Weekend soccer rewind
Stars of the future make their mark now: Mexico's Luis Guzman and Arturo Gonzalez hold the FIFA U-17 World Cup trophy in Mexico City Sunday after defeating Uruguay in the final (AP Photo).
This is what summer soccer weekends are about.
I can't remember a weekend packed with as many dramatic games as those we saw over the last couple of days.
With interest in the U.S. National Women's Team at its lowest ebb for years, this crop of players evoked memories of the glory days of 1999 with the sort of game of a lifetime - for players and fans alike - that will always make you remember exactly where you were on July 10, 2011.
But that wasn't all:
*An English national team choked when it came to penalty kicks - yet again.
*Japan shocked heavy favorites and World Cup hosts Germany.
*The Mexican U-17 team reminded fans that the nation's potential in the years ahead is virtually unlimited.
*And the atmosphere Sunday at the first-ever Timbers-Sounders game in Portland was something to behold, even on television, during a five-goal thriller that lived up to its billing on the field, too.
Somewhere in the middle of all that the Galaxy and Chivas USA played, too, with David Beckham scoring direct from a corner kick and Sporting's Omar Bravo popping up for a second successive game against Chivas USA to remind the team that they really should have made a bigger effort to sign him.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy had four players - midfielders Beckham and Landon Donovan and defenders Sean Franklin and Omar Gonzalez - named Sunday to the starting XI of the MLS All-Star team. The game is set for July 27 against Manchester United
(Pant, pant).
And there's no let-up in sight.
Real Madrid, I believe, fly in to LAX sometime today ahead of Saturday's game against the Galaxy at the Coliseum part of the World Football Challenge that begins Wednesday in Boston.
But first the Galaxy must face the Sounders in Seattle Tuesday in a U.S. Open Cup semifinal and I must head out to practice to chat with the team.
I'll have more on the Galaxy, Real Madrid and their contribution to Carmegeddon this Saturday in Tuesday's column.
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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.
Nick,
You're killin me! Man Utd. Man City, Real Madrid whatever!!! The world's real soccer powerhouse arrived in So Cal and no mention of them. What gives?
I think my beloved Baggies can win all three games on their tour. BTW if you want to car pool to Oxnard on Sunday to watch Ventura Fusion get shelled, I'll pick you up.
thanks for not mentioning the visit by the LOYAL Couple either.
Yeah bout that, so they ride horses hit a ball with a T Square but score goals, I don't get it. Plus it's Polo but there is no pool. Glad I'm not Royal.
Can someone explain to me why Sean Franklin is concidered an all star but Todd Donovent is not?
Having said that, I want to congratulate the "voting public" for selecting players from mainly two teams to give the all star team a bit of an organized look. Very astute of them trying to avoid another disaster. Maybe Bob Bradley should learn this lesson.
Speaking of Bradley, I did not like the look of a very relaxed Bradley sitting in the stands @ HDC and enjoying himself without a care in the world. That's the look of a man very secure in his job.