Recently in InterLiga Category

Estudiantes Tecos goalkeeper Mario Rodriguez stops a shot during the second half of the InterLiga soccer match against Puebla Wednesday at Home Depot Center. (AP Photo).

And the winners are: Monterrey and Tecos.

Hercules Gomez (yes, that one), left, made his Puebla debut Sunday in Carson, but couldn't stop his team going down to defeat. Here he vies with the ball with Monterrey's Jose Maria Basanta. (AP Photo)

Monterrey take final InterLiga berth Sunday in the nightcap at Home Depot Center.

The early dud game.

The official site.

On Wednesday it's Puebla-Estudiantes Tecos (6 p.m.) and then Club América-Monterrey.

Diving Tecos goalie Mario Rodriguez can't stop Salvador Cabanas scoring the second of Club America's three goals in nine minutes that enabled them to take a 3-1 lead Saturday in Carson. The game ended 3-3. (AP Photo)

Saturday's games.

With Club America and Tecos securing semifinal berths Saturday and Puebla already qualified among today's contestants, the final place is up for grabs today at Home Depot Center between Monterrey, Tigres UANL and Jaguares.

Tigres-Jaguares game preview.

Monterrey-Puebla game preview.

Official site.

A preview of the opening game of tonight's doubleheader from Carson, Santos Laguna-Atlante at 5:30 p.m., is here. Both teams still have a chance to advance from Group A.

More on the game most fans want to see, Club America-Tecos, the top two teams in the group, is here.

Full tournament details here.

Tournament officials said "a full stadium is expected and organizers are encouraging fans to purchase their tickets in advance, as well as arrive early to the stadium."

I won't be blogging at the games due to a previous commitment, but I do intend to head out to today's USMNT practice at Home Depot Center. I'm collecting material for Tuesday's column, but if there is any news I'll blog it here.

Updated:

Fellow South Bay blogger Chris Cognac will provide updates from the stadium of tonight's InterLiga games. Follow along here.

Puebla goalkeeper Jorge Villalpando got the shutout and his club got a crucial win Wednesday in Texas (AP Photo).

Puebla clinched a spot in the InterLiga finals in Carson by beating Jaguares 1-0 in Houston Wednesday, while Monterrey must beat Puebla Sunday at Home Depot Center if they hope to advance after drawing with Tigres in the nightcap.

Game stories here and here.

More from the official site of the tournament is here.

Catch up on Tuesday's action here.

Club America leads Group A after beating Atlante Tuesday night, while Tecos stayed alive by defeating Santos.

Tonight it's Group B leading Puebla facing Jaguares, while Monterrey faces arch rivals Tigres.

Suggested reading:

*A Tecos-Santos game story is here.

*For complete stats and info, the official InterLiga site is here.

*Is this the seventh and final edition of InterLiga?

Finally, check out the Club America-Atlante highlights:

Tickets for the seventh annual tournament that serves as the qualifying tournament for the Copa Libertadores for Mexican clubs go on sale next month.

Home Depot Center hosts games Jan. 9, 10 and 12.

More info from today's press release:

InterLiga 2010 will determine two Mexican club berths (Mexico 2 and Mexico 3) for Copa Libertadores. Copa Libertadores begins at the end of January 2010. The eight best teams in the general standings at the end of the current Apertura 2009 season of the Mexican domestic league move on to InterLiga 2010, except for the club that finishes first in the regular season standings, which will qualify directly to Copa Libertadores as "Mexico 1," per FMF regulations. Due to their participation in the 2009-2010 CONCACAF Champions League, clubs Toluca, Pachuca, Cruz Azul, and UNAM Pumas will not participate in InterLiga 2010 regardless of their place in the Apertura standings. Due to the events that occurred during Copa Libertadores 2009, Chivas and San Luis will qualify directly into the 2010 edition during the Round of 16.

More info is here.

Chivas triumphed at InterLiga Sunday at Home Depot Center.

I wandered around the stadium taking photos and soaking up an amazing atmosphere that you don't see at MLS games. Here's a sampling, beginning with some frenetic Morelia fans.

This was as close as Los Angeles residents and Chivas fans Claudia Gonzales, 27, and Aida Aguilar, 33, could get to the action. They didn't have tickets, so they sat outside the stadium.

"Didn't I tell you never to call me at work?"

Daddy goat and his kid

A lone security guard (left) contemplates the solitude of the empty tennis venue adjacent to the packed soccer stadium.

Four Mexican teams.

Two spots in the Copa Libertadores at stake.

Two games at sold out Home Depot Center: at 4 p.m. it's Atlas (known as the Zorros and one of three teams from Guadalajara) against Pachuca (winners of five Mexican championships in the last 10 years) and at 6:30 p.m. CD Guadalajara (will Panchito Mendoza of Chivas USA be in the starting lineup for the mother club at his home stadium?) faces Morelia.

Both games are live on Fox Sports Espanol.

Previews: Atlas-Pachuca.

Chivas-Morelia.

I'm going to wander around the HDC with a camera during the games and soak up the atmosphere. With any luck, I'll post a few shots tonight.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend: David Beckham starts on the bench for AC Milan at 11:30 a.m. on Fox Soccer Channel in a Serie A game against Roma, while Marta could be officially confirmed as a L.A. Sol player as soon as today.

Home Depot Center has its first capacity crowd of the new year (and it's a real sellout).

No $20 grass berm tickets remain for Sunday's InterLiga finals, officials announced late Saturday.

From the InterLiga press release:

A capacity crowd of 27,000 will see the top two finishers from both Group A and Group B of InterLiga when Pachuca battles Atlas at 4:00 p.m. PT, followed by CD Guadalajara, known worldwide as "Chivas", against Morelia.

Due to the capacity crowd, fans are recommended to arrive early and enjoy Futbol Fiesta, an interactive fan zone in Lot 13 near the North West entrance to the stadium.

It's the fifth time the Interliga finals has sold out at the HDC.

I plan to blog from the games, so join me then.

Today's "this is the off-season?" news:
*Landon Donovan supplied the assist for Bayern Munich's equalizer today in a friendly played in Dubai and was one of only two players to play the entire game for the Germans in a 3-2 win.

The Bayern Web site observed Donovan almost had a goal and described the assist as "an intelligent pass into the inside-right channel," which sounds exactly like a Donovan created goal.

More here.

*David Beckham though will start on the bench Sunday in his first Inter (doh!) AC Milan Serie A game. The encountwer with Roma is live at 11:30 a.m. on Fox Soccer Channel.

*Lastly, the InterLiga final four for Friday is set with Club America feeling foolish/appearing over-confident/ or ? (take your pick because sadly I was not at the game Friday in Carson) as they crashed out of the tournament thanks to a second half stoppage time goal against Atlas.

Details here.

Precious few tickets are left for the two games Sunday that begin at 4 p.m., incidentally. Only $20 general admission tickets on the grass berm or $125 lawn chair seats next to the sideline are available.

Highlights of the Club America-Atlas game are here:

Highlights of the Chivas-Tigres game are here:

In a perfect world, I'd be at Home Depot Center watching Chivas and Club America in Interliga action right now.

Alas, a major project intervened and I'm still stuck at the office.

Fans are going out in droves though and InterLiga officials have decided to open the grass berm for Sunday's finals to meet the demand. The general admission tickets are $25.

In other news today:
*Paula Bravo is out at the Galaxy as director of soccer and returns to the Colorado Rapids, where he played four years, to assume the post of technical director there. He became expendable with Coach Bruce Arena assuming player personnel decisions as GM and Dave Sarachan the associate head coach.

Bravo, 40, joined the Galaxy as an assistant coach under Frank Yallop and became director of soccer in August 2007. His duties included scouting and player evaluation (that didn't go so well did it?).

"Paul has proven himself as a great evaluator of talent," said Rapids Managing Director Jeff Plush. Well, OK, then.

*Meanwhile, the Galaxy reacquired midfielder Stefan Miglioranzi today from the Columbus Crew today in exchange for a conditional fourth round 2010 draft pick.

He made three appearances as a substitute after joining the Galaxy in September 2006 and was traded to the Crew in January 2007 for a third round draft pick. The 31-year-old, who also played in the English lower divisions for eight years, made just seven starts last year for the MLS Cup-winning Crew. Doesn't exactly sound like a pivotal player move.

*Finally, U.S. Women's National Team Coach Pia Sundhage named a squad of 25 players today for an HDC training camp Jan. 20-Feb. 4 ahead of the annual Algarve Cup.

The camp marks the return of Abby Wambach, who suffered a broken leg last summer in the run-up to the Olympics.

Complete details and the full squad is here.

Toluca beat UAG 2-0 in the second game of the night, but fell one goal short of advancing on goal difference after Morelia put three unanswered goals past stunned Pachuca, already through to the next round, in the opener at Home Depot Center.

(Full disclosure: I was unable to attend and frankly worked late in hopes I get out earlier Friday to see Chivas and Club America).

Game basics here.

Details here and here.

The stadium in Carson is sold out Friday for the visits of Club America and CD Guadalajara, but tickets stiil remain for tonight's game at 6 o'clock between
Morelia and Pachuca and the second half of the doubleheader between Toluca and Ticos.

The games are also live on Fox Sports Espanol.

Those two stories above are about it for English-language coverage of InterLiga, although fans needing to catch up on who the teams involved in the tournament hired and fired in the Mexican off-season can catch up here.

And speaking of comings and goings, press box colleague Luis Bueno translates a Mexican media report that appears to suggest Panchito Mendoza has essentially already left Chivas USA for CD Guadalajara for good.

Carson's Home Depot Center will be at capacity Friday for two games featuring Mexico's biggest clubs, Chivas and Club America.

InterLiga officials announced this afternoon the games had sold out.

Tickets for Thursday's doubleheader - between Morelia and Pachuca and a nightcap that pits Mexican champion Toluca against Tecos - as well as Sunday's finals are also "going fast," officials said.

Capacity crowds have watched the finals for the last three years in succession.

Tickets are available by calling 877-CHIVAS-1.