March 2009 Archives

Former Galaxy midfielder Sasha Victorine scored two goals in five games after arriving from Kansas in mid-season last year and then suffered the worst injury of his career. I caught up with him the other day after training to get an update on his progress.

Question: How are you doing with rehab?
Answer: I'm not full practicing yet - hopefully in the next couple of weeks. The first four months or so has been good recovery-wise. ... The full use of my knee and my body has been a little difficult these last three weeks. We're still in the process of trying to get my full range of motion - the feeling I can do anything I want on the field without feeling any pain.

Q: So when do they project you should return?
A: Projections for these things are incredible. One guy recovers in nine months, one guy recovers in five months - it just depends. The projection (for me) has always been six to eight (months). But my feeling has always been close to five, so five would put me in the middle of April. I think I'm still on track for it. ... I still get occasional pain on certain moves - my turns and acceleration.

Q: It must have been frustrating sustaining an injury of this magnitude so soon after your arrival back in the South Bay?
Q: It was frustrating to me because after I had my injury I felt like I had a chance to make it on the playoff roster and I was two days away from getting back in the lineup ... and we found a couple of pieces floating around in my knee and the doctors shut me down and said you're done for the year. So at that point it was tough because obviously I'm sitting there watching the team play and I knew I felt I could help them if I could just get out there, but I wasn't allowed to. That was the tough part.

Q: What do you think is causing all these injuries at the club?
A: It's something we have to look at and see what's causing it- training-wise, staff-wise, players-wise and see what we can all do to make it better.

Q: Is Preki too tough on you guys?
A: The benefit for playing at a coach at this level, who has played even at a higher level than you, is that he obviously knows what he has done on the field, how to get teams prepared - he's kind of gone through the same thing. ... He does an amazing job preparing guys and getting in hard trainings.

Q: Do you like yoga? (Preki is famous for his adherence to yoga)
A: I like yoga. It's one of the things I do in the off-season myself just to stay flexible and limber and stuff. I think it is useful. I was talking to Chis Henderson when I was back in Kansas City talking about it is that what he used to do it in New York. And one of the things they had found was if you do yoga, do it on a consistent basis, otherwise you're more likely to create injuries. You've got to do it (at least) weekly, if not then probably not do it at all.

The week is young, but this is one of the funnier soccer-related press releases I've seen lately (and one of the briefest) from the PR staff of WPS team L.A. Sol in the wake of its inaugural game Sunday in Carson -

Attention media:

Please note that the team name Los Angeles Sol should be pronounced like "Soul" or "Sole" not "Saul."

Thanks

Leave it to a bunch of gringos to mispronounce a three-letter word and replace it with the name of someone's Jewish grandfather, (as one Jewish media colleague of mine observed). "Sol" means "sun" in Spanish, BTW.

The culprits were apparently several media outlets including the play by play team on national television.

AP Photo

Joy for El Salvador and Eliseo Quintanilla, left, bemusement for the U.S. and defender Heath Pearce, who unwittingly seemed to sum up his Saturday night in this shot as the Americans go a goal down after just 15 minutes.

The U.S. plays Trinidad & Tobago at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday live on ESPN2 and Galavision, just four days after narrowly averting defeat in El Salvador.

I attempted to put the draw that Galaxy defender Tony Sanneh described as a "wake up call" in perspective in today's column.

Meanwhile, there are no prizes for guessing who the world's highest-paid footballer is.

I spoke with Warren Olney today about the inaugural Women's Professional Soccer game in Carson Sunday between the Sol and Washington Freedom.

Listen here.

The bit with me is the last 15 minutes or so of the program if you don't want to listen to a discussion of "Public Health, Childhood Vaccines and Autism."

Photo by Juan Miranda/Chivas USA

I just returned from Galaxy training this morning where I chatted with Coach Bruce Arena and several players about the atrocious U.S. performance against El Salvador Saturday to discover Chivas USA left back/left half Jonny Bornstein has not surprisingly been added to the roster for Wednesday's game in Nashville against Trinidad & Tobago.

Bornstein's versatility should give the left side of the U.S. team added stability given the stuttering performances of the likes of left back Heath Pearce on the weekend.

The Los Alamitos resident hasn't yet recaptured the form that saw him win the 2006 MLS Rookie of the Year award, but seems likely to add to his 14 U.S. caps in midweek.

I'll have more on the U.S. Men's National Team in Tuesday's column.

Also:
*The Galaxy announced today they have sold more than 20,000 tickets for the July 19 friendly against AC Milan at Home Depot Center. All the most inexpensive seats have gone; prices range from $60-$100 for the seats that are left.

*Four players from this weekend's 2009 Sueno MLS tryouts in San Bernadino have qualified for the final event in L.A. April 9-12. They are: midfielder Mikon Orellana, 15, a native of El Salvador who drove from his Provo, Utah home for the tryout; left back Hector Ramos, a native of Mexican-border town Mexicali; central defender Javier Rodriguez, who commuted (!) between his North Las Vegas home and Southern California Saturday and Sunday to participate; and forward Cesar Silva of Anaheim, a former youth player with Mexican team Atlas.

*Finally, your faithful blogger will be on "Which Way, L.A.?" with Warren Olney tonight on 89.9 KCRW between 7 and 8 o'clock talking about the inaugural WPS game Sunday at Home Depot Center.

Photos by Steve McCrank

It was a different audience from the average Galaxy game.

Game story.

Here's the take of columnist Jill Painter.

Photo gallery.

Here's a sampling of the reaction to the game.

Washington Freedom Coach Jim Gabarra on the atmosphere:

"It was great; obviously a world class stadium. I was very pleased with the product on the field. From my experience, the level of play was better than that of the WUSA inaugural game."

Sol Coach Abner Rogers' assessment of the game:

"To open up the inaugural season and come out with a victory is very pleasing. There were times when we played very well, but fitness was a bit of an issue for both teams, as you could see. It is only going to get better. I was definitely happy. We dodged a few bullets; even though we came out with a good victory, it was very beneficial."

Sol midfielder Shannon Boxx on the atmosphere surrounding the game:

"People are excited. They had a fun time. It was an exciting match both ways. People have to realize it's just going to get better. This is just our first game. We're going to get better as a team. D.C. is going to get better as a team."

Abby Wambach on how the Freedom are coalescing:

"We're still trying to learn about each other. It's going to take time. We have a good coaching staff in place that is not freaking out. We have experienced players on the field that aren't freaking out. We just have to take it one step at a time. And we might have to suffer some losses and learn some tough lessons. Obviously, one of our main objectives today was to shut Marta down and I think we did a really good job of it."

On how the WPS compares with the WUSA:

"Apples to oranges. Different time, different players, different feel. The WUSA was great for what that was worth; it was a stepping stone to where we are now. We have our own professional league again and more than anything that is the most important thing."

On how it feels to play competitive soccer again:

"I feel like a little kid, like I'm learning for the first time again. I don't know if it's because I haven't played on a consistent basis for eight and a half months I just feel so blessed to be out here - to be able to run around and get sweaty - to play with people that I care about."

On the atmosphere:

"It exceeded my expectations; I didn't think there would be this many people here. I think the Sol put on a great game, a great venue. Fortunately for them they came out with a win and it will probably keep some people coming back to this venue."

Washington Freedom goalkeeper Briana Scurry on how the team played in only its third full game together:

"We're still getting to know each other and figure out how each other plays, tendencies and whatnot, but I thought we played pretty well considering the short notice. It was tough for both teams to play a week earlier (than other WPS teams), but it was good in the sense that now we have a game we can look at and say 'what do we need to work at' for the next game."

Sol 2 Freedom 0

It was more than a little disjointed at times and occasionally it seemed like the vast expanse of Home Depot Center turf was swallowing up the 22 players, but an announced 14,832 saw the Sol win the first-ever WPS game Sunday at Home Depot Center.

Camille Abily sealed the win in the 87th minute from an assist by Marta after the Freedom were caught pressing forward for the equalizer.

The closest the Freedom came to a goal was in the 64th minute when Lori Lindsey hit the post. The Freedom had just two shots on target the whole game (the Sol had eight).

Complete game stats.

More after the post-game press conference.

It's 1-0 Sol.

Nothing spectacular from either team, but a good solid start for the Sol - and league.

The Sol had the better of the attacking play, with the Freedom prompting just two saves from Sol goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc.

Marta has looked a little isolated up front at times though.

"Clearly the level of play is extremely high and I hope the fans are having a good time, too," Commissioner Tonya Antonucci said at half time in the press box. "This crowd is definitely something that's exceeded my expectations."

Allison Faulk scored the first-ever WPS goal from a sixth minute header off a Aya Miyama free kick.

There's more than 10,000 here, according to Twittering Sol GM Charlie Naimo.

The Sol lineup: goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, defenders Kendall Fletcher, Allison Faulk, Bittney Bock, Stephanie Coxx; midfielders Aya Miyama, captain Shannon Boxx, Camille Abily, Manya Makoski, Han Duan, marta.

The Freedom has Briana Scurry in goal, U.S. international Cat Whitehill in defense and Abby Wambach up front.

Aly Wagner has Twittered ladies and gentlemen: "Not a bad start!"

Updated: The Twittering is coming thick and fast - Wagner's so nervous she "can't even eat my sandwich that I made n brought...not so much a fan of stadium food...no offense oscar meyer."

Updated (43rd minute): "Certainly not a clinic for the final pass but nice to have a lead," said GM Naimo.

Responded Wagner: "That's cause I'm on the bench mr. Gm sir!!"

FC Dallas 0 Chivas USA 2

Two delightful second half goals by Mexican striker Eduardo Lillingston and Serbian midfielder Bojan Stepanovic proved enough to dispatch Dallas on their home turf and send the now 2-0 Chivas USA to the top of the MLS standings (where they are tied with expansion team Seattle).

The first goal came from a lovely setup by debutant Gerson Mayen, whose precise delivery enabled Lillingston to glide the ball home virtually without breaking stride in the 56th minute. It was almost the first thing Lillingston had done all game.

The second came all of six minutes after Stepanovic had entered the game for Lillingston. The Serbian seized upon an opportunity to pick up a loose ball deep in the Dallas half in the 75th minute, ran at a startled Steve Purdy and helped himself to a goal on his MLS debut.

Dallas falls to 0-2.

Highlights:

Dallas 0 Chivas USA 0

Both sides have had chances, but both teams have wasted good chances in front of net, with Kenny Cooper squandering chances for Dallas and Atiba Harris shooting straight at the Dallas goalkeeper from point blank range for Chivas USA.

"Kenny Cooper is running free too much and getting chances," Jesse Marsch said at the half on television, acknowledging that Chivas USA need to be crisper with their passing and shut down Dallas better defensively.

Chivas USA miss striker Maykel Galindo (who is on the bench).

The game is underway and is being televised live on Prime and TeleFutura.

Lineups and info on Match Tracker.

U.S. Under-20 international Gerson Mayen is making his MLS debut for Chivas USA.

AP Photo

El Salvador's Rene Gonzales, left, and the rest of his team presented a bigger hurdle for the Galaxy's Landon Donovan and his U.S. teammates than expected.

*That was close - a below par U.S. clawed back a two-goal deficit Saturday to tie El Salvador 2-2 in World Cup qualifying.

*Chivas USA seeks its second consecutive win to open the MLS season against Dallas at noon (live on TeleFutura and Prime) and will face their opponents' backup goalkeeper.

*More than 10,000 are expected at Home Depot Center today for the inaugural Women's Professional Soccer game between the L.A. Sol and Washington Freedom (live at 3 p.m. on Fox Soccer Channel). The Sol perspective is here; more on the Freedom is here.

* Gameday rosters here.

Sol injuries: Midfielder Aly Wagner is doubtful with a left hip strain (and won't start - she's Twittering) and striker Han Duan is listed as probable with a left knee sprain.

Twittering details:

Follow Wagner here.

Follow the Freedom's Kati Jo Spisak here.

Follow WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci here.

Follow Sol General Manager Charlie Naimo here.

And I will blog/Twitter from the game, too.

AP Photo

The part-time Galaxy midfielder set up one of England's four goals, as well.

And he looked pretty happy about it at Wembley.

Today's (selected) games
8 a.m. GOLTV Wales-Finland
Noon GOLTV Germany-Liechtenstein
4 p.m. Telemundo Mexico-Costa Rica
4:30 p.m. Fox Socccer Channel New York Red Bulls - New England Revolution
4 p.m. GOLTV Holland-Scotland
6 p.m. ESPN/Telefutura El Salvador-U.S.

World Cup Preview
The Cal State Northridge connection to today's U.S.-El Salvador World Cup qualifier is here.

Deal Of the Week
Apparently in reaction to a crowd of fewer than 20,000 for the home opener, the Galaxy have slashed prices in a promotion they're dubbing March Madness (has a clever ring to it, doesn't it?).

For the five games against Colorado (April 4), Chivas USA (April 11), New York (May 2), Columbus (May 17) and Houston (June 28) the most expensive sideline seats (usually $75) are $14 and $50 corner seats are $24. The catch? There are a "limited number" of tickets at that price. Call 877-3GALAXY.

Long Beach State Sign Nine
Long Beach has signed nine players for the upcoming season including Shannon Bullock (right) of Manhattan Beach's Mira Costa High School. She will join her sister, Lindsay, on the team who earned Big West Midfielder of the Year honors as a sophomore in 2008.

"Shannon is an athletic winger-type player that can also play forward," said Coach Mauricio Ingrassia. "She has a competitive spirit that will push others around her to be better. Her attitude and work rate are traits that will transform her as a player and I am looking forward to seeing her development."

Youth Will Be Served
From the official Galaxy blog:

On Saturday the Galaxy will host Arsenal, one of the top clubs in Southern California, on Field No. 5 at Home Depot Center. The U-16 game begins at 1 p.m. and the U-18 game starting at 3:15.

Both teams are back in action on Sunday, hosting FC Portland from Oregon. Those games be played on Field No. 7 at the HDC, with the U-16 game starting at 11 a.m. and the U-18 game starting at 1 p.m.

The U-16's, who are coached by Steve Myles, go into the weekend with a 5-2-1 record in the SoCal Division and a 10-5-2 mark overall. As it is the Division record that determines the standings in Development Academy play, the Galaxy currently sit in third place with 16 points, two points behind Arsenal and one point behind Nomads.

The U-18's are currently coached by Pomona College head coach Bill Swartz, who recently took over the job from Warren Barton, who left the organization. They enter the weekend with a 4-4-0 mark in the SoCal Division, leaving them with 12 points, eight points behind Division leaders LAFC Chelsea, and a 7-8-2 mark overall.

Sueno MLS
Galaxy forward Edson Buddle, defender Omar González and midfielders Dema Kovalenko and Stefani Miglioranzi kick off the try-outs at 1:45 p.m. Saturday at the San Bernardino Soccer Complex, 2500 E. Pacific St. More than 1,800 would-be soccer pros will take part.

WPS begins Sunday
Finally, the Shannon Boxx WPS commercial:

Find more videos like this on Women's Professional Soccer

After training with Chivas USA for the last month, Serbian winger Bojan Stepanovic, 26, signed today as an international player.

The midfielder joins from Serbian side FK Srem and could make his debut at noon Sunday against FC Dallas in a game live on prime and TeleFutura.

"Bojan Stepanovic is a solid offensive player who hits a good final pass and can play on either side of the field," said Coach Preki, who said on the team's blog he saw him play a few years ago and kept an eye on him. "He fits well with how we play here and we hope he will bring a lot of good qualities to our team"

Stepanovic played from 2007-2009 for FK Srem of Serbia's First League (second division) and also played in the 2005-2006 season with Serbian First League club FK Vozdovac.

To make room on the senior roster, forward Justin Braun has been designated as a developmental player.

More from the team's official blog is here.

Women's Professional Soccer Commissioner Tonya Antonucci tweeted this afternoon that the L.A. Sol's Aly Wagner and the Washington Freedom's Kati Jo Spisak will Twitter from the inaugural game of the new pro league that kicks off at 3 p.m. Sunday from the Home Depot center.

Wagner hasn't signed up for Twitter yet (or at least I couldn't find her just now on a search), so I'll pass along how to receive her tweets later.

Meanwhile, here's an AP profile (and picture) of the Freedom's Abby Wambach, a South Bay resident who will play in her first competitive game Sunday since breaking her leg with the U.S. Women's National Team, which meant she missed the Olympics.

By JOSEPH WHITE
AP Sports Writer
BOYDS, Md. (AP) - Hermosa Beach resident Abby Wambach was still in the ambulance, morphine easing the pain from her broken leg, when she got a call phone from her hero, mentor and friend Mia Hamm.

The conversation - between the most prolific international goal-scorer of all time and the
person who will likely take over that title someday - began like something from the
theater of the absurd.

"She said, 'What are you doing, why are you picking up?'" Wambach said. "I'm like, 'Why are you calling me if you didn't want to talk?'"

As they shared information about the injury, Hamm was as devastated as Wambach.

The fracture, from a collision with a Brazilian player during an exhibition game on July 16 2008, would keep the United States' most powerful scoring threat out of the women's soccer tournament at the Beijing Olympics.

"She knew what an impact I would be," Wambach said, "and she knew how difficult it was going to be."

Hamm, a Manhattan Beach resident who lives only 10 minutes from Wambach, would bring her twins over to Wambach's house as a sort of divert-your-mind therapy.

Wambach watched every minute of every game on television, occasionally yelling at the screen as her teammates won the gold.

Wambach also chilled out.

She played the guitar, read a lot and went surfing once her leg would permit it.

The downtime led to a realization: Before the injury, she had worn herself to
a perfection-driven frazzle trying to be The Next Mia Hamm.

"I definitely did a lot of soul searching," Wambach said. "Why did I break my leg? Why the timing? Why then? I think I really need to consider what this game meant to me and why I played it. I was stressed during that time going into the Olympics, and that's not what brings the best out of me. I couldn't show it to anybody. I didn't want anybody to know -- and that's the game. It's a really big mind game when you're going into a world event like that. It's comical how stressed I was, because then I'm laying on my couch with a broken leg, I'm like, 'Why was I even thinking about being so stressed? It's a game.'

"And so when they won, it was even more calming to me, like, 'I'm really not all that
important.' Of course I am, but I'm not the end-all and be-all."

Wambach returned to the practice field this month at the wind-swept facilities of the Maryland SoccerPlex in the far-out suburbs of the nation's capital, practicing with her new-old team, the Washington Freedom.

Wambach played for the Freedom during the three-year run of the WUSA,
and she is back with the franchise again for the launch of the new Women's Professional Soccer league, which debuts when Washington plays the Sol on Sunday.

"I personally think that (the injury) is going to extend my career five years longer," Wambach said. "First of all, getting eight months rest for your muscles and your joints and your body, and then the mental thing where if I was stressed like that and we kept winning, I would have stayed that stressed. I wouldn't have been able to really detach myself from playing."

Not that Wambach looks any different on the field. She is still big, strong, powerful and
agile - a nightmare for any defender.

Off the field, she is still a goofball who has yet to meet a practical joke she doesn't like, yet also a person who speaks her mind as a budding humanitarian and philanthropist.

She was one of nine American athletes the Chinese listed as potential troublemakers during the run-up to the Olympics.

So, yes, Wambach is still living life 100 miles per hour.

"Now she's going 100 miles per hour - but she knows where she's going," said Briana Scurry, the longtime U.S. national team goalkeeper and Wambach's teammate with the Freedom.

Wambach is Exhibit A why the U.S. needs a topflight league to support its Olympic and World Cup teams.

She was a bundle of nerves during her first camps with the U.S. team eight years
ago, but her games with the Freedom - with Hamm as a teammate - allowed her to showcase her talent and win the confidence of then-coach April Heinrichs.

Wambach has an amzing 99 goals in 127 games in international play as well as a gold medal from the 2004 Olympics in Greece. At age 28, she's well within striking distance of the world record of 158 goals set by Hamm, who retired after the Athens Games.

Oddly enough, the new league could hinder Wambach's chances of reaching the record because the national team will play fewer games to accommodate the WPS schedule.

Also, Germany's Birgit Prinz (122 goals at age 31) could overtake Hamm first.

Right now, however, Wambach's priorities are the Freedom and the new league, which both have more modest budgets and expectations than the failed WUSA. Even so, leagues need stars, and she knows that's a role she's expected to fill.

"I was clueless six years ago when I first got to the Washington Freedom," Wambach said. "I didn't know what I was doing. It's just totally different. I feel confident. The things that I've learn the past six years will really help this team, and really the league. I'm in more of a leadership role and a role where you set the standard, so how I train, how I play, the mistakes that I make, how I present myself, it all makes a difference."

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho flew to Los Angeles today where he is expected to tour UCLA's facilities in preparation for this summer's workouts the team will hold there.

And, of course, Chelsea plays Inter Milan at the Rose Bowl July 21 as part of four-team, six-city round robin tournament that also includes Club America and AC Milan dubbed the World Football Challenge.

Briefly:

*Galaxy squad player Leonard Griffin goes under the knife today in Munich for a hernia operation. Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts is still not in full training. And those of you with fantasy football teams should know Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers of the Columbus Crew is not expected to play Saturday so he can rest a hamstring issue.

*For what it's worth English tabloid the Daily Mail is the latest media outlet to speculate about Mexican Coach Sven Goran Eriksson and his job security (or lack thereof).

*Chivas USA fan group the Union Ultras host a viewing party for the club's game in Dallas Sunday in West Covina.

*And the Croatian community in San Pedro is gearing up for its third annual Small Goals Tournament set for May 23 to coincide with Croatian Independence Day.

Top draft pick Michael Lahoud.

He sustained a "minor concussion" in last weekend's win over Colorado after coming on in the 54th minute. The Wake Forest product hasn't practiced all week; it's unknown whether he'll be ready for Sunday's encounter in Dallas.

Also, former Galaxy defender Abel Xavier is no longer training with the club.

And yeah, the headline is in order of importance.

Heartwarming tale of a Los Angeles-area girls youth soccer team who won a championship, but then couldn't afford to travel to the tournament they had qualified for.

(Any yeah, I know Ryan Seacrest is involved, it's still worth a listen).

Check it out here.

The Sol also trimmed its roster today ahead of Sunday's WPS opener against the Washington Freedom. Here's the roster.

Sol midfielder, Olympian, gold medal winner and South (Torrance) High grad Shannon Boxx was awarded the key to the city she grew up in at Tuesday's City Council meeting by starstruck Mayor Frank Scotto (a huge soccer fan and long-time coach) with her mom, Julie, looking on from the audience.

"I'm nervous just standing up here with you," Scotto said after twisting his tongue a couple of times as he prepared to present the U.S. Women's National Team midfielder with a proclamation on what was dubbed Shannon Boxx day, while receiving a Sol jersey in return.

Scotto added later: "We are very proud to call her one of our own."

Boxx, twin Olympic gold medals dangling around her neck, seemed genuinely touched by the honor.

"I've been everywhere in the world," she said. "I've lived in different states and countries and somehow Torrance always draws me back. ... I love the key - the fact I have my own day is pretty big, too."

Coincidentally, the city was also honoring the championship-winning South High girls team that evening so Boxx was naturally recruited to present each player with a certificate and added a Sol shirt for the coach and hats for the players.

Boxx and the Sol debut Sunday at Home Depot Center against the Washington Freedom.

The proclamation

Chelsea's John Terry celebrates after scoring a goal in 2007 at Home Depot Center.

It could be a special game; Chelsea didn't meet the Italian team in the European Champions League this season, making the game the club's first reunion with the Special One and former Manager Jose Mourinho since he (ahem) left.

"We'll look forward to re-engaging with Jose at that game," Chelsea Chief Executive Peter Kenyon told me this morning from New York where a press conference was scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. Pacific.

"We managed to miss him in the draw in the Champions League," he added. "This will also be the first time there's competitive contact between the two clubs."

Tickets go on sale today at www.worldfootballchallenge.com (I'm told the link will go live later today, BTW).

The game is part of a nationally televised, four-team, six-city round robin tournament that also includes Club America and AC Milan in what's being called the World Football Challenge.

"We're looking forward to playing in the Rose Bowl, which is one of the iconic stages (in sport)," said

Here's the full schedule:

Sunday, July 19
Club America vs. FC Internazionale Milano at Stanford Stadium (Palo Alto, Calif.)
4 p.m. ESPN2

Tuesday, July 21
Chelsea FC vs. FC Internazionale Milano at the Rose Bowl
8 p.m. ESPN2

Wednesday, July 22
AC Milan vs. Club America at the Georgia Dome (Atlanta)
4 p.m. EST on ESPN2

Friday, July 24
AC Milan vs. Chelsea FC at M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore)
5 p.m. ESPN

Sunday, July 26
AC Milan vs. FC Internazionale Milano at Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)
2 p.m. ESPN2

Sunday, July 26
Chelsea FC vs. Club America at Cowboy Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
4 p.m. ESPN2

Yes, the idea is to make money. And yes, in a sense it's taking money out of MLS teams' pockets.

But let's face it, a lot of Eurosnobs don't go to MLS games anyway. And what soccer fan is going to pass up the opportunity to see the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Ronaldinho, Kaká, Zlatan Ibrahimovich, Andrea Pirlo, Pavel Pardo, Guillermo Ochoa and Adriano. Beckham who?

It's the fifth time in six years Chelsea have played preseason games in the U.S., Kenyon said. That has prompted Chelsea's U.S. fan base to more than double in the last three years and is now well over two million supporters strong, Kenyon said.

How much hunger is there here for European soccer? Last May's UEFA Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester United was seen by a record 1.1 million viewers in the U.S.

Chelsea last played in Southern California two years ago in the World Series of Football at Home Depot Center. Fans will remember the game for a crunching tackle by Steve Sidwell on David Beckham that exacerbated the injury he was carrying when he arrived from Real Madrid and helped ruin his and the Galaxy's season.

The Sol and Washington Freedom open the inaugural Women's Professional Soccer season Sunday at Home Depot Center.

I took a look at the league and the grass roots marketing strategy being employed in this week's column.

Updated: BTW, today is Shannon Boxx Day in the city of Torrance; the Sol midfielder, who grew up in Torrance, will be honored at tonight's City Council meeting, which begins at 7 o'clock at City Hall, 3031 Torrance Blvd.

Coincidentally, the South High girls team, which Boxxy played for between 1991 and 1995, will also receive a certificate of recognition tonight for winning the CIF-SS Division 5 Championship. How's that for motivation?

I stopped blogging about high school soccer last year and I don't think any readers noticed (or at least said anything). All the newspapers this bog is affiliated with have prep sports blogs now and I didn't want to be redundant.

But what about youth soccer?

Do you care? Let me know.

U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team
The U.S. beat Bolivia 2-1 today and faces Argentina Wednesday and Uruguay Friday in Buenos Aires as part of a three-game trip in South America ahead of the CONCACAF U-17 Championship in Tijuana.

Southern Californians on the squad include midfielders Luis Gil (Pateadores; Garden Grove) and Carlos Martinez (Wilmington Juniors; San Pedro).

U.S. Under-17 Women's National Team
The team holds a 24-player camp from April 5-11 as part of early preparations for the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.

Among the locals called in are midfielder Katie Speidel (Real So Cal/Oak Park) and striker Courtney Proctor (Santa Clarita United Blazers/Santa Clarita).

U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team
The U.S. will hold its first training camp of the year April 4-11 at Home Depot Center with Southern Californians on the roster including forwards Michelle Cruz (Slammers/Thousand Oaks) and Samantha Johnson (Real So Cal/Palmdale).

U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team
UCLA Coach Jillian Ellis has been named coach of the U.S. U-20 team as it begins a new cycle that will hopefully culminate in Germany with a spot in the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup; she had previously served as coach of the team, but had stepped down in January 2008 after she was named assistant coach with the national team. Now she will continue in that post and add the U-20 team (again). Got that?

2009 U.S. Youth Soccer ODP Champions
*Crowned as champions Sunday were the 1993 Girls from California South who beat North Texas 1-0 in Frisco, Texas. Locals on the roster included Marie Mackenzie of Simi Valley, Monique Pendleberry of Newbury Park, Courtney Proctor of Santa Clarita and Haley Rosen of Rolling Hills.

*The 1993 California South Boys beat Oklahoma 4-3 in OT with such locals as Christopher Lopez, Reseda; Eduardo Quezada, South Gate; Henry Rios, Norwalk; Cody Thompson, Westlake Village; and Andrew Trejo, Santa Clarita on the roster.

The first week of MLS is in the books and that means so is the first week of fantasy football for those of us who believe we can put together a better team than real life coaches.

It's going to be a long season.

My team, the South Bay Boyz, is sitting 11th in the 14 team division, already 21 points behind the leaders, Hirudinae FC.

My team is made up largely of local products (including Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers, Palos Verdes' John Thorrington and Los Alamitos' Jonny Bornstein) with the likes of Norwich City's Darren Huckerby and impressive Jamaican Dane Richards (hence the name) thrown in for good measure. And, I have to say, they must do better.

There's room for another 10 or so teams over at the 100 Percent Soccer division so sign up and giggle over who I have in goal.

And go Zakuani!

AP Photo

Landon Donovan makes it 2-1 against D.C. United from the spot Sunday. Despite the penalty call, replays showed there was no hand ball, though.

Reporter Phil Collin kindly sent along some extra quotes from Coach Bruce Arena and Landon Donovan after the 2-2 draw against D.C. United today at Home Depot Center.

Here's Donovan on the overall performance:

"As time went on we had to be more urgent and we did a pretty good job of that. For having a lot of young guys on the field I thought we did a good job of just putting the ball in dangerous areas so that guys could make plays."

On how he's adjusting to MLS after playing sparingly in Germany:

"I'm continuing to get sharper and more aware in every second of the game so that at any moment the right service comes, a ball gets knocked down, a play breaks up I'm ready for it. That's kind of what happened on the second goal. I took a chance and just made a run into a good spot and the ball got there."

On how the rookies played:

"For the most part Omar and A.J. did very well. Kyle came in and did a very good job to make a difference and he did it last week in Phoenix and he just gave us a spark. Omar, he got beat on a header that led to the first goal. He's got to know that when he goes up with his size and ability he needs to win. Other than that I thought he played very well."

Here's Arena's assessment of Donovan:

"He was quiet at times. The penalty kick helped him. He was dangerous in particular the second half. He did quite well playing the midfield in the last 15 minutes of the game. Landon's going to get better. He's not where he needs to be right now. His tenure in Germany was good but he didn't play enough. His fitness has to get a little better and he has to get a little sharper on the ball.

Arena had this short verdict of Sean Franklin's first game at right back):

"OK. He's almost a rookie basically. His first MLS game as a right back. He needs more experience. He's a young kid with a lot of potential, but he's got a long way to go."

Arena's view of A.J. DeLaGarza:

"I think he did very well. That position is new to him obviously. Because of some of the injuries we've suffered that decision to play him there was made over the last week. He's done well. He's a good smart player. He's a player with a good future.

Highlights:

Finally, Arena on the overall performance:

"Actually for the most part I thought the first half we played well. We had that breakdown right at the end of the first half. I didn't like the way we came out in the first 15 minutes (of the second half) but thoroughly enjoyed our commitment to get back in the game in the last 30 minutes. We can be better in every area ... It's going to be hard to fully assess our team until we get all our players on the field. So far it's OK. It's certainly not good enough, but it's OK at this point."

AP Photo

The Galaxy's David Beckham acknowledges the crowd after today's AC Milan game against Napoli.

Updated: David Beckham's AC Milan drew 0-0 with Napoli today and he was also called up into the England squad for the friendly against Slovakia Saturday; England also play Ukraine April 1 in a World Cup qualifier.

The game ends 2-2, an extremely fortunate Galaxy escaping with a point at home after Landon Donovan scored a PK from a non-existent hand ball and then equalized five minutes later from an offside position.

Updated: A vociferous response to my offside claim from readers. The YouTube video a reader sent along is inconclusive; Donovan is in an offside position by the time the ball enters the frame, but we don't see where he is the moment the ball is kicked. Still, it's close enough that I'm going to retract my assertion it was clearly offside. Especially since I'm a huge advocate of giving the benefit of the doubt to the forward whenever possible (and believe refs don't do that enough).

Thanks for all the responses.

A clearly offside Landon Donovan just equalized for the Galaxy from a Kyle Patterson cross in the 85th minute to claw the Galaxy back from a two goal deficit.

Landon Donovan just pulled a goal back for the Galaxy off an exceptionally fortunate PK; replays clearly showed there was no hand ball on the play that led to the spot kick.

It's 2-1 United with seven minutes or so to go.

The Galaxy's Tom Payne pretty much confirmed the game on the Galaxy telecast a few moments ago.

And tickets for the Galaxy-AC Milan 7 p.m. Sunday July 19 game go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday. Tix start at $40.

The Galaxy go 2-0 down on a 62nd minute goal by Chris Pontius, with the defense backing off (Sean Franklin got screened) and giving D.C. way too much room.

The Galaxy are without a shot on target in the second half.

Bad defending by Sean Franklin forced Dema Kovalenko to bring down D.C. United's Christian Gomez in the box just before half time. Gomez converted the spot kick.

This is not a classic by any means; until then Galaxy rookie Omar Gonzalez had perhaps gone closest for the home team with a header that went wide off a Landon Donovan corner.

Press box crowd estimates are 16,000-20,000 or about what Chivas USA drew last night. That's perhaps the first time the Galaxy haven't claimed a sell out for a home opener since their 2003 move to Home Depot Center.

No Edson Buddle for the Galaxy up front and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts is injured, too; Josh Saunders gets the start, while former teammate Josh Wicks gets the start for D.C. And it means Cal State Dominguez Hills goalkeeper Miguel Benitez (a pool goalkeeper for MLS) is on the bench for the Galaxy.

Full disclosure: I'm not at the game. But I will Twitter updates.

Lineups.

Showers and wind are expected for the Galaxy's season opener at noon (live on Prime and Telefutura) from Home Depot Center against D.C. United.

I am unable to make it out there today for the game, but will watch on TV and provide updates via Twitter. I will also preview the game on a Washington radio station prior to kickoff and you can listen on-line here.

For a preview from a Washington perspective click here.

I talked to Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena about his old club earlier in the week and this is how he sees the game:

"They're never an easy team to beat in this league, although they've been down a little bit in the last couple of years. ... I know they're dealing with a lot of injuries as well at this point in time.

"We anticipate that Emilio will be on the field - Emilio is obviously one of the top goal scorers in the league. And (Jaime) Moreno is the best goal scorer in the history of this league so that in itself is a handful. I know Francis Doe, one of their other forwards; I had him in New York and he's a very talented player.

"In the midfield I think one of the players who doesn't get the recognition he deserves is their holding midfielder Clyde Simms; he does a fabulous job and is a key to their team.

"I know there's some questions about whether (Santino) Quaranta or Fred will be available (they are both out), but my expectation is Ben Olsen is going to be playing and Ben has been one of the great players in the history of D.C. United.

"Their back line is improved. They have a young player they brought in - (Dejan) Jakovic - recently and they expect him to play in the middle with (Marc) Burch on the left and Bryan Namoff on the right, so that's a pretty solid group.

"Their goalkeeper could be (former Galaxy goalkeeper) Josh Wicks because of the injury to (Louis) Crayton (he's listed as questionable) and that would be interesting. We think the world of Josh and I was so happy he had the opportunity to stay in this league with Josh Saunders (who is expected to start for the injured Donovan Ricketts). It could be a homecoming for Josh Wicks, which will be an interesting story in itself."

A profile of Wicks, who is from San Bernardino, is here.

Two second half goals within four minutes by Paulo Nagamura gave Chivas USA a 2-1 come from behind win Saturday against the Colorado Rapids at Home Depot Center.

Updated

Quotable:

"At halftime we brought Galindo on the field, and every time we have Galindo on the field, we're a different team - that's not a secret," said Chivas USA Coach Preki. "We found a way to get two good goals by Paulo [Nagamura], and we had another 5-6 moments that I thought we could've done better. But we'll take the win the way it is."

Game details.

Paulo Nagamura has scored two goals within five minutes to put Chivas USA in the lead in the 60th minute. The first was a blast and the second wasn't shabby either.

Top draft pick Michael Lahoud has also entered the game as a sub for Chivas USA.

Maykel Galindo comes in for ineffective striker Eduardo Lillingston at the half; subbed out on your debut for Chivas USA at half time? Not a good sign for the Mexican.

A ghastly mistake by Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton has allowed the Rapids to take a 1-0 first half lead at Home Depot Center.

Thornton failed to hold a Ugo Ihemelu shot in the 30th minute, which allowed Omar Cummings to follow up and put it in the back of the net.

Didn't take long for the injury bug to bite Chivas USA, huh? Dan Kennedy, not the elderly Thornton, would surely be in goal if he wasn't injured.

And new Chivas USA striker Eduardo Lillingston has been invisible.

Lineups.

For Chivas USA, new signing Mariano Trujillo is at right back; Jonny Bornstein is at left back in the absence of Ante Jazic.

Maykel Galindo and and Alecko Eskandarian are on the bench.

Colorado just hit the bar in the 12th minute.

Just in case it wasn't clear to anyone why nominal Galaxy midfielder David Beckham wants to stay in Italy:

LONDON (AP) -- England manager Fabio Capello is happy about David Beckham's extended loan to AC Milan, believing it's important for the midfielder to be playing at a higher level of soccer than MLS.

Capello believes Beckham's experience in Italy will make him sharper than if he had returned to the Galaxy.

"There is a difference," he said. "The standard is different and it's important for him at this moment to play in Europe. ... (MLS) is not the same level as the Europeans -- Italy, Spain, Germany or England for sure."

Milan, the Galaxy and Beckham worked out a deal for the former England captain to continue playing in Serie A until the end of the season. His initial loan ended March 8 and a new deal was negotiated after Milan failed to meet the Galaxy's terms for a full transfer.

Now Beckham won't go back to the Galaxy until June 30, about halfway through the MLS season. He then hopes to return to Milan in November, when the MLS season is over.

"I've no regrets about going to the United States or going back there to finish the season," Beckham said.

Capello was also Beckham's coach at Real Madrid two seasons ago when the team won the Spanish league title. He left the 33-year-old star off his England squads when the MLS season ended last year and Beckham wasn't playing competitive soccer. Capello brought him back when he went on loan to Milan and began playing regularly again.

Beckham equaled Bobby Moore's record for a non-goalkeeper, making his 108th
appearance when he played in last month's 2-0 loss to Spain. He also could make a run at Peter Shilton's national record of 125 appearances.

"I watched on TV the last two games David Beckham played for AC Milan," Capello said. "He played very well."

Capello said he had no hand in the deal for Beckham to stay at San Siro.

"It's a personal decision; it's not my decision," he said. "It's an agreement between two teams and the player. It's not my problem. But I am happy that, when I watched the performances, he was very, very good. For me the most important thing is this, not the
agreement between the teams."

Barring an injury against Napoli on Sunday night, Beckham is almost certain to be in
Capello's squad when it is announced shortly afterward for a March 28 exhibition game against Slovakia and an April 1 World Cup qualifying game against Ukraine.

Beckham is intent on becoming part of England's team for the World Cup in South Africa in what would be his fourth World Cup.

England has won all four of its World Cup group games, and Capello is confident the team will bounce back from its exhibition loss to Spain. The Italian coach has reignited England's game following its failure to qualify for Euro 2008.

"We cannot play like Spain, the same style, because English players cannot play like the Spanish players," he said. "We have to play with our style. We have to press, we have to play more quickly, we have to move forward, the style of some teams of the Premier League."

MLS officially kicked off Thursday, but there's six more games today and Sunday including the Chivas USA home opener at 5 p.m. today and the Galaxy's first game at noon Sunday.

Both are on local TV, but if you subscribe to a service like DirecTV that carries Direct Kick you will be able to see every game this weekend in a free preview. First up at 5 p.m. is Columbus-Houston.

So for those of you who like to familiarize yourself with a team while watching I have posted an Associated Press capsule look at each team below.

But first, here's a look at the Chivas USA-Colorado Rapids game live at 7:30 p.m. on Fox Soccer Channel:

*Here's the take from reporter Phil Collin.

* Here's a season preview from a Colorado perspective with the Rapids looking to break a solid reputation for total mediocrity.

*And here's a Rapids player by player break-down.

Unfortunately, I will miss a Chivas USA home opener for the first-time ever, but will watch from home and tweet the game's pivotal moments so start following Twitter.com/LAsoccerblog if you'd like updates. Enjoy the games.

MLS Team Capsules

Chicago Fire
LAST YEAR: 13-10-7 (second place), lost to Columbus Crew in Eastern Conference final.
WHO'S BACK: Coach Denis Hamlett, F Cuauhtemoc Blanco, D C.J. Brown, G Jon Busch, D Wilman Conde, M Justin Mapp, F Brian McBride, M Logan Pause, F Chris Rolfe, D Gonzalo Segares, D Bakary Soumare, M John Thorrington.
WHO'S GONE: F Tomasz Frankowski, M Diego Gutierrez, M Stephen King.
WHO'S NEW: M Baggio Husidic.
WHAT'S AHEAD: The Fire started out strong in 2008, with a 6-2-2 record in their first 10 games. They faltered mid-season but bounced back, heading to their third straight conference championship. Although Chicago finally made it past New England in the semis, they fell 2-1 to Columbus, the eventual MLS champion. Chicago will have a full season of Blanco and McBride working together up front. Mapp, Rolfe and Thorrington will add to the mix offensively. In his second year, Marco Pappa also should create some sparks. Busch returns in goal for the second straight year, joined by returning defenders, who posted 10 shutouts during the 2008 campaign. Brown returns as the lone Fire original. Fighting back after a season riddled with injuries, the veteran defender will lead the team on and off the field. A handful of rookies, including Baggio Husidic could contribute early. The Fire opens today at FC Dallas, with one more road trip before opening at home. Chicago hosts the New York Red Bulls on April 5.

Chivas USA

Photo by Juan Miranda/Chivas USA

Questions about the health of Chivas USA's first choice strikers could mean more time for Justin Braun this year.

LAST YEAR: 12-11-7 (second place), lost to Real Salt Lake in first round of playoffs (out in first round for third consecutive year).
Who's back: Coach Preki Radosavljevic, D/M Jonathan Bornstein, M Sacha Kljestan, F Ante Razov, M Jesse Marsch, F Justin Braun, D Bobby Burling, D Jim Curtin, F Alecko Eskandarian, M Jorge Flores, F Maykel Galindo, F Atiba Harris, G Dan Kennedy, M Paulo Nagamura, D Claudio Suarez, D Shavar Thomas, G Zach Thornton, D Lawson Vaughn, M Sasha Victorine.
Who's gone: M Francisco Mendoza, F Roberto Nurse, M Dan Paladini, M Raphael Wicky, D Alex Zotinca.
Who's new: D Ante Jazic, F Eduardo Lillingston, M Michael Lahoud, M Mariano Trujillo.
What's next: After overcoming a barrage of injuries in 2008, Chivas USA begins the
season with eight key players either injured or recovering from offseason surgery. Kljestan's playmaking directs a potentially strong offense, while Marsch and Nagamura form a potent defensive duo in the midfield. Jazic, a Canadian international acquired from Los Angeles, enables Bornstein to move from left back to the midfield.

Colorado Rapids
LAST YEAR: 11-14-5 (fourth place).
WHO'S BACK: M Pablo Mastroeni, D Jordan Harvey, D Ugo Ihemelu, D Cory Gibbs,
M Mehdi Ballouchy, F Conor Casey, M Terry Cooke, F Omar Cummings, F Jacob
Peterson, M Nick LaBrocca, M Colin Clark, D Kosuke Kimura, M John DiRaimondo,
GK Preston Burpo, M Greg Dalby, M Nico Colaluca, M Ciaran O'Brien.
WHO'S GONE: M Christian Gomez, GK Bouna Coundoul, D Facundo Erpen, F Tom
McManus, D Jose Luis Burciaga Jr.
WHO'S NEW: Coach Gary Smith, M/F Ivan Guerrero, D Ty Harden, GK Matt
Pickens.
WHAT'S AHEAD: Smith took over the team on an interim basis with 11 games remaining, guiding Colorado to a 5-4-2 mark down the stretch and narrowly missing out on a playoff spot. The Rapids gave Smith the job outright in the offseason, one of numerous moves. The team also re-signed captain Pablo Mastroeni, originally believed to be heading to Europe, who's become the face of the franchise. Mastroeni made his ninth straight MLS All-Star team last season while also lending a powerful leg to the national team. Colorado traded away talented but unproductive midfielder Christian Gomez to D.C. United for Guerrero. Gomez, the 2006 MLS MVP, scored just three goals last season for the Rapids. The team is hoping a striker can step up in '09 to take some of the pressure off Casey. That role could be filled by Cummings, who scored a career-high six goals in '08. With
Coundoul gone, Burpo and Pickens will battle for the keeper spot.

Columbus Crew
LAST YEAR: 17-7-6 (first place), MLS Cup champions.
WHO'S BACK: M-F Guillermo Barros Schelotto, D Chad Marshall, M-F Robbie Rogers, F Alejandro Moreno, D Frankie Hejduk, M Adam Moffat, M Emmanuel Ekpo, GK William Hesmer, F Pat Noonan, F Jason Garey, M-F Eddie Gaven, D Danny O'Rourke, M Brian Carroll.
WHO'S GONE: D Ezra Hendrickson, M Stefani Miglioranzi, M Brad Evans.
WHO'S NEW: 2009 MLS SuperDraft picks D Paul Gerstenberger, M-F Alex Grendi and D Chris Clements.
WHAT'S AHEAD: Led by coach Sigi Schmid and MLS MVP Guillermo Barros Schelotto, the Crew capped its league-best regular season with a 3-1 MLS Cup win over the New York Red Bulls on Nov. 23 in Los Angeles. The game was Schmid's last for Columbus after three seasons at the helm; contract talks with the Crew stalled, and the California native left for the West Coast to take charge of the expansion Seattle Sounders. The sting of losing Schmid was soothed when the Crew named former player and Schmid's assistant Robert Warzycha, a fan favorite, to the top job. Columbus also retains the services of Schelotto, whose new contract makes him the sixth-highest paid player in the league. MLS defender of the year Chad Marshall is returning to Columbus after considering a move to Europe. Up-and-comers Robbie Rogers, Adam Moffat and Emmanuel Ekpo are back, along with long-time Crew sparkplug and U.S. national team regular Frankie Hejduk.

D.C. United
LAST YEAR: 11-15-4 (sixth place), missed playoffs.
WHO'S BACK: F Luciano Emilio, F Jaime Moreno, F Santino Quaranta, M-F Fred, M Clyde Simms, M Devon McTavish, M Ben Olsen, M Clyde Simms, M-D Bryan Namoff,
D Marc Burch, D Greg Janicki, G Louis Crayton.
WHO'S GONE: M Marcelo Gallardo, M-D Ivan Guerrero, D Gonzalo Martinez, D Gonzalo Peralta, G Zach Wells.
WHO'S NEW: M Christian Gomez, D Dejan Jakovic, G Josh Wicks
WHAT'S AHEAD: If the "Who's Gone" list looks familiar, it's because it is nearly identical to the "Who's New" list from last year. Every substantial player move made by United heading into 2008 was a bust, accounting for the club's first non-playoff season since 2002. All is forgiven, therefore, with 2006 league MVP Gomez, who is back in his playmaking role after one year in Colorado. Gomez, now 34, needs to rekindle his magic with forwards Luciano Emilio and Jaime Moreno to create plenty of goals because United's back end has plenty of question marks. Midseason signing Louis Crayton had four shutouts in 12 games and appears to be the answer in goal, but defenders Greg Janicki, Marc Burch and Jakovic need to develop some chemistry on a team that allowed a conference-worst 51 goals in 2008.

FC Dallas
LAST YEAR: 8-10-12 (fifth place), missed playoffs.
WHO'S BACK: Coach Schellas Hyndman, M Eric Avila, F Kenny Cooper, F Jeff Cunningham, M Bruno Guarda, M Andre Rocha, M Dax McCarty, D Drew Moor, D Aaron Pitchkolan, M Pablo Ricchetti, G Dario Sala, D Marcelo Saragosa, D Blake Wagner.
WHO'S GONE: D Duilio Davino, F Dominic Oduro, F Bobby Rhine, D Adrian Serioux.
WHO'S NEW: M David Ferreira, D George John, F Peri Marosevic, D Steve Purdy, F
Dave van den Bergh.
WHAT'S AHEAD: The midseason hiring of Hyndman did little for FC Dallas, which closed out the 2008 season with a 4-5-8 record under its new coach. Now entering his first full season, Hyndman has two new playmakers: Ferreira and van den Bergh. Ferreira, a Colombian national team veteran who played in Brazil, is an attacking midfielder. Van den Bergh, an outside midfielder, had seven goals and five assists last season, helping lead New York to the league title game. Their presence should benefit Cooper, who remains the team's best goal scorer and a big target in the middle. Purdy is expected to replace a fading Davino in central defense, a job made more difficult by the recent knee injury to right defender Saragosa, who could miss up to six weeks.

Houston Dynamo
LAST YEAR: 13-5-12 (first place in Western Conference, second place overall), lost to New York in semifinals.
WHO'S BACK: Coach Dominic Kinnear, D Corey Ashe, D Wade Barrett, D Bobby Boswell, M Geoff Cameron, F Brian Ching, M Ricardo Clark, M Brad Davis, F John Michael Hayden, F Stuart Holden, F Brian Mullan, M Richard Mulrooney, GK Pat Onstad, D Eddie Robinson, M Craig Waibel, M Chris Wondolowski.
WHO'S GONE: M Dwayne De Rosario, D Patrick Ianni, F Nate Jaqua.
WHO'S NEW: D Julius James, M Danny Cruz, G Tally Hall.
WHAT'S AHEAD: The 2006 and '07 MLS champions were upset by New York in last year's semifinals, then traded popular midfielder Dwayne De Rosario to Toronto. De Rosario is Houston's second all-time scorer behind Brian Ching, but wanted to return to his native Canada. Stuart Holden, a member of the U.S. Olympic team in Beijing and eight years younger than De Rosario, now steps into the role as Houston's main scoring threat. The 23-year-old Holden had three goals and four assists in 27 games in 2008. Ching is back for a fourth season in Houston after scoring a team-record 13 goals with five assists in 2008. The Dynamo acquired former Connecticut standout Julius James in the trade for De Rosario. James, who played in 13 games as a rookie in 2008, will be pressed into a starting role immediately while Eddie Robinson recovers from offseason knee surgery. Houston allowed the fewest goals of any team in the 2008 season (32). Goalkeeper Pat Onstad returns for seventh season. The 39-year-old Onstad is the league's all-time leader in goals against average (1.07 per game).

Kansas City Wizards
LAST YEAR: 11-10-9 (fourth place), lost to Columbus in first round.
WHO'S BACK: Coach Curt Onalfo, M-F Davy Arnaud, F Claudio Lopez, F Josh Wolff, M Roger Espinoza, M Herculez Gomez, M Jack Jewsbury, D Jimmy Conrad, D
Michael Harrington, G Kevin Hartman.
WHO'S GONE: D Tyson Wahl, M Kerry Zavagnin.
WHO'S NEW: M Santiago Hirsig, F Adam Cristman. D Matt Besler.
WHAT'S AHEAD: The Wizards return almost every key player from a team that reached the playoffs last year by going 5-1-1 over the final two months. Kansas City has one of the best defenses in the league, anchored by team captain Conrad, but needs to find a way to score more goals. The Wizards were 12th in the league with 37 goals and had a league-worst 409-minute scoreless streak mid-season. Cristman, the 2007 MLS rookie of the year, should help after being picked up in a trade with New England. Getting more production from Lopez would be a boost, too. The former Argentine World Cup player had a decent season - six goals, seven assists - but didn't quite live up to the hype that came with his signing. Hirsig, an eight-year veteran in Argentina's first division, isn't much of a goal scorer but is a solid ball-control midfielder who can help support the attack.

Galaxy
LAST YEAR: 8-13-9, failed to make playoffs for second consecutive season, tied for last in entire league.
WHO'S BACK: Coach Bruce Arena, M David Beckham (half season), F Landon Donovan, F Edson Buddle, F Alan Gordon, D Sean Franklin.
WHO'S GONE: GK Steve Cronin, D Brandon McDonald, D Mike Randolph, D Troy Roberts, M Ely Allen, M Brandon McDonald.
WHO'S NEW: D Omar Gonzalez, D A.J. DeLaGarza, D Tony Sanneh, D Yohance Marshall, GK Donovan Ricketts, M Dema Kovalenko, M Jovan Kirovski, M Mike Magee, M Stefani Miglioranzi, M Kyle Patterson.
WHAT'S AHEAD: Forward Landon Donovan will have to take on more of a leadership role with 2008 captain David Beckham gone until July. The Galaxy were pitiful even though the team had the MLS' leading goal scorer in Donovan (20) and its biggest star in that beckham bloke. There's a journeyman quality in midfield about the newcomers The Galaxy has a new face in goal in Jamaican national team member Donovan Ricketts, who could be an eccentric addition if you believe fans of Bradford City, who dwell in the lower reaches of English football. Beckham is available to play in only 13 of the team's 31 games (at most).

New England Revolution
LAST YEAR: 12-11-7 (third place).
WHO'S BACK: D Chris Albright, D Kevin Alston, D Gabriel Badilla, M Mauricio Castro,
F Kheli Dube, F Argenis Fernandez, D Jay Heaps, M/D Amaechi Igwe, M Shalrie Joseph, M/D Jeff Lawrentowicz, M Wells Thompson, M Chris Tierney, F Taylor Twellman.
WHO'S GONE: F Adam Cristman, M Khano Smith, M Gary Flood, M Joe Germanese, D Michael Parkhurst.
WHO'S NEW: GK Brad Knighton, GK Zack Simmons, D Rob Valentino, M Michael
Videira.
WHAT'S AHEAD: The Revolution will try to rebound from a poor finish. They were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Chicago Fire, ending their streak of Eastern Conference finals appearances at six seasons. They played their last game
without their top two scorers; Taylor Twellman was sidelined with a concussion, and Steve Ralston sat out with a cracked fibula. A healthy return by both would improve New England's chances of returning to the MLS Cup championship game. It got there in 2005, 2006 and 2007 but lost each time. The Revolution lost defender Michael Parkhurst, the league's 2005 rookie of the year, when he signed with FC Nordsjaelland of SAS Ligaen in Denmark's first division. He was named MLS defender of the year in 2007. But they still have strong goalkeeper Matt Reis, who returns for a sixth season as the starter.

New York Red Bulls
AP Photo

This one missed the net of Red Bulls goalkeeper Danny Cepero, but three others went in against Seattle Thursday and the Red Bulls must do better defensively to have a successful season.

LAST YEAR: 10-11-9 (fifth place), lost to Columbus in MLS Cup.
WHO'S BACK: Coach Juan Carlos Osorio, F Juan Pablo Angel, F Dane Richards, D Carlos Mendes, D Kevin Goldthwaite, D Seth Stammler, F John Wolyniec, D Andrew Boyens, M Danleigh Borman, M Jorge Rojas, M-D Luke Sassano, F-M Sinisa Ubiparipovic, G Jon Conway, G Danny Cepero.
WHO'S GONE: M Dave van den Bergh, M Mike Magee, D Chris Leitch, D Jeff Parke.
WHO'S NEW: F Dominic Oduro, M Khano Smith, D Mike Petke.
WHAT'S AHEAD: The Red Bulls overcame 10-game suspensions to Conway and Parke and made an unexpected run to their first MLS title game. Still, New York shook things up in the off-season, looking to get a little younger and faster. Angel and Richards are a dynamic scoring tandem, but the x-factor this season might be Rojas' ability to set them up. It remains to be seen if Petke can stabilize a defense that lost Leitch and Parke. The Red Bulls looked woeful in Thursday's emphatic 3-0 loss to the expansion Sounders, illustrating how much work lies ahead.

Real Salt Lake
LAST YEAR: 10-10-10 (third place), lost to Red Bulls in conference final.
WHO'S BACK: Coach Jason Kreis, M Javier Morales, F Yura Movsisyan, F Andy
Williams, M Kyle Beckerman, F Robbie Findley, M-F Clint Mathis, D Jamison Olave, D
Chris Wingert, G Nick Rimando.
WHO'S GONE: F Fabian Espindola, F Kenny Deuchar.
WHO'S NEW: M Jean Alexandre.
WHAT'S AHEAD: After three fledgling seasons, Real Salt Lake finally made the playoffs in 2008 and nearly reached the MLS Cup. Also new for Real: Very little offseason turnover. The top three goalscorers are back, including playmaking midfielder Javier Morales, who had six goals and 15 assists last season. Coach Jason Kreis hopes the stability translates into the club's first winning season. Real was .500 last year in almost every category - 10 wins, 10 losses, 10 ties, 40 goals scored, 40 goals allowed. Real needed a goal in the 90th minute of the final regular season game to reach the playoffs, then advanced by beating Chivas USA in the opening round. RSL will be playing a full season at Rio Tinto Stadium, which opened in October and is the site of the 2009 All-Star game.

San Jose Earthquakes
LAST YEAR: 8-13-9 (seventh place).
WHO'S BACK: G Joe Cannon, D Jason Hernandez, D Nick Garcia, D Eric Denton, MF Darren Huckerby, MF Ramiro Corrales, MF Arturo Alvarez, F Ryan Johnson.
WHO'S GONE: MF Ronnie O'Brien, F Scott Sealy, MF Francisco Lima, MF Ned
Grabavoy, MF James Riley
WHO'S NEW: MF Bobby Convey, F Cam Weaver, F Pablo Campos, F Quincy Amarikwa, M Brandon McDonald, D Chris Leitch, G Andrew Weber.
WHAT'S AHEAD: After their expansion season ended with a last-place finish despite a late-season surge, the Quakes hope they're ready to break through with a potentially dynamite midfield combination of Huckerby, the English star who energized San Jose last season, and Convey, the U.S. national teamer who will quarterback the offense. Weaver's arrival gives the Quakes a physical presence up front after they struggled to score goals last season. San Jose still lacks the overall cohesion and experience of MLS' best clubs, but the Quakes will be content with more progress in their sophomore season.

Seattle Sounders FC
AP Photo

Freddy Montero had two goals Thursday for Seattle against New York including a magical second half strike.

LAST YEAR: N/A. Newest MLS expansion franchise.
WHO'S NEW: Virtually everyone - coach Sigi Schmid; F Nate Jaqua; GK Kasey Keller; M
Freddie Ljungberg; M Brad Evans; D Tyrone Marshall; F Steve Zakuani; F Freddy Montero.
WHAT'S AHEAD: The newest MLS franchise sure doesn't act like an expansion team. The Sounders have generated huge fan interest and built a season-ticket base of more than 20,000 and a sellout of 32,400 for their inaugural game against the Red Bulls. With the Hollywood power of majority owner Joe Roth and minority owner Drew Carey, the Sounders won't lack for entertainment value. Roth has said the expectation is contending for a playoff spot. On the field Seattle brought in some of the best: MLS Cup winning coach Sigi Schmid, Swedish midfielder Freddie Ljungberg and former U.S. national team goalkeeper Kasey Keller. Seattle shouldn't have any problems generating offense with the likes of Ljungberg, Nate Jaqua and young Colombian standout Fredy Montero pushing the action forward. The problem could be at the backline with a defense that's inexperienced outside of former Galaxy stalwart Tyrone Marshall. Keller says he still has something left after nearly two decades in Europe and picked up[ a shutout Thursday in his MLS debut at age 39.

Toronto FC
LAST YEAR: 9-13-8 (seventh place).
WHO'S BACK: Coach John Carver, F Chad Barrett, M Jim Brennan, F Danny Dichio, GK Brian Edwards, M Amado Guevara, D Kevin Harmse, F Fuad Ibrahim, M Rohan Ricketts, M Carl Robinson, GK Greg Sutton.
WHO'S GONE: D/F Todd Dunivant, D Hunter Freeman, D Julius James, D Tyrone Marshall, F Carlos Ruiz, F Jarrod Smith.
WHO'S NEW: M Sam Cronin, M Dwayne DeRosario, GK Stefan Frei, D Adrian Serioux, F Pablo Vitti, F O'Brian White.
WHAT'S AHEAD: Toronto fans tolerated a last-place finish in the team's debut season in 2007 but demanded more after the team finished last in the East again in 2008. Their calls were answered when TFC acquired Toronto-born midfielder and two-time MLS Cup MVP Dwayne De Rosario in a December trade with Houston. Toronto also moved to bolster its strike force, second last in the league in 2008 with 34 goals, by signing Argentinian striker Pablo Vitti on loan from Independiente. General Manager Mo Johnston used his three first-round picks in the MLS SuperDraft to grab midfielder Sam Cronin second overall, striker O'Brian White fourth and goalkeeper Stefan Frei with the 13th pick. A busy offseason was capped in February when Johnston acquired Toronto-born defender Adrian Serioux in a trade with Dallas, meaning Toronto's fervent fans may actually have something good to cheer about this year.

Think of the possibilities of this development:

By CHRIS JENKINS AP Sports Writer

In-game Twitter posts might be a technical foul of sorts in the NBA, but at least one sports league is embracing the idea of having players use the social networking Web site during a game.

The new Women's Professional Soccer league will allow selected players to post short Twitter notes, called "tweets," during its inaugural game between the Los Angeles Sol and Washington Freedom March 29 at Home Depot Center, league spokesman Robert Penner said.

General managers from the new seven-team league approved the idea in a conference call Friday. Depending on fan response, league officials are considering allowing players to tweet during games all season.

They still must work out some of the details, including which players will tweet and when they'll be allowed to do so; starters, obviously, likely would be limited to pregame, post-game and halftime.

The league's decision stands in sharp contrast to the NBA, where Milwaukee Buck coach Scott Skiles reprimanded forward Charlie Villanueva for posting a tweet during halftime of Sunday's victory over Boston. Skiles said it could be interpreted as a sign that Villanueva wasn't focused on the game. Villanueva agreed to stop tweeting during games but still isn't sure he did anything wrong; he argued that posting to Twitter isn't much different from doing a short television interview at halftime.

My pledge to you, the reader: If they tweet, I tweet. I'll tell you who's tweeting, why they're tweeting and what they're tweeting about. Is it redundant to retweet? Only if you're not listening.

Frankly, you may not give a tweet, but it's far too late for that.

I already tweet at Twitter.com/LAsoccerblog. Feel free to follow along

Tweeting will ramp up when the season begins with frequent updates (although I'll never put a score in a tweet).

The tweeting has only begun.

And how soon until the first own goal caused by tweeting?

In perhaps a sign of just how precarious Chivas USA's injury situation has become veteran Mexican international defender Claudio Suarez who retired earlier this month in a snit about the club's latest contract offer has, um, unretired.

"Claudio Suárez is a living legend of international soccer and his leadership is key to the success of our club," said Chivas USA President and CEO Shawn Hunter. "Throughout his decision-making process, we have maintained an active dialogue with Claudio. We are happy today to announce that he will be back with Chivas USA for the 2009 season."

This is all very different than just a few weeks ago when Suarez complained about the club's "ridiculous" contract offer and the parties had an apparently acrimonious parting of the ways; at the time Chivas USA only gave a cursory acknowledgment to the retirement of the man it today called "the greatest central defender in the history of Mexican football."

Suarez later reportedly said: "

My economic demands were not grand but they had to respect the fact that I was the image of the club because this club began with the idea of having a roster with a Mexican base and everything has changed. More and more important players are leaving and they are misleading fans with this project.

"I know they have to take care of their money, but to be honest they disrespected me with what they offered.

"In fact, my priority was always to stay in the United States for family reasons. Now, this chapter with Chivas USA is closed. I won't re-consider anything. I'd rather play with an amateur club."

Well, apparently he reconsidered. And so did Chivas USA.

Suarez may have lost a step, but he remains adept at reading the game and his experience will be invaluable to steady an injury-ridden ship before the season begins Saturday against the Colorado Rapids.

Suarez will address the media at half time of Saturday's game and be formally added to the roster next week. Given that he missed all of preseason with the contract dispute it will be interesting to see how quickly the 40-year-old can get up to speed.

But at least the dignified Suarez hasn't performed the soccer equivalent of scuttling out the MLS back door after such a long career

BTW, in related news trialists Diego Scotti and Erik Hummel left camp.

Updated:
Recent signings Eduardo Lillingston and Mariano Trujillo received their International Transfer Certificates today and are cleared to play Saturday against the Rapids; as a result long-term injury victims Bobby Burling and Lawson Vaughn were moved to the team's disabled list, making the players ineligible for MLS action for the next six games.

Today's rubber-stamping of the widely leaked announcement that the Portland Timbers would become the latest USL team to jump to MLS renewed memories of the NASL's legacy in Portland that bears more than a few similarities to that seen earlier in the week in Seattle and Portland and recounted here.

A well-supported team, the Timbers were NASL Soccer Bowl finalists way back in 1975 and gave us such soccer icons as the late Clive Charles and and Glenn "Mooch" Myernick.

The team enjoyed a spirited rivalry with the Seattle Sounders and lived on after the NASL's demise in one form or another before finally being reborn today.

To many the NASL is a fading memory (and a grainy reality if you check out the clip below), but one fan keeping its heritage alive is Austin, Texas resident Dave Brett Wasser on his Web site that celebrates the sights and sounds of the league via historic soccer videotapes.

Wasser, 42, who by day is the executive director of The Space Settlement Institute, claims the largest collection of NASL videotapes in the country (he provided ESPN with the '70s-era Sounders clips for last night's broadcast).

As someone who has a disparate collection of of sports video tapes (the 1985 Milk Cup final between Norwich and Sunderland, the final game of the 1989 Stanley Cup final with Lanny McDonald scoring the winner for the Calgary Flames and, yes, a collection of the NY Cosmos' greatest goals among them) I was interested to learn more about Wasser and his interest.

We conducted this Q&A via Facebook earlier today:

Question: You noted that with today's announcement naming the Portland franchise, about 20 percent of MLS teams have adopted NASL names. You approve of the trend?

Answer: I think it is terrific. Nostalgia is great. Fans want to feel they are contributing to the legacy of a team, and the best way to do that is to use the historic name associated with soccer in each city.

The MLS team in New York (MetroStars/Red Bulls) would have been far more successful if MLS had just bought the rights to the name "Cosmos." Yes, I am well aware that MLS has a strict salary cap. So a team in NY named Cosmos now would not be loaded with stars like the old Cosmos. But fans would still identify with the historic name and logo.

The current situation is just stupid. It's like if Major League Baseball put a team in the Bronx, and called it something other than "Yankees."

I am glad that the Red Bull corporation is building a great new stadium for their team in Harrison, NJ. But it is going to be 27,000 seats. If they want to fill the place, they are going to have to stop naming the team after themselves, and instead buy the rights to the name and logo of the Cosmos.

Q: Why did you start collecting NASL tapes in 1993, nine years after the league folded? A strange obsession even given that you said you supported the Cosmos as a kid.
A: You've got to remember where soccer was in this country in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Soccer was pretty much dead at the time. There was no American soccer on TV where I lived. (I am talking about outdoor soccer, not the indoor variety.) So for me, finding these old Cosmos tapes was just a way to keep in touch with the sport that I grew up with and loved as a kid.

Growing up in New York, I watched Cosmos games on WOR-TV, channel 9. Jim Karvallas and Seamus Malin were the announcers. I still say that Seamus Malin is the best soccer broadcaster this country has ever had.

In the early '90s I was just curious to see if anyone taped these old games. As you know, VCRs were very expensive in the late '70s. The price for the machines didn't really come down until around 1984 - the same year the NASL collapsed. So few people in those days had VCRs, and even fewer people recorded sporting events. But I have managed to find an amazing number of old tapes of my three favorite teams -- the Cosmos, the Mets, and the Jets.

Q: How difficult was it to accumulate these tapes? How did you do it (wish I'd kept some of my old Calgary Boomers games for you)?
A: It was very difficult at first. I tracked down everyone associated with the NASL - players, managers, athletic trainers, team executives, broadcasters. For every 15 people I called, one would have a stash of old tapes in a closet. Some of those games were recorded by a friend or a relative, but some were from the NASL office itself.

When the NASL office was about to close, someone in the office called a few players and coaches, and said "I've got some tapes of games you were in. Do you want them?" The problem is that the games were in a bulky, one-inch video format called "Umatic." Few people have equipment to play these tapes. So years later, when I found these people, I offered to convert their tapes to VHS. That's how I started my collection.

Q: What's No. 1 on your NASL tape want list?
A: August 10, 1976: Miami Toros at Cosmos at Yankee Stadium. Pele scored perhaps his greatest bicycle kick goal.

In the spirit of this back to the future-like NASL/MLS week here's a blast from the past and the shape of things to come - Sounders verses Timbers in 1979:

U.S. Coach Bob Bradley has named a 22-player squad for the next two World Cup qualifiers against El Salvador March 28 and Trinidad & Tobago April 1, U.S. Soccer announced today.

That's two more players than was in the squad last month for the World Cup qualifying opener against Mexico.

Dropped were Columbus Crew midfielder Robbie Rogers of Rolling Hills Estates, Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein of Los Alamitos, Houston Dynamo midfielder Ricardo Clark and forward Charlie Davies, who plays in Sweden with Hammarby.

Added were Reading goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann, who last played for the U.S. in 2007; West Ham United defender Jonathan Spector and Watford defender Jay DeMerit, who both return from injury; and midfielders Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids) Freddie Adu (Monaco) and Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers).

Fulham's Clint Dempsey is listed as a forward rather than a midfielder this time around.

Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard is ineligible because of a yellow card accumulation for the El Salvador game, so former Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan is likely to get the start.

The U.S. is tied for for first in the six-team final round of qualifying after the decisive 2-0 victory over Mexico last month.

"These next two matches are very important in our efforts to qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup," said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley, who is 8-1-0 overall in qualifying action. "The games against El Salvador and Trinidad & Tobago represent a big opportunity to solidify our place in the group. We had a fantastic team effort against Mexico, and if we put in the same type of performance we are confident of being able to get results."

The full squad with club, caps and goals in parentheses:

goalkeepers - Brad Guzan (Aston Villa 11/0), Tim Howard (Everton 36/0), Marcus Hahnemann (Reading 6/0)

defenders - Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes 63/10), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland 22/1), Jay DeMerit (Watford 9/0), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew 82/6), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege 39/5), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock 22/0), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United 12/0)

midfielders - Freddy Adu (AS Monaco 12/1), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers: 83/17), Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach 26/5), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers 10/0), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA 14/3), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids 62/0), José Francisco Torres (Pachuca 2/0)

forwards - Jozy Altidore (Xerez C.D 7/2), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo 34/9), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC 47/13), Landon Donovan (Galaxy: 106/37), Eddie Johnson (Cardiff City 37/12).

As expected, Tony Sanneh, 37, finalized a contract today with the Galaxy that will likely see him partner top draft pick Omar Gonzalez in the middle of a young defense.

The former U.S. international didn't play in the league last year, but has returned to reclaim a roster spot on the Galaxy with long-time mentor Bruce Arena.

"I knew that I still had the ability and desire to play the game, I just had to see if my body would hold up after the time off, but I've been happy with my progress throughout the preseason," Sanneh said.

Sanneh played 117 games over a seven-year MLS career with D.C. United, the Columbus Crew, Chicago Fire and Colorado Rapids, winning two MLS Cups with Arena. He also played with FC Nurnberg and Hertha Berlin in Germany between his 43 U.S. caps, many under Arena.

"We are pleased to be able to add a proven defender such as Tony," Arena said. "He is an experienced player who has played at the highest level in the game and knows what it takes to win the MLS Cup."

Sanneh will make his Galaxy regular season debut Sunday in Carson against D.C. United.

Photo courtesy Chivas USA

Chivas USA announced today they have signed Mexican midfielder Mariano Trujillo, who has been in camp with the team since late February.

The 31-year-old product of the Pumas youth system played 284 Mexican First Division games (233 starts) for Pumas UNAM, Santos Laguna, Morelia and, most recently, Atlante.

"We are pleased to add a player of Mariano Trujillo's experience to our squad," said Chivas USA Coach Preki. "We hope that his speed, technical ability and versatility will be a great addition."

Given the club's injuries, it's likely it's his versatility that's particularly valuable.

"I'm really happy to join up with Chivas USA for the new season," Trujillo said. "It's something I'd been hoping would happen for some time, and, thank God, it's become a reality. Now I'm hoping that everything goes well this weekend and I can make my debut with the team."

"I'd definitely thought about playing in MLS sooner rather than later, and now the possibility of playing with Chivas USA has become a reality. .. It's a new experience for me."

BTW, the twice-capped Mexican international has a green card and was a teammate of Eduardo Lillingston on the Mexican squad at the 1997 World Youth Championship in Malaysia.

He's awaiting an International Transfer Certificate, but like Lillingston should be available for the season opener in Carson Saturday against the Colorado Rapids.

This will bring the Chivas roster up to 24, the max, BTW, when the two receive their clearances. Because Chivas USA will have two developmental players (Gerson Mayen and goalkeeper Lance Parker) and 24 senior roster slots they must somehow get rid of two senior players. Rather than waiving anyone, that's more likely to result in a couple of the long-term injured (Sasha Victorine springs to mind) on the disabled list, getting them off the roster for six games.

Also, defender Ante Jazic's concussion, which was sustained last Thursday in training and kept him out of the final preseason game, is indeed expected to cause him to miss this weekend's game.

Lillingston's hamstring issue I mentioned Wednesday is more a "nagging" type of injury and is unlikely to keep him off the field (especially considering the slew of other injuries the team is dealing with), according to the team.

Meanwhile, Chelsea, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Club America will hold a press conference in New York Tuesday announcing a likely tournament between the teams next summer both on the East Coast and here in L.A as mentioned by various sources for some time.

Questions:
Will Beckham receive permission from the Galaxy to play in the L.A.game for his apparently once and future employers?

Will this be held in the middle of the Confederations Cup with few stars actually involved (even for cursory 30-45 minute appearances)?

Is my cynicism showing?

Stay tuned.

Sorry.

But so many people either sent me or are linking to this little gem from one of England's trashiest tabloids I felt compelled to exploit the story
um, get it on the record.

The deal won't happen, even without considering the source.

If the wanna-be Real Madrid president planted this, it's merely a ploy to win votes for the Spanish club's highly-politicized presidential election. It's common for candidates to make such promises to fans as in "I will bring you Kaka, Beckham and Josh Wicks." Well, maybe not, but you get the idea.

Also, Becks has been there and done that (see also why he'll leave the Galaxy this fall).

Almost equally as amusing is this cautionary tale for government bureaucrats who want to pander to the public.

And I loved this line at the end of the story: "Although a financial flop, the event is credited with helping to raise New Zealand's international profile."

How? As in being the latest schmucks to get taken in by the Beckham hype?

Finally, is it somehow comforting to know we can rely on The Hindustan Times to tell us this.

That is all. You may now resume your non-Beckham news consumption.

Sandwiched somewhere between all those college basketball games today, the expansion Seattle Sounders and New York Red Bulls kick off the MLS season at 6 p.m. on ESPN2 in HD.

Much has been written in the past few days about the game so I'll limit myself to just one observation.

Not to pour cold water over the general sense of euphoria enveloping Seattle, but Michael Lewis at bigapplesoccer.com has placed the challenges the Sounders face in qualifying for the playoffs in the proper context by noting how the six previous MLS expansion teams fared in their first season:

*Chicago Fire (1998): Second in the Western Conference (20-12, 56 points); captured the MLS Cup title

*Miami Fusion (1998): Fourth in the Eastern Conference (15-17, 35); eliminated in the first round of the playoffs

*Real Salt Lake (2005): Fifth in the Western Conference (5-22-6, 20); did not make the playoffs.

*Chivas USA (2005): Sixth place in the Western Conference and last overall (4-22-6, 18); did not make the playoffs

*Toronto FC (2007): Seventh place in the Eastern Conference and last overall (6-17-7, 25); did not make the playoffs

*San Jose Earthquakes (2008): Tied for sixth place with the L.A. Galaxy in the Western Conference (8-13-9, 33); did not make the playoffs.

MLS, of course, is a far different league than it was when the Fire captured the title in 1998.

Good luck to long-time South Bay resident and Sounders Coach Sigi Schmid.

Enjoy the game.

Because what's a team photo without the toll of the injured?

Here are the latest additions to the walking wounded: left back Ante Jazic is listed as questionable for Sunday with a concussion and Eduardo Lillingston (!) is probable with a left hamstring strain.

First I've heard of either of them.

The team photo was taken today at the just-concluded "24 Hours of Chivas USA" at L.A. Live.

No Abel Xavier there.

(From left to right) Top row: Justin Braun, Bobby Burling, Jim Curtin, Dan Kennedy, Zach Thornton, Lance Parker, Atiba Harris, Sasha Victorine, Shavar Thomas, Ante Razov

Middle: Carey Talley, Sacha Kljestan, Athletic Trainer Josh Beaumont, Assistant Coach Kevin Esparza, Assistant Coach Carlos LLamosa, President and CEO Stephen Hamilton, Coach Preki, Shawn Hunter, Goalkeeper Coach Leo Percovich, Assistant Athletic Trainer Anthony Garcia, Eduardo Lillingston, Ante Jazic, Jesse Marsch

Bottom: Massage Therapist Miguel Torres, Lawson Vaughn, Paulo Nagamura, Gerson Mayen, Michael Lahoud, Alecko Eskandarian, Jonathan Bornstein, Maykel Galindo, Jorge Flores, Jose Vargas, Equipment Manager Raul Guerrero.

Photo by Juan Miranda/Chivas USA

This picture and the following poem were sent to me separately by Daily Breeze Sports Editor Todd Bailey and a Facebook friend respectively.

Both seem to sum up the spirit of the game as we await the beginning Thursday night of a new MLS season.

The image was summed up in the press release:

Sarah Ahmad, a photographer from Rawalpindi in Pakistan, is the winner of the Campaign Award. Introduced this year, as part of the Sony World Photography Awards, the competition created a brief for amateur photographers to answer and it sought out one image which unites a global obsession with football and a passion for photography.

The winning image of a woman preparing a meal, with one foot placed on a football, is simply titled: 'The Love of the Game: a cook, cleaner, mother....and an attacking midfielder.'

Delly Carr, one of the world's leading sports photographers, and chair of the judging panel commented: "This photograph is so simple, yet it speaks volumes about the sport. The image exemplifies the fact that football is indeed the world game, a sport built on passion and fanaticism. It also attempts to express that passion makes no discrimination against gender, age, nationality, or social class."

More information on the Sony World Photography Awards is here.

In the same vein is the following poem I'd never seen before that was apparently translated from the Spanish.

If anyone knows more about it, please leave a comment. I'm unsure whether Wolff or Saavedra is the author, nevertheless it sums up the beautiful game:

How will you know what Love is
if you've never been in love with a club?

How will you know what pain is
if a central defender has never broken your fibia and tibula?
or if you've never been standing on a wall and the ball hit you exactly there...

How will you know what pleasure is
if you've never done a victory lap as a visitor?

How will you know what sweetness is
if you've never caressed her on the side, approaching her with the outside of the boot to leave her cradling under the net?

Listen... how will you know what solidarity is
if you've never stood up for a friend who was hit from behind?

How will you know what poetry is
if you've never dared to dribble?

How will you know what humiliation is
if you've never been nut-megged?

How will you know what friendship is
if you've never returned a 1-2?

How will you know what panic is
if you've never been surprised out of position in a counterattack?

How will you know what dying a little is
if you've never gone looking for the ball at the back of the net?

How will you know what solitude is
if you've never stood between the three posts
12 steps away from one that wanted to beat you
and end your dreams?

How will you know what mud is
if you've never launched yourself at nobody's feet
to send a ball over the touchline?

How will you know what greed is
if you've never taken a touch too many
when you should have given it to the '9' who was all alone?

How will you know what art is
if you've never invented a 'rabona'?

How will you know what music is
if you've never sang from the stands?

How will you know what injustice is
if you've never been sent off by a partial referee?

How will you know what insomnia is
if you've never been relegated?

How will you know what hate is
if you've never scored an own goal?

How will you know what crying is
if you've never lost a final as the clock died on a questionable penalty?

How will you know my dear friend
How will you know what life is
if you have never ever

played football.

AP Photo

The tide rolls back in for top level soccer in Vancouver. From left to right, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, BC Premier Gordon Campbell, part-owner Jeff Mallet, Whitecaps President Bob Lenarduzzi and Mayor Gregor Robertson at today's press conference.

Today's announcement formally admitting the Vancouver Whitecaps into MLS as its 17th team on the eve of the 2009 season opener in Seattle between the expansion Sounders and New York Red Bulls was a reminder of the legacy of the now-defunct North American Soccer League.

And it stirred memories of a false dawn for the sport, when soccer appeared momentarily on the cusp of a breakthrough on the sporting landscape, but instead marked a brief pinnacle before the inexorable downward trend began.

My first live NASL game was the encounter between the Sounders and the defending champion Whitecaps on Aug. 2, 1980 at the now-demolished, cavernous Kingdome on one of my first visits to the Pacific Northwest.

It was three years after my arrival in North America from England and I had largely existed on a paltry televised soccer diet of Soccer Made in Germany and the (very, it seemed) occasional NASL game. I bought a green and white Sounders baseball cap on game day that sadly has long since gone missing.

Despite complaints about media coverage now, soccer then truly existed on the periphery of American sport.

I subsisted on week-old Sunday newspapers imported from England for news. And I vividly remember watching the 1977 NASL Soccer Bowl a few days after my arrival from England, aghast that ABC cut away for a commercial and missed a goal in the live title game between the Sounders and Cosmos.

The more than 33,000 in attendance at the 1980 game - Seattle's second highest announced crowd of the regular season - did their best to fill the half-full indoor Kingdome with chants and waving flags. I recall singing Whitecaps fans marching through the streets of Pioneer Square en masse - as Sounders fans will do this season albeit behind a marching band - in a show of passion I hadn't seen since England.

But there was something agreeably missing.

English soccer in the late '70s was a dour reflection of the gloomy and militant economic times. Hooliganism was rampant even in the relatively small town of Norwich where I grew up and just going to games could be an intimidating experience in a hostile environment.

Back then you'd give large groups of opposing supporters a wide berth and hide your team scarf as you did so lest it end up ripped from your neck and chucked into the River Wensum. And that was on a good day.

That threatening atmosphere was completely absent in Seattle. The Whitecaps fans indulged gleefully in their day out without a trace of threatening behavior, reveling in their ability to drive less than couple of hundred miles down the coast for a derby game.

In truth, I remember more about the atmosphere than the game itself (the Sounders won on a goal from Derby County striker Roger Davies, although I had to look it up).

Also on view that day according to the treasured program (it was $2) I still have was the likes of Whitecaps defender Bob Lenarduzzi, one of the best Canadian players of the era, who heads up the staff of the version that begins play in 2011.

The Whitecaps unveiling presentation today leaned heavily on that history with video clips of the NASL days and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell deadpanning that fans in Vancouver are so committed to soccer "they remember when Bob Lenarduzzi was a star."

The year 1980 saw 24 teams play in the NASL for the third year in a row, a transitory period of stability that soon vanished.

The next year four teams folded and the race to the league's demise began full throttle.

The Sounders quit in 1983, while the Whitecaps hung onto the bitter end of the NASL a year later.

Fans remembered both teams fondly and neither fully died, resurrected at least in name first in the USL and now in MLS.

I lived in both Vancouver and Seattle for a while in the 1980s and also recall attending an indoor NASL game between the two teams in the fall of 1981 (Seattle, who I was cheering for, lost the game, much to the delight of the Whitecaps fans sitting around me). The two cities have always been soccer hotbeds, in part because of the soggy climate that nevertheless allows year-round play as well as the large British expat population north of the U.S. border.

The fan following Seattle and Vancouver enjoyed during their NASL days was in many ways a precursor to the still nascent fanatical support we see from the likes of the L.A. Riot Squad and Chivas USA fans. These hard-core fans travel even to friendlies on a scale not generally seen in other American sports.

Following in the footsteps of Toronto, which capped season ticket sales at 16,000 in their 20,000-seat stadium that is an unrivaled cauldron of noise and color in MLS, Seattle has sold more than 20,000 season tickets and have expanded the size of Qwest Field for soccer to about 26,000 seats.

Vancouver will undoubtedly see similar success when ticket sales begin Saturday. And in each case a soccer-friendly population, seeded in part by the NASL has played a major role (I still wish Toronto had retained the Blizzard name - also the name of my Canadian youth team in the late 1970s- from the NASL days) in bringing that success to MLS.

Given the largely unfulfilled promise of the NASL, it is apt that a part of soccer history has resurfaced in MLS via the likes of Seattle and Vancouver.

A traditional rivalry known largely to hard-core fans now has the potential to become the best in MLS, with unique geographic and international overtones that give the sport its distinctive nationalistic flavor.

To give you a preview of the atmosphere we can expect at games, check out the 60,000 who attended this previous Whitecaps-Sounders game when B.C. Place - the slimmed-down and refurbished home of the MLS Whitecaps - opened in 1983.

Sol Shines
The Sol defeated FC Gold Pride 2-0 today for the second time in four days in a preseason game at Home Depot Center.

Brittany Bock scored both goals, the first in the 54th minute off a dish from Japanese import Aya Miyama and added the second five minutes later.

Sol lineup: Karina LeBlanc, Allison Falk, Stephanie Cox, Camile Abily, Shannon Boxx, Manya Makoski, Aya Miyama, McCall Zerboni, Brittany Bock, Katie Larkin, Christie Welsh.

Boxxy and Canadian goalkeeper LeBlanc are back in camp, you'll note. But no sign of Marta for the second consecutive game who sat out with what was described as a "very minor injury." She should be good to go for the season opener.

Gold Pride, from the Bay Area, featured such familiar names as Rachel Buehler, Tiffeny Milbrett, Brandi Chastain, Nicole Barnhart and Leslie Osborne.

Fox Soccer Channel shows its Women's Professional Soccer preview at 8:30 tonight.

The "24 Hours of Chivas USA" begins.
The promotional event at L.A. Live begins at 6 o'clock tonight and runs through 6 p.m. Wednesday. There's a free breakfast from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesday courtesy of ESPN Zone as well as music, pick-up games and other activities. The team shows up at 2 p.m. Wednesday for its official 2009 squad picture.

Name-dropping
*The Seattle Times reports former Galaxy veteran Pete Vagenas will miss the Sounders' home opener Thursday against New York with a knee issue, while former Galaxy defender Nate Sturgis (quad) is "touch-and-go," for the game, said Coach Sigi Schmid.

*Also, defender Mike Randolph, cut from the Galaxy, has failed to hook on with the Sounders as well.

*Soccer America notes San Jose are in the final stages of signing former Galaxy and Crew midfielder Simon Elliott, who has been with the team for most of preseason. Elliott, 34, left the Galaxy in 2005 to sign with English club Fulham (when he was widely perceived to be done anyway). Sure enough, Fulham released him last year after calf and leg injuries limited him to just a dozen games.

"Simon gives us some experience and calmness," said Coach Frank Yallop. But what about work rate and reliability?

*Also, former D.C. United left back and UCLA product Mike Zaher, 23, was signed to a developmental contract. Zaher played 69 games at UCLA and also played for the PDL's San Fernando Valley Quakes during the summers of 2006 and 2007.

*Houston forward (and Lawndale resident) Kei Kamara was suspended for two regular season games and fined $500 by MLS for comments he made to an official after the Dynamo's game against San Jose last month.

*Striker Michelle Manning (Calabasas/Agoura High) was one of seven players signed to national letters of intent by Pepperdine.

A planned season preview turned more into an extended injury report. Read the column here.

Other Galaxy injuries not mentioned in the column include those to bit part players Leonard Griffin (who will also miss the season opener with a left abdominal strain) and Stefani Miglioranzi, who is listed as probable with a right knee bruise.

And just to illustrate the turnover on the Galaxy's roster, the team observed that 13 of the 25 players currently on the Galaxy roster were not with the club for the final game of the 2008 MLS regular season.

Left over from my conversation with Bruce Arena Monday were some of the most candid comments I'd heard him make over the Galaxy's struggles to sign players in light of their almost maxed out salary cap:

"We've been in a bit of limbo with our salary cap because of some of the unknowns with Landon and David. Our hands have been tied a little bit with trying to make considerable improvements in our roster, so that's been a little bit of an issue. ... That's impacted our ability to make some changes and that handcuffed us a little in the (aborted) Osman Chavez deal. We weren't able to make that signing because of that."

Both the Galaxy and Chivas USA gave players the day off Monday, but the likes of Edson Buddle and Alan Gordon were out on the training ground continuing their rehab from their respective injuries. I took the opportunity to ask Gordon what he thought of the entire David Beckham "will he stay or will he go?" soap opera and his delayed return to the Galaxy from AC Milan:

"It's good to have him (coming) back - he's a quality player - everybody is seeing it right now. He's still got it. It's a matter of putting the pieces together to make it work for the team and make him work for the team. When he comes back he's got to be on board so the team can be successful. We need him. It will be good as long as he has the right attitude, which I think he will... If we can be organized by the time he gets here, it can be a good thing."

I also asked Gordon about his personal goals for the season:

"I want to score more goals than I got last year. I want more playing time than I got last year. Last year I got five goals in about half a season worth of minutes - so if I get more minutes I'm going to get more goals. I had a lot of chances last year that could have gone either way. If I finish those chances I could have a good year.

"I've had a good preseason I felt I've worked my way into Bruce's favor. Obviously Edson had a good season last year, Landon is going to be up there so there's competition (for places), but I think that's good. There's no bad blood between me and Edson. We'll both get time and maybe we'll (get) time together."

As a bonus, here's a story on former celebrity Galaxy fan Drew Carey turned Seattle Sounders co-owner.

I'll be away from the computer most of the day, so expect minimal blogging.

Who knew?

Galaxy Under-18 midfielder Josh Borja was in Guam Sunday playing a starring role in a momentus achievement for Guam's national team at the East Asian Football Championship. (Guam are one of seven unranked nations in the world. And this time the ranking really does mean something, um, nothing).

The San Diego-born Borja, who qualifies to play for Guam via his father, clinched a place in the semifinals of the competition for Guam after scoring two goals in consecutive games - and just days after making his debut last Wednesday in a 1-0 win over Mongolia in the tournament opener.

Borja scored his first international goal in Guam's 2-1 win over the Northern Mariana Islands Friday and then added yet another in a 2-2 draw with Macau Sunday that clinched first place in the preliminary competition for the country. (Guam tied the game up deep into second half stoppage time).

This is a big deal in little Guam as you might imagine. (Looks like a fairly laid-back crowd in the picture though).

The semifinals are in August against Chinese Taipai (Taiwan), Hong Kong and North Korea in Taiwan.

If Guam can win that group, they will move onto the 2010 East Asian Football Championship in Japan, against China, South Korea and the host nation.

Sounds like Guam is doing better than the Galaxy U-18 team; they're 6-8-2 on the season.

BTW, the U-16 (10-4-2) and U-18 Galaxy teams host Real SoCal at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday respectively on field No. 5 at Home Depot Center. The games are free and open to the public.

Starting Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, who left Saturday's final preseason game against the Chicago Fire with an apparent recurrence of the hamstring strain that's bothered him during preseason, underwent an MRI Monday and is expected to miss the season opener, Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena said today.

"There's a chance he could be available on Sunday, but I'm not optimistic," he said. "We're just going to have to wait and see."

If the Jamaican is out, Josh Saunders will likely start in goal for the noon game against D.C. United and find himself facing former Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Wicks in the opposing goal. Wicks, who was traded last week to D.C. United, could be the beneficiary of an injury to United's regular starter in goal, Louis Crayton.

Other injury concerns for the Galaxy include defender Todd Dunivant (out for another month or so), and striker Alan Gordon (hamstring). Forward Edson Buddle, who didn't play on the weekend, is listed as day to day.

Tony Sanneh, 37, who will partner top draft pick Omar Gonzalez in the center of defense should sign a contract this week, Arena said Monday, observing that "it is in the hands of the league."

I'll have more in Tuesday's column, but here's a little trivia: Click here to find out what the A.J. in rookie A.J. DeLaGarza's name stands for.

It's Called Football.

I'm the first guest on this podcast. I'll have more MLS season previews in my column Tuesday in the (Los Angeles) Daily News, (Torrance) Daily Breeze and other L.A. papers.

AP Photo

An easy win over lowly Siena today for AC Milan and David Beckham.

The Galaxy midfielder didn't have an outstanding game, but then he didn't have to. The star for Milan: Filippo Inzaghi, scoring his 300th career goal.

Meanwhile, the English are finally catching on to what Galaxy fans have learned over the last couple of years.

And Milan are reportedly not the only European club that wants Beckham.

Galaxy
The Galaxy drew 1-1 with the Chicago Fire Saturday in Arizona in their final preseason game ahead of the home opener next weekend.

The Galaxy's Josh Tudela scored from a Landon Donovan corner kick in the fourth minute; A. J. DeLaGarza either slipped or was beaten on the equalizer that allowed the Fire's Marco Pappa to score from a volley.

Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts exited with an apparent recurrence of the hamstring injury that kept him out of the Pan-Pacific Championship.

Galaxy starting XI: Donovan Ricketts, A.J. DeLaGarza, Tony Sanneh, Omar Gonzalez, Sean Franklin, Mike Magee, Josh Tudela, Dema Kovalenko, Chris Klein, Landon Donovan, Jovan Kirovski.

Neither Blanco or the Palos Verdes Perninsula's John Thorrington started for the Fire.

Highlights:

Sol
The L.A. Sol of the WPS beat the Bay Area's FC Gold Pride 2-0 Saturday in the first official pre-season game at Home Depot Center.

Rookie Katie Larkin opened the scoring for the Sol in the 35th minute with Japanese international Aya Miyama adding the second in the 90th minute. No Shannon Boxx or Marta for the Sol.

Sol XI: Val Henderson, Allison Falk, Stephanie Cox, Camile Abily, Manya Makoski, Aya Miyama, Lisa Sari, McCall Zerboni, Brittany Bock, Katie Larkin, Christie Welsh.

Chivas USA
Meanwhile on Tuesday Chivas USA will party for 24 straight hours at L.A. Live from 6 p.m. Tuesday (not so coincidentally immediately ahead of the Lakers-Phileadelphia game) until 6 p.m. Wednesday (before the Clippers-Washington game).

The "entertainment" includes a potentially bemusing game between "popular SoCal sports mascots" and a free breakfast for fans courtesy of ESPN Zone from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. The event concludes with the taking of the official 2009 team photo.

Because I don't spend enough time on line I thought it might be a laugh to start a 100 Percent Soccer blog division over at MFLS.

It doesn't cost a dime and as far as I know there are no prizes. So with that sort of incentive come sign up, introduce yourself on the forums and lets have at it.

The new MLS season is just a week away. My team - the South Bay Boyz - leans heavily on local talent with a little Caribbean and Norwich City flair. But why did I pick so many players from injury-stricken Chivas USA?

Check it out here.

Space is limited, so don't delay.

Photo by Juan Miranda/Chivas USAEduardo Lillingston, Chivas USA's newest signing in action against the Dynamo tonight.

Chivas USA drew 2-2 with the Houston Dynamo Friday night at Home Depot Center with Atiba Harris and Shavar Thomas scoring. (Full disclosure: I was stuck at work with a project and missed the game).

Lawndale's Kei Kamara went 80 minutes for Houston, but didn't score. Houston midfielder Ricardo Clark was sent off in the 77th minute for a foul on Paulo Nagamura that cleared both benches. It was Chivas USA final game before next Saturday's season opener against the Colorado Rapids at Home Depot Center.

Lineups:
Chivas USA - Zach Thornton, Jonathan Bornstein, Shavar Thomas, Carey Talley, Mariano Trujillo, Sacha Kljestan, Paulo Nagamura, Jesse Marsch (Diego Scotti 85), Atiba Harris (Bojan Stepanovic 66), Eduardo Lillingston (Maykel Galindo 56), Justin Braun.

Houston Dynamo - Pat Onstad, Richard Mulrooney, Bobby Boswell, Julius James (Chris Wondolowski 46), Wade Barrett, Geoff Cameron, Ricardo Clark (Corey Ashe 80), Stuart Holden, Brad Davis, Brian Ching (Kei Kamara 80), Brian Mullan.

Scoring Summary:
CHV - Atiba Harris (Justin Braun) 43'
HOU - Chris Wondolowski (unassisted) 46'
CHV - Shavar Thomas (Carey Talley ) 63'
HOU - Brad Davis (unassisted) 76'

Meanwhile in Galaxyland, tickets for the club's friendly against AC Milan July 19 go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. The catch? You must also buy a ticket to the season opener March 22 against D.C. United (think they're having trouble selling tix?).

Prices start at $50. Call 1-877-3GALAXY.

Updated: UCLA goalkeeper Brian Perk stopped two penalties as the U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team played to a scoreless draw Friday with Trinidad & Tobago, but advanced to the title match after winning 4-3 on penalty kicks. The U.S. plays Costa Rica Sunday for the championship.

Briefly:

*Could Inter Milan also play in Carson this fall? Don't bet on it.

*The U.S. Under-20 Men's Team plays Trinidad & Tobago tonight, but Chivas USA's Jorge Flores will not be there after getting a late red in his first start for the team against El Salvador. Here's what he had to say after his ejection.

*Thanks to all who participated in the Beckham poll. I'd say the results were fairly conclusive. Will Beckham get booed when he returns?

*Updated - Here's the Galaxy travel roster from the club's official blog for the game Saturday in Arizona against the Chicago Fire:

Goalkeepers: Donovan Ricketts and Josh Saunders

Defenders: A.J. DeLaGarza, Sean Franklin, Dan Gargan, Omar Gonzalez, Yohance Marshall, Tony Sanneh and Julian Valentin.

Midfielders: Chris Klein, Dema Kovalenko, Kyle Patterson and Josh Tudela.

Forwards: Tristan Bowen, Landon Donovan, Alan Gordon, Bryan Jordan, Jovan Kirovski and Mike Magee.

That means that Edson Buddle, Todd Dunivant, Leonard Griffin, Eddie Lewis, Stefani Miglioranzi and Israel Sesay remain behind in Los Angeles.

Brevity

Does this guy live in the South Bay? Is he an MLS fan? Brevity is known for "obscure cultural references," according to Wikipedia, but still.

Also, after LA soccer blogger Jennifer Doyle wrote this scathing critique of the new WPS uniforms the following video was posted to my Facebook page; so things could be much worse:

Sloooow news day and I've been busy with other projects, but have time to note that as expected the Galaxy finalized contracts with:

*Likely backup goalkeeper Josh Saunders, who played three games for the Galaxy last year while on loan from Miami FC of the USL.
*Second round draft pick and defender A.J. DeLaGarza out of Maryland.
*Undrafted rookie defender Yohance Marshall from the University of South Florida.
*Midfielder Kyle Patterson, the 2007 Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Year with St.Louis and a former West Bromwich Albion youth player.

Patterson and Marshall signed developmental contracts, joining Izzy Sesay, top draft pick Omar Gonazalez and Van Nuys' Tristan Bowen as five developmental players on the roster.

That leaves only veteran Tony Sanneh unsigned.

Very short:

* Mexico beat Bolivia 5-1 Wednesday in Colorado. Guess Sven-Goran Eriksson saves his job for now.

*The Galaxy's Josh Tudela talks live on the club's official blog at 1 p.m. today.

*The L.A. Sol tied 1-1 with USC Tuesday in the club's first-ever scrimmage, equalizing on a penalty kick late in the game. The club's first official preseason game is 6 p.m. Saturday at the Home Depot Center Track & Field Stadium again FC Gold Pride, the Bay Area's WPS entry. The game isn't being publicized, but fans are welcome to watch.

Moving to bolster its injury-prone striking corps, Chivas USA today signed Eduardo Lillingston, a 12-year veteran of the Mexican First Division.

The 31-year-old Guadalajara native has been training with Chivas USA since the club's preseason trip to Guadalajara in mid-February.

"Eduardo is an experienced player who has shown a good workrate and positive attitude since joining us," said Chivas USA Coach Preki.

Lillingston scored 57 goals in 258 games (118 starts) for Toluca, Atlas, Santos and most recently Tecos UAG.

He awaits a work permit.

Chivas USA are awaiting veteran Ante Razov, 2007 top scorer Maykel Galindo and Alecko Eskandarian to regain full fitness.

Updated: Fourth round draft pick Jamie Franks has left camp.

Briefly:

*David Beckham said the ankle he twisted Tuesday should be fine by the weekend, although it appears worse than he's letting on (sound familiar?).

*The U.S. moved up three spots to 17th in the latest (always suspect) FIFA rankings released today.

The top seven spots remained unchanged with Spain atop the pile and Croatia seventh; Mexico, BTW, moved up one spot to 23rd. Hmmm.

*UCLA goalkeeper Brian Perk got his third shutout in as many games and Chivas USA's Jorge Flores got his first start of the tournament as the U.S.Under-20 Men's National Team defeated El Salvador 2-0 Tuesday night to clinch a spot in the FIFA World Cup for the age bracket set for Egypt this fall.

*As I write this the U.S. women are trailing Sweden 1-0 in the Algarve Cup final. Heather Mitts is making her 100th U.S. appearance. Updated: Torrance's Shannon Boxx equalized in second half stoppage time, but the U.S. lost on penalties.

FYI, busy day today attending to other matters, so minimal blogging.

Updated 10 a.m. - No surprise here: MLS just awarded the 2009 MLS Cup to Seattle where more than 20,000 fans have scooped up season tickets to see the Sounders.

The Chivas USA injury curse has struck again: likely starting goalkeeper Dan Kennedy will miss the start of the season - and be out for up to six weeks - with a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee sustained in the Saturday scrimmage against the Chicago Fire.

No press release from Chivas USA, who mentioned that injury almost as an afterthought on their official blog today.

They led with word past it former Galaxy bird of paradise Abel Xavier started training with them Monday.

I bumped into the central defender in the HDC parking lot Tuesday in his white convertible Bentley. Chivas USA dumped dependable former Mexican international Claudio Suarez for him?

Also, midfielder Erik Hummel, who was with the Chivas USA U-19's in 2006, joined camp on Tuesday along with former pool goalkeeper Sam Reynolds.

The Division II national champion Cal State Dominguez Hills Men's Team were honored at Tuesday's Torrance City Council meeting. Massive soccer fan and Mayor Frank Scotto jokingly exhorted Coach Joe Flanagan (a West Torrance High alum) on his second national championship with the 21-2-4 Toros last season: "Obviously, we continue to expect great things out of you."

Photo by Bryan Renfrow

No, I'm not giggling.

But what if he was out until, say, Julyish? Just wondering.

MILAN (AP) -- David Beckham hurt his right ankle during practice with AC Milan on Tuesday, although the injury does not appear serious.

The Italian league club said it will evaluate the former England captain over the next few days. Milan plays at Siena on Sunday.

The injury comes three days after Beckham extended his loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy through the end of the Serie A season.

AC Milan's season ends May 31. Beckham will be available for England's two World Cup qualifiers in June before taking a few weeks off and rejoining the Galaxy on July 1.

The injury to the 33-year-old midfielder is the latest to hit Milan.

Kaka said Tuesday he won't return until his foot pain subsides. The Brazilian was injured Feb. 7 in a Serie A match against Reggina.

Striker Marco Borriello -- last season's Serie A scoring leader while on loan to Genoa -- and midfielder Gennaro Gattuso are also out. Ronaldinho, Clarence Seedorf and Massimo Ambrosini are not fully fit.

Meanwhile, Becks will talk with ESPN's Hannah Storm at 6 a.m. Wednesday on Sportscenter, in one of his first U.S. television appearances since the loan agreement was extended. You can be sure it will be re-shown often.

Landon Donovan held a press conference today (along with Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena) after his first training session with the team since finishing his loan to Bayern Munich.

It was a bittersweet event because although Donovan said he was happy to be back you could tell he wanted to latch on permanently with the German team. The complicating factor was that he was not a free agent but under contract to MLS, which would have naturally demanded a large transfer free for him.

"If I had been (available for) free I think things would have been different," he said. "It became an economic matter in a lot of ways. ... "I can't really worry about what my marketability is," he added, "or what my future might hold."

Here's Donovan on whether he would have chosen the path Beckham took (extending his loan and returning later in the season) if possible:

"Personally, I don't think it would have been fair to the (Galaxy)," he said. "If that's what (David) wants to do I'm happy for him. In my situation, that's not something I want to do."

On Bayern's bad run of results while he was there:

"It became almost depressing around the club for a week or so. A club like that is not used to losing."

On the experience in Germany in general:

"It was a very interesting experience, for a lot of reasons, some good some bad. It made me appreciate certainly having teammates (here), people you're familiar with, comfortable with, people you enjoy being around."

On what he wished could have been different with Bayern:

"I wish I would have had the chance to start a game because I think I'm most valuable in that circumstance. It's always hard to come in for a few minutes and make an impact."

On learning Bayern officials didn't want him as a fourth striker because they wanted to develop a player younger than someone who was age 27:

"I didn't know before I read that .. they felt like that. Obviously in any professional environment you'd like someone to speak to you directly so that was a little disappointing."

Finally, here's Arena on Donovan's return:

"One of the building blocks of our team is now here," he said. "This time around we're asking him not only to be a leader on the field, but we're asking him to do a little bit more and be a leader on the team. ... When he stepped on the field today he was business, he was all quality."

In a move that was expected, the Galaxy receive a conditional draft pick from D.C. United for 25-year-old Josh Wicks who made five rather shaky starts last season, but became superfluous to requirements with the signing of de facto No. 1 Donovan Rickets and the emergence of Josh Saunders.

Also, the Galaxy are finalizing (presumably developmental) contracts for youngsters A.J. DeLaGarza and Yohance Marshall.

And just to clarify, given Tony Sanneh's inclusion in the new Galaxy media guide handed out today, it's clear (just in case anyone had doubts) that he's made the team. Of course, the likes of Josh Boateng and Brandon McDonald were listed in the media guide, too, and neither of them are on the roster now.

I'll have more from Landon Donovan's press conference at the Home Depot Center shortly.

But they're not going to get from Galaxy owner Anschutz Entertainment Group.

So I wrote if for them.

Agree? Disagree? Take the poll. Vent. Discuss. Leave a comment.

Updated.

Here are some more excerpts from the Sunday morning conference call reporters had with Coach Bruce Arena and President of Business Operations Tom Payne, who were left to face the media after the orchestrator of the Beckham deal - AEG President Tim Leiweke - had much better things to do than explain his rationale in person.

Payne:

"(Beckham) coming back for six homes games is probably not the easiest thing for (fans) to stomach. ... We're trying to run a business. Having that player helps us run the business."

Not a successful team, you understand, but a business.

And here's Payne on how fans have reacted in terms of buying tickets while the Beckham saga dragged on:

"Frankly, its been difficult. ... People have been sitting on their hands. ... We're hopeful they understand how incredibly hard our company has worked to make this happen."

Catching up after a Beckham-centric couple of days it's worth noting that:

*Veteran Chivas USA defender Claudio Suarez announced his retirement Saturday and chatted on ESPN Deportes Radio live in Lynwood. The Rancho Palos Verdes resident plans to stay in the area, playing soccer in a semi-professional league and starting youth soccer clinics with Ramón Ramirez and Robert Zuñiga.

Chivas USA failed to mention the retirement of one of the greatest Mexican internationals ever in its weekly update today and it doesn't sound like the parting of the ways with the club was particularly amicable, according to local blogger Luis Bueno with a translation from La Opinion.

Not a good reflection on the club, by the sound of it. Suarez is one of the classiest and most thoughtful players players out there (despite the fact his English and my Spanish are both inadequate) and I for one will miss his astute observations after games. Gracias, Claudio.

*Landon Donovan returns to Galaxy training Tuesday and will hold a press conference afterward. I'll blog so stay tuned, but Donovan (exhaustively) answered questions from fans about his stay at Bayern on his Web site the other day. A sample:

"Q: Landon, In early January, coach Klinsmann was quoted as saying about you, "He has unbelievable pace and dribbling skill, he looks for the one-on-one situations. ... Having closely followed your career throughout the years (including what I'd consider your best performances at the 2002 WC and 2005 MLS playoffs), I'd agree that your most outstanding moments come through dribbling and one-on-ones -- but I didn't see you searching out opportunities to take over games in this way while at Bayern. (Instead, I saw a lot of one-touch passing and trying to position yourself for headers or rebounds; Ribery played as I'd hoped you would.) Did the coaching staff instruct you to play in a more limited capacity? Did you have different instructions for different games (and could you share some of them?) Thanks a lot, and best of luck -- we all believe in you (even to take on and beat John Terry)

A: This is a great question and hopefully I can help people understand some things about coming into a new environment. With the U.S. team and the Galaxy, I feel more comfortable because I usually have 90 minutes to make an impact and my teammates will forgive mistakes because they know what I'm capable of. Coming into an unfamiliar environment, it's difficult to balance, 1.) Being selfish and trying to make an impression with, 2.) Trying to fit into the team and do what is needed in a given situation. It's one of the trickiest parts of being a new player on a team."

You can read the entire Q&A here.

*The Galaxy reported Monday that "Edson Buddle (quad), Todd Dunivant (ankle), and Eddie Lewis (hamstring) all missed training late last week and on Monday and are unlikely to join the club in Arizona for Saturday night's game against Chicago. Lewis was injured during the Pan-Pacific Championship, while Buddle suffered his injury in training early last week. However, both are expected to be ready for the season opener against D.C. United on March 22."

Dunivant is out of the season opener though; Bryan Jordan returned to training today after missing the last two weeks with a foot injury and is expected to be available for the game in Tempe.

*Joe Tutino will have the call for the game starting at 6:45 p.m. on www.galaxy.com.

*Also, the Galaxy is one of three teams participating in the nationally-televised player search Sueño MLS, which gave us Jorge Flores at Chivas USA. The Galaxy will host the finals at Home Depot Center later in the season. More than 800 signed up Sunday for the Galaxy tryouts March 28-29 in San Bernadino.

*Over in Spain, the U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team opened the 10 Nations Tournament with a 3-2 victory over Norway on Monday, with Sydney Leroux of UCLA among the goalscorers. The U.S. faces France Wednesday as it prepares for qualifying for the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Germany.

CONCACAF announced today that it will use a record number of U.S. venues - 13 - for the Gold Cup set for July 3-26, including the opening doubleheader of the tournament July 3 in Carson at Home Depot Center.

What teams will play where will be announced at a later date.

"While 13 cities create logistical challenges, we think the benefits of reaching out to more venues are clearly worthwhile," CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer said. "The ability of so many people to see national teams play we feel is well worth the effort."

Allow me to translate: "Playing in 13 cities will allow us to extract even more money from a tournament that clogs up the soccer calender and is diminished even further in importance because it is not played every four years in the manner of such legitimate events such as the European Championship."

Meanwhile, the U.S. women are playing Norway as I write this in a meaningless Algarve Cup game (the U.S. is already in the final).

The U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team played to a scoreless draw with Honduras Sunday and now needs at least a tie with El Salvador Tuesday to advance to the next round of the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, the qualifying tournament for the 2009 FIFA Under-20 World Cup.

UCLA goalkeeper Brian Perk recorded the shutout, while Chivas USA's Jorge Flores did not get off the bench.

Updated Monday 9 a.m.: A belated clarification to the first question in the poll. I should have written "Will propel the team TOWARD the MLS Cup." In other words, choose that option if you believe Beckham will IMPROVE the Galaxy when he returns. And thanks for voting

AP Photo

David Beckham waves to fans after the Serie A soccer match today between AC Milan and Atalanta at the San Siro.

You almost had to feel sorry for Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena and President of Business Operations Tom Payne who were on today's conference call with reporters, trying valiantly to put a positive spin on what's shaping up to be the biggest public relations debacle to ever hit MLS.

The smooth-talking architect behind the Beckham time share - AEG President Tim Leiweke - was presumably resting under a rock somewhere and was unavailable to justify to fans how it can be remotely construed as good for the Galaxy that his Beckhamness will grace us with his presence for six whole MLS home games beginning after the all-star break with the Aug. 15 encounter with the Seattle Sounders.

Arena did his best though:

"This situation is considerably better than it was in 2007 for a variety of reasons. One is that David is settled in L.A. Two, he is well aware of his environment now, he knows the league, he knows the team - so I think his transition is much smoother this time around. ... He could suffer an injury at any time, just like any other player. We're hopeful he's healthy and fully fit."

Actually, Bruce, the situation is uncomfortably close to the 2007 debacle and claiming that he's "settled in L.A." when he clearly isn't because he's going to move to AC Milan for good ASAP is just a silly statement to make.

I asked Arena why you would want a player back who clearly doesn't want to be with the Galaxy:

"I actually had contact with David today, we e-mailed each other," Arena said. "He's pretty pleased to be coming back. He is happy coming back. He wants to be in L.A., he wants to take on this challenge. Despite the public statements that have been made over the last couple of months, I think we're getting back a player who wants to be here and is motivated to do well. If it was the other way around and this player had no interest in being here we would not have done this - I can guarantee you that. ... The only way were going to be able to answer your question is when David shows up here in July and we watch the way he contributes to the team. ... I'm very optimistic that David's addition to our team in July is going to be a positive."

BTW, Beckham played a pivotal role in AC Milan's win today, receiving a standing ovation when he left the field.

I'll have more later on the unfolding reaction to the Beckham shell game.

Galaxy General Manager Bruce Arena and President of Business Operations Tom Payne will hold a conference call at 11 a.m. so they can start spinning how wonderful this move is for the Galaxy, their fans and American soccer in general.

(The conference call is almost under way. Any questions for Arena or Payne, leave them in the comment section).

No sign of the guy who orchestrated this dopey deal - AEG head honcho Tim Liesweekly Leiweke - but I'm sure he has much better things to do than explain why this is such a great idea. There are some either monumentally stupid or completely naive quotes in the press release below from the aforementioned Timmy, so it's worth a giggle to have a read:

The LA Galaxy today announced that the club has reached an innovative agreement with AC Milan and David Beckham that would allow the midfielder to remain on loan with Milan through the end of the 2008-09 Serie A season. That season culminates on May 31, after which Beckham would re-join the Galaxy. Beckham will then become eligible to play in MLS games for the Galaxy when the international transfer window re-opens on July 15, 2009.

The multi-million dollar deal compensates the LA Galaxy for the extended loan of Beckham at the start of the new MLS season and has been funded jointly by Milan and the player himself.

"Much has been written and said but, all along it has been our intention to keep David Beckham as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy," said Tim Leiweke , President & CEO, AEG, investor-operators of the MLS club. "We are pleased he is returning and at the same time, we feel it is important to allow him to finish his run in Milan , as it has been a remarkable run. David continues to re-invent himself as he had done with Milan and we are hoping he comes back to help Bruce and his team win the MLS Championship."

"We are excited that we will host AC Milan for our fans and look forward to entertaining them at The Home Depot Center on July 19th," Leiweke added. "This certainly sets the stage for a great season for our fans and we truly appreciate their patience as we have worked through all of our issues."

As part of the agreement to extend the loan, AC Milan will participate in an exhibition game against the LA Galaxy at The Home Depot Center on July 19th. This game will necessitate the re-scheduling of the Galaxy's MLS regular-season match against Red Bull New York two days earlier to July 16th at Giants Stadium.

Beckham, originally scheduled to return to the team on March 9th, will not count against the Galaxy's 20-man senior roster until he returns to the club in July, nor will he count against the club's salary budget until his return.

"I'm really grateful to the LA Galaxy and AC Milan for making this dream deal happen," said Beckham. "It allows me to play for AC Milan and the LA Galaxy in the same year, and also to continue my commitment to develop soccer in the United States , which is something I am passionate about. My family is happy and settled and will remain in LA. The perfect result for 2009 would be for me to help Milan to reach the Champions League and for the LA Galaxy to make the playoffs and win the MLS Cup Playoffs."

The Galaxy has also announced a rollback (10% on average) on ticket prices for the upcoming season. The team will be issuing refunds, in the amount of the rollback, for fans that have already purchased individual and season tickets, according to President of Business Operations Tom Payne.

Since joining Milan on loan, Beckham has played and started in nine league games, leading the Italian side to a 4-2-3 record in those contests. The 33-year-old has scored two goals and added two assists in 810 minutes played. He's also appeared in two UEFA Cup games, one as a starter. Milan, which is currently in third place in the Serie A standings, hosts Atalanta in a crucial league game on Sunday.

In the last two seasons Beckham has had a clear impact on the game in the States, specifically through MLS attendances. LA Galaxy average home attendance in 2008 rose by 24.9% since 2006. As a whole, MLS attendance went up 6.9% during the same period. His impact on TV ratings is also marked with average ratings on ESPN increasing by 23% in games when Beckham participated. Evidenced by a massive hike in global media interest in the MLS and increases in sponsorship and merchandise revenue, there is clear evidence that Beckham has made a significant impact in the sport in North America.

"With this agreement being reached, we can continue to move forward with our final preparations for the 2009 MLS season which opens with our first game on March 22 against D.C. United at The Home Depot Center," said Galaxy General Manger and Head Coach Bruce Arena . "During the off season, we began the process of improving our roster and the moves that we have made so far place us in a position to be more successful this season. David is truly an outstanding player and I am confident that his presence will strengthen our roster in the last half of the season as we push for a playoff position."

With the LA Galaxy, Beckham has appeared in 30 games with 27 starts and registered five goals and 12 assists. In 2007, he was limited by ankle and knee injuries, but came back in 2008 with a team-best 10 assists and five goals in 25 games played only missing action with the club due to national team duty. The Galaxy captain saw a lot of firsts in his first full season in MLS, including his first MLS career goal nine minutes into the home opener against San Jose on April 3 and his first multi-goal game a month later in a 2-2 draw at Real Salt Lake on May 3. Additionally, Beckham was selected for the MLS All-Start game for the first time, setting up the All-Stars first goal in the 3-2 win over West Ham.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- David Beckham is coming back to the Los Angeles Galaxy in July.

The English midfielder will remain on loan to AC Milan through the end of the Italian team's season, which concludes May 31.

But it's going to cost Beckham to stay overseas. He and AC Milan are jointly paying the Galaxy in a "multimillion dollar deal" to extend his loan, the Galaxy said in a statement issued late Saturday night. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The Galaxy had sought $10 million for the outright purchase of Beckham, but AC Milan officials had offered $3 million. The two sides were negotiating for weeks and reached agreement on the loan extension hours before it was due to expire after AC Milan's game with Atalanta on Sunday.

"I'm really grateful to the L.A. Galaxy and AC Milan for making this dream deal happen," Beckham said in the statement. "It allows me to play for AC Milan and the L.A. Galaxy in the same year, and also to continue my commitment to develop soccer in the United States, which is something I am passionate about."

The announcement came three weeks after Major League Soccer commissioner Don
Garber's Feb. 13 deadline to resolve the situation.

At the time, Tim Leiweke, president and chief executive of the Galaxy's parent company AEG, had said the negotiations were over and that Beckham needed to return to to Los Angeles and end the distraction.

Clearly, AC Milan officials were operating on their own timetable.

"Much has been written and said but all along it has been our intention to keep David
Beckham as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy," Leiweke said in the statement. "We are pleased he is returning and at the same time, we feel it is important to allow him to finish his run in Milan, as it has been a remarkable run."

Going into Sunday's game, Beckham had scored two goals in 11 games for Milan and
looked to be in his best form since leaving Real Madrid two years ago.

The 33-year-old former England captain repeatedly said he wants to stay with Milan to
improve his chances of making his country's team for next year's World Cup and described his experience there as "incredible."

Beckham has a five-year contract with MLS worth $32.5 million, and it includes a
clause that would allow him to leave at the end of this year.

Leiweke was traveling to Europe over the weekend and was unavailable for comment.

The Galaxy opens the MLS season on March 22. Beckham won't become eligible to play in league games until the international transfer window reopens on July 15.

That means Beckham's first game with the Galaxy will be July 16 against the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium, which will be moved up two days from its original date on the league schedule.

The change is necessary to accommodate another part of the deal, an exhibition between AC Milan and the Galaxy at Home Depot Center in Carson on July 19.

Beckham won't count against the Galaxy's 20-man senior roster until he returns to the
club in July, nor will he count against the club's salary budget until his return.

"I am confident that his presence will strengthen our roster in the last half of the season
as we push for a playoff position," Arena said in the statement.

Beckham said his family is happy and will remain in Los Angeles.

In a move to accommodate fans who endured the back-and-forth speculation on
Beckham's future in Los Angeles, the team said it will cut ticket prices by an average
of 10 percent. Refunds, in the amount of the rollback, will be issued for anyone who has already purchased season or individual tickets, the team said.

Beckham said his ideal scenario for the year would be to help Milan reach the
Champions League and for the Galaxy to make the playoffs and win the MLS Cup.

But the Galaxy hasn't come close to postseason play since Beckham arrived with ankle and knee injuries amid much hoopla in July 2007.

He had no goals and two assists as the Galaxy finished with a 9-14-7 record that was
third-worst in the league. Last season, Beckham had five goals and 10 assists, but the
Galaxy's 8-13-9 record tied for the worst in MLS.

Beckham was injured last season, when he left the Galaxy at various times for appearances with England's national team.

Beckham's greatest impact in America has come at the turnstiles.

The Galaxy's average home attendance last season was up by 24.9 percent since 2006, and the league's attendance increased 6.9 percent during the same period.

Average ratings of games on ESPN in which Beckham played rose by 23 percent.

So it turns out David Beckham is absolutely selfless. How touching is this? What a guy:

MILAN (AP) -- David Beckham is willing to give up a "mountain of money" to stay with AC Milan, club chairman Adriano Galliani said Saturday while working to close the deal.

"All players express their affection for a club, but few have showed it in a tangible
manner by renouncing a mountain of money. Beckham is one of these," Galliani told
Milan's TV channel.

Galliani has said that negotiations are on track for Beckham to extend his loan from the
Los Angeles Galaxy through the end of the Serie A season.

Beckham joined Milan in January for a two-month loan that is slated to expire after Sunday's game with Atalanta. Galliani said Friday that documents were being exchanged with the Galaxy and that the deal was near completion.

Beckham has a five-year contract with the Galaxy worth $32.5 million.

Financial terms of the proposal are unknown, but the Galaxy had asked for $10 million
from Milan for the outright purchase of the former England captain. Milan had said it
would pay no more than $3 million, since he could become available anyway after the
MLS season.

Beckham has scored two goals in 11 games for Milan and looked to be in his best
form since leaving Real Madrid two years ago.

"The resolution of his situation here will give Beckham a few advantages because he
really wants to stay here and it would give him more motivation to do well," Milan coach
Carlo Ancelotti told the club's Web site.

Meanwhile, Chivas USA were sinking to a 2-1 defeat to the Chicago Fire Saturday in a preseason friendly at Home Depot Center.

Sacha Kljestan got the lone Chivas USA goal, but strikes by Justin Mapp and Brian McBride gave Chicago the win. The Palos Verdes Peninsula's John Thorrington did not suit up for the Fire.

The Chivas USA XI: Dan Kennedy (Lance Parker 46), Ante Jazic, Jim Curtin, Shavar Thomas, Carey Talley (Mariano Trujillo 53), Michael Lahoud (Justin Braun 46), Bojan Stepanovic (Jamie Franks 82), Diego Scotti, Paulo Nagamura, Sacha Kljestan, Eduardo Lillingston (Maykel Galindo 60).

Galindo's minutes were the first of preseason for him.

Chivas USA's preseason record falls to 4-3-1.

Briefly:
*Chivas USA's Jorge Flores (briefly) played Friday in the got the start for the U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team's 3-0 victory over Jamaica in the opening game of the CONCACAF U-20 Championship. UCLA goalkeeper Brian Perk got the shutout. Next up: Honduras on Sunday.

*Earlier today, Natasha Kai scored the U.S. winner with a sweet volley in stoppage time in a 1-0 victory over Iceland to qualify for the Algarve Cup final in Portugal. The U.S. has one irrelevant group game left against Norway Monday. Torrance's Shannon Boxx of the Sol played the full 90 minutes for the U.S. The Sol's Kendall Fletcher didn't get off the bench again.

*CONCACAF will announce the Gold Cup venues Monday (gee, do ya think the Home Depot Center will be in there?)

*Mexico has announced its squad for Wednesday's game against Bolivia in Colorado:
goalkeepers: Guillermo Ochoa (América), José de Jesús Corona (Tecos UAG)

defenders: Juan Carlos Valenzuela (América), Julio César Domínguez (Cruz Azul), Leobardo López (Pachuca), Fausto Pinto (Cruz Azul), Oscar Rojas (América), Paúl Aguilar (Pachuca), Hugo Ayala (Atlas), Edgar Castillo (América)

midfielders: Pável Pardo (América), Leandro Augusto (UNAM), Luis Pérez (Monterrey), Israel Martínez (San Luis), Antonio Naelson (Toluca), Fernando Arce (Santos), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul)

forwards: José María Cárdenas (Pachuca), Vicente Matias Vuoso (Santos Laguna), César Villaluz (Cruz Azul), Omar Bravo (Tigres), Sergio Santana (Toluca)

*Best of the TV games this weekend include:
4:30 a.m. Saturday Coventry City-Chelsea on Fox Soccer Channel
3 p.m. Saturday Chivas-Jaguares on KAZA
9 a.m. Sunday Everton-Middlesborough (FA Cup) on FSC
12:30 p.m. Sunday AC Milan-Atalanta (delayed) on FSC
3 p.m. Sunday Atlante-Club America on KVEA.

The MLS Players' Union has released the 2009 list of salaries (as it does annually) largely to demonstrate how little most of its members make. (Thanks to loyal reader Ben for the heads-up).

Here's the Galaxy and Chivas numbers in order of top earners to those at the bottom of the pile.

Are they worth it? You decide.

Galaxy:
David Beckham $6.5 million
Landon Donovan $900,000
Edson Buddle $179,950
Chris Klein $175,000
Eddie Lewis $165,722.29
Donovan Ricketts $150,000
Omar Gonzalez $142,000
Dema Kovalenko $137,618.75
Todd Dunivant $109,974.38
Izzy Sesay $102,083.33
Tristan Bowen $96,363.63
Jovan Kirovski $80,000
Alan Gordon $79,754.40
Stefani Miglioranzi $79,499.96
Sean Franklin $76,850
Mike Magee $72,500
Josh Saunders $44,473.75
Josh Wicks $42,000
Leonard Griffin $39,500
A.J. DeLaGarza $36,000
Julian Valentin $34,000
Bryan Jordan $34,000
Josh Tudela $34,000

Chivas USA
Sacha Kljestan $203,000
Jesse Marsch $174,375
Ante Razov $147,750
Alecko Eskandarian $143,391.25
Sacha Victorine $131,250
Carey Talley $110,250
Jim Curtin $109,204.20
Shavar Thomas $108,250
Ante Jazic $98,500
Paulo Nagamura $98,398.13
Jonathan Bornstein $90,000
Maykel Galindo $87,725
Atiba Harris $65,700
Zach Thornton $55,000
Dan Kennedy $50,000
Michael Lahoud $45,375
Lawson Vaughn $34,650
Justin Braun $34,000
Bobby Burling $34,000
Jorge Flores $34,000
Gerson Mayen $20,100
Lance Parker $20,100

Here's the complete list alphabetically and by club.

Discuss.

The BBC is reporting today that the David Beckham loan deal is effectively done (as it has been for several days), although AC Milan have refused to confirm the story.

Another report said the Italian club may put up a confirmation on its official Web site later today.

Cue the obligatory columns summing up Beckham's impact on and off the field.

Since Galaxy fans don't get a cut of the loot the powers that be make off Beckham, their main concern will be just how much of an effort he will put in when he temporarily returns later this season before leaving for Europe for good.

Answer: little to none, which frankly is what we witnessed all too often during the waning stages of last year's abysmal season anyway. Between England games, the inevitable "strained" calf/hamstring/whatever other muscles he can find we won't see him gracing many MLS stadiums anyway.

The good news for Galaxy fans, as noted Thursday: Landon Donovan returns to training Tuesday for the Galaxy as his German trip ends. And Donovan, unlike Becks, cares about the actual game in the U.S. rather than just calculating how much he can line his own pockets by exploiting the American market.

Updated 4 p.m.: No confirmation of the Beckham deal coming today, a source just told me. Stay tuned.

AP photo

Soccer fan and 6" 6' basketball player Kobe Bryant and diminutive Brazilian soccer star Marta (5' 4") meet Thursday at Carson's Home Depot Center as the Lakers (part-owned by AEG) star introduces the (part-owned by AEG) Sol of Women's Professional Soccer.

Also:
*Amway Global was unveiled as the Sol jersey sponsor today and will apparently sponsor something called "Marta's Maniacs in Amway Global Corner" in section 119. Look for the Riot Squad to take that over, I'll wager.

*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 Sunday. And not so coincidentally you can buy season tickets and pick out your seat. Individual game seats are also going on sale.

*Opening day of the season is March 29 against Abby Wambach and the Washington Freedom.

As expected, playmaker Landon Donovan will return on time Tuesday from his Bayern Munich loan stint and resume training with the Galaxy ahead of its preseason game in Tempe, Ariz., March 14 against the Chicago Fire.

"I am very excited to be returning home to my teammates and the LA Galaxy. I would like to thank Bayern Munich for the opportunity to play with one of the premier clubs in Europe , as well as all their coaches and players for welcoming me into the Club," said Donovan. "Although the results were not what we had hoped for, the time in Germany still was very positive for me. I am fit, motivated, and excited to be coming back as a better, more experienced player."

Donovan did well for Bayern during the German winter break, scoring four goals in five friendly games.

But he saw limited action once the Bundesliga season resumed. Club officials then said Donovan wouldn't be sticking around as the club's fourth striker, saying that at age 27 (his birthday was Wednesday) he was too old to occupy a slot that should go to a younger player with more potential to develop.

The 2008 MLS MVP had a career best 20 goals last year and also became the U.S. national team all-time leading scorer.

No word on Beckham though as negotiations apparently feverishly continue with AC Milan.

The Galaxy open the MLS season at home March 22nd against D.C. United.

Good morning.

Here is your Thursday repast in appropriate portion sizes and food types. Bon appetite.

Fruit Loops - Here is why it doesn't pay to follow every twist and turn in the David Beckham loan saga. Goal.com (a Web site that at least from its European desk manages to be consistently wrong by mistaking rumors and gossip for actual news) reports this morning that the Beckham deal will be finalized Friday (citing, of course, an Italian newspaper report).

ESPN takes the opposite tack, claiming Wednesday night that "another twist" in the story will have Becks returning to the Galaxy after all, per Coach Bruce Arena. All very well except Arena has said that all along anyway, so the only justification for the "new twist" claim is to put a new spin on an old story. Got indigestion already?

Galaxy gruel - Meanwhile, the Galaxy lost 5-2 to the Rapids in a closed door preseason game that had Van Nuys' Tristan Bowen and top draft pick Omar Gonzalez scoring in the losing cause. Arena doesn't want lineups released from preseason games and I wasn't there, but the official Galaxy blog has pics and some names. No worries on over-eating on info there.

Jelly doughnut - This may be the very definition of unnecessary calories, but Fox Soccer Channel will now text weekly programming alerts and match information to fans. Users of AT&T Wireless, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, Nextel, T-Mobile, Alltel , US Cellular and Virgin Mobile can text FSCTV to 37288 to sign up.

Top banana - Now I'm biased, but a healthier option would be to sign up for my Twitter alerts (I'm LAsoccerblog) here. A pledge to those of you who (like me) TiVo games - I will never put a score in a Twitter post.

Oatmeal - Hearty and reliable Joe Tutino returns for his 12th straight season in the Galaxy radio booth where he will call at least 24 games on AM 570 and sister station KTLK AM 1150 (in their second season of airing Galaxy games). Galaxy coach Ralph Perez again joins Tutino in the booth for home games.

Coffee (black and strong) - Feminist Los Angeles soccer blogger Jennifer Doyle has this wake-up call for Women's Professional Soccer, ripping (pun intended) its new uniforms and way they were unveiled. An appetizer:

"The uniforms are bland. They are all cut from the same cloth. The same pattern. The colors even have the same tone - as if opposing teams are supposed to match. They are totally generic and uninspired."

It gets worse (better?) from there. Read the rant here.

Finally, what's breakfast without a little scrambled eggs - And that's probably the best description of the controlled chaos of the western regional qualifier for the FIFA Interactive World Cup 2009 set for Saturday in Santa Monica. There's still time to register and you can play by just showing up (but get there early). The Galaxy's Eddie Lewis will join in the festivities from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the Third Street Promenade. There's also an on-line qualifying tournament. Details and registration info here.

Central defender Bobby Burling, a product of Loyola Marymount who is entering his third season with the team, will miss the start of the season after undergoing sports hernia surgery today in Philadelphia, Chivas USA officials announced today.

Burling made 18 starts for Chivas USA last season - the most of any central defender on the team - and is expected to be sidelined up to six weeks

It's the latest injury blow for Chivas USA, which has picked up where it left off last season in terms of a succession of disruptive injuries.

Among the players already struggling with injuries are strikers Maykel Galindo, Ante Razov, Alecko Eskandarian and Atiba Harris, while defender Lawson Vaughn and midfielder Sasha Victorine are both coming back from surgery. Of course, the oft-injured Raphael Wicky also just retired and veteran defender Claudio Suarez remains out of contract. (Did I miss anyone?)

However, playmaker Sacha Kljestan returned from injury in a 1-0 Chivas USA loss to the San Jose Earthquakes today in a preseason game at Home Depot Center.

Cam Weaver scored in the seventh minute for the Quakes, who also had former Galaxy players Brandon McDonald and Simon Elliott in their lineup.

The Chivas USA XI: Chivas USA: -- Zach Thornton, Ante Jazic (Jim Curtin 72), Jonathan Bornstein, Shavar Thomas, Michael Lahoud, Bojan Stepanovic (Jamie Franks 82), Jesse Marsch (Dan Gargan 63), Paulo Nagamura, Sacha Kljestan (Diego Scotti 66), Justin Braun, Eduardo Lillingston.

Stepanovic, a 26-year-old Serbian midfielder, apparently came in the Chivas USA camp Saturday. Mexican midfielder Mariano Trujillo , most recently with Atlante, also remains in camp.

Departures of today: defenders Dan Gargan and reader's favorite Leo Bautista, who has now struck out with both Chivas USA and the Galaxy.

Meanwhile, David Beckham played the first 45 minutes of AC Milan's win today in a friendly against Al Sadd in Qatar and Landon Donovan didn't get on the field at all today as Bayern Munich lost 4-2 to Bayer Leverkusen in the quarterfinals of the German Cup.

Bayern Munich have just one win in their last five games, heaping pressure on Manager Jurgen Klinsmann. Maybe it's just as well Donovan isn't sticking around.

Briefly:

*Chivas USA scrimmage the San Jose Earthquakes at 10 a.m. today on University Field No. 2 Field at Home Depot Center.

*Former Galaxy midfielder Ned Grabavoy, an industrious player who never quite made the impact some thought he would, was picked up in the waiver draft from the Earthquakes by Real Salt Lake.

*Torrance's Shannon Boxx went the full 90 for the U.S. Women's National Team in its 2-0 Algarve Cup opener today against Denmark in Portugal. Fellow Sol player Kendall Fletcher didn't get off the bench. Next up: Iceland on Friday. (Updated: A reader points out former Bruin Tina DiMartino scored the second U.S. goal in what was her first start and second U.S. cap; Angie Woznuk of El Cajon scored the opener).

*Finally, David Beckham is so desperate to join AC Milan (or should that be leave the Galaxy), he's reportedly kicking in some cash to get the deal done.

You're a marketing executive with the third of three pro soccer franchises in the L.A. market fighting for media attention while playing a sport - soccer - often overlooked by the media in the best of times and in fact the Associated Press has informed you they will not cover any of your home games.

If you're the L.A. Sol of Women's Professional Soccer what do you do?

You leverage the star power of an employee of co-owner AEG - Lakers guard and noted soccer fan Kobe Bryant - to introduce the team at a press conference Thursday at Home Depot Center.

It's a meaningless event with no news value, but then it's not aimed at the soccer fan or even the soccer media, it's merely a shameless way to get the Sol on local and perhaps national TV for a few seconds. And good luck to them.

And the pics will be good - 6' 6'' Bryant standing next to 5' 4" Marta - as cameras roll. How calculated is that (and I'll make sure I post a picture).

Considering that, it's no wonder the Sol is seeking a hungry (but not too hungry since the job is unpaid) college writer to cover the team. Here are the details from the Sol:

We are selecting talented, young college writers to encapsulate the organization, players, and community involvement of the Los Angeles Sol.

As an Official College Sol Writer you will:
• Cover select games and events for the 2009 Inaugural Season.
• Be published in the Official Sol website.
• Your article will be featured in a weekly Sol Newsletters, sent directly to season ticket holders and fans.
• Have exclusive event, locker room and behind the scenes access.
• Have the opportunity to represent fans and the community.

Most importantly the stories are yours to create! You have creative freedom to develop the stories of your choice and we encourage you to build your professional persona. This is an opportunity to showcase your talents for a professional sports organization, network, and build your resume.

Each applicant must submit a portfolio piece [class essay or article] that exhibits their exemplary writing and include a short statement [150 words or less] of what motivates them most about sports writing.

Send all portfolio pieces and statements to ndiaz@aegworldwide.com.

So here's your opportunity for um, little fame and little fortune. And if you get the "job," please, remember us little people.

The Los Angeles Sol opened training camp in Carson Monday giving a new generation of soccer players role models.

Thinking about buying Galaxy season tickets? Then know Beckham will play just 13 MLS games - or even fewer - this year if his loan deal to AC Milan is extended.

Lastly, those planning their summer vacation should know tickets go on sale beginning March 14 to the U.S. World Cup qualifier against Honduras June 6 in Chicago. Details here.

Updated 8:40 a.m.
MLS just released the complete list of players cut Monday (or earlier) by their respective clubs. A waiver draft is set for noon. (The Galaxy have the second pick behind the Earthquakes, Chivas USA picks seventh).

Just to refresh your memory who is available:
Chivas USA - Kraig Chiles, Anthony Hamilton, Roberto Nurse, Keith Savage.
Galaxy - Vardan Adzemian, Charles Alamo, Michael Gavin, Mike Munoz.
Other notable players include - former Chivas USA forward John Cunliffe and former Galaxy midfielder Ned Grabavoy (San Jose Earthquakes).

Sol Coach Abner Rogers leads the first day of training camp

Photos by Brad Graverson

I began my day at the opening day of the L.A. Sol training camp at Home Depot Center, so it's only fitting I end a busy day there, too, with this belated post.

I'll have more on the Sol in Tuesday's column (no, I'm not writing about freaking David Beckham again, although Scott Wolf will provide an update of his reported loan extension).

But here's a few things that didn't make it into the column.

The full Sol training camp roster is here.

Except - it's inaccurate.

There are 24 players in camp chasing 22 roster spots, not 26. The missing: forward Jodie Taylor who is finishing up school at Oregon State and defender Lana Bowen who concluded she had a better chance of hooking on with a WPS team elsewhere, according to Sol management, so scratch them

Also missing: Torrance's Shannon Boxx and defender Kendall Fletcher, who are with the U.S. Women's National Team at the Algarve Cup in Portugal, and goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, who's with the Canadian Women's National Team in Cyprus.

U.S. internationals Aly Wagner and Stephanie Cox were also no-shows at the Sol's morning session due to "contractual technicalities"; they were scheduled to practice Tuesday at the latest (the Sol are doing two a day sessions for the first week and I didn't have a chance to check back on the afternoon session Monday).

"We're very very happy that all five internationals have made it for day one of camp," said General Manager Charlie Naimo. "I think we may be the only team with that distinction right now, so were very, very fortunate especially having the first game March 29. ... Except for Washington all the other teams get an extra week to prepare.

The five: Camille Abily (France), Han Duan (China), LeBlanc (Canada), Aya Miyama, (Japan) and Marta (Brazil) plus Johanna Frisk, (Sweden).

More players coming into camp are unlikely, Naimo said:

"We don't have to go out and bring players in for looks. We have the right mix, right here."

On signing Frisk:

"She's an accomplished second back, won championships for years. Pia (Sundhage), our national team coach, had some really nice things to say about her so we were fortunate to be able to add her to our discovery list. She was a great fit and it worked out."

Frisk and Marta warm up Monday.

Veteran Swiss midfielder Raphael Wicky, who played just five games for Chivas USA last year in an injury-plagued first season with the team, has called time on his playing career, the club announced Monday evening. A succession of injuries contributed to the decision that was made for "personal reasons," according to the club.

That still means the team still has 22 players under contract (they already subtracted him from the roster count they gave me earlier in the day and I simply failed to do the math).

"I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to everyone at Chivas USA for giving me the opportunity to play in Major League Soccer," Wicky said. "I had a wonderful experience with the club, and only wish that I could have contributed more on the field."

Wicky played 75 times for Switzerland and also appeared for such clubs as Werder Bremen and Hamburg SV (Germany), FC Sion (Switzerland) and Athletico Madrid (Spain) in a pro career that began in 1993.

Not much news out of the Chivas USA camp today in terms of player additions or subtractions.

Chivas USA has 22 players under contract, two shy of the maximum number of 24 (no more than 20 senior players and four developmental) all MLS teams are required to be at by today.

They have four five other players still in camp who are as yet unsigned and remain on trial with the team: Venezuelan defender Leo Batista (a pick-up from the Galaxy, who cut him from their camp); veteran Mexican forward Eduardo Lillingston; draft pick Jamie Franks; once and perhaps future Chivas USA player Dan Gargan and midfielder Diego Scotti (Chivas USA PR staff initially overlooked him).

Lillingston had a hand in two of the four goals Chivas USA scored Sunday against the PDL Ventura County Fusion in Santa Clarita, while Franks also had an assist.

Chivas USA, regular readers will recall, also expect to have a couple of first-team players from mother club CD Guadalajara on the roster by opening day.

Updated: The 22 are - Jonathan Bornstein, Justin Braun, Bobby Burling, Jim Curtin, Alecko Eskandarian, Jorge Flores, Maykel Galindo, Atiba Harris, Ante Jazic, Dan Kennedy, Sacha Kljestan, Michael Lahoud, Jesse Marsch, Gerson Mayen, Paulo Nagamura, Lance Parker, Ante Razov, Carey Talley, Shavar Thomas, Zach Thornton, Lawson Vaughn and Sasha Victorine.

For the whereabouts of defender Raphael Wicky, check the posts from later today.

Reports out of Europe today that discussed the likely extension of David Beckham's loan to AC Milan from the Galaxy have apparently been confirmed by the L.A.Times. Details here.

A club source told me it's unclear whether any deal will be finalized and formally announced today.

Updated 3:30 p.m.: As of 30 minutes ago, the Galaxy had this to say about their loaned players -

David Beckham and Landon Donovan remain in Europe on loan with AC Milan and Bayern Munich respectively, with both players scheduled to return later this month ahead of the Galaxy's season opener against D.C. United.

Looks like the Galaxy have yet to get on the same page as AEG in regard to Becks.

In other Galaxy news, the club won't have to announce any roster cuts today because they have 24 players under contract and so are in compliance with MLS salary cap and roster numbers that come into effect today.

That means as yet unsigned draft picks A.J. DeLaGarza and Kyle Patterson as well as trialist Yohance Marshall will remain training with the team for now.

However, the Galaxy are expected to announce later today that midfielder Josh Boateng, a third round draft pick out of Liberty University, has left the club. (Confirmed at 3 p.m. per the Galaxy).

Also, trade negotiations between the Galaxy and Honduran team Platense over young central defender Osman Chavez apparently broke down over the weekend, according to media reports out of that Central American country.

More later.

I'm heading out to the first-ever L.A. Sol practice shortly and realized I still had an interview with Kljestan recorded last week I had yet to post.

Kljestan is injured and didn't play Sunday in Chivas USA's win over the PDL Ventura County Fusion in Santa Clarita. He spoke about his expectations for the upcoming season, the interest shown by Glasgow Celtic in him and the U.S.-Mexico World Cup qualifier:

Question: Last year was a break-out season for you. What do you need to do for an encore?
Answer: I've got to be more of a leader, more of a guy the team can really count on in every game. I think I've got to create more for the offense and also have to be a box to box guy that helps out the defense as well. There's going to be a lot of (World Cup) qualifiers this year and hopefully some big tournaments in the summer as well. My first goal is to win the MLS Cup - something we haven't ever done.

Q: Offensively, your game took on a new dimension last season. Is there room for improvement there, too?
A: I need to get better around the goal. Five to six goals (a year) is OK, but 10 to 12 is probably a lot better - that would probably help my team win a few more games. You can always work on your first touch, I can always work on my awareness on the field and I think (as far as ) my relationships with the forwards we need to spend more time playing together. Getting some good time with (Maykel) Galindo and Alecko (Eskandarian) and Ante (Razov) when he's back will really help.

Q: Now that you've trained in Scotland with a big club like Glasgow Celtic, are you even more determined to move overseas, perhaps as soon as this summer?
A: If something comes up in the summertime then I have to sit down with my family and look at it. I try not to think about it, really. I tried not to think about the Celtic thing when I was playing with the national team and now that I'm here it's Chivas USA 100 percent.

Q: Are you concerned about making a big move only to struggle for playing time as DaMarcus Beasley and Maurice Edu have done at Glasgow Rangers? Have you talked to them about their situation?
A: I've spoken to them a lot. Maurice and I are a lot closer than Beaz and I, but he's a pretty cool guy and I've been around him a lot on the national team so I talk to him a lot (as well). (Mo) is in a tough situation where he's not getting minutes right now. I heard they maybe wanted to put him out on loan, but he wanted to stay and fight for minutes at Rangers, which shows his character. Mo is a really smart kid and really driven ... It's just a different style over there and it's obviously very hard to break into a team when your team is in first place.

For me, personally, I don't see myself going to a big club. I don't necessarily want to go to a big club. I want to go to a place where I'm important to the team and I'm helping the team win games, not somewhere where I'm just lost in the shuffle.

Q: How was the Mexico-U.S. World Cup qualifier in Columbus?
A: For my first experience of USA-Mexico I thought I had a pretty good game. Maybe attacking-wise I wasn't as good as I was in the (January) game against Sweden, but in the role that I played alongside Michael Bradley in the midfield I think I did what Bob asked me to do. I think Michael and ourselves imposed ourselves on the game and I think our midfield really carried the team in the game. So I was proud of the effort everybody brought forward, but I was also proud of myself to get the experience and especially get the win in front of our home fans. It was quite an amazing feeling.

Chivas USA 4 Ventura County Fusion 0

Trialist Eduardo Lillingston controls the ball Sunday against the Fusion in a preseason friendly in Santa Clarita.

Photo: Juan Miranda

Full disclosure: I was not there. (It was my mum's 81st birthday - Happy Birthday, mum!)

From the (edited) Chivas USA press release:

Jonathan Bornstein started the scoring for the Red-and-White in the eighth minute, receiving a pass in the box from Eduardo Lillingston and slotting a low shot past Trevor Stiles in the Fusion net. Chivas USA struck again in minute 37, and Lillingston again started the play; his header from a Jamie Franks corner kick was cleared off the line, but the rebound fell to captain Jesse Marsch, who pounded the ball home from close range.

In the 66th minute Chris Cortez hit a 25-yard shot that fooled Fusion goalkeeper Jordan King and found the corner of the net. Justin Braun, who entered the match for Lillingston to start the second session, capped the scoring in the 77th minute, taking a through ball from Franks past King and shooting into the empty goal.

Chivas USA lineup - Dan Kennedy, Jonathan Bornstein (Mariano Trujillo 46), Jim Curtin (Shavar Thomas 46), Leo Bautista, Dan Gargan, Michael Lahoud (Cesar Zamora 46), Paulo Nagamura (Gerson Mayen 46), Jesse Marsch (Diego Scotti 46), Jamie Franks, Eduardo Lillingston (Justin Braun 46), Chris Cortez.

Roster cut down day is Monday.

One last chance for the players on trial at Chivas USA to impress today against the Ventura County Fusion in Santa Clarita with roster and salary cap compliance day looming Monday. Details here.

David Beckham was a non-entity as AC Milan slumped to another defeat today. He came off with about 20 minutes left; Ronaldinho didn't even make the bench. AC Milan also had a late equalizer disallowed for offside.

The Galaxy's Landon Donovan was a late, ineffective sub today for Bayern Munich in their 0-0 tie with Werder Bremen.

Also in Europe, Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers bagged a brace today as the Columbus Crew downed Everton Reserves 5-1 in Liverpool. He was actually outscored by Riverside's Chad Marshall though who put the ball in the net three times; trouble is one of those went in his own net. Box score.