Chivas USA wins MLS lottery for UCLA product Zizzo
Midfielder Sal Zizzo, seen here being tackled while playing for the U.S. Under-20 team in 2007, will play for Chivas USA (AP Photo).
Chivas USA won the lottery today that gave them the MLS rights today to former UCLA midfielder Sal Zizzo, who had been playing in Germany.
The 23-year-old, who has also made one appearance for the U.S. National Team, begins training with Chivas USA Thursday and is expected to be eligible to make his debut July 31 against the Columbus Crew in Carson.
"Zizzo is a player that our coaching staff knows well, and we're very happy to have him join the club," said Chivas USA Coach Martín Vásquez. "He's a young, exciting attacking player with both international experience and a great deal of potential, and we look forward to seeing him in action."
Zizzo played two years at UCLA before heading to Germany in 2007 where he made eight appearances for Hannover 96. Before heading to Europe he also played in the summer for Orange County Blue Star, where he was coached by current Chivas USA Technical Coach Nick Theslof.
Tweeted recently departed Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan:
Congrats to my boy @SalZizzo signing with Chivas USA... I think he will do well. Maybe he will wear 16 in honor of his idol (Me).................
Also:
UCLA's Sydney Leroux scored her fifth goal at the Under-20 Women's World Cup today to lead the U.S. past Korea 1-0 in its final Group D game.
Next for the U.S.: Against Nigeria at 2:30 a.m. Sunday on ESPNU in the quarterfinals.
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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.
Amazing how these "weighted lotteries" always seem to be won by the team the player wanted to go to in the first place. (I mean, a player *should* go to the team he wants, not whatever team a league forces him to, but let's be honest: MLS personnel "rules" are as more flexible than Gumby in a microwave.)