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It's not just the stands that are bare this morning, so is the Chivas USA (1-3-2) squad.

It's virtually an all new back four for Chivas USA against the Revs (3-3-1).

Shavar Thomas is the lone holdover, with Eric Ebert making his first MLS start and Bobby Burling of Loyola Marymount his MLS debut, alongside veteran Jim Curtin.

The rest of the starting XI is the same as the one that began the scoreless draw against the Dynamo last weekend.

Brad Guzan mans the net, Sacha Kljestan, Jesse Marsch, Paulo Nagamura and Panchito Mendoza are the midfielders, while Ante Razov and Maykel Galindo are the attackers.

New signing Carey Talley isn't even on the bench.

Chivas USA are seeking their first win in four games.

The Revs are in similar disarray, looking to halt a run of one victory in the last four games.

Coach Steve Nichol reverts to a three-man back line from the team that lost 3-0 to Chicago last weekend.

Former Galaxy favorite Chris Albright, Jay Heaps and Michael Parkhurt line up in front of goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

In midfield, it's Steve Ralston, Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz and Mauricio Castro.

Kenny Manselly and Khano Smith are up front.

Chivas USA will undoubtedly be relieved that striker Taylor Twellman, who is not fully
fit, starts on the bench although he's expected to see action around the 70th minute or so.

Twellman must relish his chances against the inexperienced Chivas USA defense.

Before I forget, as expected Manchester United pipped Chelsea for the EPL crown today.

*U.S. Soccer has announced that tickets for the first U.S. World Cup qualifying match June 15 in Carson against Barbados go on sale at noon Sunday.

Tickets are $19-$66. Call (213)-480-3232.

*The TV schedule for Euro 2008 is out.

There will be five games on ESPN Classic, 17 on ESPN2 and seven on ESPN. ABC will broadcast two matches - a quarterfinal June 21 and the Euro 2008 title match June 29.

Games are generally at 8:50 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. daily. Time to take the month off?

The title game will be preceded by the noon Galaxy-D.C. United game.

*Fox Soccer Channel will show all 16 games over the 10-day Toulon International Tournament May 20-29 including the three U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team games.

The U.S. games:
6:30 a.m. May 21 Vs. Turkey
9:30 a.m. May 23 Vs. Ivory Coast
9 a.m. May 25 Vs. Italy

With their final game of the season sadly only available on the pricey Setanta channel, American soccer fans will still be pulling for Fulhamerica to make an unlikely escape from relegation. The team will ensure their safety with a win Saturday over Portsmouth. Here's a preview.

Loyola Marymount announced the signing of three more players: defender Adam Jackson (Palos Verdes High); goalkeeper Max Young (South Torrance High); and midfielder Fernando Barba (Animo).

Finally, W-League expansion team Pali Blues have announced the signing of 2006 Big East Defender of the Year Carrie Dew (Notre Dame).

The Blues open their season Saturday in Ventura.

I'll have more later today on all the local soccer action in an around LA this weekend.

Plus, more Britpop!

There's a full slate of soccer this weekend in Southern California, with both the Galaxy and Chivas USA playing home games at Home Depot Center in Carson.

The Galaxy are up first, kicking off at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against defending MLS champions, the Houston Dynamo. With the Beckham buzz apparently wearing off, tickets are discounted 35 percent, a free Galaxy hat is on offer and pop-punk band The Burning Tree Project play a pre-game concert.

Check out the band below.

Want to see the Galaxy free? The reserve team plays at 1 p.m. Sunday against their Houston counterparts at the HDC.

Injury-riddled Chivas USA, meanwhile plays FC Dallas at 5 p.m. Sunday.

Want to see Chivas USA for free? The club's Under-16 and Under-18 teams play a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday against Real So Cal at Agoura High School in Agoura Hills.

Incidentally, the Galaxy, which has been slow to get its youth programs going as required by MLS, launches two teams in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy program this fall.

Also progressing at a glacial pace has been the Galaxy's entry into the new Women's Professional Soccer league that aims to start play next year. Rumors a month ago that Galaxy parent company Anschutz Entertainment Group was looking to sell the unnamed team before it even starts play are apparently false. The team is accepting $25 deposits for season tickets.

In other women's soccer news, Loyola Marymount University Thursday announced the signing of two more players: Midfielder Jaide Timm-Garcia (Desert Christian High, Lancaster) and goalkeeper Katie Graul (Santiago Canyon College).

Finally, MLS Commissioner Don Garber belatedly joins the blogging party, penning "The Commissioner Speaks" every other Friday beginning at noon today. But will he actually say anything?

And, if you only watch one game this weekend, check out Manchester United against Brad Friedel's Blackburn Rovers at 9 a.m. Saturday on Fox Soccer Channel.

I'll be blogging from the HDC at both MLS games this weekend, as usual, by the way.

Here's Tuesday column on why American soccer fans should be backing EPL team Fulham.

Also:
*The Galaxy signed two developmental players Monday - defenders Vardan Adzemian (Ventura County Fusion) and Scott Bolkan (Stanford) - and promptly shipped both to the USL Portland Timbers to gain experience.
*Former Cuban Under-23 National Team players Yordany Alvarez, Yenier Bermudez and Jose Manuel Miranda, will continue to train with the Galaxy through the end of this week at least after impressing the coaching staff.
*The San Jose Earthquakes signed Loyola Marymount University senior defender Adam Sloustcher to a developmental deal after watching him play in a reserve game against the Galaxy earlier this month.

The trio of Cubans who defected during Olympic qualifiers last month have turned up at the Galaxy. Guess LA doesn't want another Maykel Galindo to get away.

David Beckham, meanwhile, offers his insiders view (ahem) of the Galaxy season so far in his latest blog post.

The ramifications of a potential all-England UEFA Champions League final when it comes to playing EPL games overseas (remember that proposal?) are explored here.

Finally, the Long Beach State Women play the U.S.Under-20 National Women's Team in a scrimmage that's free to watch at 11 a.m. Saturday at Home Depot Center.

Living up to the hype, Freddy Adu, apparently benefiting from playing in Europe with Portugal's Benfica, led the U.S. to an Olympics berth in a 3-0 win Thursday over out-classed Canada with two goals from set pieces, while Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan added the third.

A reminder: the Galaxy hosts its Fan Fest Saturday.

David Beckham, who will talk to the local media today before jetting off to England, was busy handing out awards this week. Galaxy owner Phil Anschutz was also honored for his contributions to the sport at the event.

Chivas USA has resigned fan favorite 22-year-old Panchito Mendoza, the leader in games and minutes played for the club, and acquired Irvine native and defender Eric Ebert from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a supplemental draft pick.

The U.S. women have scheduled games April 27 and May 3 against Australia in the first domestic dates of the year in North Carolina and Alabama respectively.

In one of the best bargains in televised sport, the MLS Direct Kick package that gives armchair fans 115 games for $79, is back.

Finally, if you watch just one game this weekend, check out the Chelsea-Arsenal London derby at 9 a.m. Sunday on Fox Soccer Channel.

Chivas USA plays the Houston Dynamo tonight in San Antonio (although due to the state of the field there it's reportedly the reserve squads that will play) and the Galaxy plays the third and final game of its Asian tour live on Fox Soccer Channel at 11 p.m. Saturday (that's a time that screams TiVo).

Still, if you only watch one game this weekend make it Brad Friedel's Blackburn Rovers against FulhamAmerica at 7 a.m. Saturday on FSC as the London team with a large contingent of Americans fights for EPL survival.

The David Beckham Academy in Carson has redesigned its Web site.

And as of Monday, Fox Football Fone-In has moved to a new night and time (the show begins at 5 p.m.).

Finally, prep action from the Daily Breeze is here and here, the Daily News here and the Long Beach Press-Telegram here.

Coach Pia Sundhage has begun the youth movement needed to rebuild the U.S. Women's National Team, dumping veteran goalkeeper Brianna Scurry for next month's Algarve Cup in Portugal and bringing in Nicole Barnhart (four caps).

Although 15 of the 20-player roster were on last year's World Cup squad, including Torrance's Shannon Boxx, Sundhage has also brought in the likes of UCLA's Lauren Cheney and USC striker Amy Rodriguez. Uncapped defender Rachel Buehler gets her first tournament call-up, while at age 19 defender Tobin Heath is the youngest player on the roster.

From the U.S. Soccer press release:

The U.S. opens play March 5 against China, faces Norway on March 7 and finishes the first round against Italy on March 10.

The U.S. will use this tournament as final preparation for 2008 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying, which will be held April 2-13 in Mexico.

“The Algarve Cup is a very important tournament for several reasons,” said Sundhage. “First, it is excellent preparation for the Olympic qualification, especially playing four difficult matches in eight days. That is a test of our fitness, our mental toughness and also our depth. But also, like we faced in the Four Nations Tournament in China, it gives the team a chance to play against three very good teams in the group who all play different styles, and that is fantastic for the development of our team rhythm, as well as for our young players getting experience at a big tournament.”

Preps news from the Daily Breeze is here and here.

The Long Beach Press-Telegram has this report on girls soccer.

Finally, thanks to those who voted in Tuesday's poll that asked whether the EPL should play games overseas. Interesting to see how divided fans are on this one. (And yes, you can still vote).

The last week has seen a heated global debate over a proposal to play regular season English Premier League games overseas, including the U.S.

Read this week's column for my take and the opinion of local players, then take the poll.

Comments welcome.

Updated: And the debate rolls on.

Good set of links with reaction, etc., on that page, too.

English fans are predictably upset by the EPL proposal to stage regular season games overseas, but Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas is (equally predictably) happy about the idea.

And here's the Galaxy blog on why teams and the media don't pay a huge amount of attention to trialists in camp. Some have already received the dreaded tap on the shoulder:

The Galaxy's roster has seen its first cutdown of the year already as trialists Fed Bianchi, Prince Daye, Richard Duru and Jordan King were each let go. That leaves the Galaxy with 32 players still in camp.

No word on who was let go from the U.S. Women's National Team camp in Carson yet.

Finally, Manhattan Beach's Mira Costa High girls team has won (at least a share of) the league title.

MLS released its full 2008 fixture list this morning.

The Galaxy will have no excuses for a slow start: four of their first five games are at home.

Highlights:
• A total of 113 games (out of 210) will be shown nationally on ESPN2 and ABC, Fox Soccer Channel/Fox Sports en Español, HDNet and TeleFutura.
• The 14 clubs will play 30 regular season games over 31 weeks, playing each other twice (home and away), for 26 games. The remaining four games will be played against different intra-conference teams (two home and two away), with consideration given to rivalries.
• ESPN2 airs 27 MLS Primetime Thursday regular season contests, beginning with a doubleheader on April 3 and the All-Star game.
• ABC is scheduled to broadcast a unique soccer doubleheader June 29: the Galaxy at D.C. United at 9 a.m. followed by the Euro 2008 final.
• The four teams with the best regular season records in 2007 will represent MLS in the second edition of SuperLiga: D.C. United, Chivas USA, Houston Dynamo and New England Revolution.

Here's the complete Galaxy schedule:
Saturday March 29 at Colorado 6:30 p.m. FSC/HDNet

Thursday April 3 vs. San Jose 7:30 p.m. ESPN2
Sunday April 13 vs. Toronto FC 12:00 p.m. TeleFutura
Saturday April 19 vs. Houston 7:30 p.m.
Saturday April 26 vs. Chivas USA 7:30 p.m. FSC

Saturday May 3 at Real Salt Lake 6:00 p.m.
Saturday May 10 vs. New York 7:30 p.m. HDNet
Sunday May 18 at FC Dallas 12:00 p.m. TeleFutura
Saturday May 24 vs. Kansas City 7:30 p.m. HDNet
Saturday May 31 at Toronto FC 12:30 p.m.

Saturday June 7 vs. Colorado 7:30 p.m.
Saturday June 14 at San Jose 7:00 p.m. FSC
Saturday June 21 vs. Columbus 7:30 p.m.
Sunday June 29 at D.C. United 9:00 a.m. ABC

Friday July 4 vs. New England 7:30 p.m.
Thursday July 10 vs. Chivas USA 8:00 p.m. ESPN2
Saturday July 19 at New York 3:30 p.m. FSC
Sunday July 27 at FC Dallas 4:00 p.m.

Sunday August 3 at San Jose 12:00 p.m. TeleFutura
Thursday August 14 at Chivas USA 7:30 p.m. ESPN2
Thursday August 21 vs. Chicago 7:30 p.m. ESPN2
Saturday August 30 at New England 4:30 p.m. HDNet

Saturday September 6 vs. Real Salt Lake 7:30 p.m.
Saturday September 13 at Kansas City 5:00 p.m. HDNet
Saturday September 20 vs. D.C. United 8:00 p.m. FSC
Thursday September 25 at Chicago 6:00 p.m. ESPN2

Saturday October 4 at Columbus 4:30 p.m. HDNet
Sunday October 12 vs. Colorado 5:00 p.m.
Sunday October 19 at Houston 4:00 p.m.
Sunday October 26 vs. FC Dallas 12:00 p.m. TeleFutura

Here's the Chivas USA schedule:
Sunday March 30 @ FC Dallas Noon

Saturday April 5 Real Salt Lake 6:00 p.m.
Saturday April 12 @ Columbus Crew 4:30 p.m.
Sunday April 20 FC Dallas 5:00 p.m.
Saturday April 26 @ Los Angeles Galaxy 7:30 p.m.

Saturday May 3 @ Houston Dynamo 5:30 p.m.
Sunday May 11 New England Revolution Noon
Saturday May 17 D.C. United 7:30 p.m.
Saturday May 24 @ Colorado Rapids 6:30 p.m.
Saturday May 31 Columbus Crew 7:30 p.m.

Thursday June 5 @ New York Red Bulls 4:30 p.m.
Saturday June 14 Real Salt Lake 7:30 p.m.
Thursday June 19 Chicago Fire 7:30 p.m.
Saturday June 28 New York Red Bulls 7:30 p.m.

Saturday July 5 San Jose Earthquakes 7:30 p.m.
Thursday July 10 @ Los Angeles Galaxy 8:00 p.m.

Saturday Aug. 2 @ Chicago Fire 5:30 p.m.
Saturday Aug. 9 @ Kansas City Wizards 5:00 p.m.
Thursday Aug. 14 Los Angeles Galaxy 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday Aug. 20 @ Houston Dynamo 6:00 p.m.
Saturday Aug. 23 San Jose Earthquakes 7:30 p.m.
Saturday Aug. 30 Toronto FC 7:30 p.m.

Saturday Sept. 6 Toronto FC 1:00 p.m.
Thursday Sept. 11 @ New England Revolution 4:30 p.m.
Saturday Sept. 20 @ Real Salt Lake 6:00 p.m.
Saturday Sept. 27 Kansas City Wizards 7:30 p.m.

Saturday Oct. 4 @ D.C. United 4:30 p.m.
Saturday Oct. 11 @ San Jose Earthquakes 7:00 p.m.
Sunday Oct. 19 Colorado Rapids Noon
Saturday Oct. 25 Houston Dynamo 7:30 p.m.

Following the lead of the NFL, it looks like the EPL will hold regular season games overseas.

LA is specifically mentioned in this story.

How about a Manchester United-Liverpool, Galaxy-Chivas USA doubleheader broadcast live worldwide from the Coliseum?

Finally, in the least surprsing news of the day so far, Aston Villa have confirmed they are not giving up the chase for Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

Note the new name for the Goats.

Not one MLS team (the Galaxy), not two (Chivas USA), not three (New York Red Bulls), but four (San Jose Earthquakes) are in camp at Carson's Home Depot Center.

Former Galaxy Coach Frank Yallop and his Earthquakes (sounds like an excellent name for a polka band, doesn't it?) play Feb. 22 and Feb. 24 against the Columbus Crew and D.C.United respectively in San Luis Obispo, incidentally. Ticket details are here.

The Galaxy listed 35 players on its pre-season camp roster including EPL veteran Celestine Babayaro, whose signing was (finally) confirmed today by GM Alexi Lalas. Babayaro is in town, but awaiting a work visa.

And, yes, Beckham was in camp enduring Super Bowl-related questions (I kid you not) from television media types.

Players listed as on trial with the Galaxy include: Liberian international Prince Daye and Temple High graduate Bryan Jordan.

The Galaxy will endure two training seassions a day under new Coach Ruud Gullit who players already know will be a far harder taskmaster than Yallop.

Still, players expect a more stable environment than last year's circus.

"You never knew who was going to be in the locker next to you," said midfielder Kyle Martino, fully recovered from the hernia operation he had in the off-season.

Chivas USA listed 38 players and likewise confirmed the long-anticipated signing of Swiss international Raphael Wicky. He wasn't speaking to the media today; Chivas has set a 9 a.m. Tuesday press conference to introduce him.

Other notables on trial with Chivas USA include Mike Munoz, who played a handful of minutes for Chivas USA during their inaugural season and whose girlfriend waged a media campaign to get the team to resign him; Fontana resident Chukwudi Chijindu and 2002 Japanese World Cup veteran Takayuki Suzuki

The complete MLS schedule is set for release Thursday, by the way.

I'll have more on the opening day of camp in Tuesday's column.

Finally, U.S. Soccer confirmed today the opening U.S. World Cup qualifier is set for Home Depot Center June 15 against either Barbados or the Dominican Republic.

The (edited) press release:

Kickoff for the first U.S. match of the 2010 qualifying campaign is set for 2 p.m. PT, with broadcast details still to be finalized. The U.S. will face the winner of the first round series between Barbados and Dominica, who will meet on Feb. 6 in Dominica and March 26 in Barbados.

“We are very much looking forward to beginning the process of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup,” said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. “We have been preparing for more than a year, and selecting a venue for the match really gives us a target for everyone to focus on for the next few months. The Home Depot Center has been a great host for the national team, and we are hoping to continue our run of good results there.”

The June 15 match represents the USA’s first World Cup qualifier played in Carson. The U.S. boasts an unbeaten 5-0-1 record at the HDC, including two victories during the group stage of their 2007 Gold Cup championship-winning run last year. In their opening match of 2008, goals by Eddie Robinson and Landon Donovan lifted the USA to a 2-0 win against Sweden. It is also the first World Cup qualifying match that the U.S. MNT has played in Southern California since a 1-1 draw with Trinidad & Tobago on May 13, 1989 in Torrance.

The U.S. has never faced Dominica and only played Barbados twice in the Men’s National Team’s 91-year history. The only meetings between the U.S. and Barbados took place in the Semifinal Round of 2002 World Cup qualifying in a group that also included Guatemala and Costa Rica. The U.S. dominated both matches, winning 7-0 on Aug. 16, 2000, in Foxborough, Mass., before cruising to a 4-0 victory in the final group match on Nov. 15, a win that booked the USA’s passage to the final phase.

Should the U.S. advance, the semifinal round will take place from August to November, with the teams divided into three groups of four teams each. Playing a six-game round robin format, the top two finishers from each group will advance to the final six-team group that will play in 2009. The U.S. could potentially face Guatemala, Trinidad & Tobago and Cuba should each country advance out of their early-round series.

CONCACAF World Cup qualifying began Sunday, by the way.

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.

There aren't many top soccer players who, after getting off a transatlantic flight at 6 p.m. the night before in the wake of the most crushing week of their professional career, would go to a national team practice and then immediately hold a media roundtable for half an hour.

But Brad Guzan did today after his proposed $4 million transfer to Aston Villa fell through because he was unable to meet the criteria for a U.K. work permit. That's class.

Guzan was clearly trying to remain composed and expressed hope Villa could revive their interest in the summer transfer window.

"It's definitely been a crazy past week," he said of a period of frenzied negotiations and twists and turns that reportedly saw Villa double Celtic's initial bid. "I think I've been able to deal with it. It's a tough pill to swallow."

"They'll watch my progress over the next couple of months," he added. "We'll see what the summer brings."

"It feels good to be back with the family," Guzan said at one point, evoking a certain mob movie.

Indeed, Coach Preki seemed to go out of his way to try and cheer Guzan up.

"You've got to give me a few bucks to keep you in the line-up," Preki joked at one point.

"It's not about money," he said later of what would have been a mega-bucks move for Guzan."He just wanted to be here and train with me."

Then Guzan was off to Texas for next week's U.S.-Mexico game.

With clubs of the stature of Villa and Celtic interested in Guzan, it's only a matter of time (and the requisite number of national team appearances) before he moves even further afield for good.

U.S. international Brad Guzan is a world-class goalkeeper, but British bureaucrats pulled the plug today on his imminent $4 million move to Aston Villa.

From the (edited) Chivas USA press release:

Club Deportivo Chivas USA of Major League Soccer today announced that 2007 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and Chivas USA Original Brad Guzan will return to the club for the 2008 season. The announcement comes following the denial of Guzan’s British work permit application this afternoon, London time. The 23-year-old U.S. international had been set to join storied English Premier League club Aston Villa in a record transfer for an MLS goalkeeper.

“It has been my privilege to represent the Chivas colors for the past three years and I look forward to returning to Chivas USA this season,” said Guzan in a statement from England. “I have always appreciated the support of Chivas USA and its passionate fans and shall continue wear the colors with pride as we strive for great things in MLS and beyond in 2008.”

“Brad is a world-class goalkeeper who has attracted the interest of some of the world’s best clubs, and Chivas USA is happy to have him back for another season. Although we share in his disappointment at the denial of his British work permit, we know that Brad, like the true professional he is, will continue to work hard to improve every day on and off the field with Chivas USA,” said Chivas USA Head Coach Preki Radosavljevic.

Major League Soccer’s reigning Goalkeeper of the Year, Brad Guzan was selected by Chivas USA with its first pick in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft (No. 2 overall) out of the University of South Carolina, prior to the club’s first season as an expansion team in Major League Soccer, making the then-20-year-old the highest-picked goalkeeper in MLS draft history. After playing 24 games for Chivas USA in his rookie season and earning the distinction of 2005 Chivas USA Defender of the Year, the fan favorite known as ‘El Guzano’ would go on to make his first of five appearances to date for the U.S. National Team in 2006. In 2007, Guzan recorded 13 clean sheets for a Chivas USA side that finished first in MLS’s Western Conference.

Wonder if Jurgen Klinsmann, now with Bayern Munich, is monitoring developments?

In other Chivas USA-related news, the club announced today the 2,000 spots for tryouts with the team via a Spanish-language reality show have been filled. Applicants came from 39 different states and 17 foreign countries.

Meanwhile, Mexico Coach Hugo Sanchez today announced the roster for the Feb. 6 game against the U.S. in Houston. The full roster:

Goalkeepers Guillermo Ochoa (Club América), Luís Ernesto Michel (CD Guadalajara), Moisés Muñoz (Morelia); defenders Rafael Márquez (FC Barcelona / SPA), Carlos Salcido (PSV Eindhoven / HOL), Johnny Magallón (CD Guadalajara), Fausto Pinto (Pachuca), Israel Castro (Pumas UNAM), Oscar Rojas (América); midfielders Pavel Pardo (VFB Stuttgart / GER), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul), Francisco Arce (Santos Laguna), Andrés Guardado (Deportivo la Coruna / SPA), Antonio Naelson (Toluca); forwards Giovani Dos Santos (FC Barcelona / SPA), Carlos Vela (Osasuna), Juan Carlos Cacho (Pachuca), Adolfo Bautista (Jaguares de Chiapas), Antonio de Nigris (Ankaraspor / TUR).

ESPN confirmed today that outspoken analyst Eric Wynalda was punted from the commentary booth in favor of the presumably less controversial John Harkes. It's another defeat for those who love color and strong opinions and a victory for those who value the bland and safe. Wynalda, of course, has been on the outs with the network ever since he publicly criticized well-known soccer-hater (and loud mouth) Jim Rome a few months back.

At least soccer fans got rid of Dave O'Brien, though.

From the (edited) ESPN press release:

ESPN and ABC will kick off its 13th straight season of Major League Soccer coverage with a new line-up of in-booth commentators – veteran soccer television announcer JP Dellacamera and former U.S. Men’s National Team captain John Harkes – for MLS Primetime Thursday and U.S. Soccer telecasts including, the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.

Dellacamera and Harkes will lead ESPN’s new on-air crew for U.S. domestic soccer telecasts with sideline reporter Allen Hopkins returning for the second year on select MLS and U.S. Soccer telecasts. Rob Stone, who has been involved with soccer at ESPN since 1997, will continue his role as on-site studio host and play-by-play commentator for select MLS matches, with former U.S. Women’s National Team captain and soccer Hall of Famer Julie Foudy as studio analyst.

“JP and John will enhance our overall soccer presentation and offer consistency throughout our second season of MLS Primetime Thursday and in our coverage of the U.S. Men’s National Team, including upcoming qualifying matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup,” said Tim Scanlan, ESPN vice president for remote productions.

Dellacamera, who has called ten straight FIFA World Cups (six men’s and four women’s), will take over the play-by-play duties previously held by Dave O’Brien, who will focus on his prominent role with ESPN’s Major League Baseball and NCAA Men’s Basketball telecasts (O’Brien also handles radio play-by-play for Boston Red Sox games). Harkes, who paired with Dellacamera to call 2006 FIFA World Cup matches from Germany, will occupy the lead booth analyst role previously held by Eric Wynalda, who has been reassigned to ESPN in-studio soccer duties.

ESPN’s new commentator team will debut at 6 p.m. Wednesday during the network’s live telecast of the U.S. Men’s National Team vs. Mexico match from Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Finally, prep coverage from the Daily Breeze is here