Recently in Croatian Soccer Category

Briefly:

*Galaxy squad player Leonard Griffin goes under the knife today in Munich for a hernia operation. Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts is still not in full training. And those of you with fantasy football teams should know Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers of the Columbus Crew is not expected to play Saturday so he can rest a hamstring issue.

*For what it's worth English tabloid the Daily Mail is the latest media outlet to speculate about Mexican Coach Sven Goran Eriksson and his job security (or lack thereof).

*Chivas USA fan group the Union Ultras host a viewing party for the club's game in Dallas Sunday in West Covina.

*And the Croatian community in San Pedro is gearing up for its third annual Small Goals Tournament set for May 23 to coincide with Croatian Independence Day.

Few players are more qualified than former Galaxy and likely future Chivas USA left back Ante Jazic (Jonny Bornstein has been playing left half during preseason) to provide a perspective on both clubs. Jazic played more than 40 games with the Galaxy over the last three years before being traded to their intra-stadium rivals in the off-season. I spoke to Jazic earlier this week (and used some of his comments in Tuesday's column) before he headed off to a yoga session. Ante didn't dish on the Galaxy as much as I'd hoped, but you can read between the lines a little. BTW, Jazic and Chivas USA play a charity game against the PDL Ventura County Fusion at 5 p.m. Sunday in Santa Clarita at the College of the Canyons. Tickets are $20 apiece or $40 for a family of four.

Question: What was your reaction when you got traded to Chivas USA?
Answer: If you're going to get traded then this is probably the easiest way to do it - just grab your boots and go 50 feet down the hall, so relocation-wise it was easy on me. I'm happy to be here (it's) a great locker room here at Chivas. It was a little strange at first, but I'm getting used to everything around me now.

Q: How do the Galaxy guys and Chivas USA guys get along?
A: I knew a lot of the guys, you see them every day in the gym, so it's not like this "hate thing" as people might like to say. We see each other daily, we share the stadium. There's a little pride who rules this stadium. The Galaxy guys think they own the stadium, the Chivas guys think we own the stadium, so we'll see, it will be interesting. I'm looking forward to the SuperClasico that's for sure.

Q: How do the two locker rooms compare?
A: Here at Chivas we don't have a marquee player, we don't have any designated players - not that I know of anyway. Everyone's pretty much on an even keel, guys are good friends off the field. In the Galaxy locker room (there's) a great bunch of guys - I had a lot of friends there - it's just a different dynamic. It's just different because of people on different (wage) scales; (there's) just a different aura around the club, whereas (with) everyone here it's almost like a lunch pail mentality.

Q: Were you glad to get the hell out of the Galaxy considering what's been going on there the last couple of years?
A: You know what, I enjoyed my time at the Galaxy, it was a great experience. A change of scenery definitely at this point in my career was good for me. The locker room (at Chivas USA) is great. Everyone jokes around with each other. Everyone is on an even keel - there's no one ahead of anybody here on the team, so the young guys have their voice in the locker room and it's fun. Everyone has a go at each other. It's just a different dynamic. It's tough at the Galaxy when you have David who's a great guy, but it's hard sometimes - you can't really make fun of David, y'know. Well you can, but most guys are afraid to. Here everyone can make fun of everyone. ... Hopefully, the Galaxy get things together, but now I'm with Chivas and we rule the stadium now.

Q: What was your relationship with David Beckham?
A: With David I had a great relationship. More on the road we'd hang out. He was fine, but it's not easy being David as well, y'know? Coming here, it was different surroundings for him. He's not used to MLS and the salaries and all that. David does his best - it takes time.

Q: Is it better for the Galaxy that David stay in Italy?
A: David is a good player. You have a better chance of winning games if David is on the field. I'm not in the locker room anymore, I don't hear what guys are saying and I don't really ask. But I would think if I was with the Galaxy (still) we'd have a better chance of winning with David Beckham than without David Beckham. If (someone says) it's going to be a better team without David in the side, I don't really know what that person is talking about.

Q: Some fans are trying to figure out what was going on with you leaving the Galaxy and left back Todd Dunivant returning to the team. What was your take on the trades?
A: (Laughs) Similar salaries. Similar surgeries - Todd had a micro-fracture (like me). I needed a change of scenery. I'm glad I was traded to Chivas. I thank Bruce for that because who knows where I could have been traded to. I like Los Angeles and wanted to stay in LA. I'm happy to be with Chivas, (where there's) a good bunch of guys and we've bonded well through training in camp and we're working hard and looking forward to the new season.

Q: One of the criticisms of Chivas USA is they haven't seemed to have added an impact player or two that might give them a better chance of getting through the first round of the playoffs. How do you see the situation here?
A: You can tell you're coming into a stable locker room. They've had a couple of good seasons - (and been) a little unlucky not to get past the first round. They're still looking to add players in this training camp period. I've been impressed, guys work hard, training sessions are extremely difficult. Everyone works hard, we're grunting our way through it. Hopefully the work will pay off and we can get past the first round of the playoffs because that's obviously our goal. There's a lot of good players, a lot of good characters in the locker room and it has just been a joy. I'm enjoying my soccer, that's for sure.

Q: How close is your spot in the locker room to the other Ante (Razov)? And is that confusing?
A: (laughs) He's a few seats down. It's a little weird. I feel like I'm in Croatia again. Ante is a common name in Croatia, but definitely not in America, so when I hear someone say "Ante" I'm always turning around. So it's definitely weird. I never thought I'd experience that. He's Croatian himself so sometimes we can chat in Croatian. We have a whole melting pot of guys in the locker room, it's a good group of guys. He's been injured, but when he gets on the field we'll have to sort something out. Maybe I'm Ante Junior, he's a little bit older.

Q: Compare the two teams' training sessions?
A: I'm hoping this training camp ends soon because it has been different with Preki, that's for sure. We run a lot - that's what I've noticed here. Every training session is difficult. Preki has a philosophy that you train once a day, but that one a day covers about two training sessions, I think. Fitness won't be an issue; hopefully we can keep healthy this year and start to win some games, if we have a healthy squad. I think our team is pretty deep this year - a good blend of young guys and experienced players. I want March 21st to roll around as soon as possible.

San Pedro native Peter Hazdovac, 22, who I first blogged about here is continuing to make his mark on the Croatian Regional Third Division.

Here's the latest message I received from him today on Facebook:

We had a game today verses Zagora, a third division team who are actually in the final eight of the Croatian Cup (their next game is verses Dinamo Zagreb and in the last two rounds they knocked out division one team NK Osijek and division two first-place team Karlovac). They haven't lost a home game in 23 games.

Anyway to the game: we go down 1-0 in the first half after they scored a header on a cross. They had us on the ropes in the first half. It was a six-hour bus ride for us and we really came out flat!

Second half the tide changed and we took control.

In the 90th minute we hit a long ball into the box, the other forward chests it downs but slips and from the ground pushes the ball to me and I rip it inside the near post from about eight yards.

We went nuts. My jersey was off in one second (I got a yellow card) and was mobbed by the entire coaching staff and team.

What a freakin' feeling.

They took the kick off and the ref blew the whistle!

Quite the game.

Huge point for our team. We still remain tied for first place.

And unless I missed a game or a goal somewhere that's six goals for Peter in nine games. And five goals in the last three.

Four more games until the winter break in Croatia.

First, the nuns.

San Pedro's Peter Hazdovac, who I first blogged about
here, scored two goals Saturday as Croatian Regional Third Division team NK Gosk beat bottom of the table Gosk KG, 3-1.

The Cal Poly product has five goals in eight games. And his team leads the league.

You never know where Yanks abroad are going to show up.

Photo by Branimir Kvartuc

San Pedro native Peter Hazdovac, 22, a graduate of San Pedro High who played club soccer with Fram on the Palos Verdes Peninsula and 66 games in four years at Cal Poly (10 goals and eight assists) is playing professional soccer in the Croatian regional third division.

On Saturday, Hazdovac scored both goals in a 2-0 NK Gosk win, sending the club to the top of the table. Here's what he had to say:

Q: How did you end up in Croatia playing soccer?
A: It was always a dream of mine to play professional soccer and with both my parents being born in Croatia I am able to get citizenship. With some help I was able to get my foot in the door and from there it took off.

Q: How have things gone in Croatia?
A: I came to Croatia in the beginning of July and was sent to Zagreb to the Kranjcar Soccer Academy where I was evaluated by a professional coaching staff. After being in Zagreb for about ten days, the coaches at the academy got me connected with the first division side NK ZADAR. I was able to train with the first division side for two months but since I came to camp late they decided to send me on loan to get some experience. They placed me in Dubrovnik where my family is from, to play for NK GOSK. I have played in seven games scoring three goals. If things continue to go well, my goal is to be back in Zadar or another first division side by mid season break in December.

Q: What is Croatian football like?
A: Like most of Europe and the world, soccer is number one in Croatia. Fans support their clubs with passion and the professional divisions are very well organized. In my first away game in the city of Makarska we were welcomed to the stadium by a group of home supporters. We finished the game winning 2-1 and had to deal with fans ready to jump fences, people spitting, and objects being thrown. This was my first experience as a professional footballer and I really could do nothing but smile and enjoy the situation I was in. Our training is very demanding and has put me in the best shape of my life.

Q: Are there any other Americans playing in Croatia? How have Croatians accepted you? Do you speak the language?
A: As far as I know there are no other Americans playing soccer in Croatia. Being from San Pedro I have always had close ties to Croatia and have visited the country numerous times throughout my life so I am able to speak the language. All my immediate family live in America, but we have plenty of friends and cousins that I am in close contact with here.

Q: How do you like living in Croatia?
A: It is a different lifestyle! People enjoy socializing and are able to find time for themselves everyday. Dubrovnik is a historic city and the tourist capital of Croatia. Even though it's a relatively small city, thousands of people come here for its location on the Adriatic Sea, Mediterranean climate, and history. It truly is a beautiful place to call home and I constantly find myself amazed about the city.

Q: What do you miss about the U.S.?
A: Croatia has always been a second home to me but my friends and family are something that makes being away tough. My family is the most important thing to me and being away from all them is a challenge at times. San Pedro was a great place to grow up because of the people and is the reason why I am looking forward to coming home when our season goes on (winter) break.

Q: What are you long-term goals in soccer?
A: I have come to the point in my career where I understand what it is to be a professional. Like in any other job, I work hard to contribute and make a difference on my team, but I also look a head to advance my career. I am working with an agent in the United States who is helping me find the next appropriate stop in my career advancement. I will play anywhere as long is it benefits my development. Ultimately, I would love to finish in the MLS, ideally playing at the Home Depot Center for the Galaxy or Chivas USA in front of all my friends and family. Soccer is something that has kept me focused in life and allowed me to experience so much. I have worked extremely hard to get where I am at and I understand that now after completing college that this is the time for me to go for my dreams. The people I have met and places I have been is something I cherish more than anything.

A young U.S. team lost 2-1 to Trinidad & Tobago in World Cup qualifying on a penalty scored by an experienced Dwight Yorke, Mexico tied Canada 2-2 meaning qualifying for the next round for El Tri goes down to the final game and Croatia and England won.

Meanwhile, Frank Yallop's chances of returning to MLS Cup at Home Depot Center are all but gone after the San Jose Earthquakes tied 1-1 lost 2-1 Wednesday to a 10-man Houston Dynamo (Lawndale's Kei Kamara was sent off early in the affair).

The Galaxy have officially announced as expected that they will return Down Under in the post-season and play two games, including one Dec. 11 against the Queensland Roar. They also play an all-star team in New Zealand Dec. 6.

And in case you're wondering why the Anschutz Entertainment Group-owned Galaxy decided to play this particular team - why, because they just happen to play in an AEG-owned stadium that needs a bit of a boost. Shocker, huh?

Luckily the Roar aren't much better than the Galaxy. They currently sit fifth in the eight-team A-League with a record of 2-2-3.

Finally, the Cal State Northridge men drew 0-0 with UC Irvine Wednesday and the Cal State Dominguez Hills men beat UC San Diego 2-0, while their female counterparts lost 2-1 to the same school.

The U.S. thrashed Cuba 6-1, Jamaica beat Mexico and Croatia shot blanks.

CFL fan?

Game (as usual) a blowout?

More excited about the opening Monday of the Chivas USA and Galaxy training camps?

Then try these new blogs, Web sites and grab bag of other non-pointyball stuff.

Following up from Saturday's post about Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan, a few more details from the presser are here.

An organization in a nascent stage, the North American Soccer Reporters, is a group of humble scribes (including yours truly) that has launched a Web site here. intended as a one-stop venue for blogs, articles and other info from reporters who regularly cover soccer in the U.S.

A blog with a narrower focus is the new Croatian Soccer Report blog written by San Pedro resident Ante Kvartuc and aimed at the community's estimated 35,000 Croatian Americans.

Another recommended blog: Women's Soccer USA. Among the newsworthy items: an update on former U.S. Women's National Team Coach Greg Ryan and new W-League expansion team Pali Blues based in Pacific Palisades.

With the MLS preseason almost upon us it's an apt (and long overdue) time to recognize the newest Galaxy supporters group, the Angel City Brigade, which despite the name is based in the OC.

Incidentally, a long-overdue spring cleaning of the links at 100 Percent Soccer is about to begin so recommendations are welcome.

Finally, there's weekend prep news from the Daily Breeze here and the Daily News here, here, here and here.