U.S. Youth Teams: July 2008 Archives

Apologies, busy with a big project and not much time to blog.

A few things to pass along:

*Pacific Palisades-based W-League team Pali Blues defeated reigning champion Washington Freedom 2-0 earlier tonight earning a berth in Saturday's final against FC Indiana. Game reports here. The final will air on Fox Soccer Channel at 8 p.m. Saturday (despite the wrong date being given at this writing in the link).

*Set your TiVo alert. David Beckham appears on the season opener of Sesame Street Aug. 22. Oh, and his latest pithy blog entry is here, too. But really check out the muppet (no, not Abel Xavier) with Elmo, um, Becks.

*Almost as surreal; Chivas USA's blog brings us up to date on the team news - from an LAX gate waiting area. There's Jim Curtin reading a magazine, Alecko Eskandarian slouching in a chair and stand-in Coach Mike Matkovich grabbing a Starbucks while reveling in the suspended Preki's absence from the bench Saturday:

"I don't think it would make much difference [not to have Preki in the bench] to be honest."

Well, OK I took that quote out of context. But that constant yelling can drive you nuts, huh Mike?

More on Chivas USA as they wait for their airplane to Chicago is here.

*Neither Jorge Flores of Chivas USA or goalkeeper Brian Perk of UCLA got on the field Wednesday as the U.S. Men's Under-20 Team beat their Wales counterparts 4-0 in the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland. FC Dallas midfielder Brek Shea scored a brace (and I just like using that word). Next: Belgium in the third place game early Friday our time.

Well, let's hope there's no repeat of Tuesday's temblor, but it seemed an apt headline in more ways than one as you'll find out if you keep reading.

*The U.S. Men's Olympic Team drew 0-0 with the Ivory Coast in Hong Kong in what was the wee hours of the morning our time. Cameroon is up Saturday in the final tune-up before the games begin.

*The Galaxy have finally confirmed their interest in Nolberto Solano (noteworthy in that Galaxy officials usually never confirm that sort of thing).

*Meanwhile, ultimate Soccer Insider Steven Goff reports on "rumblings" (told ya) that Galaxy owner Uncle Phil Anschutz is "none too pleased" with the performance of his team.

One would think General Manager Alexi Lalas might be on the hot seat, so why has Coach Ruud Gullit put his home up for sale? Especially considering the crummy housing market right now and the fact he presumably hasn't owned it long. Take a peek.

*The winner of tonight's second SuperLiga semifinal between the New England Revolution and Atlante (live 5 p.m. on Telefutura) will face Houston in next week's final after the Dynamo Tuesday dispatched cup holders Pachuca, 2-0.

*Lastly, AYSO has come home.

Mark your calendar. Set your TiVo. Here's your soccer week in Southern California.

Sunday:
*Real So Cal Boys Under-16 Team lost 2-0 to Dallas Texans Red at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships.

*Also, the Galaxy Reserves drew 2-2 with Dallas through goals by Alan Gordon and Bryan Jordan.

Today:
*Chivas USA midfielder Jorge "Sueno" Flores played 90 minutes in the U.S. Under-20 National Team loss to hosts Northern Ireland in the Milk Cup. Next on Wednesday: Wales.

Tuesday:
*SuperLiga resumes tonight with the Houston Dynamo and Pachuca clashing at 7 on Telefutura in the first semifinal; Wednesday it's Atlante-New England.

No LA teams involved now that Chivas USA is out so why am I mentioning this? See Tuesday's column.

Wednesday;
*Brad Guzan, Sacha Kljestan and the rest of the U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team plays at 2:30 a.m. our time against the Ivory Coast in the ING Cup, a warm-up for the Olympics.

Thursday:
*The W-League Pali Blues play at the Washington Freedom in the semifinals; in the other game the FC Indiana Lionesses play the Seattle Sounders. The final is Saturday.

Saturday:
*Chivas USA (6-6-4) visits Chicago (7-5-5) and Cuauhtémoc Blanco. Chivas USA is two points behind Real Salt Lake for the Western Conference lead.

*Rolling Hills Estates-based Ajax America Women play in the Women's Premier League Final Four as the Pacific champion against Arizona (Big Sky), New England (East) and the winner today of the match between Midwest champion MYSC Lady Blues and Sunshine Conference champion Brevard County Cocoa Expos for the final berth.

Ajax beat West Coast FC 2-0 Sunday to qualify.

Sunday:
The Galaxy plays at San Jose at noon on Telefutura.

The non-stop running of Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan was the subject of this Olympic preview story.

And UCLA goalkeeper Brian Perk and Chivas USA midfielder Jorge "Sueno" Flores of Anaheim were named to the U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team that will play in the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland beginning Monday.

Plenty of Southern California representation on the Olympics roster announced today by Coach Peter Nowak.

Locals include soon-to-be-ex-Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan, Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Fontana's Maurice Edu (Toronto) and former Bruins Marvelle Wynne (Toronto), Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo) and Benny Feilhaber (Derby County).

Notable omissions: the Galaxy's Landon Donovan (needed by the full national team for World Cup qualifying) and former Bruins Chad Barrett and Sal Zizzo (who is trying to establish himself with Hannover in Germany).

The complete squad:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake).

DEFENDERS (5): Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Nathan Sturgis (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC).

MIDFIELDERS (7): Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Danny Szetela (Brescia Calcio).

FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Brian McBride (out of contract), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew).

McBride sounds like he's going to enjoy the Olympics as one of three over-age players on the squad judging by his tale of how he got on the roster:

"It's actually a pretty funny story. We had just finished a game against West Ham and [Men's National Team player] Jonathan Spector was outside the locker room and [Olympic Team assistant coach] Lubos Kubik was there with him - they were just talking. I knew Lubos from when he played with the Fire and Jonathan and I are pretty good friends. So, we all just started talking and all of the sudden Jonathan said jokingly 'Lubos, did you hear Brian wants to play in the Olympics?' After a few more jokes I told Lubos that I would seriously consider it if he would. Then I threw it out as just talk at the time, but a few days later, Peter [Nowak] called me! I was a little shocked but that's really when it became an interest and a possibility. The idea has come a long way since then but it was pretty crazy at the time. I just feel terrible that Jonathan ended up getting injured, as I know that he really deserves to be there, too."

Reporter Phil Collin caught up to Kljestan after last night's SuperLiga game and asked how he felt about leaving Chivas USA in the middle of the tournament:

"It's tough. ... After (the SuperLiga game) Sunday I switch my focus to the Olympic team. That's something I've dreamed about for 22 years now. It's exciting, it's going to be crazy. I'd feel terrible if I have to leave this team going into the semifinal game, but that's the way international football is sometimes. Unlucky for us that this tournament falls right in the middle of summer and right when I have to leave for the Olympics. It's tough, but on the other hand I'm going to the Olympics.

And so is once and former teammate Guzan. Reading between the lines, he's going because Aston Villa projects him as a backup to Brad Friedel or ? and so is unconcerned the Olympics clash with the EPL season:

"We're all very happy for Brad. We know sooner or later he will be the first (choice) keeper - I'm not saying he's not going to be right now."

Here's Nowak on Rogers' inclusion:

"In the last couple of months Robbie Rogers started to play the game everybody loves to see him play," adding that he has "worked on stuff he didn't work on before."

Here's more from U.S. Soccer on the team's timetable:

The U.S. will begin their final preparation for the Beijing Olympics on Sunday with six days of domestic training in San Jose. The team will then depart for Hong Kong, where they will participate in the ING Cup, facing fellow Olympic participants Ivory Coast on July 30 and Cameroon on Aug. 2.

Notable:
*A dozen players on the Olympic roster have played for the full national team.
*Eleven players were on the Olympics qualifying roster.
*Players on the roster were drawn from eight different leagues around the world.

Also today: Striker Lauren Cheney (UCLA) will replace the injured Abby Wambach on the U.S. women's Olympic team, U.S. Soccer officials announced today. The 20-year-old has 12 caps and three goals for the U.S., including two this year.

Today:
Palos Verdes' John Thorrington was named MLS Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters after his stoppage time winner against Toronto FC for the Chicago Fire.

Tuesday
As the MLS transfer window opens the Galaxy could announce who gets cut today to make room for new signing Eduardo Dominguez, the Argentine defender. Pete Vagenas? Abel Xavier? Or does he have a guranteed contract? Greg Vanney?

MLS All-Star coach Steve Nicol will announce his five All-Star picks while MLS Commissioner Don Garber will announce his two to complete the 18-player roster for the July 24 game against West Ham United.

Wednesday
Chivas USA plays the second SuperLiga group game against Mexican champions Santos Laguna at 7 p.m. live on Telefutura. The Mexicans lost 1-0 to the New England Revolution on the weekend, which plays Pachuca at 5 p.m.

On Tuesday it's D.C. United vs. Atlante in the early game followed by Houston Dynamo vs. CD Guadalajara.

Thursday
The 18-player U.S. Men's Olympic Team roster is announced.

Friday
The U.S. Under-17 Women's National Team plays the first game of World Cup qualifying against Costa Rica in Trinidad. Forward Samantha Johnson of Palmdale is on the roster.

Saturday
The 6-6-4 Galaxy, who haven't won in four games, plays at 3:30 p.m. on Fox Soccer Channel against the 5-6-5 Red Bulls in a rematch of last year's 5-4 New York win before more than 66,000.

Notes:
Galaxy goalkeeper Vito Higgins is out four to six weeks after suffering a fracture of his right foot that was discovered before Friday's reserve game against Chivas USA.

Results Sunday:
PDL
Lancaster Rattlers 2 San Francisco Seals 3
Orange County Blue Star 1 Ventura County Fusion 0

Standings.

W-League
Real Colorado Cougars 2 Ventura County Fusion 0
Standings.

WPSL
Claremont Stars 1 Ajax America Women 4
SD United 4 Los Angeles Rampage 0

Standings.

Briefly:

*As expected, Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan seems finally on his way to Aston Villa.

*The mighty Galaxy reserves got their first victory today of the season, beating Chivas USA 5-3 on a brace apiece from Carlos Ruiz and Alan Gordon, while young Izzy Sesay got the final goal. The Galaxy moved to 1-3-1 on the season.

*The U.S. Under-20 National Team (without injured Chivas USA sueno Jorge Flores) beat Mexico 3-0 tonight in Texas, with UCLA goalkeeper Brian Perk and midfielder Eder Arreola getting starts.

*Samantha Johnson of Palmdale made the 20-player roster for the U.S. Under-17 Women's National Team that will compete beginning Thursday in qualifying for the inaugural U-17 World Cup set for later this year in New Zealand.

UCLA goalkeeper Valerie Henderson and midfielder Tina DiMartino were named today to the U.S. Under-23 Women's National Team roster for the eight-team Nordic Cup scheduled for July 15-21 in Sweden.

DiMartino has five appearances and two goals for the U-23 team and has also played on the full national team; Henderson has made 10 appearances with the U-23 team.

"With the new pro league on the horizon, and the next Women's World Cup three years away, this tournament is extremely valuable for these players," said Coach Bill irwin, whose team will defend the Nordic Cup title it won last year. "Some of them have seen time with the national team, but haven't quite broken in. This is their chance to show that they can perform in a difficult tournament competition."

Complete tournament details and roster.

Long Beach State became the latest school to release its fall schedule today.

The Big West champion, which returns all but one starter from last year's team, will play a 20-game schedule beginning Aug. 22. The complete schedule is here.

Chivas USA midfielder Jorge Flores is not expected to play against the Galaxy on Thursday after he suffered a sprained right ankle during training on Monday.

Updated: Flores' injury means he also misses the U.S. Under-20 National Team game in Texas Friday against Mexico. The Anaheim native and reality TV show winner has three goals in six games for Chivas USA this season. - Nick Green

*The U.S. Women's National Team is playing Norway right now. The truly fanatical can follow along on MatchTracker here.

*The Revolution plays the Galaxy Friday marking the first time former Los Angeles defender Chris Albright has played his old team since his trade to New England.

"I was kind of hurt by it. I was just kind of thrown away like that," Albright told the Riverside Press Enterprise.

Read the whole thing here.

*Loyola Marymount has released its 2008 men's soccer schedule.

*ESPN Deportes' coverage of the Germany-Spain Euro 2008 Final Sunday was one of the highest-rated sporting events on Spanish-language television so far this year with a 10.08 rating.

*UCLA's Brian Perk (Rancho Santa Margarita) and Eder Arreola (Chino Hills) as well as Chivas USA's Jorge Flores (Anaheim) were named to a 16-player roster for the U.S. Under-20 National Team that will play Mexico July 12 in Laredo, Texas.