Wednesday's Telly

11:30 a.m. ESPN2 Manchester United-Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League Final.

4:30 p.m. Direct Kick Toronto FC-D.C. United.

Bradley's Boys

goalkeepers Dominic Cervi (Out of Contract), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton FC); defenders Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Dan Califf (FC Midtjylland), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United); midfielders Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Eddie Lewis (Derby County); forwards Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Nate Jaqua (Out of Contract), Eddie Johnson (Fulham FC), Josh Wolff (Out of Contract).

And here's the England squad:

David James (Portsmouth), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Chris Kirkland (Wigan); Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Wes Brown (Manchester United), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), John Terry (Chelsea), Stephen Warnock (Blackburn), David Wheater (Middlesbrough), Jonathan Woodgate (Middlesbrough); Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy), David Bentley (Blackburn), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough), Owen Hargreaves (Manchester United), Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Jermaine Jenas (Tottenham), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Ashley Young (Aston Villa); forwards Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa), Dean Ashton (West Ham), Peter Crouch (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Portsmouth), Michael Owen (Newcastle), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United).

Galaxy Gossip

Tidbits on a date with the knife for Gullit, Galaxy UEFA Champions League final picks (c'mon, name names) here.

Under-20 Galaxy Rios forward Tristan Bowen has been named the to the U.S. Under-18 Men's National Team for the upcoming Lisbon International Tournament, where the U.S. will take on Norway on May 21, Portugal on May 22 and Sweden on May 24. The team plays at the HDC Saturday in the season opener.

Also named: defender Jose Diaz (Chivas USA Academy) and midfielder Mike Roman (Real So Cal).

Foxy Programming

That includes the F.A. Cup as well as the final, finally back on free TV in the U.S.

Other games include the Community Shield and England internationals.

FSC also snared rights to the CONCACAF Champions League, for four seasons beginning in 2008/2009. FSC airs 56 games this year.

Posted by Nick Green at 2:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Galaxy's Landon Donovan Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers of the Columbus Crew, Fontana's Maurice Edu of FC Toronto and Chivas USA's Brad Guzan and Sacha Kljestan were among a pool of 33 players U.S. Coach Bob Bradley has selected for consideration for three upcoming friendlies.

Rogers is one of five uncapped players included in the pool. Others looking for their first cap: San Luis Obispo's Chris Seitz, Orange's Michael Orozco, Modesto's Heath Pierce and goalkeepers Troy Perkins and Dominic Cervi.

DaMarcus Beasley returns to the squad after injury.

There is at least one surprise. Or as one colleague so eloquently put it when he saw the pool: (former Galaxy forward) "Nate frikkin Jaqua???"

Prominent names not included: Reading goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann, Bobby Convey (injured) and Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein of Los Alamitos, who suffered a serious knee injury last week.

Pool: goalkeepers Dominic Cervi (Out of Contract), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton FC), Troy Perkins (Valerenga IF), Chris Seitz (Real Salt Lake); defenders Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham FC), Dan Califf (FC Midtjylland), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Jonathan Spector (West Ham United); midfielders Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Eddie Lewis (Derby County), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids); forwards Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Nate Jaqua (Out of Contract), Eddie Johnson (Fulham FC), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Josh Wolff (1860 Munich).

The U.S., which is on a five-game unbeaten run, plays in England May 28, Spain June 4 and against Argentina in New Jersey June 8. The three games lead up to the June 15 opening World Cup qualifier against Barbados at Home Depot Center.

The 22-man roster for the England game will be announced next week.

Said Bradley: "With the challenging schedule of friendlies we have organized to prepare for World Cup qualifying, this is an excellent opportunity to continue to evaluate our player pool and at the same time balance the workload. Many of our players have just completed seasons in Europe, and the MLS schedule is in full swing, so it is important that we manage the time wisely to give ourselves the best chance to be successful in the important matches this summer."

Posted by Nick Green at 11:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

U.S. Soccer announced the game this afternoon.

From the press release:

The U.S. Men’s National Team will face Argentina at Giants Stadium June 8 to cap off a blockbuster trio of friendlies before kicking off 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying. The match against the world’s No. 1 ranked team follows a two-game tour in Europe where the U.S. will take on England May 28 in London and Spain June 4 in Santander.

The match against Argentina will kickoff at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN Classic and Galavision.

"Argentina is clearly one of the best teams in the world and playing against an opponent of that caliber is a great opportunity for our team," said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. "Combined with the matches against England and Spain, we have put together a very good schedule to help us prepare for World Cup qualifying. We expect it will be a fantastic crowd at Giants Stadium, and we are looking forward to an exciting atmosphere."

The U.S. begins the quest to qualify for their sixth-consecutive World Cup finals when they take on Barbados on June 15 at Home Depot Center. The second leg of the home-and-away series will be played either June 21 or 22 in Barbados. Prior to the USA’s first World Cup qualifier, the U.S. will have faced six teams that have been ranked in the top 15 in the world since 2007 – Argentina, Brazil, England, Mexico, Sweden and Spain.

The U.S. has played top-ranked Argentina eight times in their history, holding a lifetime record of 2-6-0 against the South American juggernaut. Of those eight matches, only three have been played in the United States, with the other five taking place in neutral sites. The two U.S. victories include a 3-0 upset of the defending champions in the group phase of the 1995 Copa America, and a 1-0 win in 1999 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., when a Joe-Max Moore goal was the difference.

The teams last met during the 2007 Copa America, with the Argentines outclassing a young and inexperienced U.S. team in their 4-1 win in Venezuela.

Posted by Nick Green at 2:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a result that emphasized the increasing importance of set-pieces in international soccer, the U.S. beat Poland 3-0 today with the Galaxy's Landon Donovan supplying two assists from corner kicks and Eddie Lewis scoring the third from a free kick. Game story here, overly enthusiastic details here.

David Beckham notched his 100th appearance for England, a yellow card and the general consensus that this game should be his last for the national team.

In other results, the Koreas drew in a game more important than the result, the U.S. learned it will play Barbados in the opening World Cup qualifier in June 15 at Home Depot Center, and the Canadians figured out how they will choose a CONCACAF Champions League entrant from all of three teams.

Posted by Nick Green at 7:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While the Galaxy's David Beckham is winning his 100th cap for England today in a game only available on pay channel Sentanta here, the 28th-ranked U.S. led by Landon Donovan will wear its new anthracite (charcoal grayish?) away jersey for the first time against 24th-ranked Poland in a game shown live at 12:30 p.m. on Fox Soccer Channel.

Meanwhile, Mexico plays Ghana in London at 12:30 p.m. on Univision Telemundo among a host of other international games on tap.

Posted by Nick Green at 7:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Busy over the Easter weekend?

Here's a recap.

David Beckham is looking at cap No. 100 - and beyond - for England against France Wednesday, Landon Donovan is eying cap No. 99 - and beyond - for the U.S. against Poland the same night, while the U.S. fell to Honduras 1-0 Sunday in a meaningless end to Olympic qualifying in Nashville, Tenn.

Posted by Nick Green at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Qualification for the Olympics is at stake at 6 p.m. tonight live on Fox Soccer Channel for the U.S. and Canada.

As expected, David Beckham was recalled to the England squad, while the U.S. game against England May 28 in London has been confirmed.

Closer to home, Chivas USA defender Alex Zotinca may be out for the season and the Red & White Wednesday thumped Cal State Fullerton.

Lastly, the Galaxy announced that AM 570 KLAC (home of the Lakers) will broadcast at least 24 games this season.

Posted by Nick Green at 8:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Already a busy day in soccer so let's get to it:

The U.S. Women's National Team decisively defeated Norway 4-0 Monday to reach Wednesday's Algarve Cup final in Portugal against Denmark.

Former U.S. star Hugo Perez and former U.S. women's Coach Anson Dorrance were elected to the veteran and builder categories respectively, the National Soccer Hall of Fame announced today. Palos Verdes' Joy Fawcett was yet again denied entrance, though.

Chivas USA's striking duo of Maykel Galindo and Ante Razov (who scored a goal) started for the first time this preseason, but that wasn't enough to prevent Toronto FC winning 3-2 Sunday in San Antonio, Texas.

Finally, Chivas USA put their single-game tickets on sale today, with seats starting at $14.

Posted by Nick Green at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For what it's worth, English tabloids were aflutter this weekend with "exclusive" news of an apt opponent and venue for the Galaxy's David Beckham to collect that 100th England cap he craves.

More here and here. No confirmation from U.S. Soccer.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy begin the second week of training camp today. Here's an update from the team on who remains in camp:

Thirty-three players, including eight of the club’s 10 draft picks will begin their second week of training with the Galaxy on Monday. With just more than a week remaining before the club’s first preseason game and the team scheduled to fly to Hawaii in one week, Ruud Gullit and the rest of his coaching staff will be continuing the club’s preparations for the Pan Pacific Championship and the opening match against Gamba Osaka on February 20.

Forward Landon Donovan was the last player under contract to enter camp, training for the first time on Friday after helping the U.S. National Team earn a 2-2 draw with Mexico in a friendly last week in Houston.

While four trialists were released from camp last week, one new face joined Galaxy camp over the weekend as 2007 USL First Division Rookie of the Year Jay Needham arrived in Los Angeles. The Texas native played for the Puerto Rico Islanders in 2007 after being selected by D.C. United in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. A central defender who is also capable of playing as a defensive midfielder, Needham played four years at SMU and was named a finalist for the Hermann Trophy as a senior in 2006, one year after he helped lead SMU to the College Cup.

Finally, former Galaxy striker Clint Mathis made a huge impression this weekend on his debut in Greece, scoring a vital late equalizer for his struggling new team.

Posted by Nick Green at 8:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Super (International) Wednesday

The undefeated streak against Mexico has hit 10 games despite their speed threatening to overpower the U.S. at times, Josi Altidore keeps justifying the hype and Coach Bob Bradley gave promising youngsters valuable experience in a hostile environment that will serve the U.S. well in the World Cup qualifying games to come.

Video highlights are here.

Speaking of ... the U.S. was no closer to discovering which opening World Cup qualifying match opponent it will face in Carson after Barbados and Dominica tied.

And former Galaxy defender Tyrone Marshall popped up at the last moment to save Jamaica against Costa Rica. (Reuters got his club wrong you'll note; Marshall was traded to Toronto).

MLS Training Camp Update

College Notes

From the (edited) press release:

Arena was an assistant coach at George Mason last season and a volunteer coach for the University of Virginia in 2006.

Arena was responsible for player development, recruiting and scheduling at George Mason in 2007. At Virginia in 2006, he helped the Cavaliers advance to the NCAA Semifinals, where they lost to UCLA.

Arena played three seasons in MLS, spending the 2003 and 2004 seasons with the MetroStars and the 2005 season with DC United. In 2002, Arena was a member of the U.S. Under-23 National Team and was also a member of the U.S. Under-20 National Team from 2000-2001.

At the University of Virginia, Arena started in 65 of 78 games played at midfield from 1999-2002, totaling 24 career points off seven goals (including three game-winners) and 10 assists.

“Kenny Arena arrives with a great deal of experience both as a player and as a young coach who comes from a great soccer pedigree,” said UCLA head coach Jorge Salcedo. “Our players are looking forward to learning from the great experiences he has had in Major League Soccer with New York and DC United.”

In addition, UCLA goalkeeper Val Henderson and USC captain Ashley Nick were selected for the U.S. Under-23 team that will play three games in Spain Feb. 11-16 against England, Norway and Germany.

Finally, UCLA defender Lauren Barnes and USC’s Kasey Johnson and goalkeeper Kristin Olsen received call-ups to the U.S. Under-20 National Team that will play three games in Chile, site of the 2008 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup Nov. 20-Dec. 7. The U.S. takes on England Monday, Norway Feb. 13 and Chile Feb. 15.

Posted by Nick Green at 1:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, not really.

But how many casual readers would read a post headlined "I love the culture and the people, but harbor a healthy disdain for the Mexican National Team"?

I share the same perception of Mexican futbol some Europeans have of American foreign policy: it's perceived as insular and arrogant. And that provides motivation.

There's really only two things you need to know about today's U.S.-Mexico game in Houston: The U.S. is unbeaten at home against Mexico, outscoring them 15-1 along the way. And the Mexicans want to change that. Badly.

I spent part of last weekend talking to the likes of former U.S. internationals Mike Sorber and Chivas USA Coach Preki and current internationals Brad Guzan and Brad Davis about why the U.S. has Mexico's number these days, at least "at home" (Mexican fans will, as usual, far outnumber American fans at the game).

There were no good observations.

"The U.S. has grown as a football nation," offered Preki, but that doesn't really shed much light on the American dominance over a nation filled with accomplished, highly-technical and highly-paid futbol players. Most soccer observers would contend the domestic Mexican league is better than the one here, so you can't simply say MLS is the reason either., even though that has surely helped. Has the U.S. simply psyched Mexico's players out?

No matter. It makes for a great rivalry. The game is at 6 p.m. on ESPN2.

Want more?

Columnist Paul Oberjuerge has some thoughts about why Americans should care about the game.

Grahame L. Jones over at The Times provides context and perspective on the increasing importance of the game to both the U.S., Mexico and the growth of the sport.

And U.S. Soccer has more details and facts and figures than you can shake a stats book at here and here, including details of the extensive ESPN coverage.

Get that healthy hate, um disdain, on.

Posted by Nick Green at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Not one MLS team (the Galaxy), not two (Chivas USA), not three (New York Red Bulls), but four (San Jose Earthquakes) are in camp at Carson's Home Depot Center.

Former Galaxy Coach Frank Yallop and his Earthquakes (sounds like an excellent name for a polka band, doesn't it?) play Feb. 22 and Feb. 24 against the Columbus Crew and D.C.United respectively in San Luis Obispo, incidentally. Ticket details are here.

The Galaxy listed 35 players on its pre-season camp roster including EPL veteran Celestine Babayaro, whose signing was (finally) confirmed today by GM Alexi Lalas. Babayaro is in town, but awaiting a work visa.

And, yes, Beckham was in camp enduring Super Bowl-related questions (I kid you not) from television media types.

Players listed as on trial with the Galaxy include: Liberian international Prince Daye and Temple High graduate Bryan Jordan.

The Galaxy will endure two training seassions a day under new Coach Ruud Gullit who players already know will be a far harder taskmaster than Yallop.

Still, players expect a more stable environment than last year's circus.

"You never knew who was going to be in the locker next to you," said midfielder Kyle Martino, fully recovered from the hernia operation he had in the off-season.

Chivas USA listed 38 players and likewise confirmed the long-anticipated signing of Swiss international Raphael Wicky. He wasn't speaking to the media today; Chivas has set a 9 a.m. Tuesday press conference to introduce him.

Other notables on trial with Chivas USA include Mike Munoz, who played a handful of minutes for Chivas USA during their inaugural season and whose girlfriend waged a media campaign to get the team to resign him; Fontana resident Chukwudi Chijindu and 2002 Japanese World Cup veteran Takayuki Suzuki

The complete MLS schedule is set for release Thursday, by the way.

I'll have more on the opening day of camp in Tuesday's column.

Finally, U.S. Soccer confirmed today the opening U.S. World Cup qualifier is set for Home Depot Center June 15 against either Barbados or the Dominican Republic.

The (edited) press release:

Kickoff for the first U.S. match of the 2010 qualifying campaign is set for 2 p.m. PT, with broadcast details still to be finalized. The U.S. will face the winner of the first round series between Barbados and Dominica, who will meet on Feb. 6 in Dominica and March 26 in Barbados.

“We are very much looking forward to beginning the process of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup,” said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley. “We have been preparing for more than a year, and selecting a venue for the match really gives us a target for everyone to focus on for the next few months. The Home Depot Center has been a great host for the national team, and we are hoping to continue our run of good results there.”

The June 15 match represents the USA’s first World Cup qualifier played in Carson. The U.S. boasts an unbeaten 5-0-1 record at the HDC, including two victories during the group stage of their 2007 Gold Cup championship-winning run last year. In their opening match of 2008, goals by Eddie Robinson and Landon Donovan lifted the USA to a 2-0 win against Sweden. It is also the first World Cup qualifying match that the U.S. MNT has played in Southern California since a 1-1 draw with Trinidad & Tobago on May 13, 1989 in Torrance.

The U.S. has never faced Dominica and only played Barbados twice in the Men’s National Team’s 91-year history. The only meetings between the U.S. and Barbados took place in the Semifinal Round of 2002 World Cup qualifying in a group that also included Guatemala and Costa Rica. The U.S. dominated both matches, winning 7-0 on Aug. 16, 2000, in Foxborough, Mass., before cruising to a 4-0 victory in the final group match on Nov. 15, a win that booked the USA’s passage to the final phase.

Should the U.S. advance, the semifinal round will take place from August to November, with the teams divided into three groups of four teams each. Playing a six-game round robin format, the top two finishers from each group will advance to the final six-team group that will play in 2009. The U.S. could potentially face Guatemala, Trinidad & Tobago and Cuba should each country advance out of their early-round series.

CONCACAF World Cup qualifying began Sunday, by the way.

Posted by Nick Green at 3:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There aren't many top soccer players who, after getting off a transatlantic flight at 6 p.m. the night before in the wake of the most crushing week of their professional career, would go to a national team practice and then immediately hold a media roundtable for half an hour.

But Brad Guzan did today after his proposed $4 million transfer to Aston Villa fell through because he was unable to meet the criteria for a U.K. work permit. That's class.

Guzan was clearly trying to remain composed and expressed hope Villa could revive their interest in the summer transfer window.

"It's definitely been a crazy past week," he said of a period of frenzied negotiations and twists and turns that reportedly saw Villa double Celtic's initial bid. "I think I've been able to deal with it. It's a tough pill to swallow."

"They'll watch my progress over the next couple of months," he added. "We'll see what the summer brings."

"It feels good to be back with the family," Guzan said at one point, evoking a certain mob movie.

Indeed, Coach Preki seemed to go out of his way to try and cheer Guzan up.

"You've got to give me a few bucks to keep you in the line-up," Preki joked at one point.

"It's not about money," he said later of what would have been a mega-bucks move for Guzan."He just wanted to be here and train with me."

Then Guzan was off to Texas for next week's U.S.-Mexico game.

With clubs of the stature of Villa and Celtic interested in Guzan, it's only a matter of time (and the requisite number of national team appearances) before he moves even further afield for good.

Posted by Nick Green at 7:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Blogging is late since I headed out to the U.S. training camp this morning just before the roster for Wednesday's game in Texas against Mexico was announced.

Nine players from Bob Bradley's 20-player Home Depot Center training camp joined another 13 - all but three with European teams - on the U.S. squad announced today for Wednesday's game in Texas against Houston.

The major surprise inclusion: the Dynamo's uncapped defender Stuart Holden.

The full roster - goalkeepers Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Tim Howard (Everton); defenders Carlos Bocanegra (Fulham), Ramiro Corrales (SK Brann), Drew Moor (FC Dallas), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock), Eddie Robinson (Houston Dynamo); midfielders Freddy Adu (SL Benfica,), Michael Bradley (SC Heerenveen), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Bobby Convey (Reading), Brian Davis (Houston Dynamo), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Benny Feilhaber (Derby County), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Eddie Lewis (Derby County); forwards Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Pat Noonan (Aalesund FK).

Guzan, Moor, Robinson, Parkhurst, Corrales, Donovan, Clark, Edu, Davis, Altidore and Noonan all played last month against Sweden in Carson.

The Wizards' Jimmy Conrad, defender Clarence Goodson, the Fire's Chris Rolfe and the largely unknown Jeremiah White, who plays in Scandanavia -- and who all played against Sweden - were dropped.

Striker Taylor Twellman is out injured.

Full details here.

Guzan, who arrived back from Europe at 6 p.m. Friday, chatted with local media after practice about his abortive move to England's Aston Villa. I'll have more on that later.

Posted by Nick Green at 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chivas Chatter

Guzan and Everton's Tim Howard are likely to share U.S. goalkeeping duties for years to come.

It's been a pleasure watching Guzan mature between the posts at Home Depot Center and the move is well-deserved. Still, local soccer reporters never like to see someone like the always quotable Guzan exit the locker room. And considering the state of the Chivas USA roster - no goalkeepers listed you'll notice - new Chivas USA goalkeeping coach Leo Percovich is probably wondering about his job security.

Here's more on Percovich's appointment Tuesday from the (edited) Chivas USA press release:

A native of Montevideo, Uruguay, Percovich served as goalkeeper coach for the Colorado Rapids from 2006 to 2007. He replaces Zak Abdel, Chivas USA’s goalkeeper coach from 2006 to 2007, who has left the club to pursue other opportunities.

“Leo’s professionalism and playing experience at the highest level will serve our goalkeepers and our team well as we prepare for the 2008 campaign,” said Chivas USA Head Coach Preki. “I am confident he will capably fill the shoes of Zak Abdel, who did outstanding work for us during his time with Chivas USA.”

Percovich, 39, joins Chivas USA from the Colorado Rapids, where starting in August 2006 he worked with 2006 Panasonic Goalkeeper of the Year finalist Joe Cannon, and later with Bouna Coundoul, who enjoyed a breakout 2007 season and was named to the Senegalese National Team’s roster for the current 2008 African Nations Cup. Percovich has also apprenticed under goalkeeper coaches throughout Europe and Latin America, including stints with club sides Real Madrid, Valencia, Stuttgart, Cruziero and Pachuca, as well as the national teams of Brazil, France, and Uruguay. Following the 2006 season, Percovich was also named assistant coach to Rapids head coach Fernando Clavijo.

As a player, Percovich made six appearances with the Uruguayan National Team during a professional goalkeeping career that included time with South American powerhouses Nacional de Montevideo (1987-1993), Atlético Mineiro (1994), Guaraní FC (1995), and Fluminense FC (1995-1999) and Alianza de Lima (2000), as well as Spanish side Racing de Ferrol (2001). While with Nacional, Percovich won the Uruguayan First Division twice, as a starter in 1991 and 1992, as well as the prestigious Copa Libertadores in 1989.

In other Chivas USA news, the team will participate in a preaseason tournament in Texas in early March, playing D.C. United, the Houston Dynamo and Toronto FC. Details here.

And three Chivas USA players have signed new contracts, according to the team:

Chivas USA players Jorge Flores, Bobby Burling, and Anthony Hamilton recently signed developmental contracts in anticipation of the 2008 season. Flores, a forward, won the first Sueño MLS competition which was held last spring, and made his first team debut for Chivas USA on Sept. 9 against the New York Red Bulls. Forward Anthony Hamilton made two regular season appearances last year before coming on a substitute in Chivas USA’s 0-0 tie against the Kansas City Wizards during the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs. Meanwhile, Burling, a defender, showed tremendous potential while playing for the Chivas USA Reserve team in 2007.

The Ramon Nunez experiment has apparently ended though and he's returned to his native Honduras.

Galaxy Gossip

The Galaxy have belatedly got around to officially announcing their two-game tour of Asia and extended the deadline until Sunday for their open tryouts.

Incidentally, recently reacquired striker Carlos Ruiz won't be joining the Guatemalan national team for their Feb. 6 game at the Coliseum against Argentina the Galaxy announced Wednesday:

Recently acquired LA Galaxy forward Carlos Ruiz will remain in Los Angeles to prepare for the club’s preseason training and to continue to rehabilitate his right knee which underwent successful arthroscopic surgery in November to clean up his lateral meniscus. Therefore Ruiz, who was acquired by the Galaxy on January 15, was not part of Guatemalan National Team head coach Hernán Darío Gómez’s 35-man roster which reported for training camp on Monday in Guatemala.

“Carlos is coming off a period of inactivity that included arthroscopic knee surgery. To jump right back into international competition would be irresponsible and counter-productive,” said Galaxy President and General Manager Alexi Lalas. “We want Carlos to progress through a proper preseason so that he is ready for the start of the MLS season and World Cup qualifying with Guatemala later in the year.”

Ruiz initially began to feel discomfort in his right knee in September while with his former team, FC Dallas, following a U.S. Open Cup Semifinal win in Seattle. An MRI after that game revealed loose fragments in his knee, but no extensive damage. The 28-year old missed one game as a result of the injury but did not miss any more time for the rest of the regular season and postseason as a result of it.

“We had a chance to examine Carlos on Friday and upon our examination, we did not feel that his knee has progressed to the stage of being ready for the rigors of international competition quite yet,” said Galaxy club doctor Dr. Bert Mandelbaum. “We now have a plan of systematic progression in place for Carlos and with this we expect him to be ready for the upcoming season.”

Didn't take long for the Galaxy to start accumulating injuries, did it?

Nats News

Initial reviews are, to put it kindly, mixed.

Finally, tickets go on sale at noon today for the Olympic qualifying games in March:

The eight-team event, which includes national teams at the Under-23 age level, will be played as eight doubleheaders from March 11-23, 2008, and will send two finalists to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Group A, which includes the United States, Honduras, Cuba and Panama, will play at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. on March 11, 13 and 15. Group B features Canada, Guatemala, Haiti and Mexico facing off on March 12, 14 and 16 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. LP Field in Nashville will host the semifinals on Thursday, March 20, and the championship match and third-place game on Sunday, March 23. Tickets priced from $18 to $65 for each of the eight doubleheaders in the tournament go on sale beginning Wednesday (January 30) at 12 p.m. local time in each venue through ussoccer.com, by phone at 813-287-8844 (Tampa), 213-480-3232 (Los Angeles) or 615-255-9600 (Nashville) and at local Ticketmaster ticket centers in the venue cities.

Preps Press

The Long Beach Press-Telegram checks in with prep coverage here.

Posted by Nick Green at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

CONCACAF Champions League

But here's the basics from today's CONCACAF press release:

CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) announced today the official launch of the new continental club championship, the CONCACAF Champions League which will commence in August 2008. The CONCACAF Champions League will replace the Champions’ Cup which will cease to exist after the 2008 edition.

The CONCACAF Champions League will see a Confederation record number of 24 teams from all sectors of the CONCACAF region participating. The preliminary round begins in August 2008 with the first CONCACAF Champions League winner to be crowned in late April 2009.

The CONCACAF Champions League will feature four teams from Mexico and USA; three Caribbean sides; two clubs each from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama; and one representative coming from Canada, Belize, and Nicaragua.

Eight clubs (two Mexican, two USA, one each from Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador) will be seeded and progress directly to the first round of the CONCACAF Champions League, while the Caribbean slots have been increased to three teams for this event.

The remaining 16 teams will be paired in eight home-and-away preliminary match-ups taking place from 26-28 August and 2-4 September.

The preliminary round winners will join the other eight seeded teams in the group stage that consists of four groups of four. All the teams in each group will play each other in a round-robin system during six match dates (three home games, three away games) from 16 September – 30 October.

The top two clubs from each group will advance to the knock out phase playing home-and-away elimination. The quarterfinals commence in February 2009; semifinals begin in March; and the Finals will take place in late April.

The CONCACAF Champions League winner will qualify as the CONCACAF’s representative to the 2009 edition of the FIFA Club World Cup.

Three Dozen Looks (Or So)

The U.S. men are already in camp at the HDC.

Hall of Fame Builders Ballot

Speaking of......

Posted by Nick Green at 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Supplemental Draft

The Galaxy's moves today from the team's (edited) press release:

The LA Galaxy made four selections in this afternoon’s 2008 MLS Supplemental Draft, selecting a pair of defenders, as well as a goalkeeper and a midfielder in the four round draft. These four selections, as well as the six players drafted by the Galaxy in last week’s MLS SuperDraft are scheduled to arrive at The Home Depot Center early next month when the club begins preseason training for the 2008 campaign

In the first round of the Supplemental Draft, the Galaxy selected defender Michael Gavin from Portland with the fourth overall pick. A four-year starter for the Pilots, Gavin appeared in 76 games during his four years in Portland, tallying four goals with two of them being game winners while helping his team reach the NCAA Tournament twice.

The Galaxy used their second round pick (16th overall) to select 2007 Big West Goalkeeper of the Year, Charles Alamo, from University of California–Riverside. A four-year starter for the Highlanders, Alamo had six shutouts as a senior and finished his college career with more than 300 saves.

One round later, the Galaxy took UCLA defender Greg Folk with the 32nd overall selection. An honorable mention All-Pac-10 defender as a senior in 2007, the former captain of the U.S. Under-18 National Team started 64 of his 72 career games with the Bruins, including the 2006 College Cup Final.

With their final pick of the Supplemental Draft, the Galaxy selected midfielder Daniel De Geer from the University of San Francisco. De Geer scored a career-high two goals as a senior and played 44 career games for USF where he was a teammate of Brandon McDonald, who LA drafted in the fourth round of the MLS SuperDraft.

Chivas USA picked: San Diego State University forward Kraig Chiles, UC-Berkeley midfielder Javier Ayala-Hill, North Carolina State midfielder El Hadj-Cisse and UNC defender Andre Sherard .

UCLA defender Brandon Owens was selected by D.C. United. The (edited) UCLA press release:

Owens, who was chosen as the 10th pick in the first round, was a starter on three Pac-10 Championship squads. Owens was team captain for the U.S. Under-17 National Team at the 2003 World Youth Championships and has 36 career caps with the U-17s and U-20s.

Bob's (and Pete's) Boys

Local participants in camp include Galaxy goalkeeper Steve Cronin (0 caps/0 goals), Landon Donovan (97/35) and soon-to-be-ex-Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan (5/0).

Coach Peter Nowak's picks included UCLA products Kamani Hill (Vfl Wolfsburg), Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Chance Myers (Kansas City Wizards) and Chad Barrett (Chicago Fire).
Also in camp: Mike Randolph (Galaxy) and Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew).

Chivas USA-Columbus Crew in Santa Clarita

London-Bound

Best Vets

It's disgraceful that former LA Aztec (and Hermosa Beach bar owner) George Best is still not a member.

Your vote doesn't count, but presumbably you can send a message here.

Posted by Nick Green at 11:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's draft day and rumors swirl (scroll down), the U.S. plays Sweden in Carson Saturday, the U.S. women won today.

Scant to no blogging this weekend due to other commitments.

Posted by Nick Green at 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The new women's pro league scheduled to begin play next year today announced a straightforward name - Women's Professional Soccer, - a logo that's based on Mia Hamm's image and launched its Web site. From its (edited) press release:

WPS made its official debut today at the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) annual convention, taking place through Saturday in Baltimore, Md.

“A long and careful process led to the selection of Women’s Professional Soccer and the subsequent WPS acronym,” said Tonya Antonucci, WPS commissioner. “The league and team owners reviewed countless variations of league names and logos and conducted numerous focus groups before ultimately deciding on a brand identity that we strongly believe will resonate with fans for years to come.”

The WPS logo, developed by branding agency Adrenalin, Inc., features a deep navy, red, and gold color scheme while showcasing a familiar silhouette – FIFA World Cup champion, Olympic Gold Medal winner and Hall of Fame player Mia Hamm, renowned as a pioneer for women’s soccer.

“I am extremely honored and humbled to personify the WPS brand, knowing full well that this league will be revered by generations of soccer fans around the world,” said Hamm. “Above all else, this league represents opportunity – not just for female soccer players, but for women everywhere."

The WPS is the successor to the defunct Women's United Soccer Association.

Before anyone asks, no, I haven't heard any details about the LA entry into the league that will play at Carson's Home Depot Center including the team name, coach or GM. I have a call into owners Anschutz Entertainment Group and as soon as I hear anything I will let you know.

The Associated Press released this story today apparently written by someone who has English as a second language:

WARSAW, Poland (AP) - The United States will play Poland in an exhibition March 26 in preparation for the European Championship.
The two teams last played in March 2006, with the Americans winning 1-0 on Clint Dempsey's 48th-minute goal in Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Who knew the U.S. was playing in Euro 2008? No confirmation from U.S. Soccer yet, but the opponent has been something of an open secret for some time. The story doesn't say it, but the game will be played in Europe.

Finally, mark your calendars: Fox Soccer Channel airs a doubleheader March 29 on the opening day of the MLS season at 4:30 p.m. with a rematch of the MLS Cup final between the Houston Dynamo and New England Revolution followed at 7:30 p.m. by the Galaxy at the Colorado Rapids.

Posted by Nick Green at 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, you probably didn't want to see the U.S. Men's National Team coach go that deep.

But that's a good segue into the subject of this week's column, which looks at the unique nature of January camps when the U.S. looks at untested and unknown players. Read it here.

Meanwhile, The Guardian newspaper in England has an update on U.S. striker Eddie Johnson and his pending move to
Fulham.

Posted by Nick Green at 6:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Voters who will select this year's National Soccer Hall of Fame inductees received ballots today with the names of 35 eligible former players including Chivas USA Coach Preki among 13 new names and Joy Fawcett the most notable of 22 holdovers.

From the (edited) hall press release:

The top holdovers include U.S. National Team stalwarts Thomas Dooley (5th named on 51.8% of the ballots cast), Joy Fawcett (3rd on 67.4%), and Joe-Max Moore (6th on 48.2%). Among the newcomers are U.S. Men’s National Team stars Jeff Agoos, Preki, and Earnie Stewart. Top MLS players on the ballot include holdovers Marco Etcheverry (4th on 58.2%) of DC United, Peter Nowak (9th on 29.1%) of the Chicago Fire, and Carlos Valdarrama (7th on 46.8%) who finished his illustrious MLS career with the Colorado Rapids.

Players who receive votes on 75% of the ballots cast will be elected to the Hall of Fame. Induction 2008 is planned for the weekend of August 22 in Oneonta, N.Y.

Eligible players: Jeff Agoos, Brian Bliss, Mike Burns, Mark Chung, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Troy Dayak, Raul Diaz Arce, Thomas Dooley, John Doyle, Marco Etcheverry, Joy Fawcett, Danielle Fotopoulos, Robin Fraser, Brian Kamler, Dominic Kinnear, Frank Klopas, Manny Lagos, Roy Lassiter, Shannon MacMillan, Pato Margetic, Joe-Max Moore, Victor Nogueira, Peter Nowak, Oscar Pareja, Cindy Parlow, Preki, Mike Sorber, Earnie Stewart, Steve Trittschuh, Carlos Valderrama, Tisha Venturini-Hoch, Peter Vermes, Roy Wegerle, Evan Whitfield, Richie Williams.

Hall of Fame members should have had a lasting and influential effect on the game in the U.S. to win admission.

My nominees:
Mauricio Cienfuegos - Creative midfield architect of a formative Galaxy whose legacy may still overshadow the team today.
Marco Etcheverry - Three-time MLS Cup winner with D.C. United and MLS MVP who helped create the D.C. dynasty.
Joy Fawcett - Whose unjust omission when Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy were inducted prompted a rule change in the induction procedures, if I recall correctly.
Shannon MacMillan - World Cup, Olympic winner over 176 internationals.
Peter Nowak - Without whose tenacity and intelligence marshaling the midfield the Chicago Fire would not have won an MLS title.
Preki - MVP in MLS, MISL and CISL, who possessed an opponent-freezing cut-back and venomous shot and was instrumental in the Wizards 2000 MLS Cup-winning season.
Carlos Valderrama - The most amazing passer of the ball MLS has ever seen.

Disagree? Read biographies and cast a ballot in the (unofficial popular) vote here.

Posted by Nick Green at 11:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The InterLiga finals scheduled for Saturday at Home Depot Center are set.

The U.S. Soccer Men's National Team blog has posted a podcast interview with Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan, variously rumored to be heading to Celtic, Arsenal or several other European teams. Listen here.

Prep action from the Daily Breeze is here.

Posted by Nick Green at 8:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

InterLiga began Wednesday night at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco and only 8,504 fans took in the first doubleheader played in freezing temperatures.

Not surprisingly there are increasing calls to revamp or eliminate the tournament largely seen as an irrelevant cash cow for the organizers. I could have told them that five years ago.

Over in Blighty the David Beckham for England debate continues to rage.

You can almost hear Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas saying "just give Becks his 100th cap and then let him play out his career with the Galaxy."

A lack of passion and noise from the Galaxy's ever-larger corporate crowd has been increasingly evident at Home Depot Center. We're not alone in dealing with that affliction it seems.

Finally, if you drive by the HDC and wonder what all the activity is, U.S. Soccer has provided the answer in this (edited) press release:

As 2008 begins, U.S. Soccer will kick off the new year in full swing with a total of 11 Men’s, Women’s and Youth National Teams holding training camps during the month of January. The majority of the camps will take place in two locations: U.S. Soccer’s National Training Center at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., and IMG Academies in Bradenton, Fla. The HDC will be the most active location as a total of six different national teams will hold camps during the month, beginning on Thursday when the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams return to action.

Also training in Carson are the U-20 Women's National Team and U-23 Women's National Team from Jan. 12-20, the U-15 Girl's National Team from Jan. 20-25 and the U-23 (Olympic) Men's National Team from Jan. 26-Feb. 3.

Posted by Nick Green at 8:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Time to play a little catch-up after the holiday blogging break..........

Seven uncapped players, including UCLA product Marvell Wynne, are among the 26 players U.S. Men's National Team Coach Bob Bradley called into training camp that begins Thursday at Home Depot Center and culminates with a Jan. 19 game against Sweden in Carson.

The other six: San Jose Earthquakes defender Clarence Goodson, Colombus Crew goalkeeper Will Hesmer, Chicago Fire goalkeeper Matt Pickens, Houston Dynamo defender Eddie Robinson, new D.C. United goalkeeper Zach Wells and forward Jeremiah White, who plays in Demark and gets his first-ever camp callup.

The full roster: goalkeepers Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Will Hesmer (Columbus Crew), Matt Pickens (Chicago Fire), Zach Wells (D.C. United); defenders Dan Califf (Aalborg BK), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City Wizards), Ramiro Corrales (SK Brann), Todd Dunivant (Toronto FC), Clarence Goodson (San Jose Earthquakes), Drew Moor (FC Dallas), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution), Eddie Robinson (Houston Dynamo), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC); midfielders Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Brian Davis (Houston Dynamo), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Justin Mapp (Chicago Fire), Pat Noonan (New England Revolution); forwards Josmer Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Eddie Johnson (Kansas Cit y Wizards), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire), Taylor Twellman (New England Revolution), Jeremiah White (AGF Aarhus).

U.S. Men's Under-23 national Team Coach Peter Nowak is also taking the opportunity to look at new players ahead of Olympic qualifying, naming just eight holdovers from the December camp to the 24-player roster he's called in for a camp that begins Sunday in Florida.

Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers, Galaxy defender Mike Randolph and former Galaxy striker Robbie Findley are among the returnees