Recently in U.S. Women's National Team Category

Belated greetings from Carson on a day the Sol is celebrating the game that spawned WPS and the U.S. men are catching their breath after seeing everything go exactly right in South Africa (that "we'll take it" look on Coach Bob Bradley's face at game's end said it all).

Runaway WPS leaders the Sol have never even conceded a goal to FC Gold Pride winning two previous encounters 1-0 and 2-0.

Sol striker Han Duan is on the bench with back issues; the Sol waived defender Greer Barnes earlier this week.

The game is on Fox Soccer Channel.

Updated: The Sol just scored in the 19th minute from a Aya Miyama corner kick. Canadian defender Martina Franko did well to keep the ball in the danger area and poked it toward the goal where Camile Abily appeared to turn the ball inside the post for her league-leading seventh of the season. Right now, officials are giving the goal to Franko though; they plan to review the play at the half.

Canada 0 U.S. 4

Torrance's Shannon Boxx scored the first goal; the U.S. scored three more.

Now let's get on with the WPS season.

Game details.

FC Gold Pride 0 Sol 2

Cohesive, crisp passing, a virtually impenetrable defense that has only allowed two goals en route to seven shutouts all season and Han Duan's first goal for the Sol in the road victory.

Game story.

WPS standings.

Highlights:

More women's soccer later today: at 4 p.m. it's U.S.-Canada on Fox Soccer Channel featuring Torrance's Shannon Boxx and others missing from WPS action this weekend.

Happy Mother's Day from the Qwest Field press box in downtown Seattle where fans are filtering in to watch the Galaxy plays the Sounders at noon and a win could see 1-1-5 L.A. move into a three-way tie with Colorado and Houston in the Western Conference.

I've been out of Wi-Fi range for a few days, but refreshed from an apt Pacific Northwest chowder feast last night and a scrambled egg breakfast in the press box this morning, let's do a little catching up on what's been happening with Southern California soccer while I've been vacationing.

Chivas USA (7-1-1) are now eight points clear atop MLS after beating Real Salt Lake 1-0 last night at Home Depot Center behind Paulo Nagamura's team-leading third goal of the season. The win sets up an early season showdown next Saturday in Carson with 3-1-5 D.C. United, the second-best team in the league to this point.

Read the game story here.

Check out the goal here:

In other soccer news:

*The Galaxy finally and formally announced Friday the long-anticipated game against UEFA Champions League finalists Barcelona. With the HDC unavailable due to the X Games, the game will be held 8 p.m. Aug. 1 at the Rose Bowl. Tickets go on sale "in the coming weeks."

*The WPS' Sol, which this week traded defender Kendall Fletcher, forward Christie Welsh and a 2011 second-round draft pick to Saint Louis Athletica for a conditional 2010 first-round draft pick and a 2011 first-round draft pick, play the Boston Breakers at 1 p.m. today at the HDC. First place is on the line in a rematch of last week's game that saw the Sol succumb to their first loss of the season.

*Sol defender Brittany Bock has received her second-ever national team call-up for the May 20 game against Japan in Salt Lake City. Sol midefielder Shannon Boxx is also in the 21-player squad announced earlier this week.

Back in a few minutes with the lineups.

Briefly:

*MLS "eye candy" Robbie Rogers of Rolling Hills Estates (and others) here. Also featured: Chivas USA 's 'sexy" Sacha Kljestan and rookie Galaxy defender A.J. 'the hunk" DeLaGarza.

*The U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team plays Cuba at 4 p.m. Tuesday in its opening game of the regional championships in Tijuana. No TV.

*The U.S. Women's National Team will play Canada July 19 iin Rochester, N.Y., and July 22 Charleston, S.C., it was announced today. From U.S. Soccer:

"The matches will be the last for the U.S. Women's National Team at home in 2009, but the team is scheduled to gather for training camps and a European tour following the completion of the inaugural WPS campaign."

How many minutes will Seattle's Freddie Ljungberg get Saturday against Chivas USA?

Would you pay $50 for a scarf, U.S. Soccer yearbook and a membership card? Then join the club. (If you're planning on going to South Africa it may well be worth it since members get "priority status to purchase 2010 FIFA World Cup tickets").

Briefly:

*David Beckham said the ankle he twisted Tuesday should be fine by the weekend, although it appears worse than he's letting on (sound familiar?).

*The U.S. moved up three spots to 17th in the latest (always suspect) FIFA rankings released today.

The top seven spots remained unchanged with Spain atop the pile and Croatia seventh; Mexico, BTW, moved up one spot to 23rd. Hmmm.

*UCLA goalkeeper Brian Perk got his third shutout in as many games and Chivas USA's Jorge Flores got his first start of the tournament as the U.S.Under-20 Men's National Team defeated El Salvador 2-0 Tuesday night to clinch a spot in the FIFA World Cup for the age bracket set for Egypt this fall.

*As I write this the U.S. women are trailing Sweden 1-0 in the Algarve Cup final. Heather Mitts is making her 100th U.S. appearance. Updated: Torrance's Shannon Boxx equalized in second half stoppage time, but the U.S. lost on penalties.

FYI, busy day today attending to other matters, so minimal blogging.

Updated 10 a.m. - No surprise here: MLS just awarded the 2009 MLS Cup to Seattle where more than 20,000 fans have scooped up season tickets to see the Sounders.

CONCACAF announced today that it will use a record number of U.S. venues - 13 - for the Gold Cup set for July 3-26, including the opening doubleheader of the tournament July 3 in Carson at Home Depot Center.

What teams will play where will be announced at a later date.

"While 13 cities create logistical challenges, we think the benefits of reaching out to more venues are clearly worthwhile," CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer said. "The ability of so many people to see national teams play we feel is well worth the effort."

Allow me to translate: "Playing in 13 cities will allow us to extract even more money from a tournament that clogs up the soccer calender and is diminished even further in importance because it is not played every four years in the manner of such legitimate events such as the European Championship."

Meanwhile, the U.S. women are playing Norway as I write this in a meaningless Algarve Cup game (the U.S. is already in the final).

The U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team played to a scoreless draw with Honduras Sunday and now needs at least a tie with El Salvador Tuesday to advance to the next round of the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, the qualifying tournament for the 2009 FIFA Under-20 World Cup.

UCLA goalkeeper Brian Perk recorded the shutout, while Chivas USA's Jorge Flores did not get off the bench.

Briefly:
*Chivas USA's Jorge Flores (briefly) played Friday in the got the start for the U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team's 3-0 victory over Jamaica in the opening game of the CONCACAF U-20 Championship. UCLA goalkeeper Brian Perk got the shutout. Next up: Honduras on Sunday.

*Earlier today, Natasha Kai scored the U.S. winner with a sweet volley in stoppage time in a 1-0 victory over Iceland to qualify for the Algarve Cup final in Portugal. The U.S. has one irrelevant group game left against Norway Monday. Torrance's Shannon Boxx of the Sol played the full 90 minutes for the U.S. The Sol's Kendall Fletcher didn't get off the bench again.

*CONCACAF will announce the Gold Cup venues Monday (gee, do ya think the Home Depot Center will be in there?)

*Mexico has announced its squad for Wednesday's game against Bolivia in Colorado:
goalkeepers: Guillermo Ochoa (América), José de Jesús Corona (Tecos UAG)

defenders: Juan Carlos Valenzuela (América), Julio César Domínguez (Cruz Azul), Leobardo López (Pachuca), Fausto Pinto (Cruz Azul), Oscar Rojas (América), Paúl Aguilar (Pachuca), Hugo Ayala (Atlas), Edgar Castillo (América)

midfielders: Pável Pardo (América), Leandro Augusto (UNAM), Luis Pérez (Monterrey), Israel Martínez (San Luis), Antonio Naelson (Toluca), Fernando Arce (Santos), Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul)

forwards: José María Cárdenas (Pachuca), Vicente Matias Vuoso (Santos Laguna), César Villaluz (Cruz Azul), Omar Bravo (Tigres), Sergio Santana (Toluca)

*Best of the TV games this weekend include:
4:30 a.m. Saturday Coventry City-Chelsea on Fox Soccer Channel
3 p.m. Saturday Chivas-Jaguares on KAZA
9 a.m. Sunday Everton-Middlesborough (FA Cup) on FSC
12:30 p.m. Sunday AC Milan-Atalanta (delayed) on FSC
3 p.m. Sunday Atlante-Club America on KVEA.

Briefly:

*Chivas USA scrimmage the San Jose Earthquakes at 10 a.m. today on University Field No. 2 Field at Home Depot Center.

*Former Galaxy midfielder Ned Grabavoy, an industrious player who never quite made the impact some thought he would, was picked up in the waiver draft from the Earthquakes by Real Salt Lake.

*Torrance's Shannon Boxx went the full 90 for the U.S. Women's National Team in its 2-0 Algarve Cup opener today against Denmark in Portugal. Fellow Sol player Kendall Fletcher didn't get off the bench. Next up: Iceland on Friday. (Updated: A reader points out former Bruin Tina DiMartino scored the second U.S. goal in what was her first start and second U.S. cap; Angie Woznuk of El Cajon scored the opener).

*Finally, David Beckham is so desperate to join AC Milan (or should that be leave the Galaxy), he's reportedly kicking in some cash to get the deal done.

The Galaxy's Landon Donovan is apparently too old for Germany's Bayern Munich:

MUNICH (AP) -- Landon Donovan is unlikely to stay with Bayern Munich on a longer contract once his loan expires in mid-March, according to the club's chairman.

Donovan practiced with Bayern in December and then joined the German champions during the Bundesliga's winter break in a loan deal similar to the one his Los Angeles Galaxy teammate David Beckham has with AC Milan. Donovan's loan expires March 15.

"Donovan is an interesting player," Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told the Munich newspaper TZ in an interview published Tuesday. "But when you have Klose, Toni and Olic already under contract, we think the fourth player (striker) should really be a young player with perspective."

Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni are Bayern's starting strikers, while Hamburg's Ivica Olic has been signed as a free agent for next season. Backup striker Lukas Podolski is returning to FC Cologne at the end of the season.

After arriving at Bayern, Donovan said he would be interested in a longer contract. He scored four goals in practice games and has made four appearances, all as a substitute, in the Bundesliga and the German Cup, without scoring.

Donovan failed to break through in two earlier Bundesliga stints, both with Bayer
Leverkusen.

Donovan, BTW, is all of 26 years old.

So where now for Donovan if Jurgen agrees with his chairman? Does he try somewhere else? And why aren't European clubs lining up to buy America's best-ever player? Thoughts?

In other soccer news today:

*The U.S. Women's National Team squad for the annual Algarve Cup in Portugal in March was named today and included Torrance's Shannon Boxx and Kendall Fletcher of the Sol.

The squad (in parenthesis are the number of Algarve Cups the player has participated in):

Goalkeepers - Nicole Barnhart (3) (FC Gold Pride), Hope Solo (6) (St. Louis Athletica)

Defenders - Rachel Buehler (2) (FC Gold Pride), Lori Chalupny (6) (St. Louis Athletica), Kendall Fletcher (1) (Los Angeles Sol), Heather Mitts (5) (Boston Breakers), Christie Rampone (9) (Sky Blue FC)

Midfielders - Shannon Boxx (6) (Los Angeles Sol), Tina DiMartino (1) (FC Gold Pride), Carli Lloyd (4) (Chicago Red Stars), Heather O'Reilly (7) (Sky Blue FC), Lindsay Tarpley (7) (Chicago Red Stars), Kacey White (1) (Sky Blue FC), Angie Woznuk (2) (St. Louis Athletica)

Forwards - Angela Hucles (5) (Boston Breakers), Natasha Kai (4) (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (1) (Chicago Red Stars), Amy Rodriguez (4) (Boston Breakers).

*Eight players were signed to letters of intent at the UCLA women's program it was announced today including U.S. Youth National Team players Zakiya Bywaters (Las Vegas) and Chelsea Cline (Des Moines, Iowa).

Others include defender-midfielder Sierra Mack (Anaheim/ Fullerton High) and national team pool players Lucretia Lee (Bothell, Wash.) and Ahsha Smith (Oakland).

*in the first Pepperdine's women's soccer game of the year, the program lost 2-1 to UC San Diego and then returned home to defeat UC Riverside by the same score. The Waves return to action at 10 a.m. Saturday against UC Irvine and at 1:30 p.m. against Westmont. Admission is free to all three games.

*The U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team is in Madrid, Spain, for a week-long training camp through Sunday, that includes matches against Spain, a Real Madrid youth team and Rayo Majadahonda.

Included on the squad is Carlos Martinez of San Pedro.

The WPS released the schedule for its first season today, including games for the Los Angeles Sol, which becomes the third (!) professional soccer team at Carson's Home Depot Center.

Here are the basics from the league's (edited) press release:

The previously announced home openers that begin Sunday, March 29 with the WPS inaugural match between the Los Angeles Sol and the Washington Freedom and continue during WPS Kick-Off Week with a full slate of league games on April 5 will be followed by regular weekly action over the next five months for a total of 70 league match-ups, three post-season contests and one WPS All-Star Game.

Teams will play a 20-game regular season schedule with 10 home games and 10 away games. Each team will play the other teams in the league three times with a fourth game against two regional rivals to round out the 20-game schedule. Games will be played primarily on weekends with 14 games scheduled for weeknights, primarily on Wednesdays. Weeknight games will not begin until midway through the season on June 3.

Every week, Fox Soccer Channel will broadcast "WPS Sunday on FSC" nationally to over 34 million homes with appointment television. The season culminates with the WPS Playoffs including the First Round, Super Semifinal and WPS Final. The WPS Final on August 22 will reach up to 80 million homes nationally on Fox Sports Net's owned and affiliated regional sports networks.

The WPS regular season culminates the weekend of August 8/9 with three league games. The first round of the playoffs will be played August 15, the WPS Super Semifinal is set for August 18/19 with the WPS Final scheduled for August 22 at the home field of the 2009 WPS Regular Season Champion. The All-Star Game will be played following the conclusion of the season.

The complete WPS schedule is here.

The Sol schedule is here.

In other women's soccer news, U.S. Women's National Team Coach Pia Sundhage today announced an 18-player roster for the annual 12-team Algarve Cup scheduled for March in Portugal.

Striker Abby Wambachis not included; she's not yet considered match-fit, while continuing her comeback from a broken leg.

Here's the roster:
Goalkeepers - Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Hope Solo (St. Louis Athletica)

Defenders - Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Lori Chalupny (St. Louis Athletica), Kendall Fletcher (Los Angeles Sol), Heather Mitts (Boston Breakers), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC)

Midfielders - Shannon Boxx (Los Angeles Sol), Tina DiMartino (FC Gold Pride), Carli Lloyd (Chicago Red Stars), Heather O'Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Lindsay Tarpley (Chicago Red Stars), Kacey White (Sky Blue FC), Angie Woznuk (St. Louis Athletica).

Forwards - Angela Hucles (Boston Breakers), Natasha Kai (Sky Blue FC), Megan Rapinoe (Chicago Red Stars), Amy Rodriguez (Boston Breakers).

Here's a roster breakdown from U.S. Soccer:

The U.S. roster features 13 players from the 2008 Olympic gold medal champions, including three-fourths of the starting back line in captain Christie Rampone and flank defenders Heather Mitts and Lori Chalupny. With Kate Markgraf pregnant, Olympian Rachel Buehler and uncapped Kendall Fletcher will compete for playing time, although Torrance's Shannon Boxx also trained at center back during the recently completed camp. Boxx has twice been named the MVP of the Algarve Cup (2004 and 2006).

Sundhage named three relatively inexperienced midfielders to go along with Olympians Boxx, Lindsay Tarpley, Heather O'Reilly and Lloyd. Among midfielders Angie Woznuk (6 caps, 1 goal), Tina DiMartino (1/0) and Kacey White (15/0), only Woznuk has attended the Algarve Cup before, playing in two matches last year.

The U.S. plays Demark, Iceland and Norway in the opening round of the Algarve Cup.

Lastly, Chivas USA midfielder Jorge Flores and UCLA goalkeeper Brian Perk are among a 26-player group that will train in Bradenton, Fla., until Feb. 15 as part of final preparations for the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, which takes place in Trinidad and Tobago from March 6-15.

After the camp, U.S. Coach Thomas Rongen will name a 20-player squad for the championship.

I'm back from Vegas, but still technically on vacation until Monday.

Still, since I'm scanning on-line what I missed, I may as well pass along what I'm reading:

*The Galaxy players hit the field for the first time Wednesday at Home Depot Center and the Galaxy released their pre-season roster.

Noted:
*Projected starting right back Sean Franklin went under the knife in Germany to resolve a hernia injury he picked up training with the national team. Given the struggles we've seen the likes of Chivas USA striker Maykel Galindo endure to come back from hernia surgery, Franklin must instantly be a doubt for the March 22 season opener, no matter what the club says. More here.

*The Galaxy confirmed Tuesday the acquisition of midfielder Dema Kovalenko from Real Salt Lake in exchange for allocation money and a conditional draft pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. The 10-year MLS veteran has made 220 MLS appearances for the likes of the D.C. United, Chicago Fire and Red Bulls, (scoring 37 goals and adding 38 assists) so he's a known commodity for Coach Bruce Arena:

"I have the greatest respect for Dema. He is a very good player and a winner," he said. "His work ethic and competitiveness will be a real plus for our team."

He arrives in camp the South Bay late Thursday.

*There are 33 players on the roster with 24 in camp; 20 were with the Galaxy last year. Trialists include the Venezuelan defender (Bautista) I mentioned last week and veteran U.S. defender Tony Sannah, 37, who has been slowed by injuries and missed all of last season.

*Newly acquired goalkeeper Ricketts and top draft pick Gonzalez arrive next week.

* Landon Donovan scored a second goal Monday for Bayern Munich.

*Chivas USA opens camp this coming Wednesday.

*The U.S. women kicked off a 25-player, 17-day camp in Carson Tuesday ahead of the Algarve Cup in Portugal in March. What's most notable about the roster U.S. Soccer released? It includes players' WPS affiliation for the first time:

goalkeepers - Nicole Barnhart (FC Gold Pride), Hope Solo (St. Louis Athletica)

defenders - Rachel Buehler (FC Gold Pride), Lori Chalupny (St. Louis Athletica), Stephanie Cox (Los Angeles Sol), Marian Dalmy (Chicago Red Stars), Kendall Fletcher (Los Angeles Sol), Heather Mitts (Boston Breakers), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC)

midfielders - Shannon Boxx (Los Angeles Sol), Tina DiMartino (FC Gold Pride), Tobin Heath (North Carolina), Carli Lloyd (Chicago Red Stars), Christine Nairn (Penn State), Heather O'Reilly (Sky Blue FC), Lindsay Tarpley (Chicago Red Stars), Kacey White (Sky Blue FC), Angie Woznuk (St. Louis Athletica)

forwards - Tina Ellertson (St. Louis Athletica), Angela Hucles (Boston Breakers), Natasha Kai (Sky Blue FC), Ella Masar (Chicago Red Stars), Megan Rapinoe (Chicago Red Stars), Amy Rodriguez (Boston Breakers), Abby Wambach (Washington Freedom).

*The weekly Thursday night MLS game has either been dropped or had 27 of 37 scheduled games moved to other days or nights depending on who is doing the spinning. MLS claims the move gives the league greater flexibility; media reports have cited generally crummy ratings on Thursdays that fell more than 12 percent last year and were on par with the Arena Football League. And we know what happened to their 2009 season.

"It also provides more flexibility for Chivas USA and the Galaxy to appear on ESPN if we have Saturday night games (due to the HDC ordinance with weekday games)," MLS spokesman Dan Courtemanche observed in an e-mail to me while I was away.

The complete MLS schedule will be out by month's end.

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.

In Detroit tonight, it was U.S. 1 China 0. Attendance: 11,933 (in economically depressed Michigan on a freezing night, a far better attendance than at the HDC).

Game story.

Gratuitous list of the week.

Sacha Kljestan's Olympic goal against Holland was the U.S. Soccer Goal of the Year. (Click on day 3).

And thanks to everyone who participated in the annual Daily Breeze ball drive. The final score was 3,500 - a record.