Seattle Sounders Pick Up DP Shalrie Joseph from Chivas USA

(AP File Photo)

Designated player Shalrie Joseph, above, who last year escaped a difficult situation in New England only to plunge further into the mire with Chivas USA was dealt today to the Seattle Sounders in exchange for the No. 15 allocation ranking.

But the Sounders drove a hard bargain for the veteran who many believe is on the down side of his long MLS career, also picking up Chivas USA’s second round SuperDraft pick in each of the next two years.

Chivas USA failed to win a game after acquiring the 34-year-old in midseason; he played a dozen Goats games and scored two goals.

“We’re happy to add a player of Shalrie’s experience to our team,” said Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid. “He’s been to MLS Cups before in his tenure with New England. He’s a player that has proven himself to be a leader in game situations and a player of his quality can only help us be a better team as we move into this season. “

The 2009 MLS MVP finalist has 39 goals and 35 assists in 273 MLS games.

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Weekly Column: Soccer Spotlight Shines Uncomfortably on Donovan and Rogers

The Galaxy face Club Tijuana tonight under chilly, wet skies in Carson (tickets are just $10, while parking is free) without star Landon Donovan, who could miss up to a third of the Galaxy’s season before he rejoins the team as he struggles with burnout and motivation issues.

That’s a subject I explore in today’s column after this weekend saw two high profile local soccer stars — the other was the South Bay’s Robbie Rogers —  deal with personal issues while in the public spotlight.

Two Brazilian trialists remain with the Galaxy and presumably could see action in a game that’s all about moving toward match fitness with players likely to see about 45 minutes of action apiece, Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said Monday.

Another player missing is Inglewood’s Jose Villarreal, who along with UCLA’s Javan Torre, got the start for the U.S. Monday in the CONCACAF U-20 championships in Mexico.

It could be worse — the Mexican champions will be missing all their starters, who are playing a Copa Libatadores game on the same evening.

*Updated: Time Warner Cable Deportes announced this morning they would carry the 7:30 p.m. game live with a one-hour pregame show.

Meanwhile, the Frank Lampard to the Galaxy saga — or not — winds on, but despite tabloid claims to the contrary it’s looking increasingly unlikely to me that the Chelsea star will be playing in LA anytime soon. Ah well, at least Frank will be happy goal line technology is finally here.

Finally, while we’re talking about missing players, MLSSoccer.com takes an early (premature?) stab at assessing Chivas USA’s chances this year despite a depth chart as thin as their win column last year.

 

 

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Monday Catch-Up: Donovan, Rogers & more

Back from a 10-day vacation ahead of the start of the MLS season, I’m off to Galaxy training in a moment to hear more from coach Bruce Arena about Sunday’s announcement regarding Landon Donovan’s immediate MLS future.

That announcement followed in the wake of the bombshell of an unexpected retirement announcement by Rolling Hills Estates‘ Robbie Rogers, whose considerable promise as a player now looks like it’s going to be unfulfilled. I’ll have more on Donovan and Rogers in Tuesday’s column.

In other news while I’ve been taking a break:

*Inglewood’s Jose Villarreal is expected to lead the U-20 U.S. team today against Haiti in the opener of the regional championship with a place in the World Cup later this year in a game that will be shown live at 3:30 p.m. on Fox Soccer.

*The Galaxy played Korea’s Gangwon FC in a recent scrimmage and announced they will play Friday in Santa Barbara against the Colorado Rapids.

*Chivas USA also beat the Colorado Rapids Friday in Las Vegas, while the Goats continue to remake their roster trading midfielder Ben Zemanski to Portland last week in a move that could pave the way for the return of defender Jonathan Bornstein from Mexico.

That departure was followed the next day by that of defender James Riley, who voiced displeasure at the way the trade occurred, and the arrivals of two other players including one familiar name.

More later.

 

 

 

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Thursday Name Dropping: Lampard, Gonzalez, Barrett & More

*Because of goals like that it’s unlikely we’ll see Frank Lampard in a Galaxy shirt any time soon and at least one influential English manager feels the the same way.

*The deconstruction of the U.S. loss in Honduras continues as does the discussion over the role LA Galaxy center back Omar Gonzalez played in the World Cup qualifying setback. My perspective: Gonzalez is young, he’s still a better option than the aging or inadequate options we’ve seen at the position previously. I’m not alone in that assessment.

*Staying with Wednesday’s qualifiers, check out the role former Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts played in Jamaica’s stunning result at the Azteca Stadium.

*And speaking of former Galaxy players, guess who is on his way back to MLS.

*Finally, National College Signing Day is a bigger deal for pointy-balll football than the real version, but here’s who signed where as far as the Galaxy Academy and Chivas USA Academy is concerned.

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Wednesday Kicks: World Cup Qualifying & more

  • U.S. forward Clint Dempsey discusses the resumption of World Cup qualifying in the above video, which begins today in Honduras where they apparently have metaphorical knives on the field to match the real ones off it. Read the latest from the USMNT camp here.
  • Other international games worth watching today: England-Brazil at 11 a.m. on Fox Soccer; France-Germany at noon on ESPN2 and Mexico-Jamaica at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
  • The Galaxy dispatched the LA Blues in a preseason scrimmage.
  • Chivas USA’s Chelis to injured goalkeeper Dan Kennedy: Heal theyself (or something like that).

 

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Preseason Result: Chivas USA 1 Chicago Fire 1

Chivas USA’s Miller Bolaños scored his third goal of preseason when he combined on a breakaway with Juan Agudelo for the opening goal of the game in the 39th minute.

Fire draft pick Yazid Atouba scored the equalizer in the 52nd minute.

Chivas USA’s next scrimmage is set for 11:30 a.m. Saturday against Korean club Gangwon FC at Field 6 at Home Depoty Center. Fans are welcome to attend.

Chivas USA – Tim Melia (Patrick McLain 58), Mario de Luna (Steve Purdy 58), Joaquin Velasquez (Bobby Burling 46, Daniel Antunez 82), Walter Vilchez (Carlos Borja 58), Carlos Alvarez (James Riley 58), Edgar Mejia (Oswaldo Minda 58), Giovanni Casillas (Marvin Iraheta 58), Marky Delgado (Jose Manuel Rivera 58), Laurent Courtois (Josue Soto 58, Emilio Orozco 82), Juan Agudelo (Tristan Bowen 46, Eric Avila 82), Miller Bolaños (Julio Morales 58)

Subs not used: Dan Kennedy, Ben Zemanski, Jorge Villafaña, Narciso Cuevas, Paul Islas, Jose Correa.

Chicago Fire: Paolo Tornaghi (Alec Kann* 75’); Jalil Anibaba (Daniel Sterres* 61’), Steven Kinney (Logan Pause 45’), Austin Berry (Raushawn McKenzie* 61’), Gonzalo Segares (John Gallagher** 61’); Wells Thompson (Alex 61’, Jose Alexander Pabon* 94’), Joel Lindpere (Daniel Paldini 61’), Jeff Larentowicz (Brendan King 61’, Kevin Mercado* 88’), Corben Bone (Yazid Atouba** 45’, Trialist 4* 88’); Sherjill MacDonald (Blake Brettschneider* 61’), Chris Rolfe (Trialist 3*)

*- Trialist

** – Draft Pick

 

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Weekly Soccer Column: Honduras-U.S. WCQ Preview & more

Four years ago the U.S. finished World Cup qualifying in Honduras and now it will start the final round of qualifying there with Omar Gonzalez the lone Galaxy player on the roster. Read more in today’s column and learn more about the possible Honduran starting XI in the video above.

In other local soccer news this morning:

  • Chivas USA will play ts third preseason scrimmage against the Chicago Fire at 11:30 a.m. today at Field 6 at Home Depot Center. Fans are welcome to attend. Enter through Gate A.
  • Underlining the increasing importance of its youth academy — four players have signed pro contracts out of the set-up in the last two years — the Galaxy has today announced the formation of the LA Galaxy Academy Alliance with youth club partners the South Bay Force and West Coast Futbol Club. The two clubs will form Under-12 teams funded by the Galaxy that will allow the best players to then join the Galaxy Academy. The move will allow the club to “create a central coaching philosophy and curriculum” so players learn to “play the Galaxy” way, said Galaxy President Chris Klein.

 

 

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