Wednesday Kicks: Messi, Reyna, Mathis, Backe & Ching
If, like me, you are still getting over Lionel Messi's incomparable four-goal blitz Tuesday for Barcelona over a hapless Arsenal (who play some pretty football themselves under Arsene Wenger) in the UEFA Champions League, you'll want to circle this game on your calendar this weekend if you haven't already - the 1 p.m. Saturday SuperClasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid that will air on GolTV.
I don't often link to non-So. Cal related videos, but if you haven't seen Messi's one-man show, check it out below. This is mandatory viewing:
One thought: the 2010 World Cup could be Messi's similar to the way Maradona dominated in 1986. Bring it on.
In other soccer news:
*Claudio Reyna will be formally introduced today by U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati as youth national teams technical director.
*Houston's Brian Ching will miss Saturday's game against the Galaxy in Texas and be out four to six weeks after injuring his hamstring in last week's opener against Real Salt Lake. More here. Incidentally, I haven't had a chance to mention this but the Galaxy's Clint Mathis looked sharp Monday at practice, cracking home a volley that rolled the clock back about 10 years. I wonder if we'll get a glimpse of him this weekend?
*Red Bulls Coach Hans Backe, who missed Saturday's win over Seattle and subsequently underwent surgery Monday is likely to miss the 1 p.m. Saturday game against Chivas USA at Home Depot Center:
"The medical team is confident that he will make a full recovery over the coming weeks," Red Bull New York said in a statement released Tuesday. "He will spend the next few days resting at home. In his absence, the squad will be managed by our experienced coaching staff."
More details here.
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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.
Messi was fantastic against Arsenal on Tuesday eveing; a performance that proved that he is (currently) the best player in the world. However, lets hope that he continues to let his feet and football do the talking and not revert to underhand (or any hand for that matter!) tactics at the World Cup like his coach at the tournament did in 1986.
I'm not sure whether you wil have seen Wednesday's Champions League match between Manchester Utd and Bayern Munich, but the way in which footballers in European leagues go to ground and then attempt to influence the referee (and I'm not simply saying this as an English football fan as it used to happen here as well!) is unacceptable, and hopefully both UEFA and FIFA will address this prior to 11th June.