don't have a gut feeling as to whether I'm going to be teammates with (Donovan and Beckham) this year," veteran Galaxy defender Chris Klein said last week. "Each situation is different. I've spoken to Landon and he's made very public his desire to stay there. As a friend, I want what's best for him and he is playing very well. And Bayern Munich is one of the best clubs in the world. Would I fault him or would I fault David for wanting to stay or exploring the opportunity? No."

"But I also understand from an MLS standpoint and an L.A. Galaxy standpoint, we have needs too and those are two of the best players in our league and who wouldn't want to have them?"

As AC Milan heads to Scotland today for a friendly with Glasgow Rangers where a crowd of 40,000 is expected at Ibrox, David Beckham's lawyers are allegedly in talks with the Galaxy to secure his release either by extending his loan or buying him outright. Can we get this over with one way or another already?

More on the game is here.

Meanwhile, this is likely the only way soccer is ever going to get on the cover of ESPN: The Magazine.

It's on sale now, BTW.

Check out the video:

The L.A. Women's Professional Soccer entrant describes Aya Miyama "as the cornerstone of the Japanese Women's National Team and observes she is "touted as one of the best young players in the world."

She'll be introduced at a 10 a.m. press conference at Home Depot Center. This is a big deal in the Japanese-language press with more than a half dozen outlets attending the event.

The English remember her - and gave her the nickname - after she scored two goals from direct free kicks against them at the 2007 Women's World Cup.

And any player who has a rocking out video like this is going to be worth watching:

Miyama joins several other high-profile foreign players WPS signed this week including: Australian Heather Garriock (95 caps and 14 goals) and Swedes Caroline Jönsson and Frida Östberg (all Chicago Red Stars), Brazilian midfielder Formiga, 30, (FC Gold Pride) and England's Alex Scott (Boston Breakers).

WPS announces its complete schedule Thursday.

In other local soccer news:
*Chivas USA announced today they have resigned midfielder Sasha Victorine to a new contract; Victorine is out with a long-term injury and isn't expected back until mid-May at the earliest. The ex-Galaxy midfielder scored two goals and notched one assist in four starts with Chivas USA last year after signing from the Kansas City Wizards.

*Three excellent games on tap in Ventura beginning Sunday when the Pacific Development League Ventura County Fusion play at 5 p.m. against Real Salt Lake, followed by a 7 p.m. Feb. 11 game against Sigi Schmid's expansion (ahem) Seattle Sounders and a 7 p.m. Feb. 16 encounter with Swedish Premier Division Team GAIS. All games are at Buena High.

Tickets are $25 for all three games or $10 apiece. More info at www.vcfusion.com.

The Galaxy's new-look defense is taking shape.

The Galaxy announced Tuesday they have reacquired 28-year-old full back Todd Dunivant from Toronto in exchange for allocation money.

Dunivant, a 2003 draft pick by the San Jose Earthquakes, first played for the Galaxy in 2005, playing every minute of every regular season (and post-season) game as the club won the MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup double.

The epitome of consistency, many observers were not pleased when Dunivant was traded to the New York Red Bulls midway through the 2006 season, where he was soon joined by Bruce Arena.

"I strongly believe that Todd will be an outstanding addition to our team and we're excited to have him returning to the LA Galaxy," Arena said. "I've known him for a number of years with both the national team and New York Red Bulls and am confident that he will be able to help our club this season."

Dunivant began training with the Galaxy today. Ankle injuries limited him to a career-low nine games last season with Toronto, who he joined in 2007.

Arena has no doubt penciled Dunivant in as left back, with last year's MLS Rookie of the Year Sean Franklin installed as right back.

There are a dozen potential bidders for the two competitions.

I took a look at the U.S. chances in today's column, although England in 2018 and Australia in 2022 look like the early favorites.

Fairly short notice I know, but the Galaxy and Chivas USA announced Monday that they would co-host a bone marrow drive the following day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Event Suite 1 in Home Depot Center.

The (edited) press release:

The LA Galaxy, Chivas USA and The Home Depot Center are asking fans and the Los Angeles community to join in their efforts to assist Marcia Williams, the wife of Real Salt Lake and Jamaican National Team midfielder Andy Williams, who has been diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and has been unable to find a match through the national donor registry.

The matches do not have to be in the same ethnicity, but similar backgrounds make a match far more likely and ethnic donors are considerably harder to find, according to the National Marrow Donor Program.

City of Hope will be on site to facilitate the process, which entails completing a short questionnaire and then giving a swab of cheeks cells. Please note, while we are seeking to find a match for Marcia, all donors will be entered into the NATIONAL BONE MARROW REGISTRY and may be contacted if they are a match for someone in need.

Meanwhile, although I was unable to get out to the Galaxy or Chivas USA camps today, while on a teleconference call with U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati (see Tuesday's column for more on that) the respective teams reported that:

*Free agent defender Yohance Marshall, a Trinidad & Tobago Under-21 international and four-year starter at South Florida, joined the Galaxy camp.

*Argentine defender midfielder Fernando Screpis, who formerly played for Scottish team Hearts, has joined the Chivas USA camp along with midfielder Miloš Pejovic

Briefly:

*U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati will fill reporters in on the federation's bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups on a conference call in about an hour. I'll have more on that in Tuesday's column.

*Meanwhile, Mexico's squad to face the U.S. in next week's opening World Cup qualifier of the final round was named and is the subject of (some) amusement and (much) criticism.

* And the final Gold Cup entrants were decided Sunday.

Ah, if only David Beckham had a classy supporting cast like this in Carson.

The clamor for the Galaxy midfielder to join AC Milan on a permanent basis is only likely to grow after he created the first two goals in AC Milan's emphatic 3-0 win Sunday over Lazio.

The first came from an inch-perfect Beckham cross, the second from a trademark free kick as AC Milan closed the gap on intra-city rivals Inter Milan at the top of Serie A.

That makes two goals and two assists in his last three games for AC Milan.

Game details.

Highlights:

Updated: And after that performance, Milan are "desperate" to kick Becks.