Saturday Soccer: Galaxy, Sol & Chivas USA
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.
About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
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