ID time

How does one tell one's curly-haired Mexican national team players apart?

Well, Memo Ochoa is taller than Andres Guardado.

And they're both younger than Gerardo Torrado.
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Nod to Norway

Norway's in the house! Or at least, was reading the blog for a while. Norway was the unfortunate victim of a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of the U.S. last year. Taylor Twellman scored a hat trick, then was controversially left off the World Cup team.

Of course, the U.S. wasn't playing Norway's first choice players. It was a very young and inexperienced team.
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Second half notes

PK for Mexico in the first minute of the second half. Andres Rouga takes down Juan Carlos Medina.

Cuauh puts the PK away. It’s all Mexico now.

63,328 in attendance. People are making paper airplanes out of their programs and launching them from the upper deck. They’re flying a long way and some are finding their way onto the field.

Ochoa! I think he just stole Oswaldo Sanchez’ regular spot. Pedro Fernandez made it all the way to the top of the area, where he launched a great shot that Ochoa leaped to tip off the cross bar. The ball flew straight up, and came back down to Ochoa, who punched it over the bar, then he hung on the crossbar a bit. The corner kick for Venezuela also hit the cross bar, but Ochoa stayed calm and collected the ball.

Venezuela is losing it. Evelio Hernandez shoves Torrado after getting an elbow to the ribcage, though Stott gave Torrado a yellow. Stott then gives Hernandez a yellow.

Mexico’s fans are partying in the aisles, and there’s still twenty minutes left. Pitch invasion. Attention-seeker is caught and cleared off the field.

Free kick for Venezuela – Ochoa dove to deny chance.

Oh, Venezuela scored! WoW – they salvage a goal of pride. On a counter, a series of good passes ends up on the toe of Daniel Arismendi, who fakes Ochoa out nicely, gets him to commit, then pokes it into the corner of the goal.

Paco Palencia gets into the game.

Yikes. Palencia gets a great pass from Guardado in the area, but his first touch is too flat, ball bounces off hard and he loses chance.

Again Palencia with ball in the box – this time is able to turn and shoot, but without much power. Goalkeeper Sanhouse smothers ball.

Israel Lopez with a long shot pegs the bar. Sanhouse turns around and pulls the ball back from entering the goal.

Final whistle - Guardado wins Man of the Match. Arce and Blanco were the other nominees.

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Welcome, Malaysia!

I have no idea what I could possibly say about Malaysian soccer. Wait, ok, I looked them up. It turns out the Malaysian national team beat the U.S. in 1972 by a score of 3-0. Not bad.
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Bueno notas

Andrea's notes are all neat and well-thought out. Here's my chicken scratch first half notes. (PS: my fingers are freezing)

3 - Kikin fouled, top of box, 20 yards out
3 - blanco FK hit wall
5 - JM Rey 30 yard blast, right at Ochoa
7 - Arce whipped cross, Blanco pushed it wide
9 - Guardado gave up easy shot for Blanco, did nothing
10 - Another Arce cross, very active on right side
10 - Torrado elbow flattened Nicolas Feder, nasty shot
12 - Kikin carried into area, shot blocked out to Guardado, ripped from left, ball out to Blanco, wide open goal, hit side netting
14 - Magallon averted disaster, toe-poke clearance
15 - Guardado major flop in area, nothing
18 - Venezuelan counter, only magallon, beltran back
20 - Yellow, Galindo took down Ruberth Moran from behind
24 - Morales 25-yarder deflected off venezuelan, CK
24 - CK right to goalie
25 - 115 minutes into the Hugo Sanchez era and no goals
26 - So much for that, goal, Guardado golazo
26 - Guardado bags first goal in Hugo Sanchez era
31 - Ochoa save off Vallenilla
35 - GOLAZO Arce slammed volley past GK
35 - Cross from Guardado?
38 - Yellow Guardado, tough challenge
42 - Kikin open header, shot wide
45 - one minute stoppage time
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First half notes

Poor Venezuela gets no respect – the announcer says, “Please stand for the national anthem of the United States” before the one for Venezuala plays. The whole stadium sings along to Mexico’s anthem.

Mexico was all over Venezuela in the 8th minute, and yet somehow managed not to score, thanks to some desperate defending by the Venezuelans.

In the 11^th minute, Kikin Fonseca with a shot, goalie punches out, Temoc had a chance, but hit the side netting instead with the goal completely open.

Mexico looked sharp in the early going, but it had to encourage Venezuela that despite seeing very little of the ball, they had managed to repel Mexico’s attacks.

In the 18^th, Venezuela finally had a counterattack, which gave Ochoa something to do when he easily caught a shot from distance.

Kevin Stott is roundly booed for a yellow given to Gerardo Galindo, but the replay shows it was a good call. Galindo came in hard and late on Ruberth Moran.

So far, at least 70 percent of the game, I’d guess, has been played in Venezuela’s half of the field. Yet the final pass is missing for Mexico.

CK for Mexico. Ramoncito to take.

GK catches.

Another CK for Mexico – Ramoncito again. Earns another CK. Ramon again.

Goal! It had to come. And it’s Guardado! Kick ass. He was fearless against the U.S. and here, he receives the corner kick at the top left of the area and bullets it into the right corner of the net.

He’s an automatic starter for Sanchez now, I’m sure.

Venezuela now reacts with an actual attack. Earns a Ck. Cleared for a throw. Venezuela has a nice run of possession for a while, leading to a shot by Miguel Mea, but it doesn’t really threaten Ochoa.

Mexico back on the attack.

Ck for Mexico, shockingly, Fernando Arce takes it. Cleared. The teams trade possession.

Goal!

On the run, Ramoncito hit a long pass over the defensive line of Venezuela and Arce ran on to it, hit an angled shot from the right side of the goal into the left side netting.

The fans are thrilled. I note that I’ve seen Hugo Sanchez’ first loss as Mexico’s coach, and now, I’m probably watching his first win.

Israel López on for Gerardo Galindo. Could be because of the yellow – could be he’s injured.

Now Guardado gets a yellow for a tackle on José Javier Villafraz.

Arce with the give and go in the box gets a great chance at goal, but can’t put it on frame.

It's a good half by Mexico, they'll likely cruise to victory.
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Cuauhtemoc?

The public address announcer here in San Diego introduced Cuauhtemoc Blanco as the best player on the Mexican squad. The crowd roared, but the guys in the press box started to snicker.

Temoc seems to have been inspired by the description, though. He just barely missed a shot.
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Bueno's Eye View: San Diego

Game's almost going to start. Mexico wore white shirt, white shorts, red socks. Venezuela's got maroon, white and white.
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Journalistic handicap

This sign is next to the elevator at Qualcomm.

Perhaps I shouldn't have taken it personally, but it made me laugh.

Qualcomm is nice, but I do realize it's easy to get spoiled at the Home Depot Center.

It's just easier knowing where everything is, having a parking pass and being able to get into the press box early.

But there's still people we know here. Rigo Cervantez, the Chivas USA press contact, introduced me to Paco Ramirez while we all waited in line for food.

Ramirez was in line for the Chivas USA job that Preki eventually won. He was an assistant to Ricardo Lavolpe at the last World Cup.
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Early birds

Us media hacks get access to the stadium early. It's great because it gives us a view of an empty stadium.
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On the Scene

Apparently, nothing goes together like soccer and diarrhea. Signing the shirt, and finally, the sign every Hugo Sanchez fan will be waving at the stadium.
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Mandatory Stadium shot

Sideline Views continues its tour of NFL stadiums. On Feb. 7, we were at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., home of the Arizona Cardinals. Tonight we say hello from Qualcomm Stadium, home of the San Diego Chargers and, for one night anyway, the Mexican national team.

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Saintly visitor

Sideline Views has hit the Caribbean with force. Saint Kitts and Nevis has become the latest country to lay eyes on this trusty little blog.

I don't profess to know much about Saint Kitts and Nevis soccer. I only know that, if you are playing against them at any level, you shouldn't lose.

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Cup thoughts

When U.S. Soccer announced its intentions of hosting the 2018 World Cup a week or so ago, I didn't really pay much attention to it. It's like when my daughter says she wants to jump into the TV and play with Dora and Boots; I smile and encourage her to want to play with Dora and Boots but I know that that'll never happen.

After all, England was going full force for the World Cup in 2018 and surely FIFA couldn't keep the World Cup off European soil for 16 years, could it?

Well, suddenly the prospect of a U.S. World Cup is great and now that seemingly minor announcement has me downright giddy. The World Cup, right here in my backyard! I was too young and too poor to enjoy the 1994 World Cup. I didn't attend a game nor did the thought even cross my mind. But now, if the World Cup comes back here, I would definitely attend matches. My goodness, how great would that be? How great would it be to go to a World Cup game and then sleep in my own bed afterward? Wow.

Anyway, in an earlier post I gave my options for host cities and venues should the U.S. ever host the World Cup. I'd like to get back into it now but the game in San Diego beckons.

Now, a 2018 North American World Cup would likely be a battle between the U.S. and Mexico because I can't imagine the Mexican federation not wanting to host that. So if Mexico gets it, that would be great too. I've driven from Riverside to 50 miles past Guadalajara several times in the last five years and I feel comfortable driving their - except for the stretch of road from Mazatlan to Tepic. But the autopista system there will be expanded more than it is today by 2018 so it would be easier to traverse across Mexico by car.

Unlike the U.S., though, games in Mexico might be in concentrated areas. In 1986, Mexico World Cup games were played in Mexico City, Guadalajara, Leon, Monterrey, Puebla, Toluca, Irapuato, Nezahualcoyotl and Queretaro. As of the Clausura 2007 season, there are no first division clubs in Leon, Irapuato, Neza and Puebla. Queretaro seems kind of dumpy and Toluca is very, very small. It would need some expansion or not be used at all. I'd like to include Morelia instead of Leon, Culiacan instead of Irapuato, Pachuca instead of Puebla and Veracruz instead of Neza. That would spread the tournament over the entire country and make for some kick-ass road trips.

For pure fun and spectacle, a Mexico World Cup would be great. For convenience, a U.S. World Cup would be ideal. Either way, us North Americans would win!

Party time in 2018!!!

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Me-xi-co

Do remember to check back here over the course of the night. Mexico-Venezuela starts at 8 p.m. and I will try to post some blog thoughts before and during the game. Afterward, I might just pack up, do my interviews and hit the road.

I'm taking my trusty camera so I should have some cool pictures to share.

I think the game is on Telemundo. As far as a prediction, well, I can't imagine Venezuela putting up a fight. Their guys are pretty much all domestic players. Mexico needs to come out focused and try and generate offense and finish. If Venezuela is to succeed, it will have to break down the untested international duo of Joaquin Beltran and Jonny Magallon, whom I expect to start in central defense. The backline could be shaky; none of the usual suspects back then. It's actually good because the players will play their way off the team in a meaningless game instead of in the Gold Cup or Copa America.

Having said that, I think Mexico will win 2-0 with Blanco and Guardado accounting for the goals.

Oh yeah, Mexico's staying at the Marriott in La Jolla for those wondering. If you get out there for that, let me know how it went over there. I think it could turn into the North San Diego Zoo for a few moments.

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Q Tip

I was worried about traffic at Qualcomm ahead of tonight's game. There will probably be some 65,000 people there which is the size of an NFL crowd so I decided to ask PE colleague Jim Alexander about the parking situation. He covers Chargers games there regularly. He offered some good advice (which of course I don't want to share with the other 64,999 people who are going). I'll try to take the "back way" and see if it works. I'm hoping it will because I don't want to sit in traffic for 2 hours and get to the game late.

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Down in the dumps

I finally got a chance to talk to Jonathan Bornstein yesterday. I've talked to him many times, both in person and over the phone and he's usually a very happy-go-lucky kind of guy. He's honest and he always puts things in perspective. He's really a great guy and he doesn't seem to let things get to him.

But when I talked to him yesterday, I could sense a bit of disappointment in his voice. He still talked a lot and answered all my questions honestly but he just seemed like this injury has affected him quite a bit. Can't blame him at all, really.

I know it's not much consolation but this injury right now is not entirely squashing his spot on the national team. Yeah, he'll miss the March friendlies but the World Cup is not around the corner. I feel bad for Bornstein of course but I really felt bad for Todd Dunivant a year ago. I really believe that he would have made the World Cup team had he not gotten hurt. He was in line to go to Germany for the friendly there in March but he got hurt and wasn't able to go. Had he gone, he would have played well and would have made the team.

Like Bornstein, Dunny's a class act. He never sulked and said many of the same things that Jonny did, that these things happen and he'd get over it.

Anyway, Bornstein might be ready for the season opener or he might not. I'm betting that he'll be in uniform and on the field April 7 against Toronto FC and that he'll be in at least one tournament for the US this summer.

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Two for the Hall

Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy atthe announcement of their impending entry into the Soccer Hall of Fame.
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He do run, run, run

Cobi Jones cuts upfield at the Galaxy's practice today. Chasing Cobi - that's something his teammates and other MLS defenders have been doing for years.
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Golden opportunity

I'll never forget the 1995 U.S. win over Argentina in the Copa America. My Argentine friends were shocked at the outcome. It's hard for me to understand - and I find it pretty inexcusable - that the U.S. has not participated since then.

Despite that, I think it's no contest which tournament is ultimately more important to U.S. soccer this year, even if it's not the sexy choice.

"All that is gold does not glitter."
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No Joy in the Hall

Yes, it's exciting that there's an all female Hall of Fame induction coming up. Yes, Julie Foudy and Mia Hamm are very deserving. But as a defender back in my playing days, it stings a little that Joy Fawcett didn't make it.
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Quiet HDC

When MLS released the 2007 schedule, it was of absolutely no surprise to me that neither the Galaxy nor Chivas USA had a league home game from mid-July to mid-August. Actually, there is a game on July 14 and the next home date isn't until Aug. 23. There is a SuperLiga game there I believe during that time and possibly an Open Cup game could fall out and be held there.

This is an annual thing, actually. X Games dominates the landscape at HDC the first week of August and after we get past that abomination, there are, uh, well, not sure. Two years ago, a tennis tournament and concert were slated for weekends at HDC. Not sure what will be held at the soccer-specific stadium that precludes soccer.

Anyway, as a freelancer, no home dates means less money and then there goes the kids' college fund. No, but seriously, home dates are good and quiet Saturday nights are bad.

Unless, of course, Rage Against the Machine comes in to save the day.

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Game at the Q

I'm getting ready to head south on the I-15 for the soccer game. Uh, no, not Mexico-Venezuela. I've got to get out to Temecula Valley-Thousand Oaks. Yeah, not quite as exciting but it won't be near as nerve-wracking or as much a logistical headache as Wednesday's friendly.

SUM announced that they've already sold close to 50,000 tickets for the game. Damn. That's like a lot of people. Wow. I was planning on leaving Riverside at about 3 p.m. but now I think I should leave earlier, unless I want to sit in traffic and miss the first 20 minutes of the game.

I was excited to go to the US-Mexico game in Arizona and, aside from the rivalry and all that, I was looking forward to going to the new stadium and did not anticipate any problems. I am not having the same feeling about Wednesday's game. I guess I don't do well when I'm going into unfamiliar territory. For instance, I tend to leave two hours before the start of a game at Home Depot Center. If it's a big game, like a Gold Cup game (which there will be two dates in June there) I give myself more time. I know that stadium fairly well and know how to avoid the traffic (I just stay away from Avalon and go in off Victoria coming down from Central).

I guess my best bet is to get there early. Hey, maybe I can take a 12-pack of Tecates and... nah.

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Read in Romania

Greetings to the latest nation to lay eyes on Sideline Views. Romania joins the suddenly lengthy list of countries that have hit upon our trusty little blog here.

Perhaps some long lost relative of new Chivas USA defender Alex Zotinca was searching for him and stumbled upon our site.

Romania, yeah, I thought their national team was bunk but they made a late run in the Netherlands/Czech Republic group last year and looked like they could have made it through but they dropped too many points early on to get through.

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Luo Gan Bradley?

I ate lunch at a Chinese food restaurant recently and pulled out a fortune in my fortune cookie that led me to believe that somehow Bob Bradley was writing Chinese proverbs.

It read: "The work will show you the way."

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Paco and Loco

I was disappointed when Juan Pablo Garcia and Francisco Palencia both left Chivas USA and MLS in December. Garcia had the makings of a star but instead chose to go back to Mexico to be closer to one dream - playing for El Tri. Palencia, meanwhile, probably wanted another challenge. The guy has accomplished so much in his career that he could have stayed here and played out his days and nobody would have thought too much about it.

It's funny how different their careers are now that they are gone. Garcia can't get any playing time while Palencia is back with El Tri, back after spending 18 months in MLS, which I guess isn't too much of a hindrance on someone's career after all.

Garcia improved in MLS. He's better now than he was when he arrived. His troubles with Tigres are due, in my humble opinion, to coach Mario Carrillo's defensive tactics and his goal of staying in the first division. Garcia is a loose cannon and Carrillo is rather not so the two don't mix well.

Palencia also improved in MLS. He is as fit now as he has been at any time over the last six years or so. He's an excellent teammate and only cares about winning. He doesn't care if he scores. He doesn't care if he even plays. As long as the team wins, then Paco is happy.

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USMNT-China

So the U.S. announced a friendly against China to be played in San Jose on June 2. When I first read this, I contemplated making a roadie up north for the game. After all, the U.S. would have its Gold Cup team and Bob Bradley will surely prepare for his first tournament as U.S. coach.

There was just a matter of the MLS. If I could swing the game without missing a game, I'd definitely consider. Seems there is a game that night on the MLS schedule. It's nothing really, just the Galaxy and D.C. United.

Lame. Lame lame lame. I'm not missing Galaxy-United for a friendly. In fact, that I'll watch the US-China game at all is only because I'm out here in Carson. RSL-New England kicks off 30 minutes before the US-China game while New York-Kansas City starts at the same exact time.

Argh.

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Hotel search

I'm faced with a long drive back from Wednesday's Mexico-Venezuela game. It will probably take me more than 90 minutes to get home from Qualcomm Stadium, so in a last-ditch effort to avoid a sleepy drive and to ensure that I would wake up Thursday morning in a bed and not a morgue, I considered looking into a couple of hotels.

First, I checked out the Marriott in La Jolla. What a perfect place. It's kinda near the stadium and - Hey! The Mexican national team is staying there. What a perfect place it would be to hang out with Kikin Fonseca and have a beer with him while we ponder just what the hell happened to his career. So I looked at the hotel and tried to find out the rates. Simple enough: check in on Feb. 28, check out on March 1 (ha, the same day that Kikin checks out from El Tri and three weeks after Jared Borgetti checked out), one person (unless I can convince some groupie that I'm part of El Tri, I mean, who really knows what Emilio Hassan Viades looks like up close?) and one bed.

But alas, the hotel is booked up for the night. So I looked at the nearest Marriott. I'd still like to have that beer with Kikin, although now I won't be able to drive. The Marriott Del Mar is only four miles away so maybe I could get away with having one beer (one for every goal Kikin scored that mattered in six months in Portugal). Holy crap! Was I in for a shock. Damn Marriott wants $229 a night for a quality room and $259 for the concierge level and since I'm neither quality nor concierge..erly, I chose not to continue with the process.

So I scoured around some more and found the Sheraton in Mission Valley. Okay, it's not the Marriott but it's a nice hotel and - hey! - Venezuela is staying there. Oooh, perfect. Now I'd get some groupie for sure because who the hell knows any player on Venezuela? But then, there probably aren't any Venezuelan groupies so I became sad. Oh well, I still plugged along.

But I hit a roadblock. Damn it. Seems there are no rooms available for Wednesday night. Hmm.. maybe there are groupies there after all. Oh well, I figured I'd give it a shot at the nearest Sheraton until - Holy Smokes! $209 a night for the cheapest room?!? $244 for the most expensive?!? For Venezuela? Couldn't they put them up at a Super 8 motel instead? I mean, come on, it's Venezuela.

In the end, I decided to scrap my idea of staying in a San Diego hotel. Instead, I'll drive back home and try to figure out about how many rooms the respective Venezuelan and Mexican delegations take up, figure about $230 on average per room between the two and see how much it costs to shack up these two teams for one meaningless game. Of course, it's the hard-working, Tri-loving fan who foots this ghastly bill.

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Swiss Visit

Switzerland is the latest country to view Sideline Views for the first time.

I must say, I was surprised to see the Swiss advance to the second round of the World Cup last year. I thought Korea would get through from that group along with France and really didn't think too much of it afterward. But Switzerland proved me wrong.

Also, I don't know much about the Swiss league but Grasshoppers doesn't sound like an intimidating name. Locusts maybe or even Cockroaches FC but Grasshoppers...

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Wasted talent

Sometimes, talking to young talented players can be exciting. You can track their progress and keep up with them when they make the jump from high school or youth national teams to professional clubs and senior national teams.

But when you talk to young and talented girls, it's almost depressing. Their moment is now because their soccer future is pretty much non-existent. Sure, the U.S. will always field a senior national side but unless you are the cream of the best crop in the world, chances are many young ladies' careers will end when their senior years in college are over.

Here's a good yarn by Andrea about post-collegiate options for women soccer players, or lack thereof.

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Young Tri & Ticos

Last time I was present at the U20 qualifying games, they were here in LA, and Costa Rica was eliminated as the U.S. clinched the top spot. The Ticos were pretty devastated. I figured they'd come back - and considering they did quite well against an El Tri squad that consists of a lot of the players from the world champion U17 team, I think they're on their way.
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Prep people

One of the 137 stories (okay, it's not quite but it just feels that way) I'm chasing today is a preview of tomorrow's semifinal round of the CIF playoffs. Temecula Valley is hosting Thousand Oaks in a girls' semifinal and Redlands East Valley is traveling to College of the Canyons to play Hart.

Anyway, I just got off the phone with Temecula Valley coach Adam Skumawitz and was gracious with his time. I'd talked to him a few weeks ago after a 1-1 tie and he seemed irritated with the officiating but we had a fine chat regardless. I was researching him this morning it turns out he was once a Yank Abroad. Anyway, he was a star at Cornell University in 1997 and after graduating starred in the Verbandsliga, an amateur league in Germany. From there, he landed a contract with Aalesunds F.K. of Norway (Adin Brown's current club) but injuries forced him to retire, apparently.

Now, he runs the Football Proper academy in Temecula, which is just north of San Diego county.

Several weeks ago, Brad Friedel told me that he thought the youth developmental system in this country is farcical and that 70 percent of coaches here were in it solely for the money. I don't know him that well but I think Skumawitz falls into the other 30 percent.

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Southeast Asia swing continues

Singapore is the latest country to join the Sideline Views craze!

Let's see, what do I know about Singapore? The capital is of Singapore is Singapore... uh, I've seen some nice pictures of the capital city and it looks kinda like Tokyo in that there are giant buildings with a ton of people scurrying about everywhere.

In soccer terms, Singapore is, well, poor. They are currently ranked 123rd in the world by FIFA, right between Namibia and Lebanon. Singapore is ahead of such powers as El Salvador, New Zealand, Vietnam and the Dominican Republic, a veritable murderer's row.

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Who ate all the lies?

Apparently Ronaldinho was well aware of how the press in Spain had been running reports that Barca's losses were due to him being out of shape and fat.

So after the team's recent win, when he took his shirt off for the jersey exchange, he had a little fun.

Ronaldinho seems like a good guy. At the Barcelona/Chivas game here in LA last year, the mixed zone was crazy. They stationed the reporters in certain sections. Catalan newspeople were given a prime spot, and most players only stopped there and then moved past everyone else. Ronaldinho did talk to me briefly, though. He has this trick of backing away from reporters when he needs to leave, smiling and waving. It may be the brush-off, but it's endearing.
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Mad about Marsch

I've got to admit, Jesse Marsch is a cool character. I really became fond of Marsch last year. Before then, I had never interviewed him (as far as I can remember) and didn't know too much about him. But man, the guy has character and charm and charisma. He just gets it. He's a perfect teammate and a straight shooter as well. He doesn't throw guys under the bus but he speaks the truth; it's difficult to balance the two.

Word is, Jesse can do a spot-on Bob Bradley impersonation. I haven't been lucky enough to hear it but if and when I do, I'll pass along that info to you all.

Of all the guys who have played in each of the 12 MLS seasons, I think Marsch has the best bet to last the longest. The guy is in incredible shape and could pass for someone in his mid-20s. I don't know too much about his final days in Chicago - the two sides did not part on the best of terms - but I'm glad he ended up with Chivas USA and got the chance to get to know him.

I echo Andrea's feelings about Jesse being a great future MLS coach. Hell, I would have supported him for Chivas USA player-coach.

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Mighty Macedonia

After receiving our first visitor from Portugal, Sideline Views made its inaugural appearance in Macedonia.

Uh... quick thought about Macedonia. In the lead-up to the 1998 World Cup, the U.S. scheduled a friendly against Macedonia in San Jose. The game was sometime in May and I seriously considered driving up there from SoCal to watch the game as a fan. I relented because I didn't really have the time and money and there was also a friend's birthday party that I couldn't really miss. I watched the game on TV instead of in person.

The final score was 0-0 so I'm glad I didn't go after all.

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Sueno pics - Lindholm

David Lindholm is a stand-up guy. I wish he taught out here so I could see him at Chivas games more often. He looked pretty good on the field too but his biggest drawback was his age. He can't sign a developmental contract since he'll be 25 so he'd have to join the senior roster, and as good as he is, Chivas already has Preston Burpo and Brad Guzan.

Still, David's not the kind of guy to mope. He told Republica Deportiva that he was sad but not depressed.

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More Sueno pics - Robles

I took so many pictures yesterday that I won't be able to use for anything else so I might as well put them here.

It was funny because before the thing started I was taking pictures of random players while they were warming up. It wasn't until after I got home that I realized I had taken some pictures of Andrew Robles warming up.

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Boa Vinda Portugal!

Sideline Views has now hit Portugal. It remains to be seen whether it will be the latest fad to hit the Iberian Peninsula or not but we're happy to be read there nonetheless.

One thought about Portugal. I was impressed by Simao Sabrosa in last year's World Cup. That guy is a player. He can score anywhere, anytime and I wish he played in MLS simply so I could see him more often. I also liked the way Maniche plays. He's got an overbite or something on his face - I wouldn't put him on the Bueno Looking XI - but I'd take him on my soccer team any day.

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No 'Tin

Agustin Delgado was all set to join Major League Soccer. As a designated player for New York, Delgado was surely going to make noise in this league. He had had success for many years in Mexico and will forever be a hero for Necaxa. Last summer, he was twice named Man of the Match at the World Cup as Ecuador was a revelation in reaching the second round. Tin is a star player, through and through, and he could have gone down as one of the greatest Red Bull/Metros forward ever.

Sadly, he will not be joining MLS or any other club this year. He was part of a huge brawl in Ecuador last year and was suspended for a year. Still, the Red Bulls thought they could get the ban lifted. But they couldn't. FIFA said no, and now the Red Bulls will miss out on a strong forward and MLS will lack a star player.

I've always liked watching Delgado play. He's a monster up front and has a knack for scoring goals. He played for Southampton for a brief spell, I believe, and I was looking forward to seeing him succeed in England but he didn't do enough to establish himself and returned to the New World.

Aside from scoring in the 2006 World Cup, he also found the back of the net in 2002 against Mexico.

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In the system

Chivas USA's open tryouts are making a sweep for some players that may have fallen through the cracks. Meanwhile, the standard youth teams for the national team roll on - but if Charles Renken, among others, is any indication, that avenue is still a valid route.
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Two dozen left

This was the 60 who started out Saturday. By the end of the afternoon, though, only 24 remained.
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Brain Trust

Of all the people involved with Chivas USA, undoubtedly one of the most important is Dennis te Kloese. To say this guy has a football mind is like saying Bill Gates is rich. With Chivas Guadalajara, te Kloese was the chief scout and under his watch brought in guys like Carlos Salcido and Omar Bravo.

It's really a coup to have him aboard because he is of the mindset that scouting young players will lead to great things in the future. He was the impetus behind Chivas USA's youth development system, which was put into place in 2005. He helped the club's Under-19 side get off the ground before MLS required an organized youth system. He outlasted fellow Hollanders Hans Westerhof and Thomas Rongen at Chivas USA.

In one, he's with Antonio Cue. In the other, he's with the club's Under-19 coach, Sacha van der Most.

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Cue the owner

Antonio Cue was there today. He gave a little speech to the players before the whole thing started. It was Cue-esque in that it was inspiring and respectful and energetic. He also took the time to shake each players' hand.

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All the way from London

Soft-spoken Ebenezer Masade chatted with me for a few minutes about his trials and travails of chasing the professional footballer's dream. He was close a few times but nothing came of it.

Now he's close again.

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Abuelito

Okay, so maybe he's not quite there - he doesn't even have kids - but David Lindholm was the oldest dreamer out there.

I got to know David last year when he spent the summer with Chivas USA. I didn't realize he was a teacher for a private school back in his Salisbury, Connecticut. I just thought he was an intern trying to latch on to a professional club.

He tried a different method of latching on today. A goalie by trade, David did fairly well for himself. I'm sure he'll have lots of tales to tell his students back East and will surely take back many fond memories from his multiple visits to Southern California.

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Dreamers

I spent most of my day Saturday around five dozen dreamers. Chivas USA held their penultimate round of tryouts in Bell Gardens on Saturday. I chatted with a few of the hopefuls, about their dreams and their stories, hopes and goals.

One of the youngest ones out there was Andrew Robles. I couldn't help but feel excited for this kid. At 16, he already had a taste of professional soccer. His older brother Eder is a full-fledged member of Chivas USA. So when Andrew said their family was from a poor area and few people from his 'hood make it, that feeling of excitement grew. How great would it be for Andrew to make it, just like his brother has? How positive would it be for the community and youngsters who know the Robles clan?

Of course, his family ties made him one of the more sought-after players. I was among them. When I found out Eder Robles' brother was among the dreamers, I wanted to talk to him.

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Becks is here, there

Beckham's everywhere - well, perhaps not, but he's certainly getting more press coverage than any other soccer player I've ever talked to.

He's involved in Swiss politics, too, apparently.

The latest reports about

Beckham's Galaxy contract are making it look like MLS lied with the 250 million dollar number, though it was all along an estimate of a very unique deal. Even though Beckham's base salary is even lower than I'd guessed, (I'd thought 9 million a year), what Beckham has done here is take a share of the house profits. It's like when his buddy Tom Cruise has a movie deal that pays him half the profits of the movie. Cruise's salary at that point doesn't matter, because that contract will make him millions more.
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Blog like an Egyptian

Ok, I realize that title makes little sense, but I wanted to welcome our new reader from Egypt. Plus, it's kind of late right now, so I'm not at my sharpest.
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Hello, Hong Kong!

It's nice to think our blog is sweeping across the Asian continet. Next, up, Good Morning, Vietnam?
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Young gentlemen

U15 phenom Charles Renken thanked me after my interview with him finished and asked me to say hello to my editor, Rob Zeigler. I promised him I would. Sebastian Lletget, who I'd also been talking to, chimed in, "Yes, thanks for the interview. We appreciate you talking to us."

There's lots of players who are pretty polite, but I can't ever remember one who asked about my boss or any who thanked me for taking the time to interview them.

Anyway, this isn't a great pic, especially with the yellow mesh they made the U.S. players wear to distinguish them from the blue jerseys of the other team, but here is quite possibly the future of U.S. soccer in action - Charles is on the left, Sebastian on the right.

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Read in Taiwan

Greetings to the first Taiwanese visitor to Sideline Views.

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Flying commercial

I went to the airport once to wait for a team. The Mexican national team flew down from San Francisco to LAX right before the 2002 World Cup and I had to get some advance stuff for some stories I'd been working on.

The team poured out of the gate. I remember Francisco Palencia and Rafa Marquez were hanging back wearing their shades. I talked to Alberto Garcia Aspe first, then approached Cuauhtemoc Blanco as he was waiting for his luggage. He talked, begrudgingly.

The Mexican national team will be flying into San Diego on Monday night. They'll be on Aeromexico Flight 488 which is scheduled to get in to San Diego International Airport at 7:35 p.m.

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Emphatic coach

I covered yet another high school soccer game today. Fourth in four days. Whew. I'm exhausted.

Anyway, I was the San Gorgonio-Marshall game in San Bernardino today. It was cold (yes brucio, I'm wimpy, what can I say?) and windy and bright outside. Weird combination.

I found myself more entertained by the Marshall coach, however. Not that the game was bad - it was actually quite good. But this coach was something else. I think he was Costa Rican - he looked like Hernan Medford from afar. He spoke Spanish fluently and had a rhythm to his voice.

Some of the things he said were classic but the best was:

Amarrense los huevos y juegen! (Tighten up your balls and play!)

But the game ended in controversy. A PK was called in the 9th minute of the first overtime session. On the spot kick, a kid from Marshall ran up and took a stutter step and then scored. It shouldn't have counted. I don't know what the rule is in pro and international soccer but in high school you can't take a stutter step on a PK. He should have been cautioned and the goal should not have counted.

I looked up the rule. Yes, I did some homework on the matter. Wanted to get the story straight.

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Gloaters United

Andrea is not the only person who is gloating today.

Mexico called in its squad to face Venezuela on Friday. Among the players called in was Fernando Arce. I've been on Arce's bandwagon all season. I think the guy is a good player and recently I said this about Arce:

"Hello Morelia? Hi, this is Hugo Sanchez. Can I speak with Fernando Arce?"

I know, I'm prophetic. Okay, maybe not. Maybe I say like 50 things and 49 of them are wrong but one is right so I gloat...

Still, Andrea's call on Adam Cristman was great. I honestly wouldn't have picked him to be the best U.S. player in Japan. I would have picked Sacha Kljestan or Patrick Ianni before Cristman.

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Far east

For some reason, we get a lot of readers from China. It's nice to see that actually. Love people reading our blog, especially in exotic places I haven't been or probably won't get the chance to visit anytime soon.

I'm fairly ignorant about Chinese soccer. I was, however, watching House of Flying Daggers today. I was thinking "Man, wouldn't it be cool to know how to speak Chinese."

Then, I thought "Man, wouldn't it be cool to be able to shoot arrows from 100 yards away and ricochet them off something and pierce some dude in the side of his body?"

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Say it ain't so, Jonny

&$%!*# crap.

Jonny's out with a knee injury. I don't think it will hurt his chances for Gold Cup/Copa America but still...

Crap.
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Ooops, RSL did it again

Real Salt Lake is perfecting the art of the take-back move this offseason.

It started with the Jason Kreis crisis, also known as the great "Mo knows better" outsmart move of the expansion draft. RSL exposed their team captain in the draft, assuming Toronto would pass on the player and his expensive salary. The gamble backfired, as Mo Johnston promptly took the veteran. RSL scrambled to regain him, and Mo profited well from the outcome.

Then there was the stadium groundbreaking, which was quickly transformed into the, "Debacle, Drama and Disaster" as the stadium deal went under, Dave Checketts threatened to move the team, and the state legislature finally stepped in and strong-armed the whole plan into place.

Now, the team may be generally innocent in the last move, because the suddent retirement of Scott Garlick left them scrambling, but how often does one see a team trade a player (Nick Rimando) and then turn around and ask for the same player right back? Let's call this one, "Goodbye, just kidding, Hello".
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Getting my gloat on

Adam Cristman, MOTM versus Japan's Rosso Kumamoto.
Scoring two goals in the game makes him look good before he heads to the NE Revs, plus it makes my prediction look none too shabby, either.

I'd said: "However, if Adam Cristman continues the form he brought into camp, he could be the revelation of the Japan tour."

Here's what Adam said about joining his MLS squad after U23 duty.

"I’m now with New England, so I’m up there now, trying to get a feel for the whole scenario. I’m excited to get on this level with these guys (on the Olympic team). It’s a good steppingstone to get me going in New England and certainly good preparation."

I mentioned that the Revs had some quality strikers to learn from and Adam nodded.

"Taylor (Twellman) and (Pat) Noonan – I’m looking forward to going there."

I'll go ahead and predict that Cristman sees onfield time with the Revolution this year - especially because Twellman will probably be involved with the national team this summer.

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Stone Age

As the de facto prep soccer guy for The Press-Enterprise, it appears likely that I will be covering the season through to the end. That means a boys quarterfinal game tonight and a semifinal game on Tuesday, either boys or girls (I'm eyeing that Temecula Valley girls game) and finals on March 3.

So I went to CIF's web site (CIF is the governing body for California high school athletics). I wanted to see where the finals would be at. I found it to be a little vague, actually. CIF says the finals will be at Warren HS and Downey HS. They don't specify who would play where or the times or anything like that. They do, however, inform us in bold and large print that there will be NO phone service at either site.

How am I supposed to do my live blog?

No, seriously though, it's absurd. Phones? They still use those things for internet? Now, if you are at home and choose to use dial-up, that's your choice. Whatever works for you and your budget, right? But for an organization that wants coverage and is trying to provide coverage for its members to basically tell the media that we won't be able to file from there is ridiculous.

For me, personally, it won't be too much of a hassle. I think the games will end early enough for me to go home or to the nearest Starbucks (mmm... coffee) or somewhere else to write. But for prep writers and staff photographers, it means a long haul back to the office (because there are some papers who will have to drive quite a distance to get there and back) and then try and bang out stories and photos quickly.

I guess I'm spoiled. Covering games at Home Depot Center has done that to me, I suppose. The wireless feed was available all season long last year. I don't even think twice about it anymore. I turn on my laptop and - Voila! - I'm online. I worry sometimes about games at other venues but the US-Mexico game in Arizona was the same drill as HDC. Instant internet access.

I'm not a tech guy but it seems to me that it wouldn't take too much trouble to get some sort of cable or broadband internet feed, run it through a router and provide it for us hacks. I know I sound like I'm complaing but when people get their papers on Sunday morning and the story about their school's soccer final is subpar, it's probably because the writer had to rush back to the office to get it done. If I had to hurry and go home after Galaxy games to write my stories, they wouldn't be that good... hmm.. I guess some people would say they're not that good now.
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Complain, complain

It's a little funny that Luis was listening to an argument centered on the idea that the power in U.S. Soccer is too centralized.

That's because, meanwhile, I've been fielding a series of emails from ardent fans of the U.S. men's national team who are firmly convinced that U.S. Soccer's administration is hancuffed by the tiered structure of the organization - that it gives far too much power to different factions, especially the youth programs and the women, and that those in charge are basically impotent figureheads who are unable to focus the resources exactly where they are needed - namely, on the men's team.

They've sent me Excell charts of how they believe the finances break down, hinted at shadowy power brokers behind the scenes, and claim that Sunil Gulati was denied in his quest to bring in Jurgen Klinsmann because the German would have toppled the whole structure.

In fact, the USSF has streamlined the organization, partly due to the recommendations from a landmark independent study done back when Gulati's predecessor, Robert Contigulia, was in charge.

Would Chinaglia want to return to the days of a 40-member board?

The problem with a medium center point solution is that too often, both sides on the extreme end believe they have been equally wronged, are bitter about the outcome, and determined to attack the end result.
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The drive in

I was cruising into my non-soccer job on Thursday and was listening to a replay of The Football Show from the night before on my Sirius satellite radio. Sirius has fairly good coverage of soccer, excellent actually compared to terrestrial radio. I don't usually get to listen to a lot of it unfortunately because I'm either not in my car or too busy doing something else to listen to the radio.

Anyway, Giorgio Chinaglia and Charlie Stillitano host this show and they had on someone who is involved in soccer in New York. Forget his name but his dad was the president of US Soccer at some point in the past, like a long time ago. Anyway, the three of them were complaining that US Soccer is too centralized in terms of the power decisions that are made and that about 4 people hold all the power in US soccer.

Chinaglia, who seems like a crotchety old man, just complained about everything and said the federation should invest money in youth soccer. The guest corrected him and said they do spend more than a million per year on youth development programs and Chinaglia took his words back. Then, this guest said that he wanted for the president of US Soccer not to have another job, which seemed like a direct swipe at Sunil Gulati but he then said he spoke to Sunil before he presented this idea at some meeting and told him it wasn't personal.

When I got to my job, they had moved on to talking about Inter Milan-Valencia. Listening to soccer talk on the radio was a cool way to start the day.

I'm still waiting for an all-MLS talk show, though. Perhaps Andrea and I could start one and call it Sideline Voices. Now wouldn't that be something?!?

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Memories of Becks

I was covering the Brazil-Belgium match in Kobe, Japan in 2002. It was after the US-Mexico war and I was enjoying watching Brazil in a World Cup for the first time. I was sitting in the media tribune and my seats were fantastic. I was about 20 rows up from the field. Absolutely fantastic.

Well, there in attendance was the English side that had pounded Denmark 3-0 days earlier in Niigata. I had been up there for that madness as well. England's entrance drew attention from the onlookers at Kobe Stadium but one certain spiky-haired player drew the most oohs and aahs. David Beckham's then-signature hairstyle was easily spotted amidst the players. I snapped a picture of him and the team but since I used a disposable film camera (film? ick) I have it stored in some shoe box somewhere. I'll try and scan it in at some point in the near future.

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UEFA Cup

I know there is some controversy over the UEFA Cup and whether or not it should even be played. Now, I'm not quite up to speed on the details so I might be off but it seems to me that this tournament is a good one in that it provides smaller clubs the chance to win some hardware against European competition.

Again, I follow things more closely on this side of the pond but the highlights I saw today from UEFA Cup games were entertaining. No, it's not the Champions League but what is?

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What are the odds?

So I had to cover yet another high school game. This time, I was back at Redlands East Valley but it was a girls quarterfinal match.

REV won again, 1-0 in double overtime on a soft goal off a set piece. This game, though, was even better than the boys game the day before. These girls played well and both sides did well to maintain their composure.

Murrieta Valley - the losing side - was unfortunate. They hit the post twice - once in the 75th minute and the other time early in overtime. I interviewed the girl who rattled the first shot off the woodwork. She was in tears but managed to string some words together, basically telling me that they had their heads held high because no one expected them to get that far.

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Two-timing Sunil

Sunil Gulati cracked a smile at a recent roundtable with soccer reporters when one asked if he was taking a leave of absence or sabbatical from his job at Columbia University as an economics professor during his US Soccer Federation term of service as president

"On sabbatical? A four-year sabbatical? Columbia doesn’t feel good about that. No, I’m not on sabbatical."

At the USSF's Annual General Meeting, however, one of the items up for potential approval is granting a salary to the president's position, which as of now has been unpaid volunteer work. So it might become more feasible for Gulati to take a break if that passes.

In his classes at Columbia, where he's a popular professor, Gulati fits in a few soccer references now and again. He gave the reporters an example, from, I believe, his Sports and Economics class:

"David Beckham – I put up a slide and I ask my class, 'How many of you know who this is?' 90% raise their hands. Then the next slide is of Jeff Sachs. I’m not going to embarrass anyone (the reporters, that is) by asking if you know him (I didn't). He’s probably the most famous professor at Columbia, literally trying to bring a billion people under the poverty line at the UN to a living standard. The third pillar of the Bill Gates, Bono, End Poverty in Africa movement. He’s a rock star at Columbia. People know his name, but not his face. Beckham, 90%, Jeff Sachs, ten people. Then I tell the students - 'By the end of this term, you'll know both, and you'll also understand why one can pull in a potential $250,000,000 million dollars.'"

When asked if his students knew about his involvement with U.S. Soccer, Gulati nodded. "They’re all aware of it now."

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Barca, Que Pasa?

I have a drummer friend named Liam who loves Liverpool, so I'm sure he was happy about the Champions' League result. I like Liverpool as well, but I've met the Barcelona players, and they were quite friendly despite all the chaos during their visit to the States. With rumors of dissension and the possible departure of coach Frank Rijkard, however, the club appears to be going through turmoil.

It could just be something of a "changing of the guard" thing, though, as it is very hard for even great teams to always stay on top. Players get restless or discontented; coaches perhaps find that they're not listened to the way they were before. Or another team just gets better. This is a pretty special group for Barca, though. They'll be remembered for a while.

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Generation Next

The U15 team at their training scrimmage. Up top, #5, Andrew Craven, gets into the mix for a header. Then Craven works an outlet play with a really special player in this age group, Charles Renken, #35. I wasn't trying to make Renken look mysterious through the netting or anything, it was just in the way.
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Soccer by sunset

US U15 boys national training camp scrimmage. Story is up on TopDrawerSoccer.

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Donovan's alma mater

I covered yet another prep soccer game on Wednesday. I was at the Redlands East Valley-Temecula Valley game. It started off as a pretty bad game to watch but it got better. Way better. REV started to lose their composure and Temecula Valley's offense finally started to click. But the game was 0-0 after regulation and 0-0 after the first 20-minute overtime.

Then, it went to golden-goal overtime. The game was all set for PKs when REV scored on a set piece. The goal was not worthy of the game, though. To win that game, there should have been some blistering 18-yard rocket that the keeper would have had no chance of stopping (think Phillip Lahm against Costa Rica). Instead we got some cheap goal on a save the keeper should have made.

Redlands East Valley, incidentally, is where Landon Donovan attended high school. I saw him play a few times with REV. I remember one game where he scored five goals against Indio HS.

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Caption this

Had this picture from the US-Mexico game. Anyone care to make some sort of accompanying caption?

(I don't have to tell our soccer-savvy readers but that's Oswaldo Sanchez on the left and Carlos Bocanegra on the right. Duh.)

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171? Ha!

So between Andrea and I, there were 171 posts on this blog in January. It's Feb. 21 (for another 54 minutes or so) and we're up to 173. This makes it 174.

I love this blog and I hope you, our trusty reader, also enjoys it. It's going to be fun during the MLS season around here and there will be plenty of things to chew on around here and interesting items that won't have made it anywhere else.

Plus, we'll have our trusty cameras ready to snap pictures for your enjoyment.

Of course, we still have March to go...

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Three-for-three

Toluca was not about to be overshadowed by Necaxa and America. Toluca went into Cienciano and walked away with a 2-1 victory.

The day before, America and Necaxa each won by 2-1 scores, against El Nacional and Alianza Lima respectively.

Maybe I shouldn't have been so harsh on Necaxa...

Anyway, it's interesting that Necaxa played its first-choice team while America (Blanco, Cabanas) and Toluca (Zinha, Vicente Sanchez) each rested some of their better players. I don't think that necessarily speaks to which tournament the teams are making a priority - league or cup - but rather the coaches trying to balance out the busy schedule and decide what's best for their club.

It's tricky because many Mexican clubs that have done well in Libertadores have not done well in league. Cruz Azul's 2001 team that walked through River Plate and Rosario Central and came up short at Boca Juniors on PKs did not even make the Mexican league playoffs that year.


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United wins big, Dynamo stumbles

D.C. United thrashed Olimpia on Wednesday by a 4-1 count. What makes this victory particularly impressive is that it is the first game in the post-Nowak era. Actually, make that the post-Nowak-Adu-Alecko era. Add to that the pressures of playing in Central America and the hostile environment encountered down there and it makes doubly impressive.

Dynamo, meanwhile, weren't as lucky. I didn't see the game so I don't want to comment one way or the other but I heard the referees were giving Houston a hard time. But I will say that the Galaxy got completely hosed in Costa Rica a year ago. The Galaxy played an impressive first half against Saprissa, probably the best half I've seen the Galaxy play in the last several years, especially when you consider the opponent and importance of the match. Saprissa came back in the second half, scored two and sent it into extra time. In extra time, the Galaxy was called for some garbage foul deep in their own third. I can't remember who was whistled for the foul but it was complete and utter garbage. Saprissa knocked the set piece into the net and they won 3-2. It was disappointing considering I was already looking at flights to Toluca, where the Galaxy would have played had they won.

Oh well. Houston apparently learned the hard way that, if you don't want the refs to be a factor, then you need to score four goals.

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Irish eyes

...are smiling on Sideline Views.

Okay, not sure if they were smiling while here but those eyes happened upon our trusty little blog here.

Still waiting for Paraguay...

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Rooting for the enemy

As the CONCACAF Champions Cup starts today, it brings a feeling among many MLS supporters to get behind the teams involved. Red Bulls fans will set aside their differences and cheer Dynamo, while Wizards and Crew fans will likely get behind D.C.

It's just natural, really. As the MLS representatives in the CCC, these two teams seem to carry the flag for MLS and, in many ways, American soccer.

I don't know if I'll live long enough to see this day, but I hope it gets to a point here where Red Bulls fans will wish ill on Houston and everyone in MLS will hope United loses by three goals to some nothing Central American side. If and when that happens, we know MLS will long have arrived and we won't worry about how MLS is perceived to naysayers from outside our borders and, frankly, those from within. I hope the league will be strong enough at some point for fans of GIVEN MLS CLUB will cheer for GIVEN MLS CLUB and hope all other clubs rot in hell.
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Lalas on LA fans

Alexi Lalas on Galaxy fans: "Everyone has all the answers to how to do my job better. I'll always take the feedback. People have been able to call me directly, people have been able to e-mail me, especially the people that spend money to watch our team. They should be heard. Does it mean I'm going to tell them what they want to hear? Not all the time. I'm going to be honest with them. Maybe more so than other sports, soccer has a real intelligent fanbase, in that they're always thinking about how to improve the game. There are some great ideas and suggestions from our fans. We're open to all suggestions, and ultimately, it's up to me to make those decisions, but there's no shortage of suggestions that come from our fans. They're very passionate, and they have a very clear view, many of them, as to what we should be doing, and what we shouldn't be doing."
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Sturg's thoughts

Los Angeles Galaxy player Nathan Sturgis shared his thoughts on the U23 team, Beckham, etc, with the Japanese press.

I'm a little sad that UCLA's Kyle Nakazawa didn't make the U23 squad, because I'm sure the media there would have loved the story of his Japanese heritage.

Sturgis performed well in the match - which is something he's made a habit of during the tours abroad that he's taken. Of course, he's played well for the Galaxy, too.

Here's a quick mention of the match from another Japanese source, where the U.S. defense is praised. There's also a minute-by-minute report.

I wouldn't be surprised if Sturgis draws attention from Europe after the U20 World Cup in Canada.

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Becks in?

David Beckham - almost back where he belongs?

After playing well against Bayern Munich, Becks could be eyeing a return to play for England.

Perhaps we could start a poll, or maybe people will just share their thoughts in the comments.

1) Should Steve McClaren call up David Beckham?

2) Will he?

3) What odds would you place (gamblers unite) on Beckham playing for England while a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy?

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Beckingham Palace 2

Apparently Posh hasn't found a property she likes yet. With a 20 million rumored budget, the Beckhams have some options. The one I like is a relative steal at 12 million. Of course, if David actually wants to be close to his home stadium, this property in Palos Verdes would be a much shorter commute than living in Malibu or Beverly Hills.

If Beckham wishes to be the Fresh Player of Bel Air, there's pricey options there, too.

Most likely, most of the properties the Beckhams are looking at are going to be privately listed, though.

Actually, though I didn't look very long, the most expensive property I found was actually listed in Pasadena, which would have been perfect if the Galaxy were still playing at the Rose Bowl.
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Kicking back

While Tarp tries to perfect her free kicks, the other players relax and stretch.
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Practice, practice.

At today's USWNT practice, Lindsay Tarpley took a little extra time to hit free kicks under the watchful eye of former Galaxy assistant Billy McNicol.
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We forgot Poland

An electronic boojie to our visitor from Poland! Paraguay, alas for Luis and his best efforts, has yet to show up.
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Born to run

Jonny Bornstein is built like a whippet, with the added durability of the Energizer Bunny inside. Of course, most any pro soccer player runs well, and for a long time, but Jonny's one of those who looks like he might take off directly from the field and take on El Guerrouj. He's not really that fast, but he's faster than most when the rest of the players are tired late in games.
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Copa America: my take

So I put together some thoughts on the United States' participation in Copa America for The Press-Enterprise in my weekly column. It's difficult sometimes trying to balance the readers for my internet stories versus my print stories. Readers of the Press-Enterprise, for instance, might actually not have been aware of the Copa America draw but will want to read about it. Internet readers, of course, knew the day of the draw or at the latest the following day. So while this seems kinda stale on the one hand, it is still fresh for a whole batch of people.

It's a fine line, though, between keeping the soccer fans who aren't scouring the net for soccer news informed as well as the ones who are.

I was going to write some about Mexico in this column but I figured it best to focus on the USMNT because they hadn't played in Copa America since 95 and then all of a sudden we all understood how great and challenging and honorable this tournament is when the US is paired with Paraguay/Argentina/Colombia right off the bat.

As far as my accompanying top 10 list, it wasn't put in with the story (sometimes it is, sometimes it isnt) so here's what I got as the top 10 US results of ALL-TIME against South American nations.

1. US 2, Colombia 1 WC 94 (no-brainer); 2. US 3, Argentina o, CA 95; 3. US 1, Brazil 0, GC 98 (Preki!!!); 4. US 2, Chile 1 CA 95 (slight drop off between 3 and 4); 5. US 3, Venezuela 3 CA 93 (a draw?!?); 6. US 3 Paraguay WC 30 (holy crap!); 7. US 1, Peru 0 (I listened to this game on internetsoccer.com!!!!!); 8. US 1, Argentina 0 99 (a friendly?!?!?!); 9. US 2, Chile 1 2000 (another friendly?!?!). 10 U.S. 2, Uruguay 1 02 (another stinking friendly?!?).

Needless to say, the U.S. doesn't have many wins at all against South American nations. Six, I think, all time in tournaments. There may have been some wins between 1950 and 1980something but I figured those were insignificant to a point because they didn't build on something or didn't usher in a new era. The draw in Copa America 93 gave the US promise that they could compete with a South American team in South America. It's not like they got blitzed 5-0 in all three games it played.

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Accent Marks

Traveling to Europe on the cheapest-flight available combo that I sometimes scrounge up online, I once had a six hour layover in Atlanta. I figured it was enough time to get into the city and have a quick look around, so I left the main airport building to ask for advice on which bus I should take. I spotted someone who looked friendly and asked if he knew which was the next bus to the city.

Smiling, he told me.

I did not understand him.

It was a strange moment, standing there, realizing that he was speaking in English, but with an accent so broad that I was confused.

This gentleman waited, as I stood there stupefied. I wanted to ask him to repeat himself, speaking slowly, but I didn't want to be rude. Finally, I thanked him, then walked back inside the airport and found an information desk.

Similarly, though I understand Spanish, I found myself rewinding my interview with Maykel Galindo a few times. Cuban accents take a little getting used to. Like my helpful friend in Atlanta, Maykel was really nice, though.
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Champions leagues

The Champions League gets underway again today as a full slate of games will take the spotlight around the world. But there is also another club tournament being played today.

Copa Libetadores actually started last week but Mexico's participation in it begins today as America plays at El Nacional and Necaxa visits Alianza Lima.

Champions League has better players and more renowned clubs but Libertadores is no second-rate tournament. Many of those games are as pulsating as Champions League matches.

As far as Mexican clubs go, I think America will get through the group stage. Necaxa probably has the toughest group of the three thought Toluca did draw Boca Juniors. I think America and Toluca will go through to the knockout rounds, though, and Necaxa will fall just short.

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Playing for freedom

Maykel Galindo scored a goal for the Cuban national team against the USA in the 2005 Gold Cup, then sought political asylum from his rivals the next day.

The defector didn't play in MLS right away, instead he played for the Seattle Sounders of the USL, the country's second division of soccer (down one level from MLS, though Seattle is in the top level of the USL, which is called First Division).

Now, however, his quest to play in the top level of American soccer has been fulfilled, as Chivas USA signed the 26-year old forward to a contract today.

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Zidane butts out

Well, apparently, Zidane wants 15 million a year to play for MLS, according to Steven Goff of the Washington Post, who also notes that the league isn't going for it.

For those of you who have followed the reality of David Beckham's actual salary (an estimated 9 mil a year) instead of the trumpeted total with endorsement dollars included, you'll know that 15 million yearly would break the MLS bank far more than Beckham's deal.

Like I posted before, I'm not shocked Zidane won't be in MLS this season.

Too bad. I really think it would have been a great opportunity for him and for the league.
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Pushy paparazzi

Victoria Beckham is back in town and while I know she's ridiculously rich, I do feel sorry for her and the kids, who apparently couldn't even enjoy themselves at Disneyland without a mob of tabloid press.

It didn't used to be like that. Life in LA was pretty low key for celebrities, because most Angelenos were too jaded to make a big deal of having stars around. They could hang out and go grocery shopping, and nobody would really care. But now there's this whole industry where bored (perhaps snowed-in, even) people from around the world can view pictures of stars out and about in everyday life. So, that's where the paparazzi go, to all the ordinary things the stars used to do in relative anonymity.

I'll just be walking down the sidewalk when some guy will jump out from behind a car, and start running people down holding a camera with a huge lens, trying to get a picture of a star picking up a cup of coffee. It won't even be in a posh neighborhood, just at any joint in Hollywood. It's gotten crazy, and it's sad.
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Top 10 US wins

As part of my Press-Enterprise column, I usually try to have a Top 10 list accompanying the story. For instance, I wrote about Copa America for tomorrow and how the U.S. needs to compete in more tournaments like Copa America.

So for the Top 10 list, I tried to come up with 10 U.S. wins over South American nations. I got to about 1995 and realized that the U.S. didn't have 10 wins over South American nations, at least not all in meaningful games. I tend to avoid friendlies in those kinds of lists. (*I limited the list to USMNT games, not Olympic games or U-20 or anything like that)

So I included a draw and three friendlies and I rounded out the list.

It's a shame really that the U.S. has not played against South American teams more often than it has.

As far as my list, well, you'll have to wait for tomorrow for that. But I'll take any guesses on the wins. Really, it's not that hard to come up with three right off the bat.

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This is the enemy

Front page of MARCA today. What an awesome pic and headline. I love the Champions' League.
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Hostile crowd

Juan Pablo Garcia was not welcomed back to Atlas with open arms. Saturday, Garcia and Tigres went to Guadalajara to play Garcia's former club and the crowd jeered his return. Garcia said afterward he was surprised by the response.

Well, what did Loco expect? When he left, club officials were none too happy. They felt betrayed by Garcia and that sour feeling carried over into the stands.

I feel bad for Garcia because things haven't exactly gone his way since leaving Chivas. He longed for a return to Mexico but has yet to establish himself on the team, is probably no closer to the national team than he was here and found out the hard way that he is no longer welcome in Guadalajara, at least in his old stomping grounds.

He could have stayed here, though, and none of that would have been an issue.

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90s rock

So there's this new channel on Sirius. It totally rules... or wait, I'm on the net. It PWNZ.

Anyway, it's 90s Alternative. Holy hell. How great is that?!? I heard Alice in Chains, Offspring, sat through a Cranberries song and now Soundgarden is on. Kick ass.

(okay, now tie this in to soccer...)

Well, this Soundgarden song, Burden in my Hand, reminds me of the late 1990s when MLS wasn't getting covered that well...

No, but seriously, that Alice in Chains song, No Excuses, was big back before my writing days started. Well, it was big before then but I didn't get into them until way later. I didn't actually attend an MLS game until the first game that I covered, a DC United-Galaxy game at the Rose Bowl in 1998. I think it was 1-0 to United.

1998 Galaxy... now there's something worth flashing back to, well, except for the playoff loss.

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Paraguay

In the hopes of luring some Paraguayan readers, I will wax poetic about Paraguayan football.

America of Mexico will play Libertad of Paraguay in Copa Libertadores this week and anyone who takes Libertad lightly will suffer. Libertad reached the semifinals of last year's tournament and technically finished ahead of Chivas, the other beaten semifinalist, as Libertad lost 2-0 on aggregate while Chivas fell 4-0. Plus, Libertad lost to eventual champions Internacional.

Anyway, the coach of the Paraguayan Under-17 team that I covered back in 2001 played club footy with Libertad. Eduardo Villalba was a star back in the 1970s with this club.

Libertad is joined by fellow Paraguayan club Cerro Porteno, the class of Paraguayan football (unless you are an Olimpia fan, in which case Olimpia is the class of Paraguayan football) in Copa Libertadores. Cerro Porteno is, along with Olimpia of course, one of the two biggest clubs in Paraguay. Cerro Porteno is where Edgar Barreto got his start and if you trace back the lineage of many Paraguayan national team players, you will find that they started with Cerro Porteno.

As far as advancing out of the group phase of Copa Libertadores, I actually think Paraguay will go 2-for-2. Libertad and America will finish in the first two spots of Group 1 while Cerro Porteno and Gremio of Brazil will nab the top two Group 3 spots. Cerro Porteno, though, put itself in a bad situation, though. Gremio beat Cerro Porteno 1-0 in Asuncion, in La Olla as the club's home stadium is lovingly referred to (Estadio De Cerro is its real name). But Cucuta and Deportes Tolima finished 0-0 in the other Group 3 match. However, losing a home game is not a good way to start the tournament.

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Plucky Panchito

See, you cover a player for a couple of years, you think you know their story, but then you learn something new.

Like that Dutch giant Ajax once put in an offer for Panchito Mendoza. Now that he's doing well in MLS, Mendoza hopes to stick it out in the league and make the leap to Europe that eluded Juan Pablo Garcia. Of course, he's also hoping to prove those wrong who say an MLS-developed player won't be chosen for the Mexican national team.

Panchito also had a clear message for those who doubt MLS.

"It’s not easy. I want to make that clear – more than anything for the Mexican people who still think the soccer here is at a low level. Honestly, let me tell them from having lived here, it’s a good level. It’s very strong, physical and it’s growing technically. That’s probably where it still can grow compared to Mexico, but still, most people aren’t aware of how good it has gotten. MLS is very strong and competitive. It’s advancing a lot, and I really mean that."
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Prep playoffs

Family commitments kept me from covering a high school soccer playoff game for the Press-Enterprise on Saturday. Instead, the task of covering the game fell on one of their regular prep staffers. Seems Elsinore beat Norte Vista 2-1.

Anyway, I don't know the writer but I've seen his byline and he does good stuff for them. But he's not a soccer guy. The story said one kid scored on a "head shot." I don't think I've ever heard anyone use that term before - unless they were talking about modeling.

What reading that brought back to me were memories of the early days of the Galaxy, when newspapers sent prep guys - many unwillingly - to cover soccer. Now, there are still guys who cover preps covering the Galaxy and Chivas USA. But the difference is that now these guys are soccer savvy and have worked at gaining a knowledge and understanding of the sport and the teams.

Before, however, the Galaxy was almost an afterthought. The Galaxy was slotted somewhere between college badminton and little league baseball, or something like that.

I guess, though, that I was a beneficiary of some of that early mindset of covering the Galaxy since I started off covering high school football and working as an agate clerk for the San Bernardino County Sun. My boss at the time, the great Paul Oberjuerge, tossed me a bone and let me cover the Galaxy. My first big story was a feature that I wrote on Carlos Hermosillo. It actually ran in USA Today as well as in The Sun and I was so excited when it ran. I actually talked to Carlos Hermosillo, unlike most any other stories I'd seen on him because I was one of the few Spanish-speaking English-language writers back then (come to think of it, that part hasn't changed much).

I've managed to find a niche with The Press-Enterprise, covering soccer for them as a freelancer and I think they are quite forward-thinking in their soccer coverage. I don't know how much more they could expand - at least in the print edition - this season with Beckham's arrival because they already dedicate a lot to Chivas USA and the Galaxy during the season.

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No bananas

It might seem a small thing for some, but I'd rather Madrid just stayed away from the bananas and the monkey chants in general. It'd be more fun if the fans just decked out in Star Trek outfits and screamed "Khan!" at him all game long.

I mean, it's not like the problems Italy and Argentina have right now with rioting fans, but with the history Spain has with racist chants from fans, the bananas seem like a bad idea.

Anyway, I've posted the part of the article I'm referring to here:

"But the Bernabeu for Madrid-Bayern brings it own special theatre too. Some Madridistasbehind Kahn’s goal will doubtless welcome him with bananas, as they usually do on account of what they regard as the goalkeeper’s simian appearance and gait. Kahn has long learned the Spanish for “Snowflake”. From the Bernabeu stands, the word will be bellowed at Kahn. Snowflake is the name of a late, famous albino gorilla who used to live at Barcelona zoo."
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Friends

I just wanted to let everyone know that Alexi Lalas is my friend.

(Of course, only A.C. will get that)

:D

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Great week

There was plenty of riveting storylines and intense games on Saturday in Jornada 6 of the Mexican Clausura. The Toluca-America game was a thriller. Vicente Sanchez scored on an awesome bending left-footed shot from about 25 yards but that was not the best goal of the game. Salvador Cabanas' late leveler was very skillful and graceful and difficult at the same time. I didn't really appreciate it until I saw it in slow-motion replay. He collapsed as a defender was on his back and with his last effort before fully hitting the turf he got enough of the ball with his right foot to knock it into the net.

Of course, there were also two 0-0 draws. Yawn.

Today's going to be a bit of a letdown. There were eight games yesterday but only one today, Tecos at Santos.

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Relatively speaking

At least Luis has a family that knows something about soccer. I've finally gotten my mom to the point where she knows that Landon Donovan plays the game and that he's a member of the U.S. team. I don't think she could name another player on the entire squad, though.

That to me was a huge indication of the impact of David Beckham. My mom called me about it when she saw the news - and she was really excited. I'd never mentioned Beckham to her, yet she knew about him.

What's funny is that people really believe what they want to about Landon. I remember getting a lecture from this guy in the press box about Landon's lack of respect for Mexico being shown in the short answers he gave to Spanish media during interviews.

"He was a Spanish major in college," railed the Mexican reporter. "He speaks perfect Spanish, and yet he only has time for a few sentences!"

I piped up.

"Landon didn't go to college."

"Yes, he did, that's where he learned his Spanish," the guy insisted.

"No, he signed with a German team at sixteen. He didn't even finish a regular high school. He took accelerated coursework to be able to join Bayer Leverkusen."

The reporter paused. "Where did he learn his Spanish?"

"High school - he speaks it well for only taking a year of Spanish, but it's not perfect."

The guy was floored. Finally, he said, "Well, I'll have to check on that."
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Family matters

I love my family. I do. My uncles and aunts, I actually don't get to see them as much as I'd like. So tonight there was a family gathering I was invited to and I wasn't about to miss it.

Truth be told, I'd rather be there than typing here on this blog but my daughters had other thoughts so here I am. While there, though, we got to talking about soccer. (What else are we going to talk about?)

Now, all of my uncles and aunts and many of my cousins were born and raised in Mexico. So of course, they talked mess about different topics. Here's what I got out of it and what sorts of conclusions I can draw from them, since I feel they represent a vast majority of Mexican soccer fans.

- WHAT THEY SAID: Landon is shameless because he urinated in Estadio Jalisco and did you see how he told Univision to screw off?

- - What I told them: Of the thousands of players who have played for Chivas and Atlas, do you honestly think that none of them ever ever EVER did that? Honestly? (My aunt said no, she thought Landon was the first person in history to ever do that). That was fabricated by the Mexican media because that's what they do.

--- Truth: Mexican media is not the most reliable and very sensationalist. Be wary.

- WHAT THEY SAID: The U.S. are a bunch of cowards (coyotes is the word they used).

- - What I told them: Mexico hasn't scored a goal in eight games against the U.S. here.

--- Truth: Mexico hasn't scored a goal in eight games against the U.S. here.

- WHAT THEY SAID: Landon hates Rafael Marquez and hates Mexican soccer.

- - What I told them: Who the %#!*&@ said that???

--- Truth: Mexican commentators say that the sky is green and some people believe that the sky is green.

- WHAT THEY SAID: Omar Bravo, Bofo Bautista, Venado Medina all suck and all Chivas players suck on the national team.

- - What I told them: Medina is good. Give him a shot. Bravo and Bofo, well, they haven't done as much for Mexico as they have for Chivas.

--- Truth: America fans blame Mexico's woes on Chivas players.

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Domo Arigato Gozai mas

Yes, greetings to my Japanese friends as well. I went to Japan a few years back. Spent a month there actually. The Japanese were a different bunch. There were so many people in Japan. I had major culture shock while I was over there. I know the Under-23s are having a far better time than I had because they are traveling as a group. And when you travel alone to the most populous place in the world, well, that kind of wears on you.

The thing I'll remember most about Japan - aside from the soccer games I went to over there - was the Shinkansen and the whole Japanese rail system. Those things are great. I wish there was a similar system in place. For instance, if we had the same system here in the U.S., I would catch a local train to the Shin-Riverside Station. Then, I would catch a Shinkansen from Riverside station to the Shin-Long Beach Station. Then, I'd catch a local train from Long Beach to Carson and - voila! - I'd be at Home Depot Center. Instead, I've got to get the 60 to the 15 to the 91, take that past the 71, 55, 57, 5, 605, 710 and exit Central, left onto Victoria and enter right past the Fire Station. Argh. I'd rather jump on the Shinkansen.

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Radio Daze

I completely forgot to mention this blog during my radio interview. Oh, well, I guess it will stay a secret known only to us - and the people of Azerbaijan.

Actually, I guess I also didn't mention MLSnet en español, soccer365.com, Futbol Mundial USA and topdrawersoccer.com, who I also write for at times.

It makes it a little tricky, freelancing, because you're supposed to declare your affiliation at press conferences and the like, which in my case, could sound like, "Andrea Canales - LA Soccer News, but if your answer is really good, I might get an espn.com article out of it as well."

Of course, I don't say that. I just usually pick one. Since I keep naming a different media outlet depending on what I'm covering, it confuses press officers a bit, though. Recently, I was introduced by one to a player for an interview.

"This is Andrea Canales. She gets around."

I shot him a look.

"I mean, she writes! For a lot of different places."

It improved only slightly the latest time.

"This is Andrea Canales. She's with - she wears many hats."

It so happened I was wearing a baseball cap, since it was really sunny that day. I figure Patrick Ianni now thinks that I have some huge collection, or something.
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Becks loses it

A scoreless effort from Real Madrid versus Real Betis brought out the waving white fabric from Real fans and the ire of Beckham as he tackled Gomez Isidoro in the 90th minute.

Well, at least he cares, but that's not going to go over well when a team as thin as the Galaxy might be this summer needs him.

MARCA has video of the game on their site.
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Beating Argentina

Veracruz and Colombia forward Tressor Moreno on Colombia's Copa America group:

"The United States is not an easy rival. Neither is Paraguay. But all the world wants to beat Argentina because it is a world power and will have the most attention."

Tressor Moreno is such a talented player. It's amazing Veracruz is such a bad team with him aboard.

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Backing out

There was no way Mexico could have foreseen this. Mexico and Ecuador agreed to play a friendly on March 28 in Oakland. Then, they were drawn into the same Copa America group. Oops. I guess Hugo Sanchez won't use that game to prepare for Copa America.

I don't know what Mexico can gain from this game at this point. If Hugo Sanchez has in mind a squad for the Gold Cup and a different one for Copa America, then would be a good time to use the Gold Cup one. But Mexico's season, unlike MLS, will end in May and nothing will be going on in June and July so Sanchez would be free to take most if not all of the same players to both tournaments without taking players away from clubs for too much time.

By the way, I checked for $25 seats for the Mexico-Venezuela and there were none available. Seems that game's a hot seller or there weren't that many cheap seats to begin with.

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Sack 'em all!!

After 5-0 and 4-1 losses, respectively, Veracruz and Jaguares fired their coaches.

With new bosses pacing the sidelines, Veracruz beat San Luis and Jaguares beat Morelia each by a 2-1 score.

Toluca has yet to win, so clearly the front office needs to consider firing Americo Gallego. Well, actually not. Gallego is an excellent coach who is building something in Toluca while Jaguares and Veracruz are too near-sighted to consider building anything. But hey, they'll be happy for one day at least.

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Cash grab

It seems sometimes that the Mexican federation is interested in making money over anything else. How else can you explain their upcoming friendly against Venezuela? The game is scheduled for Feb. 28 in San Diego. I don't know exactly when it was decided but I do know the date had been discussed as far back as December which likely means it was well before that. The Copa Libertadores teams were not set yet but the federation must have known that possibly three Mexican clubs would be involved and the chances of midweek games were high.

As it turns out, Toluca will host Bolivar on Feb. 27, Necaxa will host Audax Italiano on Feb. 28 and America will host Libertad on March 1. Oh yeah, then there is the Marquense-Pachuca game in Guatemala and Chivas-W Connection in Guadalajara on the 28th as well.

That will take up half of the regular Mexican national teamers. This should be a good opportunity for some who don't normally have the chance to shine and play for their country. Fernando Arce comes to mind. Maybe Parejita Lopez. Or maybe even Juan Pablo Garcia. These guys aren't exactly young - mid-20s all of them - but Hugo's options are limited.

I don't think there will be many expectations from the game; it likely won't be a preview of the Gold Cup squad, for instance. But there will be some players fighting for spots that otherwise would not have had the opportunity.

I just don't know that I would pay $25-150 for that.

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Radio voice

I actually used to work in radio, back in college. Granted, I covered the midnight to 8 am shift when hardly anyone was listening, but hey, it was something.

Anyway, it's always fun being a guest on different soccer shows and getting a chance to talk about the game. Today I'm talking to Brian Halliday, the host of Inside Soccer, at around 5:20.

I have no idea what Brian is going to bring up as our main topic. He's very off-the-cuff. Hopefully, I can keep up.
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The Boss' Blog

My espn.com editor, Jen Chang, makes a several good points in a recent blog entry. The one I especially concur with is how Mexico's Oswaldo Sanchez really does usually seem like a nice guy. He was one of the Mexican players who stopped to answer my questions in the mixed zone. He signed autographs for the fans that had snuck into the press zone, recorded a promo for someone's radio show, and was just patient with everybody there.
Please understand, I'm not trying to excuse his actions at all. It's just that's not all Sanchez is. Though I agree also with Jen that Sanchez gets worked up for U.S. games, I also think that he felt his veteran status slipping away after he gave up the goal. Sanchez has been losing a lot with Santos, and Guillermo Ochoa of Club America is a real up-and-comer breathing down his neck for the starting spot. He's in a presently poor head space, I'd say.
I'm not sure if the blog is blocked to non-espn-subscribers. Sometimes content on that site is.
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Olympic Fool's Gold

Though the U23 squad touring Japan right now is from the U.S., it would be foolish for anyone to assume that it's a good preview of the Olympic squad. With no Freddy Adu, Josmer Altidore, Benny Feilhaber, Michael Bradley, Jonathan Spector, Johan Smith, Chad Barrett, Eddie Gaven or Stuart Holden along, there's a number of likely possibilities missing from the current group. Bob Bradley knows this, of course, but the trip is still on. I'm not saying it's a waste, and it wouldn't hurt certain players to pick up experience, but no one should kid themselves that the U.S. Olympic squad will look like this group, regardless of the result.
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Becks Skywalker

I found this hilarious partly because I love playing Lego Star Wars, though I'm otherwise pretty hopeless with video games.

Anyway, MARCA, a sports paper in Spain, has a great animated short of Beckham as Becks Skywalker, the last of the legendary galacticos left in the Real Madrid universe, facing off against Darth Vader Capello, who keeps intoning, "Becks, I am your coach."

It's in Spanish, but it's probably funny even if you don't understand all of it. My favorite line is, "I know. That's why I'm leaving to join another Galaxy!"

You can scroll down the Marca page until you see the MARCAtoons box, or follow the direct link.

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Hey, peeps!

It's not that we don't like all of our readers, but yes, we are sometimes thrilled by those from places more exotic than our own home country. Hi, whoever visited from Baki, Baku, Azerbaijan!

The more computer-clever visitors (or military-based, perhaps) can hide their location so it shows up as "unknown country", but we wanted to acknowledge those who come from near and far to take a peek at our thoughts and pics. So we put up a little shout-out list, right there after our archive of recent posts.

We've only started tracking countries recently, so don't take offense if you're visiting, but yours doesn't show up right away. We'll get clued in eventually and add it.

Thanks for reading Sideline Views, you're a great crowd and don't forget to tip your waitress (ie., click on ads)!
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On top of the table

It looks like Celtic will stroll to its 41st league title as Celtic went 22 points clear following their 2-1 against Aberdeen.

How amazing for Celtic, to be up so many points in February. But how incredibly boring for the rest of Scotland knowing that their league's champion has all but been decided in February. Where's the intrigue?



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ZZ rumors, zzzzzz

I know it's going to seem very girly or something, but in many cases when I'm reporting, I've learned to trust my instincts. For example, if a player holds his hand up, palm out, while walking away in the opposite direction when I'm calling his name, it's a bit of a clue that he doesn't want to talk, and isn't going to, either.

I know, I'm sharp like that.

I'm sharing some of my incredible intuition here because I was one of the few reporters to correctly predict early on that David Beckham would come to Major League Soccer, and I've been sent several emails asking me what I think (as if I'm the new lucky charm prophet) about Zinedine Zidane joining the Chicago Fire, as the latest rumor goes.

Well, first off, AEG owns the Fire, and if anyone has proven their willingness to make something happen with the Designated Player Rule, it's AEG.

On the other hand, though, part of my logic for thinking the Beckham trade to the Galaxy was going to happen was simple observation. When Real Madrid toured Los Angeles, Beckham was all smiles, jogging out in the sunshine, waving at the crowd, talking to reporters, doing publicity for his academy, going out to a club. He clearly liked LA, and so, apparently, does his wife. They have friends here.

Zidane didn't seem as taken by the U.S. at all. Now, it could be he's such a natural introvert that it's hard to tell. He might have been gleeful way deep inside. If so, he hid it well, never smiling, refusing all interview requests, except for a few words to one French journalist, and generally ignoring everyone around him.

Yes, I'll readily agree that Zidane is magic on the field, that the last World Cup clearly showed his skill is still incredible, and that he might consider a comeback to the U.S. a good way to erase the final image that others have of him. At the very least, I don't think anyone will insult him in Italian.

I have trouble imagining that he's excited about coming to MLS, though. Sorry, Fire fans.

Then again, it's not like anyone saw the headbutt coming, either.
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Galaxy on Gol TV

As one my final acts of the day before i head off to sleep, I was watching Gol TV news. They ran a short story about Beckham and his free-kick goal for Madrid last week. They said that Galaxy boss Frank Yallop was happy about Beckham playing and that the Galaxy was a bit worried that he would go five months without playing but that's not the case anymore. Seems Becks is reportedly in the lineup this weekend as well.

Anyway, just wondering where they got their quotes and info? They didn't actually show Yallop talking or had any sort of sound bite.

Also, they misspelled Becks. Well, they didn't misspell it but they threw an extra apostrophe in there so it read "Beck's." Yes, despite my non-nativeness, I am a stickler for grammar. Sometimes.

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Wasted pic, time

At the beginning of the year, InterLiga was here and I was trying to stockpile pictures to use with my coverage of the Mexican league on LASoccerNews.com. Yeah, well, some of the pictures had little shelf life.

Yayo de la Torre was fired this week. Chump. And I only got to use one of the many shots I took of him.

Guess I should have known better than to waste my time taking pictures of coaches.

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Zizou

If Zidane joined Beckham here in MLS, I think I would die. Either that or I'd scream in glee like a 12-year-old girl.

But I don't want to get my hopes up. One internationally renowned, would-bring-instant-credibility-to-MLS superstar per year is fine with me. But damn, what if he did come?

Seriously, though, that he is even listening to Chicago and MLS speaks well of the league. If it really were some second-rate league whose teams would struggle in the English first division, then he probably wouldn't want to come here.

Part of me wonders if Zidane had any contact from Mexican clubs and why Mexican clubs don't go after big-name Europeans like Zidane. Funny, I can't think of a single European that currently plays in Mexico. Of course, I've been fighting off sleep now for about an hour so I don't know if I'm thinking quite straight right about now.

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Greetings Trinis!

Glad to see Sideline Views getting a mention in the Soca Warriors Football Forum. Go T&T! Together we aspire, together we achieve!

I hope Trinidad & Tobago plays in the Gold Cup matches out here. I actually covered the Under-20 team when they tried to qualify for the Netherlands 2005 tournament and they just played terrible. Felt bad for the young Trinis.

Ah, Trinidad. Loved it. Of course, the site I went with put us all up in the Hilton so that might have skewed my vision. The Pelican was a pretty cool little spot. One of the fellas from our group was going to hook up with some girl from Guyana until he found out she was a prostitute!! HA!

Anyway, the coolest name ever I saw while down there. Smokey and Bunty's Pub. Nice. Didn't get to go but I guess I'll have to save that for the next time I head to Port-of-Spain.

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First cuts

The ChivaFighter is devastated to learn that he was cut from the tryouts on the first day of the Sueño MLS: Chivas USA Wants You! program.
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People are people

Among the several responses I received for my latest SI column were several people quick to bash Landon Donovan. "How could you overlook him urinating at Jalisco Stadium?" they screamed. "Why do you not hold Landon to the same level as Oswaldo?" they begged to know.

I'm not going to sit here and defend Landon, again. I already did earlier. To some people, though, it doesn't matter what you say; you're not going to change their minds. Facts and statistics be damned; some people like to perceive things the way that best suits them, and if having someone who supposedly has shown distaste to Mexico as the face of U.S. soccer suits them, so be it.

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Win some,

Lose some.

The Galaxy had a shot at defender Jay Needham, but when Frank Yallop passed him by, DC United eventually snapped him up. However, they couldn't come to terms with the young player, who didn't want a developmental contract, even the senior one that was offered him ($17,000).

Instead, he signed with the United Soccer League's Puerto Rico Islanders, for a reported 10,000 more than United offered.

However, DC United bounced back, signing goalkeeper Jay Nolly, who had been trialing abroad. Nolly is a good pickup for the squad and had been part of the Freddy Adu trade, but it really seemed like he was going to end up abroad for a while.
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Old story

I've been asked yet again in an email where I really think an MLS team would end up in the Premiership standings in England.

What a pointless hypothetical that argument is. I wonder why any MLS fans waste time on it. I doubt River Plate fans worry much about where their team would place in some foreign league's table. They're too busy actually trying to be champions where they are.

Actually, it reminds me of another classic argument.

"You think Mighty Mouse could beat up Superman?"--Vern
"What are you? Cracked?!"--Teddy
"I don't know. I once saw Mighty Mouse hold up five elephants with his one hand."--Vern
"Boy, you don't know nothing. Mighty Mouse is a cartoon. Superman is a real guy. There's no way a cartoon could beat up a real guy."--Teddy
"Yeah. But it'd be a good fight, though."--Vern

So perhaps Vern could be arguing on behalf of MLS (Mighty Mouse) while Teddy favors a "real" league like the EPL. In that case, it could be worth noting that the actor who played Vern went on to a more successful film and TV career, while the one who played Teddy voices a character on the cable cartoon Super Robot Monkey Team. In which case, the best choice seems clear.

Honestly, it makes about as much sense as the conjecture the original question requires.
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TopSecret site

I wrote up a detailed article for Top Drawer Soccer on the scrimmage match with Chivas USA and the U23 camp in general. Not that Luis didn't do a good job for LASN, but I'd interviewed Bradley over a couple of days and got different quotes, including from the two goalscorers, Patrick Ianni and Adam Cristman.

You probably need to pay the small subscription fee for access to the site, but it's about the same as a frappuchino these days.

Rob Ziegler, the editor of Top Drawer Soccer, is another one of those unsung soccer media heroes.

He's really carved a niche out by focusing on youth soccer, and he often contracts me for stories on youth national team camps. There's no cushy press box, but standing on the sidelines of some of those games, I get an early glimpse of U.S. soccer's future. It's not a bad view.
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Mexico, what a shame

Luis' latest piece for SI, of which I have translated the title for non-Spanish speakers. It wasn't until reading his column that I remembered that plenty of Mexican fans were pissed at Landon Donovan for the hand-waving gesture, which was interpreted by some as mocking the chasing defenders.

Well, except for the part where he looked right over at Eddie Johnson and then did the gesture.

It's actually a common US tactic. They point to their feet, to the space where they want the ball played to, they indicate "come back" or "push up" to their teammates all the time.

It's just that some Mexican fans want to think the worst of Donovan all the time. Come to think of it, so do some U.S. ones.
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Brad stops Sacha

One of the more long-lasting memories of today's scrimmage I'll have is the penalty kick that Sacha Kljestan attempted on Brad Guzan. It was weird seeing Sacha step up to take the PK after the U.S. was justly awarded a spot kick. He did not hesitate for a second. He walked up immediately to the spot as if he had something to prove to Chivas USA and, in particular, to Brad Guzan.

But Sacha knows now first-hand the challenge of facing Guzan in a penalty kick situation. Brad dived to his left but made the save with his feet.

I asked Jesse Marsch afterward if Sacha was going to hear about that one, Jesse smiled and said "He already has."

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Pan Am games

Basically, the U.S. is going just to go. Bob Bradley is on the record as saying that the squad will consist of college players and guys on MLS teams who aren't getting much playing time.

When asked if that would be a preview of the Olympic squad, he said "Oh no, no, no, no, not even... no."

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Gettin' the scoop

During the second half, the U.S. U-23s who played the first half were getting ready to hit the gym but before they went down into the bowels of the HDC, goal scorer Adam Cristman stopped to chat with Andrea.

Dude is built like a fire hydrant. The guy's got a good shot and held his own physically on the field today. Gotta say I was impressed.

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Trio of coaches

Peter Nowak won an MLS Cup as a coach and player while Preki sipped champagne from the cup as a player. Both learned a lot from Bob Bradley and have been influenced greatly from the current U.S. head coach.

It remains to be seen how successful Preki will be as coach but I've got to believe Bob's influence will have been a positive one.

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The moment

The second goal in the scrimmage - Patrick Ianni, in the center of the picture, is about to put the ball into the goal from Hunter Freeman's service.
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Marschman down

"Actually, I grabbed him. He's a big kid and he just landed on me. No big deal." Jesse Marsch on the injury that took him out of the Chivas USA/US U23 team scrimmage.
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Prediction

Jesse Marsch will be a good future MLS coach.

He just explains himself really well. He provides examples, gives details, and he's patient while not being a pushover.

Jesse also has an excellent sense of humor. Today a whole clutch of reporters was picking up a bunch of quotes from him on different topics. Everyone turned on their recorders while Jesse explained his view on how he and his fellow MLS players would "welcome" David Beckham on the field.

Then Luis asked a question about Chivas USA, and everyone else lowered their taping devices.

Honestly, I did it because I was running out of tape and wanted to flip it over quickly, but the look on Jesse's face was priceless.

"Great, if I'm not talking about Beckham, no one else wants to hear it?" Jesse complained, laughing at the guilty looks on the nearby faces.
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Jamar Beasley

I was saving a few quotes from Preki, Chivas USA's head coach, for a feature I planned to do on Jamar Beasley, after I saw he was with the team in their first day of preseason. But the day I went to interview Jamar, just after he'd played in the first Chivas USA scrimmage, the club informed me that he'd been released.

It happens that quickly - they'll bring in players for a look, take that look and move on. Players go home, and reporters get stuck with quotes that they decide to just post on their blog.

"Why not? I'll have a good look at someone like that, who's been in the league," said Preki. "I know his past, I know his route, but you always have to give people a second chance. If he makes sense for us, I'm totally open to it."

On where Jamar has been playing: "He's been playing indoor soccer for a few years."

From his own experience, does indoor soccer translate well to the outdoor game?

"Well, either you can play, or you can't play," answered Preki. "Translation doesn't really matter. If you step on the field, can you fit into this group? Can you bring something to the table for this team? If you can, that's good for us. Otherwise, we'll go our different ways."
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Good sports

I haven't covered a lot of other pro sports besides soccer, and I have to admit, I'm probably a little spoiled.
Most soccer players are bright and articulate, and pretty patient even when reporters ask a lot of questions. Maybe some fans come visit our blog hoping for the inside scoop on the players who are real jerks, but the vast majority just aren't like that.
They generally realize that the sport needs to grow here and are willing to make extra sacrifices to help that happen. I've had players wait patiently while I write stuff down because my tape recorder doesn't work, hold off on lunch to answer a few more questions, do interviews by phone or even answer questions by email or instant message.
I mean, it's not like I can afford to call Denmark.
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The Big Guns

MatchNight is shutting down soon. Their situation is kind of emblematic of a lot of the change coming to U.S. soccer.

In some ways, if U.S. soccer was still puttering along without much attention, the coach of the team would probably be an absolute no contest for Bob Bradley. Staying the course would be considered a fine thing.

But instead, there's been so much increased expectations, that for many new and demanding fans and other involved persons, a U.S. coach isn't good enough. The "big time" is demanded and may be granted.

It's the same with media. Honestly, a lot of little sites existed because they were covering MLS when no one else was. However, if the mainstream media rushes in, and there's good coverage of MLS on local news and papers, a lot of those who have faithfully plugged away won't be able to be unique any more. Their limited resources won't grant them the access that the Johnny-come-lately's will be able to pull, and they could be overshadowed.

Matchnight is pulling out of the game gracefully.

I'm happy about the increased profile of U.S. soccer, but I'm not kidding myself that there are no drawbacks. Nor am I confident that the ones who know best the American game are going to stay involved, either at the media level or elsewhere. The way British press suddenly descended on Los Angeles after Beckham signed made that abundantly clear. You'd think the Galaxy never existed before.

Right now, a lot of local journalists, especially the freelancers, are waiting to see how it's all going to shake out. It could be a great thing for many of us, with our articles and features in great demand. Or we could get pushed aside if bigger media outlets who have suddenly deemed MLS worthy of coverage send in their own writers to provide it.
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Weird circumstances

In the Bob Bradley press conference call following the Copa America announcement, Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union Tribune asked Bob Bradley straight out if his interim status had changed in any way, noting that the national team's press officer had introduced him as the "US coach".

Bradley paused a little awkwardly before comfirming that his status was the same as ever.

I asked the question about what Bradley thought of Argentina and got a very detailed response about the squad's merits and what the U.S. will have to do to counteract that. It's just strange to think that Bradley might not be around to actually put that plan into place.

It's got to affect the players as well, too, wondering if everything they're learned and focused on under Bradley is going to be tossed out the window if and when another coach comes along.

Even just writing about Bradley, it's a hassle to keep putting "interim" everywhere to be strictly accurate. He's the coach for now, and the same could probably be said of many coaches. Like for example, if Hugo Sanchez keeps losing.
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U-23s vs Chivas USA

The U.S. Under-23s will scrimmage against Chivas USA today as Bob Bradley and Preki meet for the first time as opposing coaches. Yes, it's just a scrimmage (I don't even think this has "friendly" status) so they won't exactly be sending out teams vying for a cup or anything but this game will have some intrigue.

Guys on both sides will be fighting for spots. The young guys will be trying to catch Bob's eye and get a trip to China in 08 (because Bob is after all the full-time U-23 coach) while guys on Chivas' side will be fighting for starting spots and jobs.


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Strong enough

There has been speculation over what kinds of team Argentina will field in Copa America. At times, Argentina has sent a team comprised of younger players to Copa America while other times the full side has represented the country. Still other times, Argentina hasn't sent a team at all (as was the case in 2001).

Argentina, though, will be a strong opponent for the United States regardless of who they send. Young guys, established guys, marginal guys... it does not and should not matter. A win will be no less gratifying nor a loss any less demoralizing. Argentina is a world power and the United States should be happy to have the opportunity to play a side the caliber of Argentina.

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Copa thoughts

So the U.S. finally accepts an invite to Copa America and is tossed into the fire with Argentina, Colombia and Paraguay. My first thought was "Man, that's a tough group."

Then, I grew angry. To think, all along the U.S. could have been playing against competition like this but the former regime thought it best NOT to participate against strong South American teams on their turf in meaningful games. I mean, in 2004 Mexico played against Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador and Brazil while Costa Rica played against Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Colombia while the U.S. played... well, there was the one game against Poland. Yeah, that's exciting. Poland in some garbage friendly that mattered to nobody.

When a confederation like CONMEBOL comes calling, you don't say 'Thanks, but no thanks.' You thank them for considering you and then ask them when you need to take your team down there.

I got tired of hearing the same old tired excuses from US people about travel and the need for time off and not wanting to strip MLS clubs of players but all they were were excuses. There was no good reason why the US could not have competed in Copa Americas in 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2004 and it's about damn time the U.S. is participating in the tournament again.

Now, having said that, I don't think the tournament will go well for the U.S. It's way too early to tell but Bradley already said the Gold Cup will be the priority and even if he is not the coach by then (which I fully expect him to still be around by then) the Gold Cup will be the priority regardless. Therefore, a weaker, possibly youth-filled side will participate in Copa America. And that won't be enough to go against the likes of Argentina, et al.

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Argentina! Argentina!

The U.S. Soccer conference call with Bob Bradley has just ended. The U.S., drawn into the same group as Argentina, Paraguay and Columbia, will face Argentina first.

That's awesome. I think the Copa America is a great tournament. I can't believe the U.S. missed it for so long.
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O'Brien - Alive

I saw John O'Brien at the Home Depot Center while waiting around for another player. Usually I figure he's busy rehabbing and let him be, but I decided this time to try to ask for specifics.

There are times when you get the sense as a reporter that players would really rather you weren't around. Often this happens when a team has just lost a game. It's only human. Who wants to share bad news?

John stopped when I asked how he was, then wanted to know who I was writing for.

"I freelance," I answered. "People are always interested in your story, John. What's going on? How is the rehab coming?"

"It's still going." He sounded both wary and weary.

"Are you going to train with Chivas USA?"

"Not yet. I'm just working by myself right now. Chivas USA still have my rights, though. We'll see what happens."

He was polite, but seemed uncomfortable, like he really didn't want to talk about his health. Feeling a bit like a vulture, I decided to drop the topic, and just wished him well.
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Extra Incentive

I asked Galaxy hopeful Rui Fortes, who beat out 798 other players for a chance to make the roster, if he was enjoying the Southern California weather.

"It's so nice," Fortes answered. "I just called my girl (in Rhode Island) and she said it's so cold there. I hope I get to stay."
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Where my girls at?

Sometimes I get an email from a reader who wants to know why I'm not writing more about women's soccer. That sometimes bothers me, because I wonder if the implication is that I'm supposed to be writing about women's soccer just because I'm female.
Then I wonder if they just aren't reading all the articles I do write on the women's game. It's difficult though, because the women don't have a top pro league right now. It's hard to sell or pitch articles on the women's national team when there are dry spells between competitions.
That said, the US women's team is starting camp today in Carson, gearing up for their run at the World Cup this year. There's a lot of focus and intensity for this new group to prove themselves and take home the top prize.
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All Apologies

"Are you mad at me?" was the first thing Landon Donovan said when he saw me yesterday.

I took a look over my shoulder, then realized, yes, he meant me. Then it took me another second to understand that he was referring to the US-Mexico match mixed zone, when he didn't have time to answer my questions.

But it took barely a half-second for me to decide to milk it. I shrugged.

"They were pulling me away," Landon tried to explain. "Why weren't you over by the other reporters?"

"I drove all the way to Arizona," I told him, conveniently leaving out the part where Luis actually drove and I surfed the Internet with the Bl(cr)ackberry.

Landon nodded. "That's a long way."

Since he was already feeling guilty, I asked a long list of questions, until the Galaxy press officer came to his rescue, pointing out that Landon hadn't yet had lunch.

Anyway, in the spirit of peace and forgiveness, here's a pic of the newlyweds. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!
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Nobody to call

Another side effect of W Connection's win over Chivas will be Mexico's Feb. 28 game against Venezuela in San Diego.

See, Chivas now needs a result. Mexico's Hugo Sanchez will probably not be able to count on any of the Chivas players against Venezuela.

That alone would be fine but America, Toluca and Necaxa all play Copa Libertadores games that week as well.

So, take away players from those four clubs and you're taking away Alberto Medina, Bofo Bautista, Omar Bravo, Ramon Morales, Gonzalo Pineda, Maza Rodriguez, Memo Ochoa, Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Gerardo Galindo and Joaquin Beltran from the squad Sanchez called up for the U.S. loss.

Also, the Euros won't be called in so no Rafa Marquez, Carlos Salcido, Ricardo Osorio and Pavel Pardo. Oh, and young and heralded Nery Castillo, native son of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, won't be called in.

So who's left? Not much. Oswaldo Sanchez, Jesus Corona, Kikin Fonseca, Gerardo Torrado, Jared Borgetti, Jaime Lozano, Andres Guardado, Israel Castro and that's it.

Take away the four clubs with games that week and you take away a big chunk of the national team. Add to that the less-than-stellar Venezuelans and you might see 20,000 at Qualcomm watching a watered-down Tri.

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Connecting in Trinidad

The first major upset of the year - at least in this part of the world - happened tonight. Chivas lost to W Connection 2-1 in a CONCACAF Champions Cup match.

Despite my fondness for Guadalajara, I can't help but feel some joy for the Trinis. I spent three weeks there in 2001 for the FIFA Under-17 World Championship Trinidad & Tobago 2001 Presented by JVC. As a member of TEAMTalk back in the day, all of my stories ended up on FIFA's web site for the tournament and that long name was what we had to write on first reference in each of our stories. Man, that was a beast.

Anyway, Trinidad was a blast. I loved the laid-back style of the Trinidad people, the beautiful Maracas Bay and the weather of course. Highs of 86, low of 78 with a chance of rain. That's the forecast for 365 days a year there. The humidity was something odd for me. I'd never really been in a humid place like that.

Tonight's game was played in Marabella, in the Manny Ramjohn Stadium. I didn't actually get to go there. I covered games at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima and went to the Hasely Crawford Stadium a couple of times. I covered the group with Costa Rica, Paraguay, Iran and Mali. There were several interesting games and I developed an affinity for Paraguay during that tournament, especially Edgar Barreto who was a kind and gracious kid back then. I was glad to see him play in the 2006 World Cup.

Anyway, Trinidad is a great place to visit. It's a bit of a flight compared to Jamaica. It's like 4 hours or so from Miami to Port-of-Spain. But it's worth it. I've never been to Jamaica or any other Caribbean country but I did not get the feel that Trinidad was touristy at all. It is what it is and not what they think Americans would like it to be. When I went to Maracas Bay with three other colleagues, it was absolutely fantastic. I swam in the warm water and was the only person swimming there at the time.

So W Connection won and it's party time in Marabella.

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Scandal revealed!

Or something.

So here's the definitive word on the whole "Landon Donovan insulted UNIVISION" episode, from the man himself.

"[What happened] On the field? Well, our press officer always tells me, 'Don’t do anything' until he lets me know. Usually I go over to the ESPN guys immediately. [Univision] kind of ran out on the field and threw the mike in my face. I said, 'What do I do?' and was told, 'Get out of there, get off the field.' Afterwards, I saw the guy, he’s a nice guy, and I felt bad and said, 'Sorry dude, but that’s what I was told to do.' I guess they were live and they couldn’t do it again. It was kind of a bummer."

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You read us!

You really read us!

Got a nice (extremely nice, considering I'd been a bit snarky in my earlier post) email from NPR's Jane Lindholm today. Besides being gracious and changing the photo caption to Tim Hanley, she passed along a heads up that NPR is running a slightly updated version of her Marketplace piece about the Galaxy tryouts, this time including more information about the other LA club, Chivas USA and its reality show open tryouts, SueñoMLS, this Friday.

It's going to be an even bigger deal than the Galaxy tryouts in many ways, partly because they have more than twice as many participants, 2,000. Jane's brother David is going to be one of them.

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More Claudio

I used the rest of the Claudio Suarez stuff for my weekly Press-Enterprise column. Interesting stuff from an interesting guy... uh, Claudio, not me ;)

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Preps, again

Sometimes I take covering professional and international soccer for granted. If I am working on a feature on, say, Jesse Marsch or Peter Vagenas, I can call Keegan Pierce or Patrick Donnelly and usually something can be worked out via phone.

Not so much with high school soccer. I filled in again for the PE's soccer writer on Monday on one of the busiest high school soccer days of the year. The playoff pairings were released so there were a lot of local schools that reached the postseason and I had to try and hit some of the better teams' coaches. Now, i don't cover that beat so I had little to work with but I managed to talk to Temecula Valley coach Adam Skumawitz who was very gracious with his time and had a nice little conversation with him. I spent the rest of the day tracking down coaches and athletic directors with no success. It didn't help that Monday was a holiday for most school districts, which only further complicated the matter. So I only tracked down Riverside King coach Todd Mapes.

But undoubtedly the worst part of the whole day was typing in all the agate. Holy crap. I started out in my journalism career as an agate clerk for the San Bernardino County Sun back in 1997. That was cool. It really helped me learn how a sports department works from the ground up because I was at the ground level. It also helped me to learn how to type fast. I can type at about 60-70 words a minute, sometimes faster (if I'm on deadline at Home Depot Center after a game for instance). But yesterday was something else. I literally had to type in all brackets for 10 divisions. That took all stinking day. By the time I filed (I started chasing the stories at about 12:30 and filed everything at 9 p.m.) I was so tired that I fell asleep in my recliner.

Anyway, the Temecula Valley girls will be tough to beat and Riverside King boys face a stiff test.

And check out what I typed up with regards to the agate. Starting with the Rialto Eisenhower-Lake Elsinore Temescal Canyon game, all the way down, I typed all that in. Whew.

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National public opinion

Jane Lindholm has a pretty good piece about the Galaxy tryouts up for NPR's Marketplace. Well, except for the photo that identified goalkeeper coach Tim Hanley as head coach Frank Yallop, implying that the Galaxy are paying David Beckham $250 million and giving World Soccer Daily host Steve Cohen more credence than he deserves (walk-ons aren't often signed by MLS) As far as the salary, though, I'll give Jane a bit of a break, because MLS set itself up by trumpeting the $250 million dollar number. Even after many publications clarified that it wasn't salary, wouldn't be paid by the league and is essentially a marketing number, people default to using it.
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Tick, tock

Nearly 800 minutes have passed since Mexico has scored a goal against the U.S. on U.S. soil. Yes, the Americans have never won in Azteca, but they scored there in 2005, while the Mexicans haven't scored against the U.S. outside of Mexico in nearly ten years.

So yes, there was pressure to change that in Arizona. Pressure makes it hard to put chances away.
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More guessing games

“I can remember a player who shall remain nameless take a cheap shot in a game at the Rose Bowl and as painful as it was in my entire body – and especially my nether regions – I remember thinking, ‘Why does this surprise me?’"

Who said this?

Who was the nameless player?
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No place like home

I told Alexi Lalas about the theory I had that the national team playing in the U.S. in front of crowds cheering for their opponents made the team stronger in the long run because they were used to hostile environments.

Basically, Alexi kind of agreed, but kind of didn't. His take, "Well, we learned from it, we learned to play well anyway, but it kind of sucked."

At the same time - I think it's telling that his favorite U.S. versus Mexico memory was actually in Azteca, when the team got a point out of a match there for the first and only time thus far.
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Jonny B

So there I was, standing outside Chivas USA's locker room, waiting for Claudio Suarez when Jonathan Bornstein walked by. We exchanged hellos and I congratulated him for the game on Wednesday. I didn't get a chance to do so in Glendale because of the madness following the game.

When he was showered and dressed, I decided to interview him. He's a cool guy and very honest. He had a brown hat on with his shaggy hair sticking out of the side and looking ultra-hip.

I didn't get the chance to use all the quotes, though, so instead of letting them sit in some file on my computer, I'll slap them on here.

On his return to the club: Everyone is really excited. I’m really excited to be back and ready to go. I’m feeling good. I’m fit and everything is looking up.

On his future with the USMNT: I’ve got to ride it out, play here and take it day by day.
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ΓΚΟΛ

Sometime between Wednesday afternoon and Wednesday evening - or so the legend goes - Nery Castillo's ankle gave way. Castillo made the trek from Greece where he defends Olympiakos Piraeus's colors to Glendale, Arizona, to meet up with the Mexican national team despite a gimpy ankle.

The brave and heralded Castillo, native son of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, had been called in to El Tri by the equally brave and valiant Hugo Sanchez, who had somehow convinced Castillo to shun Greece and Uruguay for a chance to play for El Mighty Tri, El Gigantisisimo De La Region.

But the ankle was a concern and gave way. Castillo thus did not so much appear on the substitute's bench for El Tri's game against the U.S. and the Americans won 2-0.

Everybody scratched their heads. Had not the valiant Sanchez convinced the young Castillo to play for El Tri? Was the ankle in really bad shape? Did the evildoers from Greece and Uruguay make a final monetary bid to win over the young Castillo?

Castillo thus was sent on his way back to Greece, where medical wonders happen daily. Castillo's ankle, too bothersome to let him even appear as a substitute for El Tri, was healthy enough to allow Castillo the opportunity to play for Olympiakos.

Castillo, native son of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, even scored a goal - or a ΓΚΟΛ as it were - in the 71st minute on Saturday. Castillo played 79 minutes in all for Olympiakos and the brave and valiant Sanchez was left to wonder the young Castillo's fate.

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