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The Galaxy are desperate for goals.
Oft-injured Chivas USA forward Alecko Eskandarian, who has scored just six goals in 18 games since joining the club from Real Salt Lake in January 2008, was traded today to intrastadium rivals the Galaxy.
To make room for the 26-year-old forward, the Galaxy waived midfielder Josh Tudela who has played 23 games for the club since being selected in the 2007 SuperDraft. Chivas USA received allocation money and a conditional pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft.
"This move allows us greater flexibility in terms of our roster and salary budget," said Chivas USA Coach Preki.
Eskandarian, the 2004 MLS Cup MVP when with DC United, has 28 goals and 12 assists in 122 games during his seven-year MLS career. He has two starts in seven appearances this year and is eligible to make his Galaxy debut on Saturday against New England.
Charleston Battery 3 Chivas USA 1
Notable:
*Jesse Marsch scored in the 28th minute for Chivas USA to tie the game at one apiece, but it wasn't enough to see the club win a U.S. Open Cup game for the first time in four years.
*Chivas USA goalkeeper Lance Parker made his second start of year after playing last Saturday in SuperLiga against San Luis. Defender Bobby Burling saw his first minutes in 2009 after recovering from sports hernia surgery.
Quotable:
"Overall, I thought we were the better team the whole game," said Chivas USA Coach Preki. "They got lucky breaks. ... I thought we played really well. ... We made them chase the game. ... They just defended the second half and they didn't want to play."
Chivas USA XI: Lance Parker, Sasha Victorine, Jim Curtin, Carey Talley, Jorge Flores, Chukwudi Chijindu (Bobby Burling, 70'), Paulo Nagamura, Jesse Marsch, Bojan Stepanovic, Atiba Harris (Michael Lahoud 84), Eduardo Lillingston (Maykel Galindo, 58').
Briefly:
*The Battery, second in the USL First Division with a 7-2-6 record, lost in last year's U.S. Open Cup final to D.C. United. They advanced to the third round with wins over Atlanta FC and Miami FC Blues. Charleston is unbeaten at Blackbaud Stadium in 2009 with five wins and three ties.
*Chivas USA haven't won a U.S. Open Cup game in four years. Chivas USA has one win in the last nine games in all competitions. This is the first-ever meeting between the clubs.
*The game will be streamed live at 4:30 p.m. on USLlive.com.
Get caught up on the weekend's soccer in 60 seconds or less:
*The Galaxy had three shots on goal, scored on one of them and beat the MLS-leading Dynamo Sunday at Home Depot Center.
*Highlights:
*Heartbreak for the Americans in South Africa.
*Reaction:
*Mexico and Guatemala drew Sunday in San Diego in Gold Cup warmup.
Four links for Sunday:
*Chivas USA were dumped out of SuperLiga Saturday.
*Spain beat South Africa in the Confederations Cup today.
*U.S.-Brazil coverage begins at 11 a.m. Sunday live on ESPN. Freddy Adu tweeted at 9 a.m.: "bumping some eminem to get ready for this game. we are hyped right now."
(Updated 11 a.m.: U.S. lineup.)
I plan to blog from the game.
Worst meets first in the WPS Bagel Bowl at the HDC at 10 a.m. (!) today as the visiting Chicago Red Stars (2-5-5), without a win in eight, meet the league-leading Sol (9-1-4), who are without a loss in nine games.
Motivation for going: every fan gets a free Sol T-shirt.
Motivation for heading to the free Wi-Fi at your local coffee shop: a live Webcast here. Los Angeles Sol Director of Media Relations Nick Ammazzalorso has the call with color commentary provided by Aaron Heifetz, press officer for the United States Women's National Team.
Meanwhile, if Chicago don't beat Tigres in a game that kicks off at 5 p.m. it may not be worth going to the Chivas USA-San Luis SuperLiga game that kicks off at 7 p.m. at the HDC (assuming you're a Chivas fan).
Lastly, it appears many of you believe the U.S. has already made a point to the world regardless of the Confederations Cup finale's outcome Sunday against Brazil. Agree? Disagree? Vote here.
A busy weekend of soccer with all three pro teams playing at home and the U.S. in the final of a FIFA competition for the first time:
10 a.m. Saturday - The runaway WPS-leading Sol plays its last weekend game of the season at the early hour at Home Depot Center against the Chicago Red Stars. There's a ticket special: two for $30 plus a Marta bobblehead and a $50 ESPN Zone game card. Call 1-877-4-SOL-TIX.
7 p.m. Saturday - Chicago must defeat Tigres Saturday and then Chivas USA must beat San Luis by at least two clear goals to advance in SuperLiga. Tickets start at $15. Call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 for tickets.
11 a.m. Sunday - Coverage begins on ESPN and Univision for the U.S. showdown with Brazil in the Confederations Cup final. BTW, the National Soccer Hall of Fame tweeted that the organization "is requesting a game ball from Sunday's championship match for display What else should we ask for?" What about a U.S. win?
7 p.m. Sunday - $1 beer, $1 dogs as the 2-3-9 Galaxy play the Western Conference leading Houston Dynamo in Carson. Call 1-877-3GALAXY for tickets.
In related news, the Galaxy's Landon Donovan has again been nominated for an ESPY.
So has the Sol's Marta. The current and three-time FIFA World Player of the Year is up against Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva, Mexican golfer Lorena Ochoa, Australian swimmer Stephanie Rice and Russian tennis player Dinara Safina in the category of Best Female International Athlete. I'm told only ESPN's international viewers can vote in this one.
ESPN hands out the awards in July at the Nokia Theater at LA Live.
Apparently South African-born Canadian Kevin Harmse was homesick - for Southern California.
Chivas USA acquired the 24-year-old defensive midfielder from Toronto today for allocation money.
"Kevin is a strong, technical player who can play in both midfield and defense," said Chivas USA Coach Preki. "We're excited to welcome him to the club and eager for him to contribute to our team."
Harmse played 17 games for the Galaxy in 2007 before joining Toronto last year.
"Kevin requested a move back to the U.S," said Toronto manager Mo Johnston. We tried very hard to hang on to him, but this move is what's best for Kevin right now."
He will join Chivas USA after he represents Canada at the Gold Cup, requiring the club to make a roster decision of some kind at that point, club officials said.
A somewhat surprising move from Chivas USA given that Paulo Nagamura is having a career season, but perhaps he's seen as a long-term replacement for veteran Jesse Marsch.
Barring two super results Saturday Chivas USA is done with SuperLiga.
Highlights:
Prediction: SuperLiga will soon go the way of this tournament.
U.S.-Spain Confederations Cup preview.
The game starts at 11:25 a.m. today on ESPN.
Just so we're all keeping track:
Tuesday
SuperLiga - Chivas USA at Chicago Fire 5 p.m. on TeleFutura in the second game of the tournament. Chivas USA were outplayed 2-1 game at Home Depot Center against Tigres last weekend. Chivas USA striker Eduardo Lillingston is suspended after his red card. Chicago beat San Luis 1-0 last weekend on a Brian McBride goal. A game preview from a Chicago perspective is here.
Online chat - Galaxy defender Gregg Berhalter chats with ESPN SportsNation at noon. Follow this link.
Wednesday
Confederations Cup Semifinal - U.S.-Spain 11:25 a.m. ESPN. No. 1 ranked Spain, undefeated in 35 games and on a 15-game winning streak. Ulp. Defender Carlos Bocanegro remains "questionable." Absolutely useless factoid from U.S. Soccer: Michael Bradley's goal against Egypt was the sixth of his career; that matches the total scored by Bert Patenaude. He had six goals in four appearances back in 1930, according to my MNT media guide; Bradley has played more than 25 games. Get your finger out, lad!
WPS - Sol (8-1-4) at St. Louis Athletica (4-4-2). The Sol are unbeaten in eight games, a sequence stretching back to May 2; Athletica have yet to score on the Sol in two games this season, a scoreless draw and a 2-0 loss at the HDC in April.
Thursday
Confederations Cup semifinal - Brazil-South Africa 11:25 a.m. ESPN.
Saturday
WPS - Chicago Red Stars at Sol at 10 a.m. (!) at Home Depot Center. Deal of the week to soften the early hour: two tix, a Marta bobblehead and $50 ESPN Zone gamecard for $29.99. Call 1-877-4-SOLTIX. Quality bobblehead, BTW.
SuperLiga - Chivas USA -San Luis 7 p.m. at Home Depot Center.
Sunday
MLS - Best reason to attend the 7 p.m. Galaxy-Dynamo game at the HDC: $1 beers and $1 hot dogs before the game. Also, the first 10,000 fans get a free Galaxy Sinch Sack; the first 7,500 a free Galaxy Car Flag. The Dynamo are first in the West with an MLS-best 28 points; the Galaxy lost last time out to struggling San Jose. I'll have another hot dog, please. Weird fact: the Galaxy's current two-game losing streak is just the second in Bruce Arena's tenure with the Galaxy. ... Notable: Van Nuys' Tristan Bowen, the first player in MLS history to be signed by a club through the league's youth development initiative, made his MLS debut Saturday. The 18-year old forward is the fourth youngest player to ever play a game for the Galaxy; younger were Izzy Sesay, Memo Gonzalez and Quavas Kirk. Not good company.
Busy this weekend?
Get caught up here in 60 seconds (or less):
*The U.S. overcame staggering odds Sunday to see Italy suffer its biggest loss to Brazil in 33 years combined with the first American win ever over Egypt and improbably scoring three after only managing one in the tournament to that point. The no margin for error result: a semifinal berth in the Confederations Cup against Spain Wednesday. The world's No. 1 ranked team are unbeaten in 35 games.
*The Sol continued to shine Sunday.
Tigres' "B" team handily beat Chivas USA Saturday 2-1 in SuperLiga with Coach Preki saying "it was one of those nights when we didn't come out of the locker room ready to play."
Which pretty much sums it up.
Preki's conclusion: Chivas USA was merely "slow."
Chivas USA 1 Tigres 2
Chivas USA were let down by two veterans of the Mexican league tonight: Eduardo Lillingston, who received a second yellow for a silly foul in midfield and Mariano Trujillo, who gave the ball away in his own half, which led to the decisive second goal for Tigres.
Not such a SuperLiga performance by Chivas USA.
Chivas USA 1 Tigres 2
Chivas USA defender Mariano Trujillo got caught in possession in the 82nd minute, coughed up the ball and Jesus Duena stabbed it home from short range after an initial shot by Alan Pulido was parried by Zach Thornton.
Attendance tonight: 11,197.
Chivas USA are down to 10 men for the last 23 minutes or so; striker Eduardo Lillingston just picked up a second yellow in the 67th minute for a lazy tug on an opposing player in midfield. Completely unnecessary. Preki will not be happy with that undisciplined act.
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.
Recent Comments
Jeff on Chivas USA Striker Eskandarian Traded to Galaxy; Galaxy midfielder Tudela Gone: Count the number of mistakes Tudela makes in a game, and you won't fin ...
The Most Interesting Man In The World on Gold Cup Preview: I don't always watch soccer. But when I do, I prefer Chivas USA. Stay ...
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ben on Chivas USA Striker Eskandarian Traded to Galaxy; Galaxy midfielder Tudela Gone: Correction, he's not that old (I looked in the wrong line) however unl ...