Friday Football: July 4 Exhibition at Coliseum Cancelled & a Galaxy Update
Coliseum officials announced today they had been forced to cancel the Independence Day exhibition game that was to star Lionel Messi after receiving word football's worldwide governing body had objected to the event:
Coliseum officials were notified by CONMEBOL that it has received communications from FIFA, dated June 23rd and 24th, stating that it is FIFA and CONCACAF's position that the exhibition scheduled for July 4th in the Coliseum is not permitted.The Coliseum hopes to resolve any FIFA concerns as soon as possible, so that the nine Futbol All-Stars events previously agreed to (annually) may proceed.
Refunds will be made available at the point of purchase.
The 4th of July Fireworks Extravaganza will go on as scheduled, without charge, with the 60 minute pyrotechnic display set to start shortly after sunset. Efforts are currently under way to introduce a soccer component to the day's festivities at the Coliseum.
Coliseum officials didn't specify what FIFA's concerns were. Fans had already questioned the credibility of the event especially after 100 Percent Soccer reported exclusively this week that Mexican striker Cuauhtemoc Blanco was not "confirmed" for the game as organizers were claiming (and advertising).
In Galaxy news, rookie defender Yohance Marshall left for Austin Thursday where he joined the USL Aztecs on loan at least through their U.S. Open Cup game Tuesday against the Houston Dynamo.
Let's hope he doesn't meet the same fate as the Galaxy's Julian Valentin, scheduled to undergo surgery today for a broken right foot sustained while he was on loan to Cleveland of the USL.
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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.
Good to hear that Yohance might be getting some playing time, but MLS disbanding of the reserve league seems more and more like a bad idea.
It indirectly forces MLS teams to loan out developing and rehabbing players to USL teams.
Worst case scenario is what happened to Valentin...
Frankly, I doubt that FIFA or CONMEBOL will approve any of the proposed all-star games -- basically because they won't get a dime out of them. That's because FIFA and the continental and national federations are all about money, not soccer. What, you think Blatter, Warner, Platini, Gulati, Leiweke and Anschutz are in this to express their charitable instincts?