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Cali kid: Kyle Nakazawa of Palos Verdes Estates is now a Galaxy player.

I've followed the career of Palos Verdes Estates' Kyle Nakazawa since he pulled the strings in midfield for UCLA.

Now he's joined his hometown Galaxy and will (hopefully) play regularly at Home Depot Center, a stadium where you can see the Palos Verdes Peninsula in the distance.

I recently had the opportunity to chat briefly with Nakazawa after one of his first training sessions since joining the club from the Philadelphia Union.

Question: Are you glad to be home?
Answer: I went from not too good of a situation (in Philadelphia) to the best situation ever - being home, playing where I grew up. I couldn't ask for anything (better). My entire famiy is super happy; my parents were ecstatic when they heard the news, so it has been a positive transition for everybody.

Q: What is going on at the Union with all these major players changes?
A: To be honest, I have no idea. I just know they're making a bunch of changes and I think they're going in a different direction with their team. Some players they decided to keep, some players they had different plans for. In the end it worked out for me because I ended up coming back here, back home, but I think they're just doing a big overhaul of their team.

Q: Was the trade a big surprise to you?
A: It wasn't a huge surprise. I played a lot during the first half of last season, but then during the last half of the year I was struggling to find playing time. The most important thing for any player is to finish strong and towards the end of last season I wasn't playing much and had a feeling the team had a different outlook as far as my future (with it).

We had barely even started training over there (this year) and then there was talk of me heading west. I didn't think it was going to be resolved this quickly, but obviously I couldn't be happier. I was on the first flight out (of Philadelphia) the next morning. I was ready to get out of there.

Q: What about your opportunities with the Galaxy? They have a pretty loaded roster in midfield.
A: It's probably the most competitive midfield in the league. But I'm here to work hard and contribute anywhere on the field that I can. If I continue to work hard and improve every day I'll get a chance.

Q: How is it being back on a squad with former Bruins Michael Stephens and Brian Perk?
A: It's kind of like a UCLA reunion. I had played with those guys even before that in (U-17) residency (in Bradenton, Fla.). It's a weird feeeling, but it's also really cool. There's a lot of players here on the Galaxy (squad) I'm really familiar with and trained in the offseason with while I was at UCLA. So I'm comfortable with how the guys play - it's a great feeling (to be here).

Thierry Henry: No. 1 in New York - for now (AP Photo).

When Juan Pablo Angel was introduced to the Los Angeles media after signing from New York in the off-season, he was asked about the weight of expectations in MLS compared to the pressure of, say the EPL, where he once played for Aston Villa.

Angel laughed and without answering the question directly, acknowledged that there was plenty of pressure in England, leaving unspoken the fact that in the U.S. most fans are interested more in other leagues than MLS.

Still, it's a fact there are already players this young MLS season under pressure to perform for one reason or another and they are responding - or not.

Read more in today's column about Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry, D.C. United's Charlie Davies, Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy, former Galaxy and Chivas USA forward Alan Gordon and yes, David Beckham (you knew I couldn't write that column without mentioning him, right).

One player not featured in the column for space reasons, but who could well be, is Columbus Crew winger Robbie Rogers, who grew up in Rolling Hills Estates and Huntington Beach.

Rogers, a good friend of Sacha Kljestan, seems to have the same problem the former Chivas USA midfielder did on the field toward the end of his time in MLS when he appeared disinterested and stale.

An early pass Rogers attempted in the game against Chivas USA Saturday seemed to sum up his situation - it was lazy, inaccurate and appeared to show he doesn't really care (although he insists the opposite is true in interviews) about MLS and wants out so he can head back to Europe after finishing the last year of his contract.

Rogers' problem, however, is that he appears to be squandering his youthful potential and is failing to grow as a player. And the root of the problem, as he pretty much admits, is more psychological than physical.

Rogers is in and out of the USMNT (these days more out than in) and Crew Coach Robert Warzycha told reporters Saturday he expected to see more from Rogers considering his potential.

Rogers did not disagree when he talked to reporters after the game.

Question: What did you think of your performance against Chivas USA?
Answer: "First half it was not great. I created some good chances for us, but it wasn't my best (showing) and then I thought the second half was better, I created some chances and I thought I was dangerous, I got some fouls - I thought I was OK.

I agree with (the coach). I hold myself to a high standard. I think that I can do it more consistently. I think I need to be more dangerous. I think I need to be held more responsible for creating chances for our team. So, it's something I really need to do this year. I've worked my butt off. But it's not about how hard I work now, it's just getting my mind right and doing it. So, that's what I've got to do, that's what I'm going to do.

Q: Is this a make or break season for you because you're in the last year of your contract?
A: No, not at all. I'm excited this is the last year of my contract. I'm excited in the interest (from other clubs) I've had so far. I think so far this season I've started to get back to myself, I feel more happy on the field.

I think in the past two seasons there was a point in the first half where I haven't really had the confidence to cut back and get a cross off and that's kind of what I used to do. I've felt a little bit more like myself. It's stupid to say you should always be yourself, but sports are difficult. It's a mind game. Like I said I need to be more consistent and dangerous for 90 minutes and help my team out more.

Q: Is returning to Europe the next step?
A: Yes, of course, I want to go back to Europe. I think that's every player's dream here in MLS. I was close to making the last World Cup (squad) and if I really want to make the next World Cup I really need to get to Europe.

If I fail, at least I took that chance. Obviously I need to go there with confidence and be positive and just not let myself fail. This is the last year of my contract - I'm going to work off my butt with the Crew or wherever I am and I've just got to be positive and confident.

Bruins return: UCLA products Chad Barrett. left, and Frankie Hejduk practice Monday with the Galaxy, the first time the club hit the turf after a week of work inside Home Depot Center. (Staff Photo by Brad Graverson).

The first time I saw Chad Barrett play he teamed with Matt Taylor as UCLA slaughtered Cal State Fullerton at the Home Depot Center in the first-ever college game played at the venue.

Eight years later, I spoke with the former Chicago Fire and Toronto player as his career came full circle. Barrett had actually expected to be drafted by the Galaxy out of college. It didn't happen.

Q: What are your goals coming into the season? You've been penciled in as the starting striker up front with Juan Pablo Angel.
A: Whether I'm penciled in as a (starting) striker or not isn't going to change my focus," he said, adding he has adhered to a more professional lifestyle. "I hope my work rate is contagious around here.

"There's a lot of talent here challenging for very few spots and that's what I thrive on," he added, noting he struggled with injury last year and missed a third of the season. "I'm a forward. I'm paid to score goals. ... My goal is to get to double digits.

"First and foremost I want to get back in the playoffs. I haven't done that in the last three years. I hate sitting on the couch in November."

Q: Do you like your championship chances?
A: "This team has a lot of veterans and a lot of these veterans are very good and bring a lot of leadership to this team. We have all the tools here this year to make a good push for it this year."

FC Dallas Coach Schellas Hyndman, left, has the same sort of collegiate pedigree that Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena (Virginia) also boasts. Hyndman coached SMU for about a quarter century and boasted an overall record there of 368-96-38 before joining Dallas in 2008.

Trivia: Hyndman and Arena faced each other just once in the college ranks, back in October 1987. The key to that game, according to Hyndman? John Harkes got a red card. SMU won.

Quotable:

"Last week I think (ESPN analyst Alexi) Lalas had picked every team (to win in the playoffs) wrong - every team he picked was wrong - and he still has a job. I'm sure he won't be pulling for me."

Here are some selected excerpts from a lengthy interview a gracious Hyndman gave for members of the media on Saturday before Dallas practiced at Home Depot Center ahead of today's 5 p.m. Western Conference final against the Galaxy.

Question: On Sunday this year's MLS Coach of the Year will face last year's MLS Coach of the Year, Bruce Arena, and both of you rebuilt your respective rosters and revived the fortunes of your respective clubs to win it (Dax McCarty and Dario Sala are the only players who were on the Dallas roster when Hyndman took over to remain). How daunting of a task is it to accomplish something like that?
Answer: It's really quite challenging.

For me the easiest thing for any coach to do is identify talent and get talent. One of the harder things to do is to manage that talent and to make sure you have good character. That's what we've been able to do here. And I think you saw the same thing happening here with LA.

Q: How important a piece of your jigsaw puzzle was bringing in an enforcer like Daniel Hernandez to FC Dallas?
A: I brought him in to have the comfort zone of having someone I know and can trust. Ugo (Ihemelu) was the same way. They played for me at SMU and they are probably two of my many favorites that I had at SMU. When you have players that believe in what you do and they speak behind your back in a positive way, lead in the right direction, it makes every coach's job easier.

Q: The Galaxy have been talking about the importance of stopping playmaker David Ferreira, who has more than a dozen assists on the year. Your take?
A: He's been unbelievable. He's never missed a minute of practice. I think he might have missed one minute of a game because I wanted to take him out and protect him. He's probably the most-fouled player in the league and he's a difference-maker.

David is probably the man who pulls the strings for FC Dallas. That is no secret.

Crunch time for goalkeeper Kevin Hartman and FC Dallas against the Galaxy Sunday (AP Photo).

FC Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, 36, who played high school soccer in the South Bay and also played for Cal State Dominguez Hills and UCLA, played about 300 games for the Galaxy between 1997 and 2006 before moving onto the Kansas City Wizards and now Dallas.

He lost just one game this year between the posts for FC Dallas and had the best goals against average in the league.

I spoke to him before FC Dallas practiced Saturday morning at Home Depot Center, ahead of Sunday's Western Conference final against the Galaxy.

Question: Does it feel weird coming back to the campus of Cal State Dominguez Hills to play where you played so many times for the Galaxy, the Palos Verdes Peninsula where you played in high school visible to the south?

Answer: Not really. It's probably the most important game I've played against the Galaxy since I left. It was funny because yesterday I was driving around and I'm forgetting where streets were. You know that Coffee Beans & Things on Hawthorne (Boulevard, near the Torrance Marriott, where the team is staying)? I was like where is this Coffee Beans - did they move it? And it was hidden over there behind that office building (the South Bay Tower, home of the Daily Breeze).

It's good to get home and see family and friends. You can't beat the weather - it's a nice time of the year to be here.

Q: How do you regard the relationship you've had with Galaxy fans?
A: I always thought they treated me very fairly. I would always go out of my way to be decent to them and show them a level of respect. They've always been supportive of me - even after I left. This will be the game they will have the most difficulty in terms of supporting me.

Q: Did you thing you'd be a "lifer" with the Galaxy and do you still have a piece of the club inside you?
A: I was very content to play on one team as long as I did. To be on one team in professional sport for 10 years isn't something that happens very often. You always take a bit of the culture (away with you) - something from your fans, something from your teammates.

Some of those things are never going to be the same. When I was playing here they were green and gold. Now its been re-branded. It's obviously a bit different now. ... There are still guys in the organization, people in the front office I keep in touch with. (Of his former teammates only Landon Donovan, Todd Dunivant and Jovan Kirovski are still with the club, he observed)

Q: After what happened in the close season with Kansas essentially rejecting you and the great season you've had with Dallas do you feel vindicated?
A: Not really. I think the biggest thing for me was trying to reward Schellas and FC Dallas for stepping up at an awkward time and really picking me up and giving me the opportunity to do something I really love doing.

I don't really work that way. It's nice to be able to work hard and have things pay off for you. But I try to keep all that negativity out of my system as much as I possibly can.

My numbers are obviously the best they've ever been - significantly. But whose to say with goalkeeping? ... I feel it was a good year in terms of what I was able to get done and organizing the defense. The guys have been willing to work and listen to the information I'm trying to relate. Honestly, I would say it's one of my better years, yeah.

Q: On Sunday we will have the best goalkeeper statistically in MLS facing off against arguably the best striker in MLS - Edson Buddle, who is having a career year. Have you been looking at a lot of tape of Mr. Buddle and what are his strengths?

A: He's a pretty dynamic striker. It's not something where he only comes at you from one angle. But you certainly pay attention to the types of things that he does or where he feels most comfortable - just make sure we keep an eye on him.

It remains to be seen what type of service he is going to get.

He does a pretty good job of sitting in spaces where it is difficult for defenders to find him. He makes good solid runs and maybe catches guys off guard. It's as much my responsibility to let those guys know exactly where Edson is sitting and try to relay that when he's starting to make a run and make sure they know it's coming and from which direction and which way he's headed.

Q: And how do you deal with crosses delivered with the precision of a David Beckham?
A: I was very impressed what he was doing with the ball. even some of those balls no one was getting on the end of were certainly (in) very, very dangerous places. we have to make sure we put pressure on him and don't take it easy on him.

Q: Your coach said earlier this week on the conference call you want to play until you're 45. True?
A: I want to play as long as it feels right. I certainly feel this year has been a step in that direction. It's nice to be in with a new group (of players) - it's almost like starting anew. I just want to thank those guys for stepping up when I didn't have a team like in March when it was very, very late at the end of the pre-season. I've got a lot to play for.

You usually live on a week to week basis off of your results and whether you have tied, won or lost. I've only had to really deal with losing a game once this season. You can go through huge stretches of time and not really ever experience that, I don't think. So it's one of those things where I've been able to enjoy my weeks for an extended period of time this year and that's not something that has ever really gone on. It's tough to fathom it has been like that. You really try and plug away and do the things that got us there the week before - put ourselves in a position to be successful.

Ajax America Women of the Women's Premier Soccer League team play the Oklahoma Alliance in the final four Saturday in Dallas. On Sunday, the victor faces the winner of the Boston Aztec Breakers Reserves-F.C. Milwaukee Nationals semifinal.

On Friday defender Dani Bosio of Ajax America (and midfielder Ann Marie Tangorra of LAFC Chelsea) were named Pacific Co-Player of the Year. Bosio and 2009 Pacific Conference Co-Player Of The Year Shannon Cross spoke about the veteran core of Rolling Hills Estates-based Ajax that has propelled the team to a record fifth consecutive final four this year.

Question: Ajax stumbled into the Pacific playoffs this year with a 1-2-1 record in the last four matches. Then, the playoffs start and Ajax beats two top teams to make the final four. What happened? Did the proverbial "light" turn on?
Bosio answers: The second half of the season was a little rough - (I'm) not going to lie. We definitely made the road to the playoffs quite difficult with our performance in the latter half of the season. I think the problem was that we weren't playing as a cohesive unit. We were focusing on our individual games instead of collectively working together as a team.

Finally, the week before playoffs, the "old timers" (Ajax veterans) came together and decided that we would not let this year pass us by. Our team this year is quite young and a lot of the younger players needed to be taught the Ajax mentality: "Work hard for each other on the field and have fun doing it!" I think we've got everyone on the same page now and it's definitely evident on the field.

Cross answers: This year we had a lot of changes to the roster and while the level of talent was never the issue, the veteran players did need to get everyone on the same page. Ajax has a lot of history that goes beyond what any of us current players have been a part of. We needed to remember and honor that and I could not have been more proud of the way our team stepped up this past weekend versus California (in a 3-0 win in the Pacific Final).

Q: Ajax is making their fifth consecutive Final Four appearance - a WPSL record. How has the team been able to string together such an impressive run of play?
Bosio answers: Since the moment I joined Ajax in 2006, I was indoctrinated with the Ajax mentality that I referenced above. I play soccer because I love it and I love spending time with my teammates. It's easy to lose touch with that notion when you get caught up in the intense demands of coaches, playing time and pressure of performing at the highest levels in the game. We've been able to string such an impressive run of play because we all share the same mindset. ... I get to take a little vacation each weekend from my chaotic work week schedule to play soccer with a group of my best friends and we have a blast together both on and off the field. This camaraderie is the essence of our success! Sure we're all fantastic soccer players, but I don't think we'd be as successful as we are without our communal passion for soccer and our friendships.

Cross answers: It is tough keeping a team together and successful that isn't bound by school or professionalism. Ajax has been able to do that for years. ... It is the love of the game that keeps us together and keeps us successful. The large majority of us have graduated college, have jobs, some have families and as a result - soccer can't be our No. 1 priority all of the time, but we share the same passion and love for the game. So for at least two days a week, we can forget everything else, just play and play with and for our teammates that have become friends and family. Some players come and go. Some have been playing for this string of five consecutive Final Fours, but it is the leadership of the veterans and mentality we all share that keeps the winning tradition alive.

Q: Ajax Coach Brian Boswell may be one of the best women's soccer coaches in the world. What influence has he had on your career?
Cross answers: I have known Brian since I was 11 or 12 years old, and he has always been a calm and steady influence. He trusts his players, their experience and ability. If things aren't working or players make a mistake, it doesn't turn to panic. It isn't a matter of if - but when - things will turn around. As a result, everyone is able to be more relaxed and confident. Brian is thus able to get the most out of every player.

With Ajax he knows we can't dedicate as much time or energy as we all would like. Therefore, when we are out there the reasons we are there - fun and love for the game and team - are never allowed to be forgotten. It is amazing how much better people play when they are truly enjoying what they do.

Lastly, here's the All-Pacific Conference First Team announced Friday:

goalkeeper Cori Alexander (California Storm); defenders Dani Bosio (Ajax America), Haley Abbott (North Bay Wave FC), Elise Britt (LAFC Chelsea); midfielders Ann Marie Tangorra (LAFC Chelsea), Keri Sanchez (Ajax), Marissa Mykines (Spokane Black Widows), Nina Watkins (North Bay Wave FC); forwards Anessa Patton (Clovis Sidekicks),
Fiona O'Sullivan (Storm), Nicole Wilcox (BSC Portland Rain)

The Women's Premier Soccer League's Pacific Conference opens this weekend including games in La Canada and at Nansen Field on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, one of the hidden gems of the South Bay and home to 2009 WPSL National Finalist Ajax America.

Ajax America Coach Brian Boswell, a two-time WPSL coach of the year and native of England who is an occasional contributor to this blog, spoke as his team begins their pursuit of a fifth consecutive Pacific Conference title at 2 p.m. Sunday against San Diego WFC at Nansen Field. (Admission by the way is usually free; a hat is generally passed around during the game to help the team offset expenses)

Question: What's the after effect locally of the folding of the LA Sol of Women's Professional Soccer after just one year at Home Depot Center.
Answer: There's still a definite sense of disappointment. For one year, it was great to see young girls with (the names of Brazilian star) Marta and (USWNT star Shannon) Boxx on the back of soccer shirts and now, it's back to Beckham. It was a letdown for the families that supported the Sol but unfortunately, there were too few to keep it going another season.

(The team) just lost too much money to tempt in another owner. Will it resurrect? If they set the sights lower and play in a smaller, less-expensive stadium with a better atmosphere. A place like (Titan Stadium at) Cal State Fullerton would be ideal.

Also, do not sign a player of Marta's stature and wages and then maybe, they could tempt an owner in. According to the WPS hierarchy, they have a couple of interested parties, so who knows?

The Southern California area deserves a women's team, since so many girls are playing the game. I hope the WPS is working hard to tempt some more West Coast teams in as well. This would create better rivalries and would cut the travel costs a bunch. Unfortunately, there are too many things to do in this area other than go watch a soccer game.

Q: With your affiliate relationship now over with the Sol, what kind of recruiting, coaching and tactical approach are you taking with the team this summer?
A: Our approach is the same as usual. We have a great core and have added some very good players. Week to week, it was nice to have the Sol players, but not knowing who was going to be available to us always made it a bit of a challenge and a balancing act. Last year's Sol players did a great job for us but through the course of a season, I prefer to have the same group of players playing for each other. It's more of a team.

Coaching and tactics change a little each year as players come and go and our strengths change. Basically I ask the players to have fun, play hard and leave the rest to me. I understand that playing for Ajax is not the most important thing in their lives. It's about the fun, the camaraderie and the stuff that happens off-the-field. All my players have lives to lead, careers to be made and at this point, soccer is a relief from the daily grind.

Q: How is the team looking for this summer's campaign?
A: We are looking good and I'm very happy with our squad right now. We always try to keep a small squad, and my ideal roster is 20 players, while 15 at games is perfect. With that, everyone gets playing time and there are no disappointments. The players are here to play, not watch.

We have picked up some very good players for this year's team. Our goalkeeper from a few years ago is back after three years in Italy - Anna Picarrelli of the Italian National Team. UCLA's Jenna Belcher and Kylie Wright and Jess Menzhuber from St. Mary's have joined us from West Coast F.C. Florida State's All-American Leah Gallegos is on board while former USWNT member Keri Sanchez - who was with the Sol last year - is staying with us. Sarah McIsaac from UConn is signed as well.

Q: You've been with the WPSL since the first matches were played in the league more than ten years ago. What do you think of the league's evolution into a 50-plus team national women's soccer league.
A: The league through [WPSL Commissioner] Jerry Zanelli has definitely gained national recognition. Locally, our competition is very good but it always has been in the West. With the North and South Division format, there's much less traveling now, which makes it much easier for us to continue. I've always enjoyed playing in the WPSL: good teams, good people and now that we are expanding, more good teams and more good people.

Q: What has been the secret to the success of Ajax success over the years?
A: It's about finding the right mix of players - talented players who not only can play together but enjoy each other. It's so important in the women's game that the players get on well. It's the biggest difference in men's and women's soccer. In the men's game, it doesn't matter if you are liked as long as you can do the job. They only need to like you as a player. The women need to like you not only as a player, but as a person. And it's the same with the coaching - the women need to like you as a person and not just respect you as a coach.

Q: What have been the biggest lessons you've learned as a soccer coach, both on and off the field?
A: The biggest lesson is that there are many things in life more important than soccer - both to the players and myself. I've learned to give it my best and make it the best experience I can for the players. I've learned to respect the players for who they are, the effort they put in and the work they have done over the years to achieve the level that they are at. I've learned that no matter how hard we try, it doesn't always work, but as long as we put our best into it then we can walk away proud. I've learned not to dwell on wins or losses.

I've learned the team is more important than the individual, the game more important than the team and both for myself and the players, that family is far more important than the game.

Q: How long do you see yourself coaching?
A: I enjoy it and fortunately, my wife supports it. The last few years I have thought more about stepping aside, but the problem is Ajax has no owner, no money and the coaching staff works for free. Put together, that's not a good sell to get someone in to take over. If all my players left at once, I could do (leave, too) but as the odd one leaves, new ones join and become apart of the group that I really enjoy and respect. From there, it's on to another season.

Q: Finally, what are your thoughts on England's chances in the World Cup? Your adversary in last season's WPSL National Final - current WPS Philadelphia head coach Paul Riley - picked Fernando Torres and Spain to take it all.
A: My heart says England and they have a chance, but I think Paul is right: Spain are the favored Europeans. However, you can not count out Brazil and Argentina, especially the latter with Messi's incredible display against Arsenal (in the UEFA Champions League). It will be interesting to see how the teams adapt in South Africa. I think it will favor the Europeans, but more so the Latin teams. I don't think an African team will do it. They have great individual talent but poor organization.

Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy looked to be Brad Guzan's worthy successor for Chivas USA between the posts before going down in the 2009 preseason with a serious right knee injury that kept him sidelined until now.

With last season's starter Zach Thornton seeing limited minutes in preseason it appears Kennedy, a Southern California native, will get the start Friday in Chivas USA's season opener at Home Depot Center.

I spoke with Kennedy this week about his injury and his return to competitive soccer:

Question: How is the team shaping up for the season under new Coach Martin Vasquez?
Answer: We've had plenty of time and plenty of preseason games to adapt to Martin and the coaching staff. At this point we're as prepared as we're going to get. We have a long preseason here and I think the guys are jelling well. Even though there's been a lot of change there's still a great core of guys we've had over the last two to three seasons and that should be a group we look to to show some experience and leadership.

Q: How did you handle the lonely task of rehabbing that injury month after month?
A: Sometimes when you take a step back away from the game and you go through a serious injury, coming back you have lot of time to reflect. My main goal was to be fully fit by preseason and I was.

With that time off you realize what you have here and the job of being a professional soccer player in a town that you grew up in is pretty special. So for me it was a little bit eye-opening and hopefully I come back more disciplined and more professional than I was before. I don't take this for granted. At some points you felt like you'd never play again, that's the reality of it. Now I feel great. If you were to walk on this field and tell someone I had a serious injury you wouldn't be able to pick which knee it was, that's how strong I feel."

Q: How will Chivas USA play differently under Vasquez than Preki?
A: Martin is emphasizing possession as our strength. This team is forever known as a stingy team on defense. Bob Bradley started it, Preki ran with it so hopefully we can continue to hold that reputation, but hopefully score more goals going forward and we're hoping that would put us in a place to win something.

Q: What's the biggest change this team needs to make to win a trophy?
A: I don't think it's any secret in big games we haven't put goals on the board and that makes it tough. With some of the personnel changes here I think we're going to be a much better attacking team and hopefully with the style of play that we have we commit some more numbers forward and that will create some more goalscoring opportunities.

Q: What was your goal coming into the 2010 season?
A: The goal coming into this season was to win back my job and prove to myself and the coaching staff and my teammates that I can (still) play at a very high level. I want to play an important role on this team. My goal is to compete for that starting job to the best of my ability.

Q: The projected back line of Ante Jazic and Mariano Trujillo as the full backs, with Jonny Bornstein moving into the center of defense to partner new signing Michael Umana looks one of the league's strongest.
A: The biggest thing is that three of the four - Mariano, Jonny and Jazic - have been at Chivas for some time so they have immediate chemistry. And everyone knows in soccer defensive chemistry is a very, very important factor in a team being successful. Umana has been here since day one of preseason, he's adapted very well, he's shown that he's a very, very good player and can play with us. So we're confident in that group of defenders getting us some good defensive results.

I chatted (briefly) to USMNT striker Brian Ching just as the team broke camp this weekend at Home Depot Center.

Question: How are you approaching this camp in a World Cup year when you are probably one of those players on the bubble to make the squad?
Answer: Any time you come into a camp where you're going to play a game for the national team you're always kind of being evaluated and judged. This camp is no different. Yes, it is a World Cup year, but I think throughout this camp I wanted to kind of get back into shape, get back into soccer fitness. And I felt that I did that - I'm coming together slowly - I don't think I'm exactly where I want to be just yet, but I'm hoping I get there by the beginning of our season first of all and then carry that through to the World Cup.

Q: What do you think you need to do to make the World Cup squad?
A: Score goals. Do the things I do, well. Help the team win. For me the biggest thing is not to try to do too much. Play within my means. Work hard both offensively and defensively, create chances and score goals. It's simple to say that and it basically comes down to that.

Q: How are you feeling physically?
A: I'd say I'm 75 to 80 percent. I'm getting closer (to match fitness). This camp really helped me out. The off-season this year was great for me. It gave me a long break and I kind of got that hunger and desire back, because that was a long couple of years with not much rest. ... I needed that little bit much longer of a break from soccer. And I used that time to work out with a buddy at a gym, try to get a litlte bit quicker, a little bit stronger, prepare my body for this year and a World Cup.

Also:

*Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers has the quote of the week:

"My dad doesn't know a thing about soccer and he's never played a minute in his life, but using my left foot was one thing he always wanted me to work on. We'd go to the park and he would just throw the ball to me and I'd use only my left foot."

Ouch.

Complete interview here.

*Much more about Galaxy training Monday than you ever wanted to know.

Read the column here.

Check out the trailer.

BTW, one of the worst parts of any soccer movie is invariably the soccer scenes played by actors. That's not the case with The Damned United. Why? Because the soccer scenes are mercifully brief. Here's producer Andy Harries explaining why:

"Part of the tricks is not feature football too much. We've chosen judicious moments and we're playing a lot of it off reaction shots off Clough and Taylor so you're watching football, you're seeing football, but you're not emotionally involved in the game. You're emotionally involved in their watching it - and through their reactions you know what's happening on the pitch."

I had the pleasure of speaking recently with actor Michael Sheen about the film and his role as Brian Clough. Below is our Q&A almost verbatim. I just wished we were talking at a pub rather than on the phone.

CloughiePhotos by Laurie Sparham, courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

Question: Do you find yourself having to do a lot of explaining over here about the significance of Leeds United and Brian Clough?
Answer: Yeah, I knew that nobody was ever going to hear of Brian Clough over here so that wasn't much of a surprise. I don't think you need to know much about Brian Clough or football itself to enjoy the film. I was kind of heartened in Britain by how many people said, "I've got no interest in football, (I) didn't know anything about Brian Clough, but I still really loved the film." I think, obviously, there's a whole (further) level of enjoyment if you are into football and you do know Brian Clough that you get from it.

Q: Are you a football fan?
A: Yeah, I was a huge football fan. That's all I wanted to do when I was a kid. When I was 12 I was offered an apprenticeship at Arsenal. But it would have meant our whole family relocating to London - I'm from a small town in Wales - so my dad said, well if he's still interested when he's 16 he can decide for himself. So that was that. By the time I was that age it was too late. You've got to go when you're young and by then I was into other stuff - I was into acting - so it wasn't a path I went down. But part of the attraction of doing the film was to be able to sort of live out that life.

Q: So is Arsenal your team? Because considering they did the (league and cup) double in 1971 you must bloody well hate Leeds.
A: No, Arsenal is not my team. In fact when I was young my team was the Liverpool team that I walk out next to in the Charity Shield match in the film. It was (Kevin) Keegan, (John) Toshack, Tommy Smith, Emlyn Hughes' team. I lived in Liverpool for three years between age five and eight so they were my team at that point. And then my dad was a rugby man, he wasn't a soccer man. So when we moved from Liverpool when I was eight back to Wales again I thought you could only support teams if you lived in the area. So I thought I had to stop supporting Liverpool then and nobody ever explained to me that wasn't the case, so I sort of ending up growing up without a team really.

Q: Nigel Clough, Brian's son, is now manager at Derby County. Did you go spend time with Nigel or what kind of research did you do for the role?
A: Nigel became manager of Derby not long before the film came out after we finished filming. The research I did, there's a lot of footage of Brian, there's a lot of books written about him, there's a lot of stuff you can get your hands on, so I did all that. I knew I was going to be doing the film about two, two and a half years before we started shooting and then I did a solid three or four months (of research) before we started doing the film so I just watched everything I could watch, I just read everything I could read and ended up knowing more about his life than I know about my own really. And reading the book the film is based on - it's an adaptation of (the novel) "The Damned United" by David Peace. So it was really just trying to immerse myself in Brian's life and his world.

Q: You pointed out that the character of Clough in the movie is based upon a novel that itself was an extremely liberal novelization of events and not everything that occurred in the film actually occurred in real life.
A: That's right. David Peace, who wrote it, called it a fictionalization of Brian Clough's time at Leeds.

Q: In your career you seem to have specialized in this sort of fictionalization - I saw "Frost/Nixon" last night and then you also did a turn as Tony Blair in "The Queen." So here you are playing famous people and yet you get to take liberties with who they are as a person and their character. Is that part of the appeal of taking these roles?
A: I don't know if I'm taking liberties. The scripts to all these (movies) are written by the same man - they're written by a man called Peter Morgan - so it's not like I go out seeking these characters. It's just that they're all written by the same man and they're the best scripts that come my way. I enjoy the process. I really enjoy researching and finding out about these people's lives because they're all fascinating characters. I like the discipline of sort of having to work within an existing framework of someone's life, but at the same time having to find a way to connect with them to sort of make that imaginative connection. I try to find a way to make it accessible to an audience so people can empathize with it and sympathize with it and go on a journey with this character. I find it's an exciting mixture of the work that you need to do on fictional characters, but with the added dimension that a lot of people are going to be very familiar with this character. They're great roles and great stories and he's a great writer so it's coincidence. ... It's not like I set out to only play roles that are based on real people.

Q: The character of Brian Clough in the novel is more of a brooding, introspective loner kind of character and in the movie you play him as a in your face maverick who delights in actually daring people to like him. How did that difference come about?
A: The book takes place inside Brian's head where you hear his every thought and you get a real sense of this claustrophobic sense of being in this one man's mind. It's a very dark, obsessive, alcoholic world that's depicted in the novel. That would mean we'd have to do the film all in voice over, which y'know wouldn't have worked. So inevitably once it's not inside someone's head and you see him from the outside then a lot of that stuff is covered up. I'm sure everyone would agree that if everyone heard everything that was going on inside our heads all the time it would be a very different view of ourselves that people would have. So inevitably there's a certain amount of covering up of that and disguising it. I think the Clough I play in the film is a man who covers up his vulnerabilities and his insecurities and his anxieties with all kinds of things. One of them is his humor and wit and sometimes his arrogance and self-confidence and outrageousness and all those kinds of things. So I think in the film ... we wanted it to be more celebratory of this man, a more rounded portrayal of him and to show different facets of his character that everyone was aware of.

The Clough quagmire

Q: Football movies in general have a patchy reputation. There's been some pretty awful ones. Do you have a favorite soccer movie?
A: (Laughs). There's not many to draw on really. My favorite sports movie would probably be "Raging Bull" because ostensibly it's about a boxer, but it's (really) about a man and his relationships and that's sort of what our film is a bit like. For pure fun I love "Escape To Victory." Just to see Sylvester Stallone as a goalkeeper is always good fun in the same scenes as Mike Summerbee, the Manchester City player - that's always a good partnership on film. Seeing the 1970s Ipswich (Town) and Manchester City teams mixing with Michael Caine and Pele is great. There's things like "This Sporting Life" that Richard Harris did about Rugby League, which I think is a terrific film as well. There's precious few to choose from in terms of soccer films, I think.

Q: What's the strongest part of this movie?
A: The strongest thing is the character it's about. He's such a compelling character I hope we do him justice. He's such a fascinating, complex character. If you're going to make a film about someone it's a pretty good starting point you've got someone like Brian Clough to make it about.

Q: Do you think Brian Clough would have liked your portrayal of him - after he had removed his fingers from your neck?
A: Yeah, exactly. I think he'd want to know why if "Lord of the Rings" can have a trilogy of films made about a book why can't he?

Q: What kind of reception did this movie get in England?
A: Everybody in Britain knows who Brian Clough is football fan or not, I think. I've never felt so much pressure in the build up to this film. Everyone was saying 'oh, I'm really looking forward to that film, I love Cloughie.' Everyone had something to say about Brian Clough. The reception was very positive - amazing, really to be honest - from within the football world, but also across the board. There's so much affection for Brian Clough. Back in the day when he was managing he used to really divide people and people used to love to hate him, but it's all turned into affection I think because he symbolizes a period of time when in Britain, certainly in football, but also in the country (in general) that's sort of gone now. Sport has changed so much, football has certainly changed so much and Clough represents a time that was very different. No one like him could come along now. His achievements can't be emulated because you would never get a team (like Derby County) coming from the bottom of the second division to the top of the Premiership (and) winning the European Cup. It just couldn't happen. You wouldn't get a top-flight manager managing a team like that. Something has definitely gone. That age is over with so I think there's a lot of affection for him and for that period of time.

Q: One can argue this film isn't about soccer, but about the relationship between Peter Taylor and Cloughie.
A: These were two men who loved each other. They had a hugely intimate relationship with each other. It was like a marriage really with all its complexity and love and intimacy and resentment. What happened eventually after they did get back together again - they had all the achievements at Nottingham Forest - but then they fell out again and didn't speak to each other right up to Peter Taylor's death. And Clough, when he was interviewed or talked about Taylor after that, would be choking back the tears literally because he loved him so much and yet their relationship ended. So it's a hugely powerful relationship that these two men had with each other. The structure of the story really is about a relationship, about a love story. We're not in any way suggesting there's anything homoerotic about it, but it's certainly a story about a very loving relationship, a very complicated love story between these two men. It was definitely something we wanted to explore, what that relationship was between them and the fact they do come back together at the end was very important. It was the climax of the film.

Q: And that's probably an apt place to end this conversation. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me. I hope you get nominated for something or other.
A: I hope I just keep getting work.

Here's a clip from the movie showing Cloughie's first day as Leeds United manager

Updated:
At the request of readers, here's where the film opens on Friday:

Laemmle's Town Ctr 5
17200 Ventura Blvd.
Encino, CA 91316

Laemmle's Playhouse 7
673 East Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91101

The Landmark
10850 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064

Finally, there's lots of Leeds United/Brian Clough related stuff on YouTube. Those of you planning to see the movie might want to skip the video below; it's the original Don Revie-Brian Clough TV debate after he was fired as Leeds manager: