*As if to underline the lack of productivity from the man who replaced him on the Galaxy front line – Juan Pablo Angel – who failed to make the boxscore yet again against his old club on the weekend in Carson, former Galaxy striker Edson Buddle demonstrated in both words and deeds how well he is settling in at his German club, contributing a spectacular solo goal Sunday:
*Galaxy officials told me this weekend that the club will soon announce another high-profile friendly opponent in the World Football Challenge, which today added Club America and CD Guadalajara to the mix. Since every team (or at least the foreign ones) plays three games apiece in the series given the schedule I’ll leave you to speculate whether the likes of Manchester City will visit or whether it will be a different club.
*Torrance’s Shannon Boxx, Lake Forest’s Amy Rodriguez and Diamond Bar’s Alex Morgan are the three Los Angeles-area players named today to the U.S. Women’s National Team World Cup squad.
It’s the third World Cup for Boxx, a South High product, who is now the second-most experienced player on the roster (behind striker Abby Wambach who has a home in Hermosa Beach). It’s the first World Cup for Morgan (who had a goal and an assist over the weekend as two-goal former Sol striker Marta and Western New York Flash beat Sky Blue FC 3-1 in WPS action) and A-Rod, although Rodriguez was part of the 2008 Olympic gold medal-winning team.
*Last year’s Hermann Trophy winner Christen Press of Palos Verdes Estates scored her first-ever goal as a pro Sunday with the second for the strangely-named magicJack in a 2-0 win over the Atlanta Beat. The Florida franchise is now 3-0 in WPS play just behind the similarly undefeated Flash.
*While Real Salt Lake comes to grips with the loss of star player Javier Morales in the wake of the club’s victory Saturday over Chivas USA their players are calling for a lengthy suspension for the latest player – Marcos Mondaini – to cause an opponent a season-ending (and potentially career-threatening) injury in MLS in the last couple of weeks.
*The Chivas USA reserves play their Seattle Sounders counterparts at 7 o’clock tonight in Seattle.
*Finally, Landon Donovan is the new spokesman for Upper Deck, which has just released its latest set of MLS cards.
