Monday Name-Dropping
Busy (and slow-starting) day working on Tuesday's column, a preview of this weekend's game of the MLS season so far: Saturday's match-up between MLS leader Chivas USA and second-place team the Seattle Sounders at Home Depot Center. I'll post that in the morning. (The Galaxy play in San Jose Saturday, BTW).
Names in the news include:
*Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, who today became only the club's third to be named MLS Player of the Week after making five saves in the 0-0 draw with Chivas USA on his MLS debut. Ricketts joins Kevin Hartman and Joe Cannon as the only goalkeepers in Galaxy history to keep a clean sheet in their first-ever start for the club.
The only other Galaxy goalkeepers named MLS Player of the Week: Jorge Campos (1996) and Kevin Hartman (1999 and 2002).
*Question: Will David Beckham improve his chances of playing for England at the 2010 World Cup sitting on the bench in Milan or playing in L.A.? Daily Mail.
*Midfielder Alberto Lopez, 17, from Aurora, IL, won the nationally-televised player search Sueño MLS 2009 and will receive an invitation to join the Chicago Fire Juniors.
*South (Torrance) High's Lauren Hein was named Daily Breeze Player of the Year, while South's Brad Gomez was named Coach of the Year.
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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.
Hi Nick:
What's the story with Julian Valentin? The guy obviously managed to avoid the waivers axe when it came down in the pre-season, but he's not getting any playing time, or consideration it seems.
I expected to see him start at the USOC or at least get some minutes, but zilch.
Is he in the doghouse, did Bruce forget to cut him, or is he a very long term project for the club?
Nick replies: I suspect two things are going on. One, he's caught in the numbers game. Arena was bemoaning the loss of the reserve league at the USOC game (Valentin was the reserve team captain, playing 10 games last year) and pointedly observed he was trying to get squad players meaningful minutes at that game.
But secondly, he has the misfortune of being associated with the previous management (Arena did play him in last year's regular season finale in what was his lone rookie appearance) and we know how well they did.
Frankly, I had expected him to get cut. And still do eventually.
As always, thanks.
I gotta tell you, I've also been waiting for the axe to drop on him, but he keeps surviving cuts, waives and trades.
I still have a positive image of him from his college days, I just wonder if Bruce sees something that makes him reluctant to cut this guy.
Oh well, like I said, thanks again.