Wednesday Kicks: Ochoa’s signing with MLS confirmed & more

*As regular readers of this blog learned here exclusively on Tuesday, Riverside Poly High product Sammy Ochoa has signed with MLS and Chivas USA is in pole position to sign him.

*Galaxy midfielder Chris Birchall has been called up to the Trinidad & Tobago National Team for its upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Barbados and Bermuda. The Galaxy, already without Irish international Robbie Keane for the Labor Day contest against Sporting Kansas City, won’t have Birchall for that game either.

He has 36 caps for his national team. Here’s more from the Galaxy press release:

Trinidad and Tobago will open their 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign on Friday, Sept. 2 when they host Bermuda at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain. They will be back in action again four days later on Tuesday, Sept. 6 when they take on Barbados in Bridgetown. These are the first of six games that the Soca Warriors will play in Group B of the Second Round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying with future games against Barbados and Bermuda to be played in October as well as two games against Guyana in November.

*Los Angeles-based Fox Soccer Channel, already in in negotiations with Glasgow Rangers to televise the club’s games in the U.S now the club employs three Americans, has snatched up the broadcast rights to the Europa League:

NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA says Fox Sports has purchased the U.S. broadcast rights for the Europa League in the 2012-15 seasons, replacing DirecTV.

UEFA did not disclose what Fox paid for the three-year deal. Fox recently lost the rights to MLS to NBC.

UEFA says Fox Soccer Channel will broadcast at least two matches live each week that games are scheduled. Fox Soccer Plus will show live matches up the quarterfinals stage.

Fox Sports recently acquired rights to show UEFA’s marquee club competition, the Champions League, in a three-season deal through 2015.

*Finally, are you bored with all the ties in MLS this season? You are not alone.

Personally, I like the idea of awarding teams zero points for scoring zero goals in 0-0 draws as a partial solution.

What say you?

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About Nick Green

South Bay-based Los Angeles News Group soccer columnist and blogger Nick Green writes at the 100 Percent Soccer blog at www.insidesocal.com/soccer and craft beer at the Beer Goggles blog at www.insidesocal.com/beer. Cheers!