Galaxy: January 2008 Archives

England Manager Fabio Capello, apparently concerned over David Beckham's fitness, has told the Galaxy midfielder he will not be included in the England squad for next week's game against Switzerland.

The (London) Times story is here. The full England squad will be named shortly, by the way.

Reaction to the decision is here.

According to this unscientific poll, most fans agree with the decision.

More on Becks' Brazilian project - apparently, but not surprisingly backed by Galaxy owners Anschutz Entertainment Group, - is here.

He's soft-spoken. Unassuming. Mexican-American. The perfect No. 2 for Jurgen Klinsmann at Bayern Munich.

From the Chivas USA press release:

“Martín Vásquez has been a member of Chivas USA since the very beginning, and I would like to thank him for his service to our club. He will be sorely missed,” said Chivas USA Head Coach Preki. “Our search for an assistant who can capably fill Martín’s shoes has begun in earnest, and we look forward to making an announcement in the coming weeks.”

“Working with Chivas USA since its first season in 2005 has been a valuable learning experience and a tremendous source of pride for me. I would like to thank Chivas USA’s players, coaching staff, and all my colleagues and friends in the organization for the chance to work with this special club during the past three years,” said Vásquez. “Although I look forward to working with Jürgen Klinsmann at an important institution such as Bayern Munich, out of respect for Bayern’s current manager Ottmar Hitzfeld, I shall refrain from making further public statements until officially assuming my new post in July.”

July? Nice vacation.

Oh, and The Washington Post's Steven Goff tells us what's going on in our own backyard. Barbados may be one of the few nations that don't have So. Cal contingents outnumbering U.S. fans.

Finally, the Pan-Pacific Championship press folks generate a generally vapid weekly report that this week included this exchange with Galaxy forward Carlos Ruiz: Q:

In Dallas you were the marquee star and the go-to person on the team, but obviously on the Galaxy there are several stars like Beckham and Landon Donovan. Does this change the way you will approach your role with LA?

A: “We know what kind of stars, what kind of players we have on our team. My job is to come here, play well and try to score goals. I’m not trying to be a star. I’m trying to be a good player on the field and a good teammate outside of the field.”

No nightclubbing then?

Chivas Chatter

Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan left the U.S. training camp in Carson to sign with EPL team Aston Villa.

Guzan and Everton's Tim Howard are likely to share U.S. goalkeeping duties for years to come.

It's been a pleasure watching Guzan mature between the posts at Home Depot Center and the move is well-deserved. Still, local soccer reporters never like to see someone like the always quotable Guzan exit the locker room. And considering the state of the Chivas USA roster - no goalkeepers listed you'll notice - new Chivas USA goalkeeping coach Leo Percovich is probably wondering about his job security.

Here's more on Percovich's appointment Tuesday from the (edited) Chivas USA press release:

A native of Montevideo, Uruguay, Percovich served as goalkeeper coach for the Colorado Rapids from 2006 to 2007. He replaces Zak Abdel, Chivas USA’s goalkeeper coach from 2006 to 2007, who has left the club to pursue other opportunities.

“Leo’s professionalism and playing experience at the highest level will serve our goalkeepers and our team well as we prepare for the 2008 campaign,” said Chivas USA Head Coach Preki. “I am confident he will capably fill the shoes of Zak Abdel, who did outstanding work for us during his time with Chivas USA.”

Percovich, 39, joins Chivas USA from the Colorado Rapids, where starting in August 2006 he worked with 2006 Panasonic Goalkeeper of the Year finalist Joe Cannon, and later with Bouna Coundoul, who enjoyed a breakout 2007 season and was named to the Senegalese National Team’s roster for the current 2008 African Nations Cup. Percovich has also apprenticed under goalkeeper coaches throughout Europe and Latin America, including stints with club sides Real Madrid, Valencia, Stuttgart, Cruziero and Pachuca, as well as the national teams of Brazil, France, and Uruguay. Following the 2006 season, Percovich was also named assistant coach to Rapids head coach Fernando Clavijo.

As a player, Percovich made six appearances with the Uruguayan National Team during a professional goalkeeping career that included time with South American powerhouses Nacional de Montevideo (1987-1993), Atlético Mineiro (1994), Guaraní FC (1995), and Fluminense FC (1995-1999) and Alianza de Lima (2000), as well as Spanish side Racing de Ferrol (2001). While with Nacional, Percovich won the Uruguayan First Division twice, as a starter in 1991 and 1992, as well as the prestigious Copa Libertadores in 1989.

In other Chivas USA news, the team will participate in a preaseason tournament in Texas in early March, playing D.C. United, the Houston Dynamo and Toronto FC. Details here.

And three Chivas USA players have signed new contracts, according to the team:

Chivas USA players Jorge Flores, Bobby Burling, and Anthony Hamilton recently signed developmental contracts in anticipation of the 2008 season. Flores, a forward, won the first Sueño MLS competition which was held last spring, and made his first team debut for Chivas USA on Sept. 9 against the New York Red Bulls. Forward Anthony Hamilton made two regular season appearances last year before coming on a substitute in Chivas USA’s 0-0 tie against the Kansas City Wizards during the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs. Meanwhile, Burling, a defender, showed tremendous potential while playing for the Chivas USA Reserve team in 2007.

The Ramon Nunez experiment has apparently ended though and he's returned to his native Honduras.

Galaxy Gossip

Over at the Galaxy, David Beckham opened his third academy in Brazil this week and is anxiously awaiting word on whether he'll be named to the England squad Thursday in hopes of winning his 100th cap.

The Galaxy have belatedly got around to officially announcing their two-game tour of Asia and extended the deadline until Sunday for their open tryouts.

Incidentally, recently reacquired striker Carlos Ruiz won't be joining the Guatemalan national team for their Feb. 6 game at the Coliseum against Argentina the Galaxy announced Wednesday:

Recently acquired LA Galaxy forward Carlos Ruiz will remain in Los Angeles to prepare for the club’s preseason training and to continue to rehabilitate his right knee which underwent successful arthroscopic surgery in November to clean up his lateral meniscus. Therefore Ruiz, who was acquired by the Galaxy on January 15, was not part of Guatemalan National Team head coach Hernán Darío Gómez’s 35-man roster which reported for training camp on Monday in Guatemala.

“Carlos is coming off a period of inactivity that included arthroscopic knee surgery. To jump right back into international competition would be irresponsible and counter-productive,” said Galaxy President and General Manager Alexi Lalas. “We want Carlos to progress through a proper preseason so that he is ready for the start of the MLS season and World Cup qualifying with Guatemala later in the year.”

Ruiz initially began to feel discomfort in his right knee in September while with his former team, FC Dallas, following a U.S. Open Cup Semifinal win in Seattle. An MRI after that game revealed loose fragments in his knee, but no extensive damage. The 28-year old missed one game as a result of the injury but did not miss any more time for the rest of the regular season and postseason as a result of it.

“We had a chance to examine Carlos on Friday and upon our examination, we did not feel that his knee has progressed to the stage of being ready for the rigors of international competition quite yet,” said Galaxy club doctor Dr. Bert Mandelbaum. “We now have a plan of systematic progression in place for Carlos and with this we expect him to be ready for the upcoming season.”

Didn't take long for the Galaxy to start accumulating injuries, did it?

Nats News

U.S. Soccer has unveiled its new men's national team jersey.

Initial reviews are, to put it kindly, mixed.

Finally, tickets go on sale at noon today for the Olympic qualifying games in March:

The eight-team event, which includes national teams at the Under-23 age level, will be played as eight doubleheaders from March 11-23, 2008, and will send two finalists to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Group A, which includes the United States, Honduras, Cuba and Panama, will play at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. on March 11, 13 and 15. Group B features Canada, Guatemala, Haiti and Mexico facing off on March 12, 14 and 16 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. LP Field in Nashville will host the semifinals on Thursday, March 20, and the championship match and third-place game on Sunday, March 23. Tickets priced from $18 to $65 for each of the eight doubleheaders in the tournament go on sale beginning Wednesday (January 30) at 12 p.m. local time in each venue through ussoccer.com, by phone at 813-287-8844 (Tampa), 213-480-3232 (Los Angeles) or 615-255-9600 (Nashville) and at local Ticketmaster ticket centers in the venue cities.

Preps Press

Is here from the Daily Breeze and here and here from the Daily News.

The Long Beach Press-Telegram checks in with prep coverage here.

Sueño MLS 2008

Should American soccer fans rejoice that last year's winner of Spanish-language reality television show Sueño MLS, Anaheim's Jorge Flores, latched on with Chivas USA or worry that the domestic scouting system can't unearth players like that (especially Latinos) in more conventional ways?

In any event the show returns at noon today on Univision for a second season.

More details in this (edited) press release:

Sueño MLS, the nationally-televised search for America’s best undiscovered young soccer player, attracted in its inaugural year of 2007 an overwhelming 2,000 hopefuls from across the U.S. and several foreign countries to Chivas USA’s open tryout. After six weeks of intense competition, forward Jorge Flores, a 17-year old high-school senior from Anaheim, CA, was crowned the winner. Flores not only earned a spot on Chivas USA’s roster, but he was later called up to the United States Under-20 National Team.

Today, the dream continues for thousands of aspiring players around the nation as Major League Soccer unveils plans for Sueño MLS 2008. The program returns to Los Angeles as Chivas USA searches for the next Jorge Flores. Simultaneously, Sueño MLS will also take place in Dallas, providing an opportunity for another set of aspiring young soccer players to showcase their talent in an effort to earn their way onto the FC Dallas roster.

Celtic or Aston Villa for Guzan?

Chivas USA and U.S. international goalkeeper Brad Guzan has reportedly been offered a contract with Scottish powerhouse Glasgow Celtic by Manager Gordan Strachan and is mulling the offer, although there is at least one report claiming Guzan is headed to England's Aston Villa. Keep in mind though, the source is the breathless News of the World, among the worst examples of the English gutter press.

For what it's worth, here's what the newspaper reported:

The Celtic gaffer will miss out on American goalie Brad Guzan after Aston Villa's last-ditch £2million swoop.

(Snip)

Yank Guzan's apparent snub comes as a huge blow though. Celtic had identified him as a successor to Artur Boruc.

Last week we revealed the USA international was jetting in to join up with the Hoops at their Lennoxtown base.

The 23-year-old, voted the best goalie in the MLS last season, took just one session to convince Strachan and his coaching staff he was the real deal and well worth the £1.5m the MLS wanted.

At his weekly press conference, Strachan confirmed chief executive Peter Lawwell had offered Guzan a contract and the player was heading home "to think about things".

But it's understood he headed instead for hush-hush talks with Villa representatives, and is on the verge of signing a pre-contract.

Galaxy Head (Far) East

Details are emerging about the Galaxy's preseason trip to Korea and China. More here.

Argentina-Guatemala at Coliseum Feb. 6

Tickets start at $25 to see what is apparently Argentina's Under-23 or Olympic team play the senior Guatemala team at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at the LA Memorial Coliseum.

Among the over-age players Argentina is bringing are Liverpool's Javier Mascherano and former Barcelona midfielder Juan Román Riquelme. Barcelona's Lionel Messi is recovering from injury, in case you were wondering.

Full squad is here.

Supplemental Draft

Even the name sets the pulse racing doesn't it?

The Galaxy's moves today from the team's (edited) press release:

The LA Galaxy made four selections in this afternoon’s 2008 MLS Supplemental Draft, selecting a pair of defenders, as well as a goalkeeper and a midfielder in the four round draft. These four selections, as well as the six players drafted by the Galaxy in last week’s MLS SuperDraft are scheduled to arrive at The Home Depot Center early next month when the club begins preseason training for the 2008 campaign

In the first round of the Supplemental Draft, the Galaxy selected defender Michael Gavin from Portland with the fourth overall pick. A four-year starter for the Pilots, Gavin appeared in 76 games during his four years in Portland, tallying four goals with two of them being game winners while helping his team reach the NCAA Tournament twice.

The Galaxy used their second round pick (16th overall) to select 2007 Big West Goalkeeper of the Year, Charles Alamo, from University of California–Riverside. A four-year starter for the Highlanders, Alamo had six shutouts as a senior and finished his college career with more than 300 saves.

One round later, the Galaxy took UCLA defender Greg Folk with the 32nd overall selection. An honorable mention All-Pac-10 defender as a senior in 2007, the former captain of the U.S. Under-18 National Team started 64 of his 72 career games with the Bruins, including the 2006 College Cup Final.

With their final pick of the Supplemental Draft, the Galaxy selected midfielder Daniel De Geer from the University of San Francisco. De Geer scored a career-high two goals as a senior and played 44 career games for USF where he was a teammate of Brandon McDonald, who LA drafted in the fourth round of the MLS SuperDraft.

Chivas USA picked: San Diego State University forward Kraig Chiles, UC-Berkeley midfielder Javier Ayala-Hill, North Carolina State midfielder El Hadj-Cisse and UNC defender Andre Sherard .

UCLA defender Brandon Owens was selected by D.C. United. The (edited) UCLA press release:

Owens, who was chosen as the 10th pick in the first round, was a starter on three Pac-10 Championship squads. Owens was team captain for the U.S. Under-17 National Team at the 2003 World Youth Championships and has 36 career caps with the U-17s and U-20s.

Bob's (and Pete's) Boys

U.S. Coach Bob Bradley Thursday named a 21-player roster that will train in Carson ahead of the Feb. 6 game against Mexico that's essentially the same as the camp for the Sweden game minus New York's Jozy Altidore, Fontana's Maurice Edu, Chivas USA's Sacha Kljestan and UCLA's Marvell Wynne who will participate in the Under-23 camp being held through Feb.3 in Bradenton, Fla. European players will be named later for the Mexico game.

Local participants in camp include Galaxy goalkeeper Steve Cronin (0 caps/0 goals), Landon Donovan (97/35) and soon-to-be-ex-Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan (5/0).

Coach Peter Nowak's picks included UCLA products Kamani Hill (Vfl Wolfsburg), Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Chance Myers (Kansas City Wizards) and Chad Barrett (Chicago Fire).
Also in camp: Mike Randolph (Galaxy) and Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew).

Chivas USA-Columbus Crew in Santa Clarita

The game is Feb. 23.

London-Bound

A Pasadena kid gets a chance in England.

Best Vets

Finally, the National Soccer Hall of Fame released its list of eligible vets today.

It's disgraceful that former LA Aztec (and Hermosa Beach bar owner) George Best is still not a member.

Your vote doesn't count, but presumbably you can send a message here.

Goes the old British soccer saying. And in blogging.

Here's a quick recap of the last week while 100 Percent Soccer was 100 Percent Frozen in the white wilds of Canada.

With the Galaxy set to reintroduce Carlos Ruiz to the local media today, reports out of Newcastle, England suggest the Magpies' former Nigerian left back Celestene Babayaro is apparently heading to the Galaxy to link up with his former Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit, according to reports out of Newcastle and confirmed by Galaxy beat reporter Billy Witz.

Chris Albright sounded none too pleased with the Galaxy's devious move that ended with him heading to New England on draft day telling goal.com:

They could have dealt my rights [before they re-signed me]. They negotiated an offer with me to help them on their cap. It’s a bit of a slap in the face. I felt that I’d done enough to deserve that consideration.”

Read the entire interview here.

So with left back Ante Jazic out injured (again) and right back Albright traded it looks like two new outside defenders for the Galaxy next season then?

A recap of the UCLA contribution to the MLS draft is here.

Meanwhile, Chivas USA continued its policy of picking up journeymen MLS pros by picking up Chicago's Jim Curtin.

Kudos to Torrance's Shannon Boxx for her role in leading the U.S. to a win in the Four Nations Tournament.

Dumb ass quote of the (last) week goes to Carson Mayor Jim Dear who told the LA Weekly as he talked about the 2003 Women's World Cup held in part at Home Depot Center: "You remember the woman who took her blouse off (during the games)? She did that in Carson."

Um, that would be Brandi Chastain. In 1999. In Pasadena.

Doh!

Hawthorne-based AYSO has folowed the Galaxy's lead and signed a sponsorship deal with Herbalife, which has a significant presence in the South Bay. The clue as to why the deal was done is at the bottom of the (edited) press release:

The American Youth Soccer Organization and Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE:HLF), a global nutrition and direct selling company, announced a first-ever four-year agreement that makes Herbalife the Official Nutrition Advisor and Official Health and Wellness Provider of the country’s leading youth soccer organization.

Similar to Herbalife’s agreement with the Los Angeles Galaxy Major League Soccer club, the AYSO sponsorship gives Herbalife the rights to display its name and logo on the front of AYSO jerseys, a first for the non-profit national organization. The agreement also includes Herbalife’s presence on the AYSO Web site, signage at games, an on-site presence at national and sectional events, and a nutrition column in Play Soccer, AYSO’s online publication.

“With child obesity on the rise, it is imperative to educate children and their parents about proper nutrition and how to have a healthy, active lifestyle,” said Herbalife Chairman and CEO Michael O. Johnson. “Herbalife is on a mission for nutrition, while AYSO provides children, adolescents and teens an outlet to be active.”

“It’s a natural fit as our two organizations are engaged in improving the health of today’s youth,” said AYSO National President Mike Wade. The AYSO National Board of Directors unanimously approved the agreement. “We’re excited about our partnership with Herbalife and the role we’ll play together to reach out to kids and help educate them and their parents about the importance of healthy choices.”

The AYSO was started in Los Angeles in 1964 with nine teams. Today, the organization has more than 80,000 teams, in 1100 regions serving approximately one million kids located across the U.S. Its activities are based upon its five philosophies: Everyone Plays, Balanced Teams, Open Registration, Positive Coaching, and Good Sportsmanship.

According to the United States Department of Health & Human Services, “Childhood obesity has nearly tripled for adolescents in the past two decades The U.S. government agency points to lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns or a combination of the two as the leading factors in the rise of these frightening statistics.

In July 2006, Herbalife announced the launch of the Herbalife Kids™ line of nutrition products that includes shakes and multivitamins with protein, fiber, and 100 percent of key nutrients kids need daily.

Lastly, UNICEF ambassador David Beckham made a three-day trip to Sierra Leone that ended Sunday:

It's draft day and rumors swirl (scroll down), the U.S. plays Sweden in Carson Saturday, the U.S. women won today.

Scant to no blogging this weekend due to other commitments.

The new women's pro league scheduled to begin play next year today announced a straightforward name - Women's Professional Soccer, - a logo that's based on Mia Hamm's image and launched its Web site. From its (edited) press release:

WPS made its official debut today at the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) annual convention, taking place through Saturday in Baltimore, Md.

“A long and careful process led to the selection of Women’s Professional Soccer and the subsequent WPS acronym,” said Tonya Antonucci, WPS commissioner. “The league and team owners reviewed countless variations of league names and logos and conducted numerous focus groups before ultimately deciding on a brand identity that we strongly believe will resonate with fans for years to come.”

The WPS logo, developed by branding agency Adrenalin, Inc., features a deep navy, red, and gold color scheme while showcasing a familiar silhouette – FIFA World Cup champion, Olympic Gold Medal winner and Hall of Fame player Mia Hamm, renowned as a pioneer for women’s soccer.

“I am extremely honored and humbled to personify the WPS brand, knowing full well that this league will be revered by generations of soccer fans around the world,” said Hamm. “Above all else, this league represents opportunity – not just for female soccer players, but for women everywhere."

The WPS is the successor to the defunct Women's United Soccer Association.

Before anyone asks, no, I haven't heard any details about the LA entry into the league that will play at Carson's Home Depot Center including the team name, coach or GM. I have a call into owners Anschutz Entertainment Group and as soon as I hear anything I will let you know.

The Associated Press released this story today apparently written by someone who has English as a second language:

WARSAW, Poland (AP) - The United States will play Poland in an exhibition March 26 in preparation for the European Championship.
The two teams last played in March 2006, with the Americans winning 1-0 on Clint Dempsey's 48th-minute goal in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Who knew the U.S. was playing in Euro 2008? No confirmation from U.S. Soccer yet, but the opponent has been something of an open secret for some time. The story doesn't say it, but the game will be played in Europe.

Finally, mark your calendars: Fox Soccer Channel airs a doubleheader March 29 on the opening day of the MLS season at 4:30 p.m. with a rematch of the MLS Cup final between the Houston Dynamo and New England Revolution followed at 7:30 p.m. by the Galaxy at the Colorado Rapids.

Stephen Hamilton, the younger brother of late Galaxy GM Doug Hamilton, has joined Chivas USA in the newly-created position of vice president of soccer operations, the club announced today.

Hamilton, 36, "will oversee all aspects of Chivas USA’s technical staff and player development initiatives – including player identification, acquisition and development – from the club’s successful first team to its pioneering youth development teams and Chivas USA Soccer Academies," according to the club's press release.

Those responsibilities sound a lot like what most clubs would call a director of soccer.

Hamilton was plundered from the executive ranks of Anschutz Entertainment Group, the Galaxy's parent company, by Shawn Hunter, who left AEG in September to take a part-ownership in Chivas USA as its president and CEO. Hunter worked for AEG for five years as its chief marketing of officer and president of sports and worked alongside Hamilton.

From the Chivas USA press release:

“In more than a decade of service to the sport of soccer in the United States, Stephen Hamilton has established himself as one of the bright young minds in the business,” said Chivas USA President and CEO Shawn Hunter. “I am pleased to welcome Stephen to the Chivas USA family, and am confident his passion and understanding of the sport’s landscape in this country will prove an important asset to our club.”

Hamilton, 36, joins Chivas USA from AEG Sports, where since 2002 he served as the organization’s director of team services, where he helped oversee the operation of as many as six Major League Soccer properties at one time. While at AEG, Hamilton played a key role in developing relationships with renowned international clubs such as Real Madrid, Chelsea FC and Club América of Mexico and to promoting the teams’ exhibition matches in the United States. He also oversaw several non-MLS sports properties, such as the AEG-owned LA Riptide of Major League Lacrosse and the David Beckham Academy in Los Angeles.

Previously, Hamilton served as director of fan development with MLS, as national grassroots manager for soccer for adidas America and as director of business development for cc&c management group. inc., a sports management agency based in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

A native of Hazlet, N.J., Hamilton played collegiate soccer at Appalachian State University and later at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he graduated with a B.S. in Marketing.

Doug Hamilton died at age 44 in March 2006 as he flew back from a Galaxy game in Costa Rica.

USC striker Amy Rodriguez scored twice in the 4-0 U.S. win overnight in China against Canada to stake her claim for a spot replacing the pregnant Kristine Lilly on the forward line alongside Abby Wambach. The story is here.

“I coached Kristine Lilly with the Boston Breakers and I’ve seen her play many times," Coach Pia Sundhage said after her first game in charge of the team. "That is a great player, one of the best in the world, so I would love to see her on the field. But she is pregnant and I am happy that she will have a great family. That means that other players will have to step up and today we saw two goals from (Amy) Rodriguez and two goals from (Lindsay) Tarpley and that’s how it will be in the future, new players stepping up to become leaders and goal scorers.”

“(Rodriguez') speed is exceptional and the fact that she scored two good goals today is good confidence for her and for the team," Sundhage added. "There will be different players stepping up at different times and I think that can be one of our strengths. It’s not about one player, it will be about the whole team."

“The first half was a little bit quiet, there was not a lot going on," Rodriguez said. "Abby and I were trying to look for the ball and we didn’t get as much of the play as we’d like to. In the second half, things turned around. We definitely played a lot more offense and Abby and I were able to get in, I was making runs in behind and luckily the midfielder and defenders were able to play me in.”

Incidentally, the AP reporter in China was wrong that this was Rodriguez' first appearance for the U.S.; this was her sixth cap, but first start.

Galaxy beat writer Billy Witz has more on Tuesday's trade that sent striker Carlos Ruiz back to the Galaxy, observing that LA has tied up half their salary cap on just three players.

Sounds like a helluva gamble to me for a team that hasn't made the playoffs the last two years, but U.S. international Jimmy Conrad was ready with the conspiracy theory:

"The league likes to make sure the large markets have as much an advantage over everybody else as they can," Kansas City captain Jimmy Conrad said. "It's an important year - I know the final is at the Home Depot Center this year and they want to make sure they have a good team. It's interesting they all end up there - they've got three Designated Players on their team."

Lastly, the Daily News explores the dilemma for top prep soccer players who must choose between playing for their high school or elite club team here.

Relive the bad attitude. The award-winning fake falls. And hopefully the goals.

The Galaxy, without a consistent scorer since Carlos Ruiz departed, today finally announced his "replacement."

Ruiz is back.

The (edited) Galaxy press release:

The LA Galaxy today acquired forward Carlos Ruiz from FC Dallas in exchange for allocation money and a second round pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. Ruiz, who began his MLS career with the Galaxy, helped lead the club to their first-ever MLS Cup title in 2002. He is the eighth leading scorer in MLS history with 81 career goals in 140 regular season games and has scored more than 100 goals in all competitions since arriving in MLS in February 2002.

“We are very pleased to be bringing a proven goal scorer and veteran leader in Carlos Ruiz back to Los Angeles,” said LA Galaxy Director of Soccer Paul Bravo. “Carlos is an experienced forward who has averaged better than a goal every two games during his MLS career and we believe that he will be a tremendous asset to our attack.”

Ruiz, who is commonly referred to by his nickname “Pescado” or “Fish”, has played six years in MLS, scoring 81 goals in 140 games while adding an MLS record 16 postseason goals in 17 games. The 28-year old striker burst onto the American sporting scene in 2002 when he scored a league-best 24 goals in 26 games on the way to being named the Honda MLS MVP. Ruiz would go on to lead the Galaxy in scoring each of the next two seasons, scoring 15 goals, tied for the most in MLS, in 2003 and tallying 11 times in 2004.

Ruiz spent the last three seasons with FC Dallas after being traded from LA prior to the start of the 2005 campaign. He scored 31 goals in 68 games with FCD, serving as the club’s captain in 2007, while adding another five goals in six post-season matches.

“It means a lot to play for the Galaxy again because I feel like I am going back home and I am very excited about that,” Ruiz said. “I have a big responsibility now because the Galaxy’s goal is to win every game, so I want to play hard and score as many goals as possible and win the MLS Cup again.”

A native of Guatemala City, Guatemala, Ruiz is a member of the Guatemalan National Team with who he has appeared 72 times. Often serving as the captain of his national team, Ruiz has scored 35 goals for Guatemala, leaving him tied with Juan Carlos Plata for the most goals ever for the Chapins.

Predictably, reaction is mixed to say the least. (Warning strong language and opinion in link).

Does this mean the Galaxy at least gets rid of striker Carlos Pavon now?

Voters who will select this year's National Soccer Hall of Fame inductees received ballots today with the names of 35 eligible former players including Chivas USA Coach Preki among 13 new names and Joy Fawcett the most notable of 22 holdovers.

From the (edited) hall press release:

The top holdovers include U.S. National Team stalwarts Thomas Dooley (5th named on 51.8% of the ballots cast), Joy Fawcett (3rd on 67.4%), and Joe-Max Moore (6th on 48.2%). Among the newcomers are U.S. Men’s National Team stars Jeff Agoos, Preki, and Earnie Stewart. Top MLS players on the ballot include holdovers Marco Etcheverry (4th on 58.2%) of DC United, Peter Nowak (9th on 29.1%) of the Chicago Fire, and Carlos Valdarrama (7th on 46.8%) who finished his illustrious MLS career with the Colorado Rapids.

Players who receive votes on 75% of the ballots cast will be elected to the Hall of Fame. Induction 2008 is planned for the weekend of August 22 in Oneonta, N.Y.

Eligible players: Jeff Agoos, Brian Bliss, Mike Burns, Mark Chung, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Troy Dayak, Raul Diaz Arce, Thomas Dooley, John Doyle, Marco Etcheverry, Joy Fawcett, Danielle Fotopoulos, Robin Fraser, Brian Kamler, Dominic Kinnear, Frank Klopas, Manny Lagos, Roy Lassiter, Shannon MacMillan, Pato Margetic, Joe-Max Moore, Victor Nogueira, Peter Nowak, Oscar Pareja, Cindy Parlow, Preki, Mike Sorber, Earnie Stewart, Steve Trittschuh, Carlos Valderrama, Tisha Venturini-Hoch, Peter Vermes, Roy Wegerle, Evan Whitfield, Richie Williams.

Hall of Fame members should have had a lasting and influential effect on the game in the U.S. to win admission.

My nominees:
Mauricio Cienfuegos - Creative midfield architect of a formative Galaxy whose legacy may still overshadow the team today.
Marco Etcheverry - Three-time MLS Cup winner with D.C. United and MLS MVP who helped create the D.C. dynasty.
Joy Fawcett - Whose unjust omission when Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy were inducted prompted a rule change in the induction procedures, if I recall correctly.
Shannon MacMillan - World Cup, Olympic winner over 176 internationals.
Peter Nowak - Without whose tenacity and intelligence marshaling the midfield the Chicago Fire would not have won an MLS title.
Preki - MVP in MLS, MISL and CISL, who possessed an opponent-freezing cut-back and venomous shot and was instrumental in the Wizards 2000 MLS Cup-winning season.
Carlos Valderrama - The most amazing passer of the ball MLS has ever seen.

Disagree? Read biographies and cast a ballot in the (unofficial popular) vote here.

Christie Rampone was named to succeed the pregnant Kristine Lilly as captain of the U.S. Women's National Team today.

Meanwhile, the Under-23 women's team has opened its camp at Home Depot Center. UCLA and USC both have players on the roster.

Didn't know there was a women's U-23 team? U.S. Soccer has realigned its youth teams. More details here in this (edited) U.S. Soccer press release:

The U-21 WNT has been changed to a U-23 age group as a result of the Nordic Cup becoming a U-23 competition. As a result, the U.S. U-21s, who dominated the Nordic Cup for the past decade, will become a U-23 squad with no overage players for the summer tournament that brings the USA together with Europe’s top youth teams.

The U-23s serve a valuable purpose giving players on the fringe of the full WNT player pool, some of whom have finished their college soccer, a chance to keep training at a high level in National Team camps and international matches. This year the U.S. U-23s, led by head coach Bill Irwin, will compete in the Nordic Cup in Sweden against Europe’s top U-23 teams.

The U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team, under head coach Dean Duerst, who coached the U.S. U-17s last year, is being reinstituted (after having existed from 1998-2001). The purpose is to give international competition to players who have just finished a cycle with the U.S. U-17s, but are a year away from the next U-20 cycle. The U-18 WNT provides a transition for a number of those players that could possibly make up the core of the team that would attempt to qualify for the following U-20 Women’s World Cup. FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cups are held every two years.

In addition, the U.S. Under-16 Girl’s National Team will be absorbed by the U.S. U-17s, much in the same way the Men’s U-17 Residency Program features two age groups of players every year.

Club America won InterLiga Saturday night in Carson before a capacity crowd on penalty kicks and fellow local blogger Luis Bueno was still excited about what he had witnessed at 1 a.m.

Playing a little weekend catch-up, Chivas USA has signed Coach Preki to a new contract, while Maykel Galindo and Jonathan Bornstein habe both undergone successful surgeries.

The Galaxy have released details of the open tryouts scheduled for next month. If you've got talent and $150 click here for details.

Prep action from the Daily News is here and from the Long Beach Press-Telegram here.

MLS hopefuls have begun gathering in Florida for the MLS Combine, which features more than 60 players, including a trio from South America. The combine, which runs through Tuesday, precedes the Superdraft scheduled for a week from today.

Nine of the most promising attendees have already signed MLS contracts as part of the Generation adidas program, which usually identifies the top draft prospects.

They include Bruins defender Chance Meyers of Thousand Oaks and UCLA midfielder Tony Beltran of Claremont.

More details from the (edited) MLS press release:

Highlighting this year’s class are seven players that have experience with the U.S. Youth National Teams and a finalist for this year’s MAC Hermann Trophy, college soccer’s version of the Heisman Trophy. Six of the nine players are leaving college early to enter the MLS SuperDraft - Eric Avila (UC Santa Barbara), Tony Beltran (UCLA), Chance Myers (UCLA), Patrick Nyarko (Virginia Tech), Ciaran O’Brien (UC Santa Barbara) and Rob Valentino (Univ. of South Florida). Three players – Josh Lambo (Chicago Magic FC), Alex Nimo (FC Portland) and Brek Shea (Texans FC) – are high school students who are foregoing their college eligibility to sign professional contracts.

Avila and Myers are currently training with the U.S. Men’s U-23 National Team while they prepare for Olympic Qualifying to begin in March. Beltran was a member of the U-20 Men’s National Team that advanced to the quarterfinals of last year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada.

Lambo, Nimo and Shea were members of the U-17 World Cup Team that competed in last year’s Youth World Championship in Korea.

Nyarko, a forward from Virginia Tech, led the Hokies to their first ever NCAA Final Four appearance in 2007 where they fell to eventual NCAA Champion Wake Forest. He recorded seven goals and 10 assists during the season, was named to the 2007 NSCAA/adidas NCAA Men’s Division I All-America Team and is a finalist for the Mac Hermann Trophy, honoring the country’s top Division I collegiate soccer player. The award will be announced today.

OC resident Jurgen Klinsmann has taken the coaching job with German powerhouse
Bayern Munich.

A capacity crowd is expected in Carson Saturday for the InterLiga finals:

The first match begins at 6:00 p.m. and features InterLiga newcomer San Luis versus Guadalajara-based club Atlas, followed by the match-up between Mexico City rivals América and Cruz Azul beginning at 8:30 p.m.

Call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 for tickets.

The Galaxy have announced they will hold open tryouts Feb. 9-12 at Home Depot Center. Registration forms will soon be available at lagalaxy.com.

Kids should stick with a Galaxy-sponsored indoor tournament set for Feb. 16-17 at the Home Depot Center velodrome. There are six age groups for boys ranging from Under-8 to Under-13 (girls can play on the teams, too). Register here.

This Is Greek To Me

Just when you thought things couldn't get any weirder, The Washington Post's Steven Goff, (the best soccer reporter in - ahem - LA) observed that the mercurial Clint Mathis has apparently signed with a team in Crete. Really.

Here's a translation of the Web site Goff refers to courtesy of Babel Fish:

The PAE International Union Ergote'lis announces the acquisition of American INTERNATIONAL footballer CLINT MATHIS for one year. The Clint Mathis was given birth on 25 November 1976 in the city of Tzw'rtzja. It has height 1.77 and fights as mesoepjcetjko's. It has in the asset 46 attendances with the national team of United States and has fought in teams as: Los Angelas Gka'laxj, Me'trostars, Hanover, Rea'l Solt Le'jk, Colorado Ra'pjnts and New York.

Got that?

The Greek team is apparently a horrible one, by the way. There's a lively discussion here.

So what was with that "Mathis is happy to return to LA 'cos his in-laws live in the OC thing anyway?"

For what it's worth, I just called Galaxy spokesman Patrick Donnelly and he had no idea what's going on.

Well, alrighty then, there goes my planned Mathis column, I guess.

Esky Speaks

Sticking with Goff's site, he caught up with soon-to-be Chivas USA striker Alecko Eskandarian here. And yes, I deliberately stole Goff's blog post headline.

Cobi Honored

A couple of hours before retired Galaxy great Cobi Jones was honored in Marina del Rey, the Galaxy released this (edited) press release:

LA Galaxy assistant coach Cobi Jones will be honored with a Commitment to Excellence Award at the 8th Annual L.A. Sports Fans Choice Awards on Thursday evening at the Marina Del Ray Marriott. Jones, who played his 12th and final season with the Galaxy in 2007, is scheduled to be presented his award by Los Angeles Clippers guard Sam Cassell and Los Angeles Lakers forward Ronny Turiaf.

“It’s an honor to be chosen to receive this award by the sports fans of Los Angeles,” Jones said. “I was raised in this city and I have always tried to represent it to the best of my abilities so it is truly special to be selected for this award by the people who I share this community with.”

A true Galaxy legend, Jones is the only player in MLS history to have played with the same club for each of the first 12 seasons of the league’s existence. A Southern California native, Jones officially joined the Galaxy on March 1996 and went on to win two MLS Cup championships, two U.S. Open Cup championships and the 2000 CONCACAF Champions Cup with the club. Jones, who was named an assistant coach for the club shortly after the conclusion of the 2007 campaign, is the Galaxy’s all-time leader in nearly every offensive statistic, including goals, assists, games played, games started and many more. For his career, Jones finished with 70 goals and 91 assists, making him one of just two players in league history with 70 goals and 90 assists, in 306 career games.

In addition to Jones, three Galaxy players have been nominated for various awards which will be awarded at Thursday’s ceremony. Defender Ty Harden and midfielder Kevin Harmse have been nominated for the Rising Star award while Landon Donovan is up for the MVP award. Both awards encompass all professional sports in the Southland, including nominees from the Angels, Dodgers, Clippers, Lakers, Ducks, Kings, Sparks and Chivas USA.

Of course, Cobi actually grew up in Westlake Village on the border of LA and Ventura counties, but let's not quibble. And he's probably on stage as I write this.

Becks Vitriol

Meanwhile, a particularly vitriolic anti-David Beckham column from his native England is here. Ouch.

And right after Becks met the British Prime Minister, too.

In a move several observers could see coming, the Galaxy today announced they have traded goalkeeper Joe Cannon to the San Jose Earthquakes, reuniting him with previous Galaxy coach Frank Yallop, with whom he won an MLS Cup in 2001.

Capable of some incredible saves, Cannon was also known for some horrible errors and was somewhat eccentric to say the least. A couple of reporters were surprised to see Cannon apparently sobbing in the locker room after one Galaxy loss last season.

New Coach Ruud Gullit didn't become an instant fan; he pulled Cannon at half time in his first game in charge during the post-season tour of Australia and replaced him with backup Steve Cronin, whose new multiyear contract was made public Wednesday.

With Cannon earning almost $200,000 a year, the move is likely to free up some much-needed salary cap room for the Galaxy.

From the (edited) Galaxy press release:

The LA Galaxy announced today that they have traded goalkeeper Joe Cannon to the San Jose Earthquakes in exchange for allocation money.

Cannon was acquired by the Galaxy from Colorado prior to the start of the 2007 season and played one season with the club. He started 29 of the Galaxy’s 30 regular season games, as well as all five matches in the club’s run to the SuperLiga Final. Cannon had a record of 9-13-7 this past season, tallying five clean sheets and posting a 1.59 goals-against-average.

Meanwhile, having just bid good riddance to an injury-riddled 2007, it appears the Galaxy are starting the New Year much the same way they ended the old one.

Dependable Canadian right back Ante Jazic will miss the start of the new season after undergoing ankle surgery. An ankle injury limited his appearances last season, too.

From the (edited) Galaxy press release:

LA Galaxy defender Ante Jazic is expected to miss anywhere from 4-6 months after undergoing surgery on his right ankle. Jazic, 31, underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right ankle late last month that revealed the extent of his injuries, leading to a more extensive cartilage debridement, which is a removal and smoothing of the cartilage. The surgery was performed by Dr. Kenneth Jung at the Kerlan-Jobe Surgery Center in Los Angeles. Under the current timeline, Jazic is scheduled to be able to return to action early in the 2008 MLS season.

A Canadian international with 15 career caps, Jazic has appeared in 29 regular season games for the Galaxy since being signed by the club in August 2006. A veteran of Austrian, Croatian and Russian soccer, Jazic appeared in 18 games for the Galaxy in 2007, starting 16 of the club’s 30 matches. He missed more than a month after suffering an ankle injury on August 18 against New York at Giants Stadium and also missed time while with the Canadian National Team at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

In addition to Jazic, two other Galaxy players also underwent surgery over the recent holiday period, with goalkeeper Joe Cannon and defender Troy Roberts each undergoing hernia operations here in Los Angeles. Both players are scheduled to be ready to practice with the club when preseason training begins next month.

That press release was issued a couple of hours before the Cannon trade was announced, in case you're wondering.

The beneficiary is likely to be versatile Galaxy defender Mike Randolph, who admirably stepped into the breach last season and earned himself a callup to the U.S. Under-23 team.

The Galaxy announced today they have resigned right back Chris Albright, backup goalkeeper Steve Cronin and oft-injured striker Alan Gordon.

Albright, restricted by injury last season, is the big prize here. He's still arguably the best right back in the nation, although Cronin played a U.S. Open Cup blinder last year against New York and Gordon has the potential to get on the end of David Beckham's crosses.

Here's excerpts from the Galaxy press release on each player:

Albright, 28, will be entering his 10th season in MLS in 2008 and his seventh with the Galaxy. He appeared in just five regular season games in 2007 before suffering a torn right hamstring on May 20, ruling him out for the remainder of the season. The Galaxy right back had recovered enough from his injury in order to participate in all five of the club’s postseason friendlies last year. A member of the U.S. National Team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Albright has made 172 career appearances in MLS and has earned 22 caps with the National Team.

Cronin, 24, was originally drafted by San Jose in the first round of the 2004 MLS draft and has been with the Galaxy since the start of the 2005 campaign. One of the best young goalkeepers in MLS, Cronin, who is currently training with the U.S. National Team ahead of their friendly against Sweden, appeared in one league game and three Open Cup matches for LA in 2007, producing one of the performances of the year with his 13 save performance in the extra time win over New York in an Open Cup Play-In Game. A former member of the U.S. Under-20 National Team, Cronin has appeared in six games for the Galaxy over the past three seasons, recording a 1.50 goals against average.

Gordon, 26, will be entering his fifth season in MLS and with the Galaxy. After playing in just eight games over his first two seasons, Gordon scored seven goals in 31 regular season games in 2006 and 2007. The former Oregon State star tallied six goals in 18 games in all competitions last season, despite missing the first half of the year with a foot injury that hindered him throughout the campaign.

An estimated 30,000 fans are expected to shrug off the predicted rain and attend Cal South's Soccer Nation Expo Saturday and Sunday at the LA Convention Center.

More than 125 exhibitors, appearances by the likes of retired U.S. star Mia Hamm and coaching demonstrations by Chivas USA Coach Preki, members of the coaching staff of Club America and others are among the highlights.

Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free; parking is $12.

For more details, visit the Soccer Nation Expo Web site.

The Galaxy's David Beckham, meanwhile, has begun training in England with Arsenal.

Two games, one goal, just 9,354 fans and a chilly temperature of around 40 degrees summed up the second night of InterLiga in Houston. The tournament heads to Home Depot Center next week.

Lastly, prep coverage from the Daily Breeze is here and from the Daily News here.

Today's terse announcement by the New York Red Bulls that they had waived the undeniably talented, but perennially underachieving former Galaxy midfielder Santino Quaranta, comes as no surprise to anyone who follows MLS:

Quaranta was acquired June 29, 2007, from the Los Angeles Galaxy in exchange for a conditional fourth round pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. Quaranta appeared in three games for the Red Bulls in 2007 logging 47 minutes of action. The Baltimore, MD, native has appeared in 83 matches over the course of his MLS career and scored 17 goals.

At age 23, Quaranta may have squandered his final chance in MLS.

Quaranta turned pro at age 16 and was the youngest player in MLS history. He had a tough upbringing, had the tattoos to prove it and saw soccer as his chance to escape the streets.

But injuries, inconsistency, attitude and a lack of a work ethic has likely ended his career. It seemed he was always seeking a new beginning that never came.

"It came to the point where he needed a fresh start," then-United Coach Peter Nowak told the Washington Post when Quaranta was traded to the Galaxy. "That's what he requested and that's what we tried to accommodate. He just needs another environment."

He played in 18 games over two years with the Galaxy, scoring just three goals.

At his best, Quaranta combined speed, instinct and a lovely touch that made the likes of former U.S. Coach Bruce Arena take notice. But those came only in flashes and Quaranta it seems will likely remain an enigma, even to himself.

Still, Galaxy fans won't soon forget the thumping goal that came on his Galaxy debut in 2006 and gave LA a 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo. It's the first clip in this montage:

MLS has always had its fair share of projects ( Denilson), but whether a career ends through injuries ( John O'Brien) or is threatened by a lack of mental discipline ( Clint Mathis), it's always a loss for soccer when a talented player's career trajectory doesn't live up to potential.

InterLiga began Wednesday night at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco and only 8,504 fans took in the first doubleheader played in freezing temperatures.

Not surprisingly there are increasing calls to revamp or eliminate the tournament largely seen as an irrelevant cash cow for the organizers. I could have told them that five years ago.

Over in Blighty the David Beckham for England debate continues to rage.

You can almost hear Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas saying "just give Becks his 100th cap and then let him play out his career with the Galaxy."

A lack of passion and noise from the Galaxy's ever-larger corporate crowd has been increasingly evident at Home Depot Center. We're not alone in dealing with that affliction it seems.

Finally, if you drive by the HDC and wonder what all the activity is, U.S. Soccer has provided the answer in this (edited) press release:

As 2008 begins, U.S. Soccer will kick off the new year in full swing with a total of 11 Men’s, Women’s and Youth National Teams holding training camps during the month of January. The majority of the camps will take place in two locations: U.S. Soccer’s National Training Center at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., and IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla. The HDC will be the most active location as a total of six different national teams will hold camps during the month, beginning on Thursday when the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams return to action.

Also training in Carson are the U-20 Women's National Team and U-23 Women's National Team from Jan. 12-20, the U-15 Girl's National Team from Jan. 20-25 and the U-23 (Olympic) Men's National Team from Jan. 26-Feb. 3.

They throw you out of journalism clubs if you don't write at least one list story per year.

Here's mine.

Happy New Year!