Recently in United Soccer Leagues Category

*The Galaxy have formally announced the signing of Brazilian midfielder Marcelo Sarvas from Costa Rican club Alajuelense, the day after Coach Bruce Arena told reporters about the acquisition during a conference call.

Sarvas, 30, received his work visa today, although judging by his career path so far fans shouldn't get too attached to him, apparently. From the Galaxy press release:

Sarvas is capable of playing in the center of midfield or on either wing. A product of the successful Corinthians youth system in Brazil, Sarvas appeared in 15 games in all competitions last season for Alajuelense, playing in nine league games during the Invierno and all six of his club's CONCACAF Champions League matches, including both games against the Galaxy.

After beginning his career in his native Brazil, Sarvas went to Europe in 2004 at the age of 23, signing with Karlskrona AIF of the Swedish Sodra Gotaland. A year later he moved to fellow Swedish club Mjallby AIF and then to IF Limhamm Brunkeflo. Ahead of the start of the 2009/10 European season, Sarvas was on the move again, joining KSP Warszawa in Poland. After one and a half seasons in Poland in which he scored two league goals, Sarvas moved to Costa Rica, signing with Alajuelense on Jan. 17, 2011.

In one year with the Costa Rican champions, Sarvas helped lead Alajuelense to the 2011 Verano title and a berth in the 2011 Invierno championship. He appeared in 21 of the club's 30 league games in that time, scoring three times, including twice during the recent Invierno.

*Another player who has had a nomadic career is Los Angeles native Herculez Gomez, so it should be no surprise the former Galaxy player is on the move again, especially since he asked fans for input on his possible destination on his Facebook page recently:

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- American forward Herculez Gomez has signed with Santos Laguna, his fourth club in the Mexican League.

Club president Alejandro Irarragorri said Monday that Gomez, who played for the United States in last year's World Cup, will join the northern Mexican team for the upcoming Clausura season.

Gomez scored seven goals in the Apertura season for Estudiantes Tecos of Guadalajara. He previously played for Puebla and Pachuca after spending time with the Galaxy, Colorado Rapids and Kansas City in MLS.

Santos Laguna reached the final of the Mexican Apertura playoff, losing 3-1 to UANL Tigres on Sunday for a 4-1 aggregate defeat in the two-leg series.

*Finally, Mexican futbol fans have a chance to see a top tier team for free Wednesday in Ventura County - but the time isn't convenient for many fans.

The Ventura County Fusion PDL team will play an exhibition match against Club Tijuana at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Oxnard College Stadium, 4000 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard.

Admission is free.

This is the Fusion's second international exhibition match within a week. Last Friday they beat Chivas Guadalajara's U-20 team, 3-0.

Indulge me.

It has been a traumatic weekend for those of us who are fans of Norwich City, perhaps the worst in club history.

This weekend City suffered its worst home defeat of all time, occurring on the opening weekend of play in inaccurately-named League One, the lowest level of English football Norwich have seen in 50 years.

For some it was too much.

As my mother said:"Colchester? I didn't know they had a team." Thanks, mum.

It's no consolation to know there have been worse moments in club history - barely (this is from 1972):

Fortunately, the Ventura County Fusion - a team I had never seen live until Saturday - provided a partial antidote with a heart-stopping 2-1 triumph over the Chicago Fire in the PDL final with the winner coming two minutes into second half stoppage time. The gutsy Fusion were down to 10 men at the time after a (very) harsh first half straight red and also had two coaches sent off.

What they were playing for

Game story.

It was a memorable night on a cool evening with a waning amber moon and cars carving through the darkness just over the high school fence on Highway 126. After the game, the Ventura County Fair provided literal fireworks.

Also:
* Chivas USA lost their fifth straight. It was a nightmare MLS debut by Chivas USA goalkeeper Lance Parker that began after just 25 seconds; Chivas USA were down by two within four minutes.

*A cracker from Landon Donovan paved the way to the Galaxy's fifth win in six games.

Highlights:

* The Sol won. Next: WPS title game 1 p.m. Aug. 22 Home Depot Center, opponent TBD.

*Finally, with a goal and an assist, Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers led the Columbus Crew past the inept Earthquakes:

MLS Standings

I'm heading out to the PDL title game in Ventura tonight, so I'll keep this brief:

* Here's a game preview.

*Congrats to Coach Charlie Naimo and his Pali Blues on their W-League title victory Friday.

*MLS announced today that New England Revolution Coach Steve Nichol was fined $1,000 and will miss today's 3 p.m. clash (Fox Soccer Channel) against the Galaxy after he was red-carded Aug. 1 against Toronto. That's in addition to the automatic $500 fine and one-game suspension previously announced bringing the total to two games and $1,500. Nicol will also miss the Revs' Aug. 20 game against the Seattle Sounders.

The Galaxy haven't lost in five games, the Revs haven't tasted defeat in four games.

The New England perspective.

Becks is still babbling about owning an MLS team.

*With Zach Thornton out injured, backup goalkeeper Lance Parker will make his first career MLS start against the Rapids in Colorado (6:30 p.m. FSN).

Another busy weekend of soccer begins this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. when Real Madrid plays Toronto (live on ESPN) and at the same time the Pali Blues take on the Washington Freedom (live on Fox Soccer Channel).

Both the Galaxy and Chivas USA are out of town this weekend, but does that mean no live soccer locally?

Not at all.

The Ventura County Fusion and Chicago Fire Premier play for the PDL title at 7 p.m. Saturday at Ventura High.

If you haven't been to Ventura in a while, I recommend you make a day of it. There's tons to do in the area, downtown Ventura is a great place to shop or grab a bite and as an added bonus the Ventura County Fair is going on very near Ventura High.

I'm taking my own advice and I'll be sitting in the stands with friends and family for the Fusion game, so give a shout-out if you see me.

Clarification: The game is at Buena High School (5670 Telegraph Rd., Ventura) not the high school on Main in midtown.

Click on the link to the right for a full slate of games, but here's the ones I recommend in addition to those already mentioned:

*3 p.m. Saturday FSC Galaxy at New England
*6:30 p.m. Saturday Fox Sports Net Chivas USA at Colorado Rapids
*8 p.m. Saturday FSC CD Guadalajara-Barcelona

*7 a.m. Sunday FSC Chelsea-Manchester United in the Community Shield
*Noon Sunday FSC Real Madrid at DC United
*3 p.m. Sunday FSC Sol at Boston Breakers

Have a great weekend.

Midweek seems an apt time to touch on a few things I've overlooked:

*The Sounders play Barcelona at 7:30 tonight in Seattle on ESPN2. It will be interesting to see who that usually delirious crowd will predominantly be rooting for - the home team or the European champions. More here.

Here's Barcelona's Lionel Messi doing a little ball juggling atop the 605-foot-high Space Needle ahead of the game.Photo courtesy FC Barcelona/Sounders FC/SUM

*Earlier this evening the Chicago Fire meets Tigres in the SuperLiga final that begins at 5 p.m. on Fox Soccer Channel.

*Speaking of the Fire, their PDL team will contest the title at 7 p.m. Saturday against the Ventura County Fusion at Ventura High on Main Street. With the Galaxy and Chivas USA out of town this weekend I plan to attend the game (as a fan). More details and a special ticket deal here.

*Meanwhile, a night earlier the Pali Blues plays in the W-League championship against the Freedom in Washington. That game can be seen live at 4:30 p.m. on Fox Soccer Channel.

*Belated condolences BTW to Coach Brian Boswell and his Rolling Hills Estates-based Ajax America who fell 1-0 to the Long Island Fury last weekend in New York in the Women's Premier Soccer League final after posting an excellent 15-2-1 record on the season.

*In other women's soccer news, Long Beach State, winners of the last three Big West title have been picked to finish second this year in a preseason coache's poll. Cal State Northridge were picked to finish fifth.

*Former UCLA and Galaxy player Zak Ibsen (who played 50 games for the Galaxy over two seasons ending in 2000) detailed his descent into crystal meth addiction for the New York Times' Goal blog.

*Finally, fellow blogger Steve Davis explains why he doesn't hate Crew midfielder Robbie Rogers of Rolling Hills Estates.

Bowling for Becks in KC (AP Photo)

The Galaxy failed to win a fifth consecutive game Saturday, drawing with the Wizards 1-1 in Kansas City. Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman (Peninsula High) kept his former team at bay with a superb performance. But a stunning goal of the season contending strike by the Wizards Claudio Lopez that left Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts injured was the high point of the game.

Quotable:

"I thought (Hartman) was outstanding," said Wizards Coach Curt Onalfo. "He did what he's done most of the year, which is make saves when he's called upon. We had some missed clearances in the first half that led to chances for them and he made some real good saves."

Game story.

The Kansas City perspective.

MLS standings.

Highlights:

Also:
*Despite taking the lead on a goal from San Pedro's Peter Hazdovac, the Hollywood United Hitmen fell to the Ventura County Fusion in the PDL playoffs.

*The Pali Blues came from behind to win in the W-League playoffs.

* And don't forget this game that kicks off at noon today on Fox Soccer Channel.

First off, if you only click one link in this blog post make it this one, a 16-picture gallery by readers of English newspaper The Guardian illustrating the Landon Donovan-David Beckham soap opera. Some hilarious stuff in there.

Donovan was still addressing the issue Friday in Kansas City before today's nationally televised game (live at 6 p.m. on ESPN2).

Three points separate the Galaxy and the chasing Kansas City Wizards in the Western Conference standings.

Here's more on the game from a local perspective and here's even more from Donovan including the apparently increasing likelihood he will head to Europe to play. (BTW, shouldn't he be updating that pic on his Web site?)

Those who like their soccer live should know that Premier Development League teams the Hollywood United Hitmen and Ventura County Fusion clash at 3 p.m. today at Pacific Palisades High School's Stadium by the Sea in the Southwest Divisional Final.

Here's a game preview.

Time constraints prevented much blogging this year about the PDL. but the Hitmen are in their first season in the league, having replaced the San Fernando Valley Quakes just weeks before the season started.

Their roster includes San Pedro's Peter Hazdovac (last seen playing professional football in the lower divisions in Croatia) and the San Fernando Valley's Willie Simms. The Fusion have former Chivas USA forward Anthony Hamilton on their squad.

As one would expect in a game between a newly-promoted EPL team and the Ventura County Fusion, which play in the fourth tier of American soccer.

Quite a different atmosphere than the one 90 minutes or so away in Pasadena, but no doubt considerably cooler at Buena High in Ventura.

Thanks to loyal 100 Percent Soccer reader Evan Z from Camarillo for sharing some of the pics he shot during the game.

Game story.

The view from England.

The current and former teams of midfielder Anton Peterlin - the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Mustangs, the Ventura County Fusion of the Premier Development League - and now England's Everton.

"I'm not sure how often such miracles happen, but I will not squander this opportunity," he told the Liverpool Echo.

He's 22-years-old.

It helps to have Danish-Slovenian parents and hold an EU passport, but still.

Official club site.

What they're saying in Liverpool.

What they're saying in San Luis Obispo.

What they're saying at Cal Poly.

Barcelona. Chelsea. AC Milan. And Burnley.

Add the humble Lancashire team to this summer's packed international soccer calendar

Newly-promoted EPL team Burnley, a founding member of the English Football League in 1888, will play in Ventura as part of a two-game U.S. tour July 21 against PDL team the Ventura County Fusion.

Tickets are a modest $10 for adults in advance.

Details here.