Recently in Women's Professional Soccer Category
Blog housekeeping that it is.
Keen-eyed readers will notice I've eliminated some outdated links, scrubbed some of limited interest entirely (most of the junior colleges are gone, for instance) and generally streamlined the list that's on the right-hand side of the blog.
I added a few here and there, too, that were long overdue for inclusion (such as the official Chivas USA blog) and Luis Bueno's new offering The Touchline (the successor to Sideline Views minus Andrea Canales). The list still needs to be worked on a bit, so if you have suggestions for links (especially those with a Southern California flavor) don't hesitate to jump in.
Thanks to Web master supreme Chris Berry for the (very) quick work updating those.
The fall housecleaning gave me the opportunity to look at blogs and sites I don't always have time to check out and so with that in mind (and the absence of much actual news this morning), here's a look at what folks are chatting about around the Web:
*First off, Mexico plays Ecuador in Arizona tonight (live at 7 on Telemundo) in a friendly that could nevertheless have a bearing on the future of Sven-Goran Eriksson, according to one writer.
*While we're on the subject of coaches and job security, although conventional wisdom has held this season that Chivas USA Coach Preki was largely helpless to do much in the playoffs given the team's crushing number of injuries, there are dissenters out there who believe otherwise and are calling for his head (or at least ouster).
Some valid points there.
Chivas USA likes to point out just how many enforced changes there were over the course of the season (the team fielded 30 different line-ups in 32 games) because of a "total of 183 man-matches (lost) due solely to injuries, averaging nearly six players per game."
True enough, but Preki also made some alterations to his line-up (or failed to in a few cases) that had more than a few observers scratching heir heads.
The tubby and past it Zach Thornton starting ahead of fan favorite Dan Kennedy in goal for the final playoff game? Jonathan Bornstein playing center back in the first playoff game for the first time in his entire life? And the signing of a clearly out of his depth Roberto Nurse from the Mexican second division that had panic written all over it.
I could go on (and probably will in a future column), but add it all up and it's not surprising some hard-core Chivas USA fans are questioning Preki's future.
Preki won't get fired, but the fact fans are discussing the possibility is healthy for a team that still needs to cultivate a larger base of support. And it's fun reading, too.
Meanwhile, there are already rumblings of potential problems for Women's Professional Soccer, while Brazilian star (and would-be L.A. Sol player) Marta is apparently demanding big bucks.
Finally, let's end with a couple of minor news items:
*The always suspect FIFA rankings are out today with the U.S. dropping three places to 24th (just above Mexico) and England rising four places to 10th. Seven nations, including American Samoa are tied for 201st and last in the table, BTW. Complete rankings here.
*Fox Soccer Channel will air live at 10 a.m. Monday the sixth-annual Match Against Poverty from Morocco.
From today's (edited) FSC press release:
Captains Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo will lead teams that will include Victor Valdes and Seydou Keita (FC Barcelona), Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (Zenit St. Petersburg), Joseba Etxeberria (Athletico Bilbao), Ivan Leko (Club Brugge) and Lauren (Portsmouth).
Not a whole lot to set the pulse racing, but hey, it's for a good cause.
L.A. Sol holding midfielder Shannon Boxx, a former South (Torrance) High star, was today named one of the 10 finalists for the annual FIFA honor. The U.S. Women's National Team player finished third in balloting for the award in 2005.
Also named to the list: her (hopefully) soon to be Sol teammate Marta.
The full list: Nadine Angerer (Germany), Shannon Boxx (USA), Cristiane (Brazil), Daniela (Brazil), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Kelly Smith (England), Hope Solo (USA) and Ingvild Stensland (Norway).
Boxxy stopped by the Home Depot Center Sunday to chat about the new Sol franchise, before the nominees were announced.
Here's some excerpts of what she had to say:
*On the new Women's Professional Soccer league and having a team in L.A.:
"It's very exciting to finally say that to be close to home we have a league, obviously I'm a product of the last league, so to be close to home - I've always wanted an L.A. team - to stay close to home and play in front of my friends and family, I'm very excited."
On how the team is coming together:
"I think we have a great team. ... (Coach) Abner (Rogers) is going to be playing possession style, I love that, so it's fitting for me as well ... We want to play style that's fun to watch."
BTW, here are the 23 nominees for the male award: Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo), Sergio Agüero (Argentina), Andrei Arshavin (Russia), Michael Ballack (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Iker Casillas (Spain), Deco (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Côte d'Ivoire), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Cesc Fabregas (Spain), Steven Gerrard (England), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden), Andrés Iniesta (Spain), Kaká (Brazil), Frank Lampard (England), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Franck Ribéry (France), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), John Terry (England), Fernando Torres (Spain), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Netherlands), David Villa (Spain) and Xavi (Spain).
Winners are scheduled to be announced in January.
The L.A. Women's Professional Soccer team will be called the Sol (the lasses of LAS!).
Check out the logo and team colors (guess we should have figured a team owned in part by the owner of the W-League Pali Blues would stick with a primarily blue - dark and light - color scheme with accents of yellow and black).
The Sol name is meant to reflect the sunny weather and heritage - "sol" is sun in Spanish and other languages - of Southern California.
Season tickets for the inaugural season that begins in April will cost $125 to $750.
Full disclosure: The official unveiling of the name, logo and colors is set for Sunday; because another reporter was leaked and published the information this afternoon, I decided to break the embargo and publish it, too.
I mentioned this in a column earlier this month, but officials with the Carson-based Women's Professional Soccer franchise confirmed today the team's name, logo and colors will be unveiled at Sunday's final Galaxy home game of the season.
U.S. Women's National Team star Shannon Boxx (South High), who will play for the team, will be on hand to help with the unveiling.
I'll have more Sunday.
How much is the new Carson-based Women's Professional Soccer franchise offering to Marta?
Blogger Jen Striker has the scoop over at Women's Soccer USA.
The L.A. entry in the new Women's Professional Soccer is taking shape.
As always, I had more information than could fit in the column, so here's some extra factoids and quotes:
*Amy Rodriguez is widely expected to be the top pick in a WPS college draft scheduled for January. That means she won't be playing in Southern California; the L.A. team picks fifth in the first round of the 10-round draft.
*L.A. WPS GM Charlie Naimo will remain coach of Pacific Palisades-based W-League team Pali Blues, which becomes a feeder or reserve team to the WPS team.
*Don't expect to many top German players in the inaugural WPS season. They are being urged to stay home ahead of the 2011 Women's World Cup.
*Here's Coach Abner Rogers on the need to look overseas for foreign attacking players:
"The one thing that we looked at when we started this whole process was who are the best players in the world - what can they bring to the table. ... We felt attacking options, creativity was something we lacked (in the U.S.), players who can do something on the ball out of the ordinary."
*Naimo on being allocated the rights to Japanese midfielder Aya Miyama:
"We have so many fantastic attacking options. The Japanese player is a different class. I think the fans are going to love her. She's very adaptable, versatile. She's a package."
Naimo on being allocated the rights to former South Torrance High star Shannon Boxx:
"Boxxy was a no-brainer. She wanted to be here, we wanted her and she's a great player."
The new Women's Professional Soccer league conducted its third draft Monday, this one for American players not allocated when U.S. Women's National Team players were divvied up or international players not previously allocated.
Here are the complete draft results.
The as yet unnamed L.A. franchise (its nick name and colors will be announced later this month) chose Canadian National Team goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, defender Kendall Fletcher, U.S. Women's National Team forward Christie Welsh and former Pac-10 Player of the Year Manya Makoski.
They join such players as Marta, Shannon Boxx, Stephanie Cox, Aly Wagner, Japanese midfielder Aya Miyama and and Chinese striker Han Duan who were allocated previously.
"The goal was to have a team that could keep the ball, play a poss style, but have a little bit of flair to them and I feel we've definitely gone in the right direction," said Coach Abner Rogers.
Also today, the WPS announced a broadcast agreement with Fox Soccer Channel that covers 20 regular-season games and the all-star game, as well as the two semifinals and the final on Fox Sports Net.
I'll have more on the WPS and the L.A. team in Tuesday's column, which I had better get on with writing.
A couple of quick notes:
*David Beckham may be out of form for the Galaxy, but he was still picked for England's next two World Cup qualifiers. Consequently, he'll miss Sunday's Galaxy game against Colorado.
*Chivas USA defender Shavar Thomas was also called up by Jamaica for WCQ.
In Sunday's college games it was:
UCLA men 3 (2-3-5) SDSU 3 (2-5-1)
UCLA women 3 SDSU 0
USC 2 (10-1) Cal State Northridge 1 (5-5-1)
CSUDH men 1 (11-1-1) Sonoma State 0
CSUDH women 6 (8-5) Sonoma State 2
LMU women 0 (5-4-3) San Diego State 0 (4-6-2)
St. Mary's 2 (2-6-1) LMU men 1 (2-3-4)
Cal State Northridge men 1 (5-4-1) UC Riverside 0
Finally, Cal State Dominguez Hills junior defender Kevin Gallaugher was named the Brine California Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Soccer Player of the Week after the Toros posted a pair of shutouts over the weekend, limiting opponents to a combined seven shots on target.
Charlie Naimo, who last year coached first-year W-League team Pali Blues to the league title, has been named general manager of the as yet unnamed L.A. WPS franchise.
"Combining my coaching experience, work ethic and desire to impact women's soccer with all the great players and resources we have assembled in Los Angeles will give us the ability to create a winning franchise from day one," he said.Naimo's appointment to the post has been something of an open secret for several weeks.
The WPS team is owned 50:50 by Galaxy owner AEG and Pali Blues owner Ruidi Bianchi and will play at Home Depot Center when the seven-team league opens play in April.
Naimo also won a W-League title in 2005 with the New Jersey Wildcats.
He was first named coach in 1998 with W-League team the New Jersey Splash and promptly won Coach of the Year honors.
Abner Rogers, director of coaching at Laguna Hills club Eclipse, was previously named coach of the L.A. WPS team.
The WPS, which has already held two drafts for U.S. Women's National Team and top international players, holds another draft Monday.
A few soccer nuggets to get your day started:
*There's a crucial game in the tight Western Conference tonight when MLS Player of the Month Darren Huckerby and the San Jose Earthquakes face Kenny Cooper (second in scoring in MLS) and Dallas at 6 tonight on ESPN2 in a game both the Galaxy and Chivas USA will watch closely.
The suddenly hot Earthquakes (one loss in their last 10 games) are tied with the Galaxy for last place with 29 points; Dallas (which has two consecutive wins) has 33 points, three behind Chivas USA.
Both Carson-based teams are on the road Saturday: the Galaxy are in Columbus facing Sigi Schmid and the MLS-leading Crew; Chivas USA are in D.C. playing United, which lost yet again in the CONCACAF Champions League Wednesday 1-0 against Cruz Azul while resting most of their regulars.
Chivas USA defender Shavar Thomas, goalkeeper Dan Kennedy and former DC United forward Alecko Eskandarian preview Saturday's game below:
*The third (!) Women's Professional Soccer draft is set for Monday.
L.A. picks fifth, 10th, 12th and 19th in the four-round draft.
*Finally, in college games Wednesday night it was:
UCLA men 2 (2-3-4) UCSB 2 (5-3-1)
No. 5 Creighton 1 (7-1-0) Cal State Northridge men 0 (4-4-1)
Marta, generally universally acknowledged as the world's best female player, was picked today in the international draft by the as yet unnamed L.A. Women's Professional Soccer franchise.
All told, 28 foreign players were picked by the seven WPS teams over four rounds.
It doesn't mean the players will automatically join the league. It simply gives the team that picked a player the right to negotiate with them - if the club currently holding their contract agrees.
"The international draft was created to allow an equitable opportunity for the individual WPS clubs to develop their teams, by assigning the WPS-playing rights to the seven franchises that are beginning play in April 2009," said Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. "Now they can go out to the market - and after receiving permission from the player's clubs - put together the most competitive team they possibly can based on their selections."
Still, Marta is apparently interested in the WPS, even though she currently plays for a Swedish team. But she won't come cheap: L.A. picked third, so it's likely the first two teams to pick were scared off by her price tag.
L.A. also picked Japanese midfielder Aya Miyama, who has been compared to a female David Beckham by some British newspapers and Chinese striker Han Duan.
Former South (Torrance) High star Shannon Boxx, Olympian Stephanie Cox and midfielder Aly Wagner were allocated to Los Angeles' Women's Professional Soccer franchise today.
"This is a big day for Women's Professional Soccer, as teams now have Olympic gold medalists from Beijing allocated to their home cities along with other talented national team players," said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. "These are the first building blocks for the teams as the league begins the countdown to the inaugural 2009 WPS Season."
Here's the full list of allocations to all seven franchises.
Next for WPS - a draft of four top international players to each team the week of Sept. 22:
That will be followed by a draft of remaining players in early October and again in January. The order of the international draft will depend on the weighted rankings voted on by teams following the U.S. Women's National Team allocation with the weakest-rated team selecting first and the strongest-weighted team selecting last.
In a nation of immigrants, the UEFA Champions League has carved a loyal niche among soccer fans and now the CONCACAF version joins the party. Set that TiVo.
Meanwhile, barely in time for today's Women's Professional Soccer U.S. National Team draft, the still as yet unnamed L.A. entry has hired a coach after all.
Zach Thornton has landed in Chicago and Jesse Marsch looks pretty happy to see his former Fire teammate (and an experienced goalkeeper). Do we assume Thornton plays today? I think we do.
Two who won't play a part in today's Chivas USA-Chicago Fire game (5:30 p.m. live on Fox Soccer Channel) are Preki (at least on the bench-he's suspended) and Blanco. (ditto). Also absent: Sacha Kljestan (Olympics).
But Maykel Galindo and long-lost Alecko Eskandarian are probable.
Chivas USA, playing their first MLS game in a month, is 6-6-4 and fourth in the Western Conference; Chicago is 7-5-5 and third in the Eastern Conference.
Chicago haven't lost in five games, but that includes four draws; Chivas USA beat the Fire 2-0 at Home Depot Center in June.
Phil Collin has a game preview.
Also:
*Cameroon beat the U.S. Men's Olympic Team 2-0 early this morning our time on a penalty kick. It was the last game for the U.S. before the Olympics.
*Brad Guzan wasn't the only Southern California goalkeeper on the move this week. Loyola Marymount goalkeeper Patrick Lane signed a pro contract with Belgian club Cercle Bruges.
*Southern California could have two women's teams crowned national champions this weekend. Rolling Hills Estates-based Ajax America Women is in Sacramento for the Women's Premier Soccer League's Final Four.
The Sacramento Bee used the occasion to provide an update on the Women's Professional Soccer league, but managed to get the wrong name (and city) for Ajax.
Over in the W-League, the unbeaten Pali Blues play the Indiana Lionesses (how many of those do they have in Indiana?) in Virginia Beach, Va., for the championship. The game is on at 8 tonight on Fox Soccer Channel.
A few quick items to finish the day:
*Red Bull New York has sold more than 40,000 tickets for its July 19th game against the Galaxy. Last year you'll recall New York prevailed 5-4 on a Juan Pablo Angel goal two minutes from the end of regulation despite a dominating performance by David Beckham that included two assists before a crowd of more than 66,000.
*The new Women's Professional Soccer (you wondered what WPS was in the headline, right?) league meets the week of Sept. 15 to allocate players from the national team pool to its seven teams. A draft of top international players follows a week later.
U.S. players have given their preference of city to play in, while teams will submit wish lists of players.
Another draft for domestic and international players is scheduled for October, combines on each coast are set for December, with another draft to follow that and then local tryouts.
Clubs will play in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles (presumably at Home Depot Center or perhaps the Track & Field stadium), New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.
The season begins in the first week of April.
*Lastly, a recent survey shows that of the three out of four Americans who have a favorite sport they listen to on the radio, soccer is tops for 11 percent. That's behind football (50 percent), baseball (25 percent) and just behind basketball (15 percent), but ahead of motor racing or hockey.
Not surprisingly, soccer was the top choice for 66 percent of Latinos as well as 20 percent of listeners of all races under age 35.
The survey was based on a sample of 1,000 people and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.
About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook.
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