First the Galaxy, now Chivas USA. But while the Galaxy didn’t even try, Chivas USA was simply intent on giving the game away judging by what I watched online.
I wasn’t alone in that:
I don’t think @cdchivasusa cares anymore to be honest.Sad! #RuinedMyTeam @andyvwatson
— CISCOlution™ (@CISCOlution) June 13, 2013
*Could you see this one coming? I guess it’s the obvious end game of Chivas USA’s renewed philosophy on its Mexican heritage in a sense: respected former Anglo U.S. internationals and club youth coaches claim racial discrimination by the club and file a lawsuit.
*The U.S. and the Galaxy’s Omar Gonzalez got stomped by Belgium tonight, but coach Jurgen Klinsmann sounded positively upbeat: “I would rather play Belgium 10 more times than El Salvador 100 times because that is when you learn,” he said. School is in here.
*The LA Galaxy reserves lost tonight, too, in the U.S. Open Cup to the same minor league team that have ousted them before although I’m guessing the absent Bruce Arena doesn’t really care now that he won’t have to worry about midweek distractions and the annoyance of playing Chivas USA in the next round. Come to think of it, that applies to me, too. Game story here.
*Much rumored, but unseen Galaxy midfielder Frank Lampard scored for England to draw 1-1 with actual and oft-seen Ireland-led Galaxy striker Robbie Keane subbed out disappointingly relatively early on. Game story.
*The Galaxy announced today that the first-ever soccer games played at 51-year-old Dodger Stadium are set for Aug. 3 when Real Madrid plays either Everton or Juventus in a doubleheader with the Galaxy, which will take on one of those two latter teams in the second game of the night. The four teams are part of the west region of the previously announced Guinness International Champions Cup.
From the press release: Dodger Stadium has seen many legendary baseball moments through the years, while hosting more than 147 million fans since it opened its doors. Dodger Stadium has also played host to events such as the 1984 Olympic Games baseball competition, the 2009 World Baseball Classic Final, a Mass conducted by Pope John Paul II, concerts by the biggest names in the business like The Beatles, Michael Jackson and U2 as well as a basketball game and championship boxing match. These will be the first professional soccer games played and come January, 2014, the stadium will host its first National Hockey League game between the Kings and Ducks.
*Chivas USA came from behind to beat minor league outfit the LA Blues in Fullerton Tuesday night, but needed goalkeeper Dan Kennedy to help them at both ends of the field to secure the win.
The Goats will face the winner of tonight’s Carolina Railhawks-Galaxy match (live at 4 p.m. on Time Warner Cable) in the next round.
*In other televised games, the Galaxy’s Robbie Keane is leading Ireland against England on Fox Soccer as I write this, while the U.S. faces Belgium at 5 p.m. on ESPN.
Tickets to the 7:30 p.m. game at Titan Stadium in Fullerton are still available for $5 to $8 each.
Struggling Chivas USA beat the struggling local USL Pro team 5-1 in preseason, but has lost six of its last seven MLS games. The Blues punted GM Warren Barton last week.
The winner of the game plays the victor of the Wednesday U.S. Open clash between the Galaxy and Carolina RailHawks June 12 at Home Depot Center.
More on the tournament is here.
The Galaxy will play the Carolina Railhawks for the second consecutive season after the NASL club beat the Carolina Dynamo Tuesday night to reach the third round if the U.S. Open Cup. Kickoff is at 4:15 p.m. next Wednesday in Cary, N.C.
Chivas USA, meanwhile, will face the LA Blues after the USL pro outfit downed the Ventura Fusion 5-1 in Fullerton in the biggest blowout of the night Tuesday in the knockout competition. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Titan Stadium.
Chivas USA reached the semifinals last year before falling to eventual champion Seattle.
Later Wednesday U.S. Soccer released the fourth round draw, which paired the winner of the Chivas-Blues game with the winner of the Railhawks-Galaxy game.
The important part of this equation for local fans: if the Galaxy win they will host the fourth round game 7:30 p.m. June 12.
There’s a romance to the under-appreciated U.S. Open Cup I’ve especially appreciated since watching obscure Roma FC lose to the Galaxy a few years back (wonderfully named and stylish midfielder Quavas Kirk scored the winner, if I recall, with a beautifully struck shot that was the highlight of his brief Galaxy career) at the HDC Track & Field Stadium, the LA Riot Squad boozing it up behind one net in a fenced off beer garden.
(And I’ve still got the red Roma T-shirt I bought for $10 the club were selling to finance their cup run).
So while I was occupied with far more mundane matters Tuesday night, the Ventura County Fusion were scoring twice in the last 13 minutes to come from behind in battling FA Cup fashion in the first round of the U.S. Open Cup and dispatch Agoura Hills-based FC Hasental.
Classic. And in the next round the Fusion plays the LA Blues (of Orange County) at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Titan Stadium.
Yeah, there were familiar names involved in games last night: the Sounders (whose David Geno became the stuff of cup legend with four goals in the U-23 teams’ win over Doxa Italia), Timbers, Red Bulls.
But there was the unfamilar, yet evocative, names too Tuesday that invoked the spirt of the tournament:
I could go on. Or you could just click here for a full run down of the night’s action.
Watch the game here. It starts at 7 p.m. on what fellow blogger Joshua Mayers of The Seattle Times observes is a beautiful evening in Seattle (that’s Mount Rainier for those unfamiliar with the topography in the Pacific Northwest).
Live video from your Android device on Ustream
Staff Writer Phil Collin was in Fullerton and filed this game story.
Good thing: I couldn’t see much on the terrible live stream of the game that went down every few minutes and was like something out of 1995.
Attendance: 1,230 (it looked like fewer).
Chivas USA advances to the semifinals for the second time ever at 7 p.m. July 10 against three-time winner Seattle Sounders in the Pacific Northwest. The Sounders beat the Earthquakes in San Francisco.
Twitter reaction:
On to the US Open Cup semis. Seattle here we come! #ChivasUSA
— Ben Zemanski (@zmnsk21) June 27, 2012
The @USLPRO clubs went 0-3 tonight – Division 3 clubs are 15-38-3 (2-1 in PKs) vs. @MLS clubs in @USOpenCup since 1996
— TheCup.us (@usopencup) June 27, 2012