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I'm under a directive to burn some vacation hours so will take an extended break through next Tuesday.

That means no column next week, but one of this country's best soccer writers has stepped in with an apt Galaxy-centric column that breaks down the past and, hopefully, future sucess of the club.

In other local soccer news:

*No fewer than seven - yup, seven - MLS teams including the Portland Timbers, Houston Dynamo, Montreal Impact, Colorado Rapids and Chicago Fire (I'll let you guess the other two) are training at Home Depot Center this week.

Want to see some upcoming scrimmages?

Here's a (partial) schedule:

*10:30 a.m. Friday HDC Portland-Montreal
*Noon Saturday Oxnard College Chivas USA-Chicago Fire.
*10:30 a.m. Sunday HDC Portland-Houston
*11 a.m. Wednesday HDC Portland-Chicago.

Games involving the Galaxy are open to the media, but remain closed to the general public, BTW (the Galaxy and Dynamo meet at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the HDC).

*Rolling Hills Etates' Robbie Rogers reflects on signing for Leeds - and then seeing the coach that signed him promptly getting fired.

*No, Aston Villa you don't get to keep the Galaxy's Robbie Keane until a couple of days before the March 7 CONCACAF CL quarterfinal season opener (which isn't mentioned in this story). Villains, indeed.

*Guess which Galaxy player just got picked for their national team?

*If you only watch one game this weekend...make it Manchester United-Liverpool (4:30 a.m. Saturday ESPN2).

Also of note:

Landon Donovan and Everton against Chelsea (6:30 a.m. Saturday Fox Soccer)
Robbie Keane and Aston Villa against Manchester City ( 8 a.m. Sunday Fox Soccer)

*Finally, The U.S. exhibition game against Brazil will be played May 30 at Landover, Md., U.S. Soccer announced today.

The free event runs from noon to 4 p.m. at Home Depot Center.

Current season ticket and mini plan holders will have a rare first-come first-served opportunity to get on to the field at the stadium where the club won MLS Cup last year, participate in drills with players Todd Dunivant, Josh Saunders and Bryan Jordan and play a scrimmage.

All attendees will receive a behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium, a 25 percent discount on all Galaxy gear at the TEAM LA Store and watch the Galaxy Academy U-18 and U-16 teams take on their Vancouver Whitecaps counterparts at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. respectively.

Gourmet food trucks Kogí, The Grilled Cheese Truck and Coolhaus will serve up food.

And yeah, the club will be more than happy to sell you season tickets.

Full details are here.

In a follow-up to Sunday's story about the unheralded closure of the David Beckam Academy in Carson comes word the shuttering was so quiet they weren't even telling those who had registered for camp that it had closed.

Turns out they didn't tell local hotels either: I received an e-mail from Natasha Hamilton, wife of the Lloyd Hamilton in the story Wednesday night, observing the Doubletree Hotel in Carson where they had booked rooms, was similarly unaware of the closure.

Yet, PR debacle aside, the termination of the David Beckham Academy is a loss to the South Bay (and wider) community as the following e-mail I received vividly illustrates:

To Nick:

Thank you for finally mentioning that the DBA had officially closed. I knew about this closure back in November. When I heard this news I was very devastated. One of the reasons is that the DBA had a School Outreach Program that provided, free of charge, soccer skills to public schools.

My school, Panorama City Elementary in Panorama City, was fortunate enough to be able to participate in it last year. We started to do it again this year. One group was able to experience it. But, the 2nd group wasn't able to because the DBA closed a week prior to them coming out to our school again. The students at my school were extremely saddened by this news. They were looking forward in experiencing soccer with the DBA Coaches. The DBA coaches were excellent!

Last year, I even made a presentation board so that people in our district would see the great things that our students were doing in relation to sports. A lot of those people were very impressed. Our students learned a lot from the DBA coached about soccer and fitness/health in general. Too bad they won't get to experience that again.

Well, at least some of our students had the chance last year, and this year. But, they will surely be missed. I hope that AEG has plans to still use the field as some type of academy. Perhaps they might be able to continue the School Outreach Program that was in place at the DBA.

Always in soccer,

Carlisa Perdomo

It's been a busy couple of days for soccer news and there's no let-up in sight.

Let's catch up a bit:

*Galaxy playmaker Landon Donovan told AP that Everton fans chanted "U-S-A, U-S-A" every time he took a corner kick in his debut at Arsenal last weekend.

"It was awesome," he said. "From Day 1 everyone has been very welcoming."

Donovan could make his home debut at Goodison Park against Manchester City on the weekend. The game airs live on Fox Soccer Channel at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

*The third 3rd Annual Mia Hamm & Nomar Garciaparra Celebrity Soccer Challenge benefiting Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and The Mia Hamm Foundation kicks off at 3 p.m. Saturday at Home Depot Center. Tickets are $20. Celebrities scheduled to play include Galaxy striker Edson Buddle, James Kyson Lee and Jimmy Jean Louis of "Heroes," Lakers guard Jordan Farmar as well as USWNT greats Brandi Chastain, Kristine Lilly and Joy Fawcett.

*Former Chivas USA Coach Preki and former U.S. international Thomas Dooley were
elected Thursday to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Dooley was selected on 83 of the 117 ballots cast in his final year of eligibility. Preki was
on 80 ballots (68.4 percent), just over the 66.7 percent required for election. Earnie Stewart (58.1), Shannon MacMillan (54.7) and Joe-Max Moore (52.1) were next on the list.

*Cal South has announced the sixth Soccer Nation Expo, touted as the largest free family soccer exposition in the nation, will return to the L.A. Convention Center Feb. 13-14. For full details, click here.

*The Women's Professional Soccer draft is under way today. The expansion Atlanta Beat took midfielder Tobin Heath (North Carolina) with the first pick.

The Sol's picks were:

*No. 5 overall midfielder Nikki Washington of North Carolina. Tweeted Sol GM Charlie Naimo: "The best outside MF in the US to whip crosses into Marta."

*Forward Casey Nogueira (North Carolina) was taken with the 8th overall pick.

*Forward Kiersten Dallstream (Washington State) was picked ninth overall.

*Forward Michelle Enyeart (Portland) was taken with the 14th overall pick (3rd pick of the 2nd round).

*Forward Kiki Bosio (Santa Clara) went 22nd overall (2nd pick of the 3rd round).

*The 25th pick overall was used on Kansas defender Estelle Johnson.

*Goalkeeper Mary Casey (Maryland) went 38th overall.

*Clemson's Lindsay Browne (midfielder-forward) was taken with the 47th overall pick in the fifth round.

Also:

*Ten of the 11 WPS First Round Draft picks played in the W-League, the first five all from Pali Blues.

*UCLA Olympian Lauren Cheney was the second overall pick by the Boston Breakers.

*North Carolina defender Whitney Engen of Rolling Hills Estates was taken fourth overall by the Chicago Red Stars.

*Kristina Larsen of UCLA went to St. Louis Athletica with the 17th pick.

U.S. soccer icon Mia Hamm and her husband, former Red Sox and Dodger great Nomar Garciaparra, host a charity soccer game Jan. 16 at Carson's Home Depot Center.

The ticket giveaway is from 1-2 p.m. at Sport Chalet, 21305 Hawthorne Blvd., at Del Amo Village (that's at the intersection of Torrance & Hawthorne boulevards).

The free tickets are for the third Annual Mia Hamm & Nomar Garciaparra Celebrity Soccer Challenge set for 3 p.m. Jan. 16 at Home Depot Center on the campus of Cal State Dominguez Hills. One ticket will be given to each of the first 100 people in line. The store will sell tickets to the event priced at $20 all weekend between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are also available via TicketMaster.

The charity soccer match benefits Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and the Mia Hamm Foundation. The nonprofit foundation raises funds and awareness for bone marrow transplant patients and their families. Mia's late brother, Garrett, died in 1997 from a bone marrow disease. More than $250,000 has been raised since the event began.

Confirmed challenge participants include U.S. Women's National Team greats Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy and Kristine Lilly, Galaxy icon Cobi Jones, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo, Lakers point guard Jordan Farmar, Olympic volleyball gold medalist Kerri Walsh and Chivas USA's Gerson Mayen. Other Galaxy and Chivas USA players have yet to be confirmed.

From the event press release:

At halftime, patients who were suffering from leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening diseases will be introduced in person for the very first time to their bone marrow donors. The donor and recipient meetings will recognize all those who have given hope to patients in need of a life-saving transplant by joining the National Marrow Donor Program Registry. Fans in attendance will be given the opportunity to register and become donors themselves at the City of Hope Bone Marrow Registry on the concourse.

Said Hamm:

"This event is a great atmosphere for fans of soccer, sports, celebrities, and music. It is more important than ever to bring our diverse community together to ensure people in need are given the best chance at a donor match. We hope to increase the number of registrants this year and find another successful match."

For more check out the the foundation's Facebook page.

Flying at InterLiga. Tecos' Fredy Jose Bareiro, center, is tripped by Atlante's Miguel Angel Martinez during the teams' InterLiga opener Saturday in Houston (AP Photo).

Read the column here.

Prices start at $26 and go on sale starting Thursday to Visa card holders and the general public at 8 a.m. Friday for the game that was reported earlier here (although that report was off by one day).

The 6 p.m. game, confirmed today by U.S. Soccer, will also be televised on Fox Soccer Channel.

"Obviously we know the quality of the Honduran team very well and we think the match is a great way to start the year as we commence preparations for the World Cup," said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. "With both teams working toward finalizing their rosters for South Africa, we expect it will be a very competitive game."

As is usual for the traditional January friendly in Southern California, expect an MLS-laden U.S. roster. And let's hope U.S. fans find tickets in their stocking or we are going to host another predominantly Central American crowd in Carson for the occasion.

The U.S. went 4-0 last year against their fellow World Cup finalists including a 3-2 win in Honduras that clinched a World Cup spot for the Americans.

That's according to this report from Honduran Web site Diez.hn.

Coming to America? Honduras players pose for a photo before a World Cup qualifier soccer match against Trinidad & Tobago in San Pedro Sula, Honduras in September. Top row from left is Jerry Palacios, Mauricio Sabillon, Hendry Thomas, Eric Morales, Noel Valladares, Amado Guevara, and front row from left is Ramon Nunez, Carlos Pavon, Elvis Turcios, Maynor Figueroa and Emilio Izaguirre. (AP Photo).

Here's a rough translation of the above report from newsroom colleague Gene Maddaus:

Upon learning Honduras' rivals in the World Cup in South Africa, the friendly against Chile was canceled, but the Federation has not sat idly by, and it already has its first match lined up for the month of January.

"It's no longer feasible to play against them - Chile - because of the draw. Also with Argentina, it represented a large expense for both squads, so we have already filled in the blanks and the first game will be against the U.S. on Sunday, Jan. 24, at the Home Depot Center," Rafael Callejas, the president of Fenafuth (the Honduran Football Federation), confirmed to DIEZ.

That indicates that the Honduran team will begin to work out together in the first days of January. "Soon we will play in Europe at the first Fifa date in March, we don't have a clearly defined team, but it should be one that has already qualified," he said.

Callejas confirmed that they are counting on the requested funds to bring the team together for the needed time in Europe before the World Cup.

"We're counting on 20 million lempiras, that's what Fifa is advancing us. Though that's within the amount we requested, remember that in addition to that money, there will be all the expenses for the 35 members who will travel to South Africa."

"By already being there, they will cancel the travel allowances also."

The only concern for the Federation will be that the players "have the highest physical and mental level to compete in the World Cup, we want to qualify for the second round," Callejas said.

No confirmation yet from U.S. Soccer, which always likes to have contracts finalized before making a formal announcement.

Honduras was drawn into a World Cup group with Chile, Spain and Switzerland, BTW.

Chilly Galaxy fans who shivered their way through what was, in essence, a three-hour game Friday will be glad to hear the utility is trying to get to the bottom of what happened.

Read the short article that ran in today's Daily Breeze.

The Galaxy won't sell tickets to the upper deck at Carson's Home Depot Center for its first and perhaps only playoff game this year at the stadium (date and opponent TBD), the first time the club has done that since moving there in 2003. (Tickets went on sale Monday, BTW).

Of course, that's slightly misleading because the Galaxy haven't made the playoffs in the last three seasons. But then wouldn't that mean there's pent-up demand? Apparently not with the club averaging fewer than 20,000 fans per game, good for only No. 3 in MLS behind Toronto (20,000-plus per game) and Seattle (30,000-plus per game).

"What we're looking to do is create a home field advantage and have as many of the fans as close to the field as possible," said spokesman Patrick Donnelly. "We're going to aim to sell out the lower bowl first and then open (the deck) up. We won't do it unless the lower bowl is sold out."

And it might not be because the Galaxy's season ticket holders do not get into a playoff game for free as a "bonus" game this year as is usual. That's because between various other competitions and exhibition games season ticket holders have received their five bonus games this year and so will have to buy playoff tickets.

That's right, season ticket holders got to see Costa Rica's Club Sport Herediano instead of a playoff game. Woo hoo!

BTW, upper deck season ticket holders are being allowed to sit on the lower level for the same price they would have paid to sit up top despite the higher ticket prices there. Of course, that doesn't take into account that the cheaper tickets on the second tier are better - much better - in some cases than the more expensive seats. Fans on the upper deck essentially get the same view those of us in the press box or those paying thousands for suites receive for a fraction of the cost.

It's just another sign that unless the Galaxy sell discounted group tickets to AYSO teams - whose young players prefer bonking their thunder sticks off some unfortunate parents' head to actually watching a game - that they can't count on the hardcore true soccer supporter as the Sounders or Toronto can to sell out the stadium. Even for a playoff game. And that's pretty sad for a city that is supposedly the best futbol market in the country.

Of course, it's hard to blame fans given the generally tepid quality of the Galaxy's play this season (one long-time fan told me he walked out of the Galaxy's last home game at halftime because it was so dull) or the over-priced tickets thanks to the presence of his Beckhamness. And his celebrity novelty has obviously worn off given the relatively small crowds the Galaxy has drawn this season.

Houston, it seems, isn't having that problem.