New York’s Henry trails only Beckham in MLS salary

Chivas USA’s Rodolfo Espinoza is making $218,500, forward Gianacarlo Maldonado $204,000 and Sal Zizzo $68,250, incidentally:

NEW YORK (AP) — Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez trail only David Beckham on Major League Soccer’s salary list.

Henry and Marquez, who joined the New York Red Bulls from Barcelona following the World Cup, are the league’s second- and third-highest paid players, according to the latest MLS Players Union salary list.

Henry, a World Cup and European champion with France and a Champions League winner with Barca, will earn $5.6 million in guaranteed compensation this year. Marquez, who captained Mexico in South Africa, will earn $5.54 million.

Marquez’s Mexico teammate Nery Castillo, who joined the Chicago Fire last month on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine, will make $1.79 million.

Beckham, who hasn’t played for the Galaxy this season because of a torn Achilles’ tendon, tops the league at $6.5 million.

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Thursday Kicks: Chivas V. Chivas friendly in San Diego & more

*For the second consecutive year Chivas USA and parent club CD Guadalajara will meet in a friendly, this time at PetCo Park in San Diego. Brazil’s Internacional won the Copa Libertadores Wednesday after defeating CD Guadalajara 5-3 on aggregate.

Tickets to the 8 p.m. Sept. 14 game go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday. Tickets start at $20.

*Galaxy youth player Alan Rovira of Simi Valley High has been called up to the El Salvador national team for its September friendly in LA against Honduras (and no, I have no idea whether the game is on Sept. 3 as AP reports or Sept. 4 as the Galaxy claims).

Updated

It’s on Sept. 4. Tickets are $25. Here’s a link with more information.

*Read the latest outlandish David Beckham rumor here.

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U.S. to face Poland in Chicago in October

The Oct. 9 game will be broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel.

“These fixture dates are a fantastic opportunity to have the group together for an extended period and then put the work to the test with a difficult match,” said U.S. Coach Bob Bradley. “We know this is an important opportunity for Poland as they prepare for the 2012 European Championship, so we expect a challenging game. Chicago has a fantastic tradition of supporting soccer and the U.S. national team, and with the large Polish community in the area it should make for an exciting atmosphere.”

Sounds like he plans to be around for the game doesn’t it? Bradley and U.S. Soccer have yet to confirm that Bradley will continue as coach beyond the expiration of his contract at year’s end.

The last time the U.S. played Poland was in Chicago in 2008 when Carlos Bocanegra equalized in the 88th minute. The game finished 1-1.

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New Honduras coach to make debut in LA

At least, that’s according to this report:

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — Juan de Dios Castillo is Honduras’ new national team coach, replacing Reinaldo Rueda, who guided the Central Americans at the recent World Cup.

The 59-year-old Mexican will debut with the national team on Sept. 3 in a friendly against El Salvador in Los Angeles.

Honduras’ soccer federation said Tuesday that Castillo’s contract would run through Dec. 31, 2011.

Castillo has won club championships in Honduras with Real Espana and Olimpia.

I should point out, before I hear from fans of the two Central American nations, that i have seen no confirmation of the game actually being played here.

It’s not listed on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum website (where Latin American teams usually play) nor on the Rose Bowl or Home Depot Center websites.

And a Google search turned up nothing either.

So no, I don’t know when tickets will go on sale.

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Tuesday’s Column: American TV viewers’ choice for soccer is overseas

Read the column here.

UEFA Champions League games this week include:

today

BSC Young Boys (SUI) vs. Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG) FSN
FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) vs. AFC Ajax (NED) Fox Soccer Channel
Rosenborg BK (NOR) vs. FC Kbenhavn (DEN) Fox Soccer Plus

Wednesday

Werder Bremen (GER) vs. Sampdoria (ITA) Fox Soccer Channel
FK Partizan (SRB) vs. RSC Anderlecht (BE Fox Soccer Plus

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Final: Galaxy at New York Red Bulls

i-01d6ce821a4f7325e8b2f8d9ede07aa7-LDnyrb.jpgLandon Donovan gets the ball past fallen New York Red Bull Rafael Marquez (AP Photo).

Game story.

The Galaxy just does enough to win on the road. Nothing spectacular. But it’s against DP-heavy New York, in front of a sellout crowd, a statement in itself.

Notable: Edson Buddle scored his MLS-best 13th goal of the season in the 10th minute and his fourth in six games since his World Cup return.

And didn’t Marquez look lost in midfield at times in his first start for New York since joining from Barcelona?

Galaxy lineup: Donovan Ricketts; Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, Gregg Berhalter, A.J. DeLaGarza; Chris Birchall (Chris Klein 83′), Michael Stephens, Juninho (Jovan Kirovski 90′), Landon Donovan; Edson Buddle, Tristan Bowen (Mike Magee 61′)

Next for the Galaxy: San Jose Earthquakes at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara.

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Galaxy coach Arena won’t be on bench for tonight’s game after being hospitalized this week

Bruce Arena will attend the New York-Galaxy game and watch from a private box after spending Thursday and Friday night at Hoboken Medical Center with “viral complications, ” the club said in a statement released today.

Assistant Head Coach Dave Sarachan will coach the team against the Red Bulls tonight.

Arena fell ill Wednesday and didn’t rejoin the team until this morning.

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Saturday Soccer: Galaxy & Chivas USA gameday

With the gloomy weather outside this morning in the South Bay (that frankly has been indicative of our alleged summer so far) it seems somehow appropriate to be watching the opening weekend of the EPL (now in HD on Fox Soccer Channel for DirecTV customers) while blogging.

Our summer may be a lot like the version they usually experience in England, but at least that’s meant for excellent football weather whether watching MLS inside on TV or at Home Depot Center.

This weekend locals can do both with the Galaxy facing the suddenly star-studded Red Bulls in their jewel of a sold out new stadium in New York (3 p.m. FSC) and a desperate Chivas USA straining for every valuable point against the Seattle Sounders at Home Depot Center (8 p.m. live on Prime).

Game basics for both games here.

Reporter Phil Collin has more on the New York-LA matchup and what it means for MLS here.

An official viewing party is slated for Alpine Village near Torrance.

The Seattle Sounders perspective is here.

Incidentally, Chivas USA will “Donate Life” tonight in conjunction with Donate Life California to create awareness for organ donation.

“In the greater Los Angeles area, almost half of the families that say ‘yes’ to organ donation are Latino,” said Bryan Stewart, president of Donate Life California. “Their passion for life is reflected in their love of ‘the beautiful game.’ Both Chivas USA and Donate Life California celebrate life and the generosity of the Latino community, and they remind everyone that nationwide there are more than 107,000 people on the waiting list for a transplant.”

Up to 200 Southland transplant recipients and organ and tissue donor family members will attend tonight’s game and be recognized at a pregame ceremony.

Donate Life California will also have a booth at ChivaTown with information about the donation process.

Also:

*Rolling Hills Estates’ Robbie Rogers of the Columbus Crew had surgery on his left knee Friday and is expected to be out about four weeks.

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