Ronaldinho: Galaxy target? (AP Photo).
Ronaldinho is coming! Ronaldinho is coming! Ronaldinho is coming!
Or not. (Where he stops, nobody knows).
Today’s column looks at the Galaxy’s recent roster moves and summarizes the recent speculation around AC Milan’s Ronaldinho coming to LA as the club “entertains” the idea of signing a third designated player before the closure of the international trade window next week. Oh, and Becks returns to training with the Galaxy today Wednesday, Galaxy officials said today, correcting what I was told Monday.
In other news today:
*Continuing with the theme of speculation, England’s tabloid Daily Mirror notes the resignation Monday of Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill and immediately concludes without any attribution whatsoever that U.S. Coach Bob Bradley is the favorite to succeed him (because Villa’s owner is American) and that he will bring son Michael Bradley and the Galaxy’s Landon Donovan to the club if he takes the job. Quite a leap.
*Bradley will be at the helm of the U.S. team against Brazil at 5 p.m. tonight in New York (live on ESPN2 and Univision) where Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez could make his international debut.
There are eight Californians on the roster including Anderlecht’s Sacha Kljestan, Galasgow Rangers’ Maurice Edu and Pachuca’s Herculez Gomez.
*Other local players involved in internationals this week include Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, called into Jamaica’s camp for the Wednesday game against Trinidad & Tobago, while Pasadena City College product Yura Movsisyan looks likely to make his debut for Armenia Wednesday against Iran. Chivas USA’s Michael Umana also plays for Costa Rica Wednesday against Paraguay.
*Not to be left out, Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena and former Chivas USA coach Preki will be inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame before the U.S.-Brazil game.
*Finally, Rolling Hills Estates’ Whitney Engen, a rookie defender with the Chicago Red Stars of WPS added the ACC Women’s Athlete of the Year award last week to her burgeoning trophy cabinet, after previously being named the top female college soccer player in the nation by winning the 2010 Honda Sports Award.
