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From Monday:

*Coach Martin Vasquez is considering playing Jonny Bornstein at center back and Ante Jazic at left back this season because of a lack of center backs; he was impressed with the 2006 Galaxy full back combo of Chris Albright and Jazic. Jazic, BTW, was just made captain of his country for the first time.

*Speaking of center backs: veteran Claudio Suarez, who returned to Mexico last week because his mother died, was back in camp today pounding around the track in the Track & Field Stadium by himself to build up his fitness.

*Another veteran, out of contract striker Ante Razov - who did not play all of last year - is not expected in camp any time soon, said Vasquez:

"We would love to see Ante out here, but first he has to be 100 percent and I'm not sure he's there yet. ... Where is he at exactly, we don't know. ... The last communication was that once he's 100 percent we're going to sit down and talk and if he wants to come out here then he'll come out here. If he's 100 percent and he wants to give it a last shot we will support that."

*Chivas USA travels to Mexico later this week for games Saturday against Irapuato and Tuesday against Club Universidad de Guadalajara.

I'll have more in Tuesday's column from the Chivas USA camp.

The Galaxy's newly-signed veteran midfielder Clint Mathis, 33, went under the knife Friday in Santa Monica after injuring his left miniscus (that's knee cartilage for the non-medically-inclined) in training last week.

"Mathis has already begun his rehabilitation and could return to full training before the end of the preseason," the club said today in a press release. "He is expected to be available for the club's season opener against the New England Revolution on Saturday, March 27."

The 12-year MLS veteran, who has scored 61 goals in 249 regular season games, is in his second or third stint for the Galaxy depending whether you count the short episode in 2007 when the club and player were unable to come to contract terms and Mathis opted to play in Greece.

"It has nothing to do with age," Coach Bruce Arena said of the injury after training at Home Depot Center this morning. "Clint has a history with knees. You never like to see an injury, but if there's going to be one the best time to do it is now because he has plenty of time to rehabilitate and be ready for the first part of the season."

Meanwhile it appears Galaxy fans won't be seeing striker Alecko Eskandarian teaming up front with Edson Buddle any time soon.

Eskandarian, who suffered yet another concussion last year in a career punctuated by them, will be out some time it appears:

"The status of Alecko will be finalized this week, but he hasn't been cleared to play," Arena said. "I wouldn't say his career (is done), but his ability to play in the short term is going to be delayed for sure. ... Once his status is determined we'll fully explain where he's at. ... Maybe in the old days this guy might have a chance of playing, but I think we're being very cautious and thinking of the player first. ... Whatever is in his best interests in the long- and short-term we're going to go with."

Finally on the walking wounded front, Chivas USA striker Maicon Santos is out six to eight weeks after injuring his left MCL in a collision with Loyola Marymount University's goalkeeper in a scrimmage last Thursday. Rest, not surgery, is the prescription for this injury, club officials said.

The expected (but long-delayed) announcement came today from U.S. Soccer.

Jesse Marsch, 36, one of the last MLS originals still playing, was always a fiery character on the field, but a thoughtful and quotable one off it and will be missed in the Chivas USA locker room. He made 106 appearances for Chivas USA over three seasons and is the club's second all-time leader in games played, games started, and minutes.
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Here's more from the U.S. Soccer press release: Marsch, who holds a USSF 'A' license, will join the U.S. team for training camp beginning Monday at Home Depot Center, ahead of the game against El Salvador on Feb. 24 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.

"I have had the opportunity to work with Jesse for many years, and I believe the knowledge and experience he brings will be a great benefit to both the players and the coaching staff," said U.S. Coach Bob Bradley.

Marsch made two appearances for the U.S. Men's National Team, most recently against China in June of 2007. His first came Nov. 11, 2001, in a World Cup qualifier against Trinidad & Tobago in Port of Spain.

"I'm excited about this opportunity with U.S. Soccer," said Marsch. "I am looking forward to working hard to help this team be successful in the future."

Marsch, who wore the captain's armband for Chivas USA for much of the 2008 and 2009 seasons, made 358 appearances in his 14-year MLS career. One of the most decorated players in league history, he has collected three MLS Cup titles and four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup medals.

The former midfielder has worked with Bradley since 1992, when Marsch was a freshman at Princeton under Bradley the Tigers head coach. In the inaugural season MLS season in 1996, Bradley served as an assistant coach for D.C. United and Marsch a midfielder during their run to the MLS Cup title, the start of three successive league titles for both men. In 1998, Bradley took the reigns of the expansion Chicago Fire and Marsch helped the club complete its historic double, winning both the U.S. Open Cup and the MLS Cup. When Bradley took over as head coach of Chivas USA prior to the 2006 season, Marsch moved to the club and went on to make 106 appearances in four seasons.

The Racine, Wis., native lives in Manhattan Beach with his wife Kim and three children.

Marsch's teammates react to the news here.

And here's Marsch in his own words:

Three in the morning:

*A three-round WPS dispersal draft for the 20 players from the defunct Sol begins at 10 a.m. today. St. Louis has the first pick: Marta or Torrance's Shannon Boxx?

*The disintegration of the Carson-based David Beckham Academy is apparently all but complete (and yes, I'm aware the link to the local academy redirects to Beckham's defunct London branch, which merely underlines the point): Stephen Myles, 48, the academy's director of competition the last two years has joined the New England Revolution as assistant coach.

He also spent the last two seasons coaching the LA Galaxy's Under-16 team and was at Sheffied United for nine years before relocating to the U.S.

Kenny Arena - the son of Galaxy coach Bruce Arena - is now head coach of the U-16 team, BTW.

*Finally, the USWNT is wrapping up its three-week camp at Home Depot Center ahead of the Algarve Cup.

Three items:

*The Chivas USA-LMU scrimmage Thursday scheduled for Loyola Marymount's Westchester campus will now take place in Carson at Home Depot Center's field 6. Kick off: 11 a.m.

*Schedule update noted - The road game against the New England Revolution originally scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 15, has been switched to Wednesday, May 5.

* This last item has not just been rumor - it's pretty much been an open secret considering Jesse Marsch spent the last week or so in attendance at the USMNT training camp in January and that at age 36 he didn't want to risk serious injury by continuing playing in the wake of the concussion he suffered last season.

Marsh hasn't been at Chivas USA training camp at all this season as Coach Martin Vasquez has (pointedly) pointed out. The club had envisioned announcing Marsch's retirement (and new job) last week, but obviously that didn't occur.

And it makes D.C. United's Jaime Moreno the last of the MLS originals still playing in the league after Steve Ralston returned home to the USL in St. Louis, no?

Here's a guide to all 240 MLS games (with a full interlocking schedule where all 16 clubs play each other twice for the first time in league history) month by month.

Here's the Galaxy schedule. Complete with a visit by Sigi Schmid's Seattle Sounders to take on his former club on Independence Day. And six of the Galaxy's last seven games are at Home Depot Center (how favorable is that).

Here's the Chivas USA schedule.

The dates that really matter:
*Thursday, April 1 Galaxy-Chivas USA 8 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN Deportes
*Sunday, Oct. 3 Chivas USA-Galaxy 5 p.m. ESPN2/ESPN Deportes

Notable:

* A total of 75 percent of games will be played on Saturdays; 85 percent of games will be played on weekends.

*The four Mexican teams in this year's SuperLiga will be announced in the coming weeks; they'll join Chivas USA, the Chicago Fire, Houston Dynamo, and New England Revolution in the tournament.

Here's more on the Galaxy television schedule from the club's press release:

Of the Galaxy's 30 games in 2010, 16 will aired by the league's national broadcast partners, ABC/ESPN, Fox Soccer Channel/ Fox Sports En Español and Telefutura. ESPN and ESPN Deportes are scheduled to air five Galaxy games in 2010, including both of the SuperClasico's against Chivas USA, as well as home games against San Jose (July 22) and New York (Sept. 24) and the club's first-ever trip to Chester, Pa. to take on the expansion Philadelphia Union (Oct. 7).

Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports En Español will broadcast a total of seven Galaxy games in 2010, starting with the season opener against New England at 8 p.m. on March 27. The Galaxy's games away to Toronto FC (June 26), D.C. United (July 18) and the New York Red Bulls (Aug. 14), the club's first-ever trip to Red Bull Arena in Harrison N.J., will also be carried on the networks. The two Fox networks will also broadcast the Galaxy's home game against Real Salt Lake on April 17 in the year's first rematch of MLS Cup 2009, as will the club's home games against the Chicago Fire (Aug. 1) and D.C. United (Sept. 18).

Telefutura rounds out the Galaxy's national broadcast package with four games, beginning with the club's trip to Qwest Field to face the Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday, May 8. The network will also show the Galaxy's home match against the Houston Dynamo (June 5), their trip north to San Jose to face the Earthquakes (Aug. 21) and their game at Toyota Park against the Chicago Fire (Sept. 4).

Chivas USA held its first preseason scrimmage today and emerged victorious with a 2-0 win at Home Depot Center over PDL team the Ventura County Fusion, which featured former Galaxy defender Mike Randolph and former Chivas USA players Anthony Hamilton, Brent Whitfield and Rodrigo López.

Brazilian forward Maicon Santos scored the opener in the 16th minute and trialist Artur Aghasyan (who played for the Fusion last year) closed the scoring in the 79th minute.

Chivas USA fielded two different sides in each half with goalkeeper Dan Kennedy returning to the field for a game since injuring his knee in the 2009 preseason.

Lineups.

Chivas USA (first half)- Dan Kennedy, Mariano Trujillo, Michael Umaña, Emilio Viades, Jorge Flores, César Zamora, Gavin Blair, Marcelo Saragosa, Gerson Mayén, Maykel Galindo, Maicon Santos.

Chivas USA (second half)- Lance Parker, Miguel Sánchez, Carlos Borja, Matt McManus, Kevin Tangney, Chris Ross, Michael Lahoud, Ben Zemanski, Bryan De La Fuente, Artur Aghasyan, Isaac Kissi.

Wondering who some of these guys are?

Me too:

*Emilio Viades, 32, has played in Mexico for Veracruz, Toluca, Cruz Azul and Necaxa.

*Defender Miguel Sachez, 21, played one game for Chiapas last year

*Forward Mike Matt McManus is a San Diego State product.

*And yeah, that's former Galaxy defender Michael Umana, hoplessly out-matched in six starts during the Steve Sampson era.

At about 11 a.m.

MLS has already released clubs' home openers.

From the MLS press release:

Each MLS team will play 30 games - one home, one away, against each of the other teams - for a total of 240 games from March 25 to Oct. 24. Wednesday's announcement will include the national broadcast schedule for the 2010 season including games on ESPN2/ESPN Deportes, Fox Soccer Channel/Fox Sports en Español and TeleFutura.

Who should be familiar to Southern Californians.

Romero has eight goals in 37 appearances for his country, including five last year in Southern California, according to the Chivas USA press release: One in a Feb. 6 friendly against Peru at the Coliseum, two in a 3-1 friendly victory over Ecuador on May 27, also at the Coliseum, and two in the 2-1 Gold Cup win over Costa Rica on July 3.

"Osael is a perfect fit for our club this season, and we're excited to have him at Chivas USA," said Chivas USA Coach Martín Vásquez. "He's a young, talented player, and we've all seen his accomplishments with the El Salvador National Team. We look forward to having him play a big part for us in 2010."

Romero, 23, is on loan from Vista Hermosa in El Salvador and was acquired from FC Dallas, who held a discovery claim on the player, in exchange for an unspecified amount of cash.

"I'm happy to have this opportunity with Chivas USA," said Romero. "I'm looking forward to the challenge of playing in MLS, which is a very competitive league. I'm familiar with the Los Angeles area, where I had the opportunity to score with the El Salvador National Team in tough international matches. I'm excited to be back in a community that has always supported me and my national team."

Marketing is also a consideration in the deal, not coincidentally:

"Osael is an exceptional player, and his presence will be great for our club both on and off the field," said Chivas USA President and CEO Shawn Hunter. "He can make the difference as a player, and his importance for his national team will help us connect with Salvadoran fans across Southern California."

Check out the YouTube complilation here:

The move eliminates the possibility of a lock-out as of Sunday, when the current five-year contract expires. And it means preseason training, which for some clubs like the Galaxy and Chivas USA began this week, will continue.

Said MLS Commissioner Don Garber:

"While we still have areas of disagreement, the talks have been constructive and both parties believe it makes sense to continue to work hard to reach agreement. This extension provides both MLS and the players the opportunity to continue our discussions while clubs are in training camps preparing for the 2010 MLS season."

Said Players Union Executive Director Bob Foose:

"Both the Players Union and MLS have concluded that a new agreement will not be reached by February 1, but we have agreed to continue to talk and we will be meeting over the next two weeks to determine if a new agreement can be reached."

More on the Galaxy's Mr. Klein later in this post, but you should know:

*The Galaxy had their first general media availability Wednesday (although loyal 100 Percent Soccer readers got the inside scoop here a couple of days ago). And while the waived Tony Sanneh and Leonard Griffin weren't around to answer questions, plenty of other players were to reflect on the coming season.

*That Chivas USA will host a benefit event for Haiti tonight at Grunions in Manhattan Beach.

*What the English papers are saying about Landon Donovan's stellar performance Wednesday for Everton courtesy of the Soccer Insider blog.

*One game stands between the U.S. U-20 Women and a World Cup berth, an 11:30 a.m. clash against Costa Rica live on Fox Soccer Channel.

*About that promised Klein item. Here is an exchange between Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena and an apparently hard of hearing reporter at Wednesday's training session regarding veteran Klein via colleague Phil Collin:

Arena: It still demonstrates a guy who's been a good player, a durable player, a fit player and a good player.

Reporter: Adorable player? I've never heard that adjective used.

Arena: Durable.

Reporter: Oh, durable! I thought you said adorable, I apologize.

Arena: Adorable, wow. Well, he is that as well, I might add.

Chivas USA announced today its season opener against the Colorado Rapids has been switched from Sunday, March 28 to Friday, March 26 at Home Depot Center.

The date was changed because Telefutura would not have televised Sunday's game anyway, due to changes in its schedule and Chivas USA officials believe the game would be a bigger draw on a Friday evening. MLS clubs - and especially Chivas USA given its fan demographics - have historically had a tough time drawing fans on Sundays.

Kickoff for the Friday game, the second of the MLS season, is at 7:30 p.m. A complete MLS schedule will be released next month.

Also, Chivas USA, which began preseason training Tuesday, has waived veteran defender Jim Curtin and Serb Bojan Stepanovic.

Stepanovic made seven starts for Chivas USA after arriving in mid-season, scoring one goal and recording two assists.

Curtin, 30, a nine-year MLS veteran, made just two starts last year.

Read the story from reporter Phil Collin here.

Listen to veteran Cary Talley, top draft pick Blair Gavin and new Coach Martin Vasquez from a soggy Home Depot Center here:

The jet set: David Beckham and former Galaxy Coach Ruud Gullit discuss hairstyles on the Galaxy's Australian tour in November 2007 (AP Photo).

At least in any depth, although with Ruud Gullit that's a relative term.

In truth, the story below is not particularly eye-opening, but then that was one of Gullit's major traits as Galaxy coach, speaking without actually saying much of substance. Hope ESPN isn't paying him too much.

Still, for what it's worth, here's the Associated Press piece:

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) - Ruud Gullit didn't take long to realize he was the wrong man to coach David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

"In LA, nobody is talking about soccer. No television stations. You see it nowhere," Gullit
said. "It's difficult to swallow because you need that adrenaline to pump yourself up. If
nobody talks about it, it's almost like an enigma."

Famous from a standout career that earned him the 1987 European player of the year award, the former Dutch star was hired with much fanfare in November 2007. He left just nine months into a three-year contract, the Galaxy further adrift than when he arrived.

Now a television commentator for Sky Sports in England, the long dreadlocks of his playing days replaced by a close-cropped look, the 47-year-old is preparing to be a studio analyst for ESPN at this year's World Cup. He'll be paired in Johannesburg with his former Galaxy boss, Alexi Lalas, a key figure in the expansion of the network's coverage.

To prepare, Gullit made his first trip to ESPN's studios this week. During a 30-minute
interview Monday, he was willing for the first time to publicly discuss what went awry during his time in Los Angeles.

"It was too much of a clash between my way of being used to working and the rules of the MLS," he said.

Gullit couldn't cope with restrictions such as Major League Soccer's salary cap and its draft.

Having coached previously at Chelsea, Newcastle and Feyenoord, he was accustomed to the ways everywhere else in the soccer world: When you want a player, you go out and buy him.

His three-year contract was said to be worth $6 million, and he said that was so out of line with MLS standards that it created an uncomfortable situation.

"For the amount of money that they normally pay, I don't go from Europe all the way to live here. So therefore they need to find sponsors. But who knows Ruud Gullit in America? Who would pay that amount of money? And the moment that you find out nobody wants to pay that, that's where all the trouble starts," he said.

Lalas was let go as the Galaxy president and general manager on the same day Gullit departed, the team just 6-8-5 following a seven-match winless streak. The Galaxy missed the playoffs for the second straight season before reaching the MLS Cup final in 2009 under Gullit's successor, former U.S. national team coach Bruce Arena.

"I think he's being a little hard on himself to be honest with you. I think there's plenty of
blame to go around," Lalas said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "I probably should have done things differently to at least help more in some ways. But I think ultimately the learning curve was so big, and he came into a situation that was so different than anything he'd ever been associated with, that it was going to take a long time. And unfortunately for Galaxy, we didn't have that time. And that's our fault also."

In some ways, Gullit is dismayed by the lack of a soccer culture in the United States.

"When USA is playing at home, they don't play at home. It's unbelievable," he said. "Certain people don't want to acknowledge it so much because everybody wants to protect the American sports, and I can understand that. But everybody knows soccer is coming. Everybody plays it everywhere. I think it will be two generations -- then people will get used to it, understand the game more. This generation still doesn't understand it."

He also can't get used to the American system of playoffs that MLS uses. Gullit thinks it
creates an atmosphere that's not conducive to top soccer, clashing with the rest of the world, where the team that finishes first automatically is the champion.

"Every week you have to play well to be the champion. But here it's just a matter of getting in the playoffs, and how you get there is not so much important as long as you play well in the knockout stages," he said.

ESPN likes Gullit's outspokenness. Tim Scanlan, ESPN's vice president of event productions, recommended Gullit to Jed Drake, the executive producer of ESPN's World Cup coverage, and the pair met with Gullit in London late last year to sign him up.

"He is just a completely engaging character and one who has been around a good bit of time and has seen the game from a variety of perspectives," Drake said.

Gullit predicts Brazil will reach the final in South Africa. He has high hopes for the
Netherlands, the team he captained to the 1988 European Championship. But he also has doubts.

And then there is Italy, the defending champion.
"The thing is always with the Italians, they don't need to play well to get to the final," he
said.

He also believes the U.S. has the ability to upset England when they meet on June 12.

That matchup in Rustenburg is getting the most attention of the 48 first-round games, already drawing the highest prices in the secondary ticket market.

"I always say to a lot of people all around about American football, I say: 'Look, you
underestimate it. You go and play in 90 degrees, on turf, in the afternoon, traveling six
hours,'" he explained. "And when they play under the normal circumstances, all of the sudden these teams say: "Hey, wait a minute. This is not as bad. They play some good
football.'"

New Galaxy signing Clint Mathis works out in the gym Monday on the opening day of preseason training (Photo by Robert Casillas).

It's a simplistic argument, but a convincing one: were it not for a lack of firepower last year the Galaxy would go into this season as defending MLS Cup champions.

Coach Bruce Arena, I think, would generally agree with that statement given what he told his players Monday on the first day of preseason training.

Of course, we can argue whether the Galaxy have the players who are capable of scoring more goals, but Arena clearly believes that to be the case.

The Galaxy have until March 27, when they open the season against the New England Revolution at Home Depot Center, to sort it out.

For more, read Tuesday's column.

There's always quotes that don't make it into a column for space reasons.

Here's Arena on why he chose to "draft" Brazilians rather than take a closer look at the college ranks here:

"There's only so much you can do with draft picks. I really believe if you're going to build a team from the college draft, I bet you're going to have a tough time."

Here's Arena on what he expects from those three young Brazilians this season:

"They're good young players. Like any players there's going to be a transition period. We have to see how they adapt to being in this country and this league every day and deal with the grind of competing."

Defender Gregg Berhalter puts his best foot forward Monday in fitness training.

Finally, here's Gregg Berhalter on the Galaxy picking up Clint Mathis:

"We know Clint. We're lucky enough to have been around him for many years and he has special gifts that many players don't have: he can use both feet with equal effectiveness and he has a good eye for a pass, he has a great shot, so we know what he brings to the table. It's just bringing all of those things out of him and getting him focused on helping the team, which I know he'll do."

Also, UCLA striker Sydney Leroux scored a 64th minute winner for the U.S. U-20 team to beat Mexico 2-1 and send the Americans onto a 11:30 a.m. Thursday meeting with Costa Rica in the World Cup semis live on Fox Soccer Channel. FSC will also show the Canada-Mexico semi that immediately follows the U.S. game.

More here.