I was somewhat surprised that Frank Yallop didn't take Harmse up north when he started as coach at SJ. I wondered then if even Yallop was growing tired of the unpredictability of having Harmse on the field. It's not a good idea to play soccer with a hockey mentality. That's what Harmse too often showed.
Harmse was a scrappy midfielder, but perhaps that didn't suit Ruud Gullit's style. I wrote here that he was probably trade bait after he went home after Hawaii, and I guess that turned out to be right.
It could have been that Harmse started to make a negative impression on Gullit even as early as last year.
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Friday, February 29, 2008
Doubleheader action
Chivas USA's games from Friday served as a final tune-up before the tune-ups start. That is, the preseason should take another step from here. Up until today, the club was still trying to sort through the numerous players in camp and trying to get guys healthy. Now, Chivas USA will head to Texas for three games in a five-day stretch where the team should really start to take shape ahead of the season opener on March 30 in Dallas.
Here's what happened on Friday.
Chivas 1, UC Riverside 0
Chivas USA (4-4-2): Brad Guzan; Alex Zotinca, Claudio Suárez, Jim Curtin, Jonathan Bornstein; Sacha Kljestan, Jesse Marsch, Paulo Nagamura (Lawson Vaughn 46), Raphaël Wicky (Luciano Fusco 46); Ante Razov, Atiba Harris.
Chivas USA 2, UC Irvine 1
Chivas USA (4-4-2): Sam Reynolds (Lance Parker 40); José Antonio Patlán, Daniel Carlos Montes, Bobby Burling, Jorge Flores; John Cunliffe, Eric Ebert, Lawson Vaughn (Kraig Chiles 40), Luciano Fusco (Gerson Mayen 40); Maykel Galindo (Justin Braun 47), Chukwudi Chijinju.
The newest revelation is Jose Antonio Patlan, a defender who comes from Chivas Guadalajara. Yes, the pipeline from Guadalajara is alive and well as this is, what, the first player to come north since... um... I can't remember. Sorry. Francisco Palencia, maybe? Patlan is a marginal defender with some upside, but don't expect him to win Defensive Player of the Year or anything. Heck, don't expect him to play anytime soon. He's got to get himself on the roster officially and acclimate himself to the league first. He's a central defender by trade and can also play defensive midfield.
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Here's what happened on Friday.
Chivas 1, UC Riverside 0
Chivas USA (4-4-2): Brad Guzan; Alex Zotinca, Claudio Suárez, Jim Curtin, Jonathan Bornstein; Sacha Kljestan, Jesse Marsch, Paulo Nagamura (Lawson Vaughn 46), Raphaël Wicky (Luciano Fusco 46); Ante Razov, Atiba Harris.
Chivas USA 2, UC Irvine 1
Chivas USA (4-4-2): Sam Reynolds (Lance Parker 40); José Antonio Patlán, Daniel Carlos Montes, Bobby Burling, Jorge Flores; John Cunliffe, Eric Ebert, Lawson Vaughn (Kraig Chiles 40), Luciano Fusco (Gerson Mayen 40); Maykel Galindo (Justin Braun 47), Chukwudi Chijinju.
The newest revelation is Jose Antonio Patlan, a defender who comes from Chivas Guadalajara. Yes, the pipeline from Guadalajara is alive and well as this is, what, the first player to come north since... um... I can't remember. Sorry. Francisco Palencia, maybe? Patlan is a marginal defender with some upside, but don't expect him to win Defensive Player of the Year or anything. Heck, don't expect him to play anytime soon. He's got to get himself on the roster officially and acclimate himself to the league first. He's a central defender by trade and can also play defensive midfield.
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Harmse is gone
Galaxy traded Kevin Harmse to Toronto FC for a fourth-round pick next year.
He's one of an expected trio of Galaxy players who could be gone by the end of the day.
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He's one of an expected trio of Galaxy players who could be gone by the end of the day.
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Philly story
Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America likes Philadelphia's inclusion in MLS. He went so far to call it a coup.
Philadelphia beat out St. Louis for the 16th spot. I'd like for the league to stop at 16 and hold steady but having St. Louis and one more team wouldn't be the worst thing, I suppose. I don't think MLS can really have more than 18 teams, though. Sixteen would be perfect - every team plays every other team, once at home and once away. You could do away with the conferences and let the top six or eight teams into the postseason and everything would line up nice and neat, at least on paper.
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Philadelphia beat out St. Louis for the 16th spot. I'd like for the league to stop at 16 and hold steady but having St. Louis and one more team wouldn't be the worst thing, I suppose. I don't think MLS can really have more than 18 teams, though. Sixteen would be perfect - every team plays every other team, once at home and once away. You could do away with the conferences and let the top six or eight teams into the postseason and everything would line up nice and neat, at least on paper.
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Non-believers in draft
So far, San Jose has shown us one thing in its fledgling return to MLS. The team has not yet played a game that matters but the 'Quakes are seemingly set on one issue - they do not care much about the MLS SuperDraft.
The 'Quakes displayed as much when they traded away the top pick in this year's draft for Nick Garcia, a solid but not spectacular defender. Earlier this week, they punctuated that apparent mindset with another trade as San Jose nabbed Ronnie O'Brien from Toronto for allocation funds and next year's number one choice.
Part of me feels these are good moves. You are trading away part of the future for some immediate help today, but that help could be the difference in playing decent soccer and recreating RSL and Chivas USA versions 2005. That was filthy soccer and San Jose wants no part of it.
However, when you trade draft picks you are really banking on finding players elsewhere. Luckily for the 'Quakes, soccer has talented players across the world, not just in the collegiate ranks. Still, while RSL and Chivas USA didn't get a whole lot out of their top picks in '05, one of those choices is now a star. Brad Guzan improved tremendously from early '05 to the end of that first year but it didn't matter as far as results go. The club would have been terrible without his services. Nik Besagno, the first pick in 05, is pretty much a bust at this point.
Toronto fared much better with their first pick as Maurice Edu won top rookie last year but again the results would have been terrible with our without him. Edu, though, is an emerging force and should he stick around could be a major presence in the league for years.
San Jose is taking a risk. Five years from now, Chance Myers may be a USMNT regular and a fixture on the Wizards midfield/defense and Nick Garcia might be out of soccer. Who knows? But it's a risk San Jose is willing to take, a risk with both the '08 and '09 top choices. Best-case scenario, Garcia immediately becomes an anchor on the backline and O'Brien reverts back to '05 form. That may not translate into an MLS Cup appearance but instant respectability is something worthy to strive for.
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The 'Quakes displayed as much when they traded away the top pick in this year's draft for Nick Garcia, a solid but not spectacular defender. Earlier this week, they punctuated that apparent mindset with another trade as San Jose nabbed Ronnie O'Brien from Toronto for allocation funds and next year's number one choice.
Part of me feels these are good moves. You are trading away part of the future for some immediate help today, but that help could be the difference in playing decent soccer and recreating RSL and Chivas USA versions 2005. That was filthy soccer and San Jose wants no part of it.
However, when you trade draft picks you are really banking on finding players elsewhere. Luckily for the 'Quakes, soccer has talented players across the world, not just in the collegiate ranks. Still, while RSL and Chivas USA didn't get a whole lot out of their top picks in '05, one of those choices is now a star. Brad Guzan improved tremendously from early '05 to the end of that first year but it didn't matter as far as results go. The club would have been terrible without his services. Nik Besagno, the first pick in 05, is pretty much a bust at this point.
Toronto fared much better with their first pick as Maurice Edu won top rookie last year but again the results would have been terrible with our without him. Edu, though, is an emerging force and should he stick around could be a major presence in the league for years.
San Jose is taking a risk. Five years from now, Chance Myers may be a USMNT regular and a fixture on the Wizards midfield/defense and Nick Garcia might be out of soccer. Who knows? But it's a risk San Jose is willing to take, a risk with both the '08 and '09 top choices. Best-case scenario, Garcia immediately becomes an anchor on the backline and O'Brien reverts back to '05 form. That may not translate into an MLS Cup appearance but instant respectability is something worthy to strive for.
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Gripes
Any time you compile a list, any sort of list, you are bound to get feedback. It's pretty much a given. My SI.com editor Jonah Freedman gets a lot of feedback for his World Rankings, and when he puts a Mexican club in the top 10, forget it. That's a bona fide lightning rod - some think it's a joke, others think it's great that a Mexican club gets that sort of respect. I don't conspire with Jonah on the rankings but my guess is he can't ignore Chivas de Guadalajara if they beat Cruz Azul on the weekend and Santos of Brazi in Libertadores play on Tuesday. They might just slide in at number 9 or 10.
Anyway, Martin Rogers of Yahoo Sports wrote a top 20 list recently where he ranked the top 20 MLS players. That actually inspired me to compile my preseason unit rankings, which also drew criticism - mainly from RSL fans, of all people, like I overlooked something on their shitty little team. Sorry, I'm not that high on Nick Rimando. Oh yeah, Galaxy fans were mad that I ranked their defense and goalkeepers at 14 out of 14. I think if I had to do it again, I'd rank both those units in the same exact spot.
Getting back to Martin's piece, he got plenty of feedback from readers. It sounds like a lot of it was negative, which is to be expected. He did not have Taylor Twellman in his top 20. That's pretty ballsy, to leave out a guy like that. Not saying I necessarily disagree with Martin, but Taylor is a fan favorite and omitting him is begging for response from readers, which he got.
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Anyway, Martin Rogers of Yahoo Sports wrote a top 20 list recently where he ranked the top 20 MLS players. That actually inspired me to compile my preseason unit rankings, which also drew criticism - mainly from RSL fans, of all people, like I overlooked something on their shitty little team. Sorry, I'm not that high on Nick Rimando. Oh yeah, Galaxy fans were mad that I ranked their defense and goalkeepers at 14 out of 14. I think if I had to do it again, I'd rank both those units in the same exact spot.
Getting back to Martin's piece, he got plenty of feedback from readers. It sounds like a lot of it was negative, which is to be expected. He did not have Taylor Twellman in his top 20. That's pretty ballsy, to leave out a guy like that. Not saying I necessarily disagree with Martin, but Taylor is a fan favorite and omitting him is begging for response from readers, which he got.
Read more...
River-America
Sorry this is so late, but here are highlights from Wednesday's River Plate-America game.
River won it at the death, with Ariel Ortega scoring an injury-time winner. Dramatic.
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River won it at the death, with Ariel Ortega scoring an injury-time winner. Dramatic.
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Game on after all
It looks like the on-again, off-again Galaxy friendly in Hong Kong is on-again for good.
The Hong Kong FA gave the green light for the Galaxy's proposed match against a local side at Hong Kong Stadium on March 9. The game will wrap up the Galaxy's preseason Asia tour following games in South Korea and China.
Read more...
The Hong Kong FA gave the green light for the Galaxy's proposed match against a local side at Hong Kong Stadium on March 9. The game will wrap up the Galaxy's preseason Asia tour following games in South Korea and China.
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Thursday, February 28, 2008
Philadelphia on tap
It's official, folks. Shout-out to Greg Daurio, who must be thrilled. He's a Philly guy.
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Chivas doubleheader
If you've got the day free on Friday or are willing to use a sick day, you may want to get out to Home Depot Center. Chivas USA is playing a doubleheader. At 10 a.m., the club is playing UC Riverside and at 11:30, it's up against UC Irvine, I believe. Not sure that the opponents matter, but some of the action might be good to watch. It's going to be cut-down day soon and those fighting for roster spots will likely play their hardest for one last chance to impress.
I unfortunately do not have the day free so I won't be there. I'll be at Monday's training session, the last one before the team leaves for Texas. So if you go out there on Friday you'll have to let me know how it went.
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I unfortunately do not have the day free so I won't be there. I'll be at Monday's training session, the last one before the team leaves for Texas. So if you go out there on Friday you'll have to let me know how it went.
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Captain K
Sacha Kljestan will be central to the United States' Olympic hopes. He's heading out soon enough with the team so I took the opportunity to talk to him out at camp the other day. I might not have the chance to talk to him until after the qualifying tournament.
Here's the write-up I did for MLSnet.com.
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Here's the write-up I did for MLSnet.com.
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Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Roster guesses
LA GALAXY ASIA TOUR 2008 ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (2): Steve Cronin, Josh Wicks
DEFENDERS (9): Celestine Babayaro, Sean Franklin, Michael Gavin, Ante Jazic, Mike Randolph, Troy Roberts, Julian Valentin, Greg Vanney, Abel Xavier.
MIDFIELDERS (7): Ely Allen, Alvaro, David Beckham, Chris Klein, Brandon McDonald, Josh Tudela, Peter Vagenas
FORWARDS (3): Alan Gordon, Bryan Jordan, Carlos Ruiz
No Landon Donovan. Apparently the tendonitis is worse than anticipated. Landon's back in LA to get that worked on. Edson Buddle, meanwhile, dislocated his collarbone in the Sydney FC match. There's no injury explanation for Kevin Harmse, Kelly Gray and Israel Sesay going back to Cali, though.
I'll speculate. Sesay is so young and on a Generation Adidas contract, that he's not going anywhere. The Galaxy will take their time developing their prospect. Kevin and Kelly are either known entities, or are on the trading block with Kyle Martino.
The guy who really is hurting, though, is the Galaxy's backup goalkeeper, Charles Alamo, who hurt himself badly in the Friday reserve match in Hawaii. He tore his ACL, meniscus and sprained his MCL all in one fell blow. He'll be out for six months. The Galaxy did offer him a contract, however, so his medical care will be covered.
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GOALKEEPERS (2): Steve Cronin, Josh Wicks
DEFENDERS (9): Celestine Babayaro, Sean Franklin, Michael Gavin, Ante Jazic, Mike Randolph, Troy Roberts, Julian Valentin, Greg Vanney, Abel Xavier.
MIDFIELDERS (7): Ely Allen, Alvaro, David Beckham, Chris Klein, Brandon McDonald, Josh Tudela, Peter Vagenas
FORWARDS (3): Alan Gordon, Bryan Jordan, Carlos Ruiz
No Landon Donovan. Apparently the tendonitis is worse than anticipated. Landon's back in LA to get that worked on. Edson Buddle, meanwhile, dislocated his collarbone in the Sydney FC match. There's no injury explanation for Kevin Harmse, Kelly Gray and Israel Sesay going back to Cali, though.
I'll speculate. Sesay is so young and on a Generation Adidas contract, that he's not going anywhere. The Galaxy will take their time developing their prospect. Kevin and Kelly are either known entities, or are on the trading block with Kyle Martino.
The guy who really is hurting, though, is the Galaxy's backup goalkeeper, Charles Alamo, who hurt himself badly in the Friday reserve match in Hawaii. He tore his ACL, meniscus and sprained his MCL all in one fell blow. He'll be out for six months. The Galaxy did offer him a contract, however, so his medical care will be covered.
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Message board chat
The Jesus Padilla issue is being discussed in various message boards about soccer. I highlighted this one because most of the posters seemed to be able to make their points intelligently, without namecalling.
One, posting as Dr. Chiva, had an interesting point.
Padilla es mexicano, solo por el hecho de que sus padres son mexicanos. O sea, yo no discuto si Padilla es o no mexicano, discuto que NO puede jugar en Chivas porque NO NACIÓ EN MÉXICO... eso es todo. Francamente, y para ponerlo en términos más entendibles... me vale si es mexicano, si se sente mexicano, si sus padres son mexicanos, si es más mexicano que los nopales, etc... si NO NACIÓ EN MÉXICO, NO TENDRÍA DERECHO DE JUGAR EN CHIVAS... no importa que descienda de Moctezuma Xocoyotzin, si no nació en México, no tiene porque jugar en Chivas. Es verdad, es muy mamón de mi parte decirlo, pero es la tradición. PUNTO.
Padilla is Mexican, for his dad is Mexican. I'm not arguing whether or not he's Mexican, I'm arguing that he can't play with Chivas because he wasn't born in Mexico - that's it. Frankly, and to make it clear, I don't care if he's Mexican, if he feels Mexican, if his parents are Mexican, if he's more Mexican than cactus, if he wasn't born in Mexico, he doesn't have the right to play on Chivas. It doesn't matter if he's descended from Moctezuma Xocoyotzin, if he wasn't born in Mexico, he's not supposed to play with Chivas. That's the truth, it may bother those to hear it, but that's the tradition. Period.
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One, posting as Dr. Chiva, had an interesting point.
Padilla es mexicano, solo por el hecho de que sus padres son mexicanos. O sea, yo no discuto si Padilla es o no mexicano, discuto que NO puede jugar en Chivas porque NO NACIÓ EN MÉXICO... eso es todo. Francamente, y para ponerlo en términos más entendibles... me vale si es mexicano, si se sente mexicano, si sus padres son mexicanos, si es más mexicano que los nopales, etc... si NO NACIÓ EN MÉXICO, NO TENDRÍA DERECHO DE JUGAR EN CHIVAS... no importa que descienda de Moctezuma Xocoyotzin, si no nació en México, no tiene porque jugar en Chivas. Es verdad, es muy mamón de mi parte decirlo, pero es la tradición. PUNTO.
Padilla is Mexican, for his dad is Mexican. I'm not arguing whether or not he's Mexican, I'm arguing that he can't play with Chivas because he wasn't born in Mexico - that's it. Frankly, and to make it clear, I don't care if he's Mexican, if he feels Mexican, if his parents are Mexican, if he's more Mexican than cactus, if he wasn't born in Mexico, he doesn't have the right to play on Chivas. It doesn't matter if he's descended from Moctezuma Xocoyotzin, if he wasn't born in Mexico, he's not supposed to play with Chivas. That's the truth, it may bother those to hear it, but that's the tradition. Period.
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Where in the world is Shavar Thomas?
Missing: Shavar Thomas, Defender, Chivas USA
Missing since: November 2007
Last known whereabouts: Jamaica
Reason for disappearance: Supposed visa problems
Further information: "That's a question for the government. I have no idea on that one." - Chivas USA coach Preki when asked about his missing central defender.
Contact 1-877-CHIVAS-1 if you have information on the missing person listed above.
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Not so fast
It looks like the Galaxy's friendly in Hong Kong may not happen after all.
The Hong Kong FA has not approved the friendly and may derail plans for the match. An FA official said that the Galaxy has not yet submitted a formal request for the match.
Details, details. Always getting in the way of preparations. If this game doesn't go off, it could be a blessing in disguise. The team could get back into town earlier than anticipated, spend a few days recovering from the trip and get back into a normal routine without going through such a frenetic pace. The game in China is on March 5, so the team could cut the trip short and get back here by the 6th or 7th instead of the 10th.
But this is the Barnstorming Galaxy we're talking about, and I'm sure they wouldn't have too much trouble lining up another match if this Hong Kong game falls through.
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The Hong Kong FA has not approved the friendly and may derail plans for the match. An FA official said that the Galaxy has not yet submitted a formal request for the match.
Details, details. Always getting in the way of preparations. If this game doesn't go off, it could be a blessing in disguise. The team could get back into town earlier than anticipated, spend a few days recovering from the trip and get back into a normal routine without going through such a frenetic pace. The game in China is on March 5, so the team could cut the trip short and get back here by the 6th or 7th instead of the 10th.
But this is the Barnstorming Galaxy we're talking about, and I'm sure they wouldn't have too much trouble lining up another match if this Hong Kong game falls through.
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Superstar manager
I like the premise of this Paul Oberjuerge column on Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit.
One Los Angeles sports franchise believes it hired a hugely famous manager.
And one actually did.
And his name isn't Joe Torre. It's Ruud Gullit.
It's funny how Joe Torre is a name and a face well-known in this country but outside these borders few know the Dodgers' newest manager. But conversely, Gullit is quite the famous soccer figure outside of Los Angeles.
It's just another strange twist of soccer in the United States, where the mega-famous can live in relative obscurity. It's something I'm going to explore at some point this season for The Press-Enterprise.
There are exceptions, though. Claudio Suarez of Chivas USA is a fairly recognizable figure, depending on where he goes, in Southern California. And of course Becks is recognizable everywhere he goes.
But for the most part, soccer figures can count on living as just another face here in this country.
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One Los Angeles sports franchise believes it hired a hugely famous manager.
And one actually did.
And his name isn't Joe Torre. It's Ruud Gullit.
It's funny how Joe Torre is a name and a face well-known in this country but outside these borders few know the Dodgers' newest manager. But conversely, Gullit is quite the famous soccer figure outside of Los Angeles.
It's just another strange twist of soccer in the United States, where the mega-famous can live in relative obscurity. It's something I'm going to explore at some point this season for The Press-Enterprise.
There are exceptions, though. Claudio Suarez of Chivas USA is a fairly recognizable figure, depending on where he goes, in Southern California. And of course Becks is recognizable everywhere he goes.
But for the most part, soccer figures can count on living as just another face here in this country.
Read more...
Big game
Sometimes, Copa Libertadores gives you not-so-enticing matchups. Atlas fans probably will be more enthused about Boca Juniors than San Jose of Bolivia, for instance.
Tonight, though, is one of those games that comes around only once in a while: Club America vs. River Plate.
So while I won't be down in Tijuana for the match, at least I'll have a chance to watch this clash of gigantes.
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Tonight, though, is one of those games that comes around only once in a while: Club America vs. River Plate.
So while I won't be down in Tijuana for the match, at least I'll have a chance to watch this clash of gigantes.
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South of the border
Unfortunately, Sideline Views will not be able to make the trek down to Tijuana for the Mexico-Paraguay match and some fun at the Avenida Revolucion afterward. Okay, well, maybe the game would have been our only reason to go down there but the city would have provided more post-game options than we have at Home Depot Center.
As it stands, though, the match should be played before an energetic and enthusiastic fan base. Baja California has traditionally been more about baseball and boxing but soccer is apparently gaining popularity there. Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote about the status of soccer in Tijuana.
The interesting part of this story is the local club's name - Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente. Awesome.
Sideline Views will have to wait for the Under-23s to make their way to HDC to watch Hugo's team. And unfortunately we'll be stuck with the night-club Denny's or the IHOP-in-a-shady-neighborhood-with-shitty-service afterward instead of Avenida Revolucion. Oh well.
Oh, by the way, if you are going and will be commuting from this side of the border, don't forget your passport! Otherwise, you'll be stuck down in Tijuana a la Cheech Marin.
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As it stands, though, the match should be played before an energetic and enthusiastic fan base. Baja California has traditionally been more about baseball and boxing but soccer is apparently gaining popularity there. Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote about the status of soccer in Tijuana.
The interesting part of this story is the local club's name - Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente. Awesome.
Sideline Views will have to wait for the Under-23s to make their way to HDC to watch Hugo's team. And unfortunately we'll be stuck with the night-club Denny's or the IHOP-in-a-shady-neighborhood-with-shitty-service afterward instead of Avenida Revolucion. Oh well.
Oh, by the way, if you are going and will be commuting from this side of the border, don't forget your passport! Otherwise, you'll be stuck down in Tijuana a la Cheech Marin.
Read more...
Hop aboard
Chivas USA front office, take note:
The Kansas City Wizards, who like Chivas USA have also suffered terribly at the gate, announced a new program that seems like it could be successful.
From the press release:
The Kansas Wizards and First Student will partner on a program providing FREE “Legends Express” buses to Kansas City Wizards matches at CommunityAmerica Ballpark for groups of 50 or more. As part of the Wizards Soccer Shuttle program, groups will be picked up from anywhere inside the Kansas City metropolitan and surrounding areas, dropped off at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at the Legends in KCK and then returned to their initial location after the match.
“We are pleased to form a relationship with First Student and provide large groups the opportunity for free transportation to Wizards matches via the Legends Express,” Wizards Executive Vice President Greg Cotton said. “The Wizards Soccer Shuttle program will help us create a party atmosphere at the stadium that all fans of Kansas City's team enjoy.”...
Alcohol will be permitted, but not included, on the Legends Express vehicles for patrons 21 and older, excluding kegs. Tailgating at the stadium will also be available and encouraged in a special Legends-Express parking section. Participants in the Wizards Soccer Shuttle program will receive commemorative T-shirts as part of the package. Ticket prices for groups of 50+ start at $500 for berm seats.
Now, some observers feel that if Chivas USA played closer to the Coliseum that the club would draw more fans. I have my doubts about that, but if the team would provide a similar busing program it could have some success, if anything to avoid paying the $15 for parking, or whatever the cost is.
Maybe, though, it's not so easy for Chivas USA to get things like this through since they don't actually own their stadium, and maybe there are hurdles that they can't get past. But if they have the option to provide free busing, it could boost attendance.
As far as Kansas City fans go, will this program succeed? Fifty people seems like a rather large contingent to get together. Will this translate into solid attendance figures?
Read more...
The Kansas City Wizards, who like Chivas USA have also suffered terribly at the gate, announced a new program that seems like it could be successful.
From the press release:
The Kansas Wizards and First Student will partner on a program providing FREE “Legends Express” buses to Kansas City Wizards matches at CommunityAmerica Ballpark for groups of 50 or more. As part of the Wizards Soccer Shuttle program, groups will be picked up from anywhere inside the Kansas City metropolitan and surrounding areas, dropped off at CommunityAmerica Ballpark at the Legends in KCK and then returned to their initial location after the match.
“We are pleased to form a relationship with First Student and provide large groups the opportunity for free transportation to Wizards matches via the Legends Express,” Wizards Executive Vice President Greg Cotton said. “The Wizards Soccer Shuttle program will help us create a party atmosphere at the stadium that all fans of Kansas City's team enjoy.”...
Alcohol will be permitted, but not included, on the Legends Express vehicles for patrons 21 and older, excluding kegs. Tailgating at the stadium will also be available and encouraged in a special Legends-Express parking section. Participants in the Wizards Soccer Shuttle program will receive commemorative T-shirts as part of the package. Ticket prices for groups of 50+ start at $500 for berm seats.
Now, some observers feel that if Chivas USA played closer to the Coliseum that the club would draw more fans. I have my doubts about that, but if the team would provide a similar busing program it could have some success, if anything to avoid paying the $15 for parking, or whatever the cost is.
Maybe, though, it's not so easy for Chivas USA to get things like this through since they don't actually own their stadium, and maybe there are hurdles that they can't get past. But if they have the option to provide free busing, it could boost attendance.
As far as Kansas City fans go, will this program succeed? Fifty people seems like a rather large contingent to get together. Will this translate into solid attendance figures?
Read more...
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Brad's backup
There were six goalkeepers out at Chivas USA camp. Brad Guzan was one of them. Bill Gaudette was another.
Gaudette should join the club soon enough. He has nearly 20 games of MLS experience. He could be a servicable backup.
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Jonny's travels to Israel
Jonathan Bornstein talked to me about his little trip to Israel in the offseason. He had to have some (I'd imagine) pretty tough conversations with Preki, Bob Bradley and Chivas USA officials. I could probably deal with a tongue-lashing from Antonio Cue and one from Preki would be difficult. But a pissed-off Bob Bradley... well, I can't imagine a worse conversation than that.
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Chivas USA back in action
And the dead shall rise again...
Okay, maybe "dead" is a bit of a stretch, but several of the walking wounded trained for the club on Tuesday.
The only members who did not participate in the training session were Francisco Mendoz and Alecko Eskandarian. The latter had a setback while the former still hasn't recovered fully and coach Preki said Panchito was day-to-day.
Okay, well, there was another player who didn't train but Shavar Thomas is, for all we know, healthy. He's stuck in Jamaica.
Among those training for the first or second time were Paulo Nagamura, Maykel Galindo and Lawson Vaughn. Also, Jonathan Bornstein and Raphael Wicky trained as well as Jesse Marsch, who hadn't trained since he was tackled from behind by Luciano Emilio a week ago.
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Pugilists
Major League Soccer's toughest owner was spotted at Home Depot Center.
Oscar De La Hoya, who is reportedly close to buying a chunk of the Houston Dynamo, held a press conference at Home Depot Center to promote his next fight, a May 3 bout against Steve Forbes.
De La Hoya said the fight will be the biggest fight of his career and that he's not looking at Steve Forbes as a tune-up fight or anything like that. De La Hoya said his entire team is up in Big Bear to help him prepare for the fight and to enter the bout in tip-top shape. I would have liked to have stuck around to ask him about MLS but didn't have the chance. Between Oscar De La Hoya and Charlie Davies, all these work obligations keep getting in the way of interviews for Sideline Views.
In terms of the fight, it will be interesting to see a boxing match at Home Depot Center. It's actually going to be on the main field, not the tennis stadium. De La Hoya said that there will be somewhere around 20,000 seats priced $75 or less, which is apparently affordable for boxing.
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Davies sticks around
Charlie Davies trained with Chivas USA on Tuesday and will be with the club for the remainder of the week.
No, he's not the club's latest reinforcement. This Yank Abroad is still abroad. His club Hammarby was in town for training but recently went back to Sweden. Davies, who will join the U.S. Under-23 side for the upcoming Olympic qualifiers, chose to stay at HDC and train with Chivas USA.
Davies and Sacha Kljestan will be part of the contingent that will try to lead the U.S. into the Summer Olympics.
I wanted to talk to him but I had too many other players to talk to and not enough time.
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Out to training
I'm heading out to Chivas USA training right now so I won't be able to blog much this afternoon. But I did file a story last night to MLSnet.com about Jonathan Bornstein's offseason trip to Israel. Good stuff.
This will be only time to go out and talk to Chivas USA players this week so I'm sure I'll come back with plenty of info.
In the meantime, here are a few articles to pass the time.
This story actually ran yesterday in the LA Times but it's on the same topic as my PE column. The Times' take on the Pan-Pacific Championship and mine as well.
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This will be only time to go out and talk to Chivas USA players this week so I'm sure I'll come back with plenty of info.
In the meantime, here are a few articles to pass the time.
This story actually ran yesterday in the LA Times but it's on the same topic as my PE column. The Times' take on the Pan-Pacific Championship and mine as well.
Read more...
Monday, February 25, 2008
Mi nombre lo dice
This cartoon is having a little fun at the fact that Jesus Padilla's nickname is "Gringo".
The goat is accusatory: "You were born 'gringo'! Do you have any other surprises?"
Jesus responds, "No, but you should check to see if 'Guacho' Avila is really Argentine."
He's also holding the paper declaring he was born in the U.S.
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The goat is accusatory: "You were born 'gringo'! Do you have any other surprises?"
Jesus responds, "No, but you should check to see if 'Guacho' Avila is really Argentine."
He's also holding the paper declaring he was born in the U.S.
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Under new management
It looks like Houston will finally walk on its own.
Reports have surfaced that Golden Boy Promotions' Oscar De La Hoya will buy a stake in the MLS champions. According to the Houston Chronicle, De La Hoya will enter into a partnership to purchase 50 percent of the Houston Dynamo.
This is exciting news on many levels. De La Hoya and his business partner Gabriel Brener each have filthy amounts of cash, and that seems like a good thing. I mean, it's preferable to have financially stable people investing in MLS. Plus, a celebrity like De La Hoya could also draw fans of his to MLS. De La Hoya has done well since launching Golden Boy Promotions, and perhaps he could carry those promotion skills into MLS as well.
Also, the city could provide the club financial support for the possibility of a new stadium.
All these things are signs of positive financial growth within the league. Now, if some of that could trickle down to the players, things would really be great.
Read more...
Reports have surfaced that Golden Boy Promotions' Oscar De La Hoya will buy a stake in the MLS champions. According to the Houston Chronicle, De La Hoya will enter into a partnership to purchase 50 percent of the Houston Dynamo.
This is exciting news on many levels. De La Hoya and his business partner Gabriel Brener each have filthy amounts of cash, and that seems like a good thing. I mean, it's preferable to have financially stable people investing in MLS. Plus, a celebrity like De La Hoya could also draw fans of his to MLS. De La Hoya has done well since launching Golden Boy Promotions, and perhaps he could carry those promotion skills into MLS as well.
Also, the city could provide the club financial support for the possibility of a new stadium.
All these things are signs of positive financial growth within the league. Now, if some of that could trickle down to the players, things would really be great.
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Mo' better midfielder
Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America wrote a nice feature on Maurice Edu for us over at SI.com. His point about Edu being one of the few top draft picks to produce is well taken - there are more busts than anything with that first overall pick.
I've talked to Maurice a few times, both over the phone (on draft day in 2007) and in person (most recently at US camp here in Carson). But I actually met his mom first, way before I ever talked to Maurice. I didn't know it was his mom, and it was just a fluke the way it turned out with her son.
I was covering a high school football game out in the beautiful city of Rialto a few years back (I use that adjective loosely, by the way). Anyway, at the time I was trying to find some people from the African nations that made it to the World Cup - Angola, Ivory Coast, Togo and Tunisia to be precise. There were a few from Ghana I'd run across and I was working on a story that ultimately never materialized because apparently there aren't any Angolans in the IE. Who knew?
But I had hopes then and I figured if I could find some sort of African market that I might find some people there. Certain ethnic markets, especially the little mom-and-pop stores, tend to draw people from a certain ethnic group. I had some success with a store called "West Africa Market" or something in Riverside so I was hoping to find some similar markets in San Bernardino.
Well, at this game I covered one of the ladies who was manning the entrance had the last name of Edu. I figured that was an African last name. She said something to the lady next to her and she spoke with an accent. Put two and two together and...
"Hello. I know this sounds like a strange question but you wouldn't happen to be from Africa, would you?"
I wouldn't have asked her that if I wasn't 95 percent sure of the answer. She smiled, then laughed and then I followed up with...
"See, I was hoping you knew of a local African market. I'm trying to find some people from Ivory Coast, Togo and Angola and I was hoping to find a West African market or something."
She actually helped me out quite a bit. She knew of a place right there in Rialto that was owned by a couple from Liberia (dammit, why couldn't they have qualified?!?). But, Mrs. Edu warned, I probably wasn't going to find those countries represented quite as easily as others, such as her native Nigeria.
"Yes, well, Nigeria would have made it a lot easier on me had they qualified. Instead I got stuck with Angola!"
She said she never met anyone from Angola or Togo here (great, I thought) but I should look anyway.
Then she told me that her son plays soccer. I hear that a lot, actually. My so-and-so plays soccer and he's/she's so good! Mrs. Edu said her son is from Fontana and went to Etiwanda High School and then to Maryland, and that he even scored a big goal right here, at that stadium out by Long Beach.
I've never told Maurice that story, though I suppose I will at some point. But every time I see him I ask him how his mom's doing. The Edus are a pretty tight bunch.
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I've talked to Maurice a few times, both over the phone (on draft day in 2007) and in person (most recently at US camp here in Carson). But I actually met his mom first, way before I ever talked to Maurice. I didn't know it was his mom, and it was just a fluke the way it turned out with her son.
I was covering a high school football game out in the beautiful city of Rialto a few years back (I use that adjective loosely, by the way). Anyway, at the time I was trying to find some people from the African nations that made it to the World Cup - Angola, Ivory Coast, Togo and Tunisia to be precise. There were a few from Ghana I'd run across and I was working on a story that ultimately never materialized because apparently there aren't any Angolans in the IE. Who knew?
But I had hopes then and I figured if I could find some sort of African market that I might find some people there. Certain ethnic markets, especially the little mom-and-pop stores, tend to draw people from a certain ethnic group. I had some success with a store called "West Africa Market" or something in Riverside so I was hoping to find some similar markets in San Bernardino.
Well, at this game I covered one of the ladies who was manning the entrance had the last name of Edu. I figured that was an African last name. She said something to the lady next to her and she spoke with an accent. Put two and two together and...
"Hello. I know this sounds like a strange question but you wouldn't happen to be from Africa, would you?"
I wouldn't have asked her that if I wasn't 95 percent sure of the answer. She smiled, then laughed and then I followed up with...
"See, I was hoping you knew of a local African market. I'm trying to find some people from Ivory Coast, Togo and Angola and I was hoping to find a West African market or something."
She actually helped me out quite a bit. She knew of a place right there in Rialto that was owned by a couple from Liberia (dammit, why couldn't they have qualified?!?). But, Mrs. Edu warned, I probably wasn't going to find those countries represented quite as easily as others, such as her native Nigeria.
"Yes, well, Nigeria would have made it a lot easier on me had they qualified. Instead I got stuck with Angola!"
She said she never met anyone from Angola or Togo here (great, I thought) but I should look anyway.
Then she told me that her son plays soccer. I hear that a lot, actually. My so-and-so plays soccer and he's/she's so good! Mrs. Edu said her son is from Fontana and went to Etiwanda High School and then to Maryland, and that he even scored a big goal right here, at that stadium out by Long Beach.
I've never told Maurice that story, though I suppose I will at some point. But every time I see him I ask him how his mom's doing. The Edus are a pretty tight bunch.
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Hong Kong Union
The Galaxy announced the third and final match of their preseason Asia tour.
On March 9, the Galaxy will play Hong Kong Union at Hong Kong Stadium in Hong Kong. Earlier, the Galaxy will play on March 1 at FC Seoul and on March 5 against Shanghai-Hong Kong United.
I'm still not convinced this is the best thing for the club but at this point they need to start getting some real games in against some real competition. The Gamba/Sydney swing was a good start and now the preseason needs to start kicking into gear.
The Galaxy will head back to Los Angeles on March 10 but the players will probably need some time to recover from the jet lag before hitting the training field again.
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On March 9, the Galaxy will play Hong Kong Union at Hong Kong Stadium in Hong Kong. Earlier, the Galaxy will play on March 1 at FC Seoul and on March 5 against Shanghai-Hong Kong United.
I'm still not convinced this is the best thing for the club but at this point they need to start getting some real games in against some real competition. The Gamba/Sydney swing was a good start and now the preseason needs to start kicking into gear.
The Galaxy will head back to Los Angeles on March 10 but the players will probably need some time to recover from the jet lag before hitting the training field again.
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J League > MLS?
The Pan-Pacific Championship came and went and while the crowds left plenty to be desired the games themselves left me with one impression: Gamba Osaka is a tough club.
Gamba Osaka could have scored several goals on the Galaxy but as it stands walked away with a 1-0 win in a match the Japanese club was clearly the superior one. Against the defending MLS champs, Gamba Osaka dominated as Houston did not belong on the same field as their Japanese brethren.
I've got to admit, I don't watch much of the J League. I watch the Gambare show every now and then on FSC but other than that I don't keep up with that particular league.
But these results left me thinking about the strength of both leagues. Yes, I understand that it would take more than two games to determine the strength of leagues but some MLS fans are quick to say MLS is on par with the Mexican league after a couple of MLS-favorable results.
No, I'm not going to say that based on two games the J League is the dominant league in the Pan Pacific. However, if I had to pick a league, I couldn't say for certain that MLS is the better league. These games actually have me thinking the other way, though again I can't say for sure.
Gamba Osaka demolished one of the teams I have the most respect for in MLS on Saturday. Had they won 2-1 or 3-2 or whatever, then maybe I'd be doing something else right now. But a 6-1 thrashing of Houston is eye-opening.
Yes, I realize it's the preseason and Houston and the Galaxy and neither team is close to the start of the season. But Houston needed these games to prepare for their upcoming CONCACAF Champions Cup matches, and if that's any sort of indiciation of how far they are along in their preseason, they've got a long way to go in a short amount of time.
Though Gamba Osaka looked convincing, I'm not going to say one league is better than the other. But what are your thoughts on the matter? How good is J League compared to MLS, or vice versa?
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Gamba Osaka could have scored several goals on the Galaxy but as it stands walked away with a 1-0 win in a match the Japanese club was clearly the superior one. Against the defending MLS champs, Gamba Osaka dominated as Houston did not belong on the same field as their Japanese brethren.
I've got to admit, I don't watch much of the J League. I watch the Gambare show every now and then on FSC but other than that I don't keep up with that particular league.
But these results left me thinking about the strength of both leagues. Yes, I understand that it would take more than two games to determine the strength of leagues but some MLS fans are quick to say MLS is on par with the Mexican league after a couple of MLS-favorable results.
No, I'm not going to say that based on two games the J League is the dominant league in the Pan Pacific. However, if I had to pick a league, I couldn't say for certain that MLS is the better league. These games actually have me thinking the other way, though again I can't say for sure.
Gamba Osaka demolished one of the teams I have the most respect for in MLS on Saturday. Had they won 2-1 or 3-2 or whatever, then maybe I'd be doing something else right now. But a 6-1 thrashing of Houston is eye-opening.
Yes, I realize it's the preseason and Houston and the Galaxy and neither team is close to the start of the season. But Houston needed these games to prepare for their upcoming CONCACAF Champions Cup matches, and if that's any sort of indiciation of how far they are along in their preseason, they've got a long way to go in a short amount of time.
Though Gamba Osaka looked convincing, I'm not going to say one league is better than the other. But what are your thoughts on the matter? How good is J League compared to MLS, or vice versa?
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Preseason rankings
When I wrote up my preseason unit rankings a week ago, I hadn't planned on ranking the clubs. I ranked them every Monday of last season, and I had wanted to do that at some point before the season started.
After posting my rankings a week ago, I figured I'd tally them up collectively and see how they work out for each club. So I took the numbers of each team's ranking per unit - goalkeeper, defense, midfield, forwards - added them up and divided by four. I know, brilliant stuff. But that shows I suppose how I think of the teams. Really, though, I wouldn't be as intricate if I just decided to rank the clubs now as they stand. But it at least provides a good starting point
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After posting my rankings a week ago, I figured I'd tally them up collectively and see how they work out for each club. So I took the numbers of each team's ranking per unit - goalkeeper, defense, midfield, forwards - added them up and divided by four. I know, brilliant stuff. But that shows I suppose how I think of the teams. Really, though, I wouldn't be as intricate if I just decided to rank the clubs now as they stand. But it at least provides a good starting point
1. Chivas USA – 2.25
2.
3.
4. DC United – 4.5
5.
6.
7.
8. FC Dallas – 8.75
9.
10.
11-t.
11-t.
13.
14.
(club - gk, d, m, f)
Chivas USA 1, 2, 3, 3 – 9
Houston 3, 1, 1, 9 – 14
Colorado 5, 5, 2, 11 – 23
FC Dallas 10, 11, 8, 6 – 35
Los Angeles 14, 14, 5, 4 – 37
DC United 6, 6, 4, 2 – 18
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Last chance
The Kansas City Wizards will train today and Tuesday at Swope Park before heading down to Argentina for a pair of weeks, so you might want to check them out if you're within driving distance.
Myself, I'm not anywhere near the Wizards nor do I know where Swope Park is. But I get KC Wizards press releases and thought I'd pass the word along to the handful of KC supporters that peruse this board. Tuesday's training session might be at the KC Sports Lodge, apparently.
Who knows - maybe the Wizards will return from Argentina with El Piojo in tow.
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Myself, I'm not anywhere near the Wizards nor do I know where Swope Park is. But I get KC Wizards press releases and thought I'd pass the word along to the handful of KC supporters that peruse this board. Tuesday's training session might be at the KC Sports Lodge, apparently.
Who knows - maybe the Wizards will return from Argentina with El Piojo in tow.
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Sunday, February 24, 2008
Crowd count
Some 23,000 fans turned out to see the soccer doubleheader in Hawaii on Saturday.
I'd been searching for this figure but just now found it. However, given the opponent whom Gamba Osaka allegedly beat, I'm not sure these are the most reliable.
ADD: The link is fixed. For a while, it said Osaka beat the Houston Galaxy. Oops.
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I'd been searching for this figure but just now found it. However, given the opponent whom Gamba Osaka allegedly beat, I'm not sure these are the most reliable.
ADD: The link is fixed. For a while, it said Osaka beat the Houston Galaxy. Oops.
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Funny guys
Yahoo Sports' Martin Rogers has a funny little snippet of Landon Donovan crossing to our side, albeit for a brief moment.
I like the clever question Martin tossed at Beckham in Landon's presence.
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I like the clever question Martin tossed at Beckham in Landon's presence.
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Freak injuries
Over the last couple of weeks, we've seen some pretty ghastly sports injuries. First there was the NHL's Richard Zednik, who nearly died after his neck was slashed open by a teammate's skate.
Now, there is Eduardo da Silva of Arsenal and Croatia. The Gunners' striker suffered a double break (leg and ankle) after Birmingham's Martin Taylor viscously challenged Eduardo in a 2-2 draw on Saturday.
Eduardo's gone for the rest of the season. He's done for the summer too - no Euro 2008. When he comes back is unknown, if he is ever able to step onto a soccer field again.
He hard surgery on his leg and is recuperating.
Don't expect for Eduard to be trolling for pictures of the incident. He told reporters that he doesn't want to see pictures of it anywhere. At least the good thing for him is that he doesn't remember much from the incident.
"All I remember is when I fell, I looked down at my foot and it had turned the other way. The rest is just a blank."
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Now, there is Eduardo da Silva of Arsenal and Croatia. The Gunners' striker suffered a double break (leg and ankle) after Birmingham's Martin Taylor viscously challenged Eduardo in a 2-2 draw on Saturday.
Eduardo's gone for the rest of the season. He's done for the summer too - no Euro 2008. When he comes back is unknown, if he is ever able to step onto a soccer field again.
He hard surgery on his leg and is recuperating.
Don't expect for Eduard to be trolling for pictures of the incident. He told reporters that he doesn't want to see pictures of it anywhere. At least the good thing for him is that he doesn't remember much from the incident.
"All I remember is when I fell, I looked down at my foot and it had turned the other way. The rest is just a blank."
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Chivas' own website tells a different story
Than the one Nestor de la Torre and Jesus Padilla are now spinning about Jesus only having spent ten days in the U.S. Back when people still thought that Jesus was born in Mexico, the club wrote up a little article on their website about him turning down the invite to play with the US U20 team.
Here's how they told his story then.
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Here's how they told his story then.
Jesús Padilla nació en San José de lo Reynoso, municipio de San Miguel el Alto Jalisco, y a los dos años se fue a radicar a la Unión Americana, donde estudió toda su primaria y secundaria y desde los catorce años está en Fuerzas Básicas de Chivas.
La familia de Padilla Cisneros vive en San José, California.
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Padilla's in San Jose
Mention of article (now archived) that details how Jesus Padilla grew up in San Jose.
Article on sister Carmen, and how she grew up in San Jose.
Article on little sisters Marisol and Maricela playing in local San Jose soccer leagues.
There's not going to be a ton of info on Jesus himself in San Jose, because he joined the youth team of Guadalajara at 14. He was spotted at the Copa Chivas tournament by their scouts. At the time, he was playing for a club team from San Jose.
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Article on sister Carmen, and how she grew up in San Jose.
Article on little sisters Marisol and Maricela playing in local San Jose soccer leagues.
There's not going to be a ton of info on Jesus himself in San Jose, because he joined the youth team of Guadalajara at 14. He was spotted at the Copa Chivas tournament by their scouts. At the time, he was playing for a club team from San Jose.
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Aloha to a new day
I was getting so many emails about how hopeless the Galaxy were after Wednesday. I couldn't disagree, though I thought they improved as the match versus Gamba Osaka went on. Against Sydney FC, the improved form showed from the start. LA should probably have scored more goals, but they'll take the win.
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Galaxy win, Chivas USA lose
A couple of months or so, a Galaxy win and a Chivas USA loss on a Saturday night would mean three points earned for one local club and nothing gained for the other.
As it stands, Saturday's respective results mean little, if anything.
The Galaxy bounced back from Wednesday's feeble effort against Gamba Osaka to beat Sydney FC 2-1. David Beckham set up both goals. Josh Tudela and Ely Allen scored the goals. The team is now off to Asia for a pair of friendlies.
On the mainland US, meanwhile, Chivas USA fell to Columbus 2-1. Atiba Harris scored Chivas' lone goal. Chivas used Aleco Eskandarian, Ante Razov and Atiba Harris on the field at the same time, at least in the first half. Jesse Marsch didn't play, so perhaps Luciano Emilio's tackle at the beginning of the week was more serious than we thought.
Also, in case you care about the PPC final, Gamba Osaka destroyed Houston by 6-1. Yeesh.
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As it stands, Saturday's respective results mean little, if anything.
The Galaxy bounced back from Wednesday's feeble effort against Gamba Osaka to beat Sydney FC 2-1. David Beckham set up both goals. Josh Tudela and Ely Allen scored the goals. The team is now off to Asia for a pair of friendlies.
On the mainland US, meanwhile, Chivas USA fell to Columbus 2-1. Atiba Harris scored Chivas' lone goal. Chivas used Aleco Eskandarian, Ante Razov and Atiba Harris on the field at the same time, at least in the first half. Jesse Marsch didn't play, so perhaps Luciano Emilio's tackle at the beginning of the week was more serious than we thought.
Also, in case you care about the PPC final, Gamba Osaka destroyed Houston by 6-1. Yeesh.
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Galaxy Scrimmage
Quick bit of info - Friday match, versus Houston Dynamo (mostly reserves). 4-0 Galaxy win. Carlos Ruiz played and scored a goal. Mike Randolph scored a pair, and Alan Gordon knocked in one goal.
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Saturday, February 23, 2008
Padilla video
Announcer: Jesus Padilla, of Chivas Guadalajara, was born in California, and that provoked controversy because of the team’s tradition to play with only Mexicans. Padilla declared that he is 100 percent Mexican, that he was born in California due to familial necessity, but returned to Jalisco within ten days. The information was first published by Sports Illustrated. Chivas considers Padilla 100 percent Mexican, and the case closed.
Jesus: “Within ten days I came to San Jose de Reynoso, with my parents, who were over there working, but I’ve lived the rest of my life here in Mexico. I couldn’t be born there in the living room, I had to go to the hospital, so that’s why there’s a birth certificate (in California). But I’m Mexican, I feel Mexican, and that’s the truth.
Voice over: Jesus Padilla is the fifth U.S. player in Chivas history to play for the team. The first was Wintilio Lozano, who was born in Gerome, Arizona and played eight seasons with the club. The most recent was Gerardo Mascareno, who played 10 games with the club in the summer of 1998.
(ESPNDeportes had the original Padilla story, where he said his mother was American and that the family moved to San Jose, California when he was two years old. He also mentioned all his little sisters were born in San Jose)
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El Tri wins
No, not the ones who played in Queretaro.
The Mexican women's national team downed USC on Friday 3-1. The women too are hopeful of qualifying for the Olympics, but they will likely have a tougher go at it than the men.
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The Mexican women's national team downed USC on Friday 3-1. The women too are hopeful of qualifying for the Olympics, but they will likely have a tougher go at it than the men.
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Friday, February 22, 2008
Growing louder
That noise you hear growing louder are the Lavolpe chants.
They aren't exactly for the deposed Mexico coach but rather for the current one. Hugo Sanchez's team lost, 1-0, to Ecuador on Friday in Queretaro.
"Lavolpe! Lavolpe!"
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They aren't exactly for the deposed Mexico coach but rather for the current one. Hugo Sanchez's team lost, 1-0, to Ecuador on Friday in Queretaro.
"Lavolpe! Lavolpe!"
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KO punch
Anyone remember the Giants Cup? It was played at the LA Coliseum in the year 2000 or 2001, can't recall. The premise seemed somewhat viable - invite some of the region's giant clubs and have them play each other. As the clubs were popular, it seemed like a good opportunity to draw some fans.
Except the crowds were, well, if they were small the tournament wouldn't have been such a monumental failure. The crowds were miniscule, and the tournament vanished.
Such could be the fate of Pan Pacific Championship.
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Except the crowds were, well, if they were small the tournament wouldn't have been such a monumental failure. The crowds were miniscule, and the tournament vanished.
Such could be the fate of Pan Pacific Championship.
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Mexico to play...
In Craven Cottage against Ghana on March 26. Interesting.
The two teams played in Dallas in March 2006, just a few months before the World Cup. So Mexico will play a game in Europe but it won't be against a European team. Still, this game is loads better than playing, say Peru in Chicago or something.
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The two teams played in Dallas in March 2006, just a few months before the World Cup. So Mexico will play a game in Europe but it won't be against a European team. Still, this game is loads better than playing, say Peru in Chicago or something.
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Sueno update
The field is down to 60 players. Most of the remaining players are young, as young as 14. Most seem to be 16, 17 or 18 with a few exceptions - Rodrigo Ortiz, 20, of La Puente; Alberto Ramirez, 20, of Perris; Daniel Valdez, 22, of San Diego; and the oldest player, 26-year-old Marcus Chorvat.
The last player, actually, has played professionally before. Chorvat went to college at Indiana and played most recently with the San Fernando Valley Quakes (PDL). Not sure what he did in between.
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The last player, actually, has played professionally before. Chorvat went to college at Indiana and played most recently with the San Fernando Valley Quakes (PDL). Not sure what he did in between.
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Prophetic Emperor
I don't think Claudio Suarez knew exactly what had gone on with his former Chivas USA teammate, Carlos Borja, but I find his answer to a question I had for him a bit prophetic.
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Do you think the
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Change in policy
It seems Jesus Padilla and Carlos Borja are part of a possible new wave of Chivas de Guadalajara players.
The club, which had an unwritten rule about using only "Mexicans born in Mexico" prior to this week, has now aligned itself with the Mexican constitution, which states that any child born to Mexican natives regardless of the actual birthplace is considered Mexican. Under the Mexican constitution, Padilla, Borja and yours truly are all in the same boat.
Before this week, though, Chivas' tradition trumped the Mexican constitution. But according to Cancha, the club has now had an apparent policy shift and will cast their nets toward a wider, possibly lucrative talent pool, the Mexican-American pool.
Chivas put out a release on Thursday, and Cancha published this part of it, which I have translated:
The Constitution establishes that Mexican citizenship is inviolable, that there is no manner in which a Mexican by birth can be deprived of it. Thus, Jesus Andres Padilla Cisneros fits this profile and forms part of this institution.
Previously, the club adhered to an unwritten law which dates back to the early 1940s, when then-club president Ignacio Lopez Hernandez wrote in a letter that the club would henceforth accept only "Mexicans born in Mexico" and shut the door completely on foreign-born players.
Since then, a handful of players not born in Mexico have played for the club, the latest of which was Jesus Padilla.
Now, the "Mexicans born in Mexico" policy is seemingly in the past. Many viewed this as a racist and exclusionary policy while others saw no harm in it. As society on both sides of the border is vastly different now than it was six decades ago, the club has realigned its policies as such.
Should this policy stick, it could have a huge ripple affect on soccer in the United States. More American-born players could set their sights on playing in Mexico now that one of the country's most popular clubs no longer will shut them out. This will only increase the competition between MLS and U.S. Soccer and even within other FMF clubs, several of whom already count on Mexican-American players.
It will be interesting to see what the fallout of this supposed policy shift will be, if the hardcore Chivas fans will accept it or not. My guess is that U.S.-based Chivas fans will be more sympathetic towards Padilla and the new policy while more Mexico-based Chivas fans will not be so easily swayed. Traditions, after all, are difficult to change sometimes.
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The club, which had an unwritten rule about using only "Mexicans born in Mexico" prior to this week, has now aligned itself with the Mexican constitution, which states that any child born to Mexican natives regardless of the actual birthplace is considered Mexican. Under the Mexican constitution, Padilla, Borja and yours truly are all in the same boat.
Before this week, though, Chivas' tradition trumped the Mexican constitution. But according to Cancha, the club has now had an apparent policy shift and will cast their nets toward a wider, possibly lucrative talent pool, the Mexican-American pool.
Chivas put out a release on Thursday, and Cancha published this part of it, which I have translated:
The Constitution establishes that Mexican citizenship is inviolable, that there is no manner in which a Mexican by birth can be deprived of it. Thus, Jesus Andres Padilla Cisneros fits this profile and forms part of this institution.
Previously, the club adhered to an unwritten law which dates back to the early 1940s, when then-club president Ignacio Lopez Hernandez wrote in a letter that the club would henceforth accept only "Mexicans born in Mexico" and shut the door completely on foreign-born players.
Since then, a handful of players not born in Mexico have played for the club, the latest of which was Jesus Padilla.
Now, the "Mexicans born in Mexico" policy is seemingly in the past. Many viewed this as a racist and exclusionary policy while others saw no harm in it. As society on both sides of the border is vastly different now than it was six decades ago, the club has realigned its policies as such.
Should this policy stick, it could have a huge ripple affect on soccer in the United States. More American-born players could set their sights on playing in Mexico now that one of the country's most popular clubs no longer will shut them out. This will only increase the competition between MLS and U.S. Soccer and even within other FMF clubs, several of whom already count on Mexican-American players.
It will be interesting to see what the fallout of this supposed policy shift will be, if the hardcore Chivas fans will accept it or not. My guess is that U.S.-based Chivas fans will be more sympathetic towards Padilla and the new policy while more Mexico-based Chivas fans will not be so easily swayed. Traditions, after all, are difficult to change sometimes.
Read more...
Borja in Guadalajara
Jesus Padilla is not the only American-born player within Chivas Guadalajara's ranks.
Mexican daily Mural published a story in their sports section Cancha on Friday about Carlos Borja, who spent last season with Chivas USA. Again, I'd post a link but mural.com is a pay site which I just recently got access to. But I don't think they'd mind if I posted some of the highlights here.
Borja was born in Orange and went to Loara High in Anaheim. He also spent time at Bradenton in the U.S. Under-17 Residency Program. Borja was signed by Chivas USA to a developmental program last year and joined the club from their Under-19 team.
Between the end of last year and the beginning of this year, he vanished. We never heard anything about his whereabouts and assumed he just pursued other options elsewhere.
His path led him to Guadalajara, apparently. He is with Tapatio, Chivas' Primera A (second division) team.
"He is a player who belongs to Chivas USA," Tapatio coach German Lopez told Mural. "We brought him to Mexico. He's Mexican but he lived in Los Angeles, and after a recent scouting trip to the United States he came as a reinforcement with the Reserve Side as a Mexican."
Lopez also acknowledged Borja's U.S. youth national team past. Having plucked him from Chivas USA's ranks was not much of an issue, apparently.
"We know of him because of Chivas USA," Lopez told Mural. "As we're brothers, well, any interesting player who Chivas USA has and is Mexican, we have priority over him and that's what happened with Borja."
Borja was on the bench for Tapatio's game against Morelia in Estadio Jalisco but has yet to play for Tapatio.
"He is the first Chivas USA player who comes to reinforce Guadalajara and honestly we feel he is a player who will be very important within a short amount of time here in this institution. Borja is very close to being in the First Division," Lopez said.
Borja's parents were each born in Mexico.
Read more...
Mexican daily Mural published a story in their sports section Cancha on Friday about Carlos Borja, who spent last season with Chivas USA. Again, I'd post a link but mural.com is a pay site which I just recently got access to. But I don't think they'd mind if I posted some of the highlights here.
Borja was born in Orange and went to Loara High in Anaheim. He also spent time at Bradenton in the U.S. Under-17 Residency Program. Borja was signed by Chivas USA to a developmental program last year and joined the club from their Under-19 team.
Between the end of last year and the beginning of this year, he vanished. We never heard anything about his whereabouts and assumed he just pursued other options elsewhere.
His path led him to Guadalajara, apparently. He is with Tapatio, Chivas' Primera A (second division) team.
"He is a player who belongs to Chivas USA," Tapatio coach German Lopez told Mural. "We brought him to Mexico. He's Mexican but he lived in Los Angeles, and after a recent scouting trip to the United States he came as a reinforcement with the Reserve Side as a Mexican."
Lopez also acknowledged Borja's U.S. youth national team past. Having plucked him from Chivas USA's ranks was not much of an issue, apparently.
"We know of him because of Chivas USA," Lopez told Mural. "As we're brothers, well, any interesting player who Chivas USA has and is Mexican, we have priority over him and that's what happened with Borja."
Borja was on the bench for Tapatio's game against Morelia in Estadio Jalisco but has yet to play for Tapatio.
"He is the first Chivas USA player who comes to reinforce Guadalajara and honestly we feel he is a player who will be very important within a short amount of time here in this institution. Borja is very close to being in the First Division," Lopez said.
Borja's parents were each born in Mexico.
Read more...
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Other happenings
Hard for me to believe, but there are other things going on in the world of soccer besides el Gringo Padilla.
- Chivas USA unofficially sent another player to San Jose. Takayuki Suzuki is with the 'Quakes and scored a goal in a friendly against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Now, before you guys get bent out of shape, keep in mind he would have had to have beaten out probably Atiba Harris for a spot on the team. Atiba Harris isn't a superstar or anything but he knows the league and has done some decent things here before. Suzuki does not know the league and would be at best a bit of a project. Chivas USA's roster is limited so if they want to add any more players - to the senior roster anyway - chances are they'd have to move a player in order to do so.
- Atlante has left the door open for Alain Nkong to return. At least, that's what club officials are saying these days. Atlante, of course, tried to ship Nkong out to Leon of the second division after he was selected to join Cameroon's African Nations Cup squad. Nkong did not report to Atlante or Leon or anybody after the ANC, but now Atlante officials apparently are willing to let by-gones be by-gones.
- Pumas coach Ricardo "Tuca" Ferreti said that he did not think the Mexican national team should use foreigners. What's the big deal? Well, Tuca was born in Brazil. He said that he just doesn't feel it is right. My guess is, he's angling to get the Mexico gig when Hugo Sanchez's time is up. By saying the right things when the incumbent manager's popularity is sinking, Tuca could gain a groundswell of support that would come in handy later. Such a tactic worked for Hugo Sanchez - why wouldn't it work for Tuca?
Read more...
- Chivas USA unofficially sent another player to San Jose. Takayuki Suzuki is with the 'Quakes and scored a goal in a friendly against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Now, before you guys get bent out of shape, keep in mind he would have had to have beaten out probably Atiba Harris for a spot on the team. Atiba Harris isn't a superstar or anything but he knows the league and has done some decent things here before. Suzuki does not know the league and would be at best a bit of a project. Chivas USA's roster is limited so if they want to add any more players - to the senior roster anyway - chances are they'd have to move a player in order to do so.
- Atlante has left the door open for Alain Nkong to return. At least, that's what club officials are saying these days. Atlante, of course, tried to ship Nkong out to Leon of the second division after he was selected to join Cameroon's African Nations Cup squad. Nkong did not report to Atlante or Leon or anybody after the ANC, but now Atlante officials apparently are willing to let by-gones be by-gones.
- Pumas coach Ricardo "Tuca" Ferreti said that he did not think the Mexican national team should use foreigners. What's the big deal? Well, Tuca was born in Brazil. He said that he just doesn't feel it is right. My guess is, he's angling to get the Mexico gig when Hugo Sanchez's time is up. By saying the right things when the incumbent manager's popularity is sinking, Tuca could gain a groundswell of support that would come in handy later. Such a tactic worked for Hugo Sanchez - why wouldn't it work for Tuca?
Read more...
Unofficial poll
On Mural.com, there is a poll question asking readers if they feel Jesus Padilla should stay with Chivas.
Right now, it's 14 in favor of staying and 13 who want to boot him out. There was also someone who posted under the name of Jesus Padilla who said "Nooooooo, don't kick me out" but I didn't count that one.
Anyway, some of the responses there were harsh. Those who didn't want him around anymore were split between the viscious responses "Kick him out! He can't tarnish the tradition!" and the sympathetic ones "As much as I hate to say it, he shouldn't stay here anymore." Those who did support him said things like "Well, if foreigners can play for the national team why not Chivas?" or "I can't believe this is even an issue - that's why this country is the way it is (por eso estamos como estamos)."
Just wanted to share that tidbit of info to give you guys a bit of an insight into what the reaction is like down in Guadalajara and Mexico.
Read more...
Right now, it's 14 in favor of staying and 13 who want to boot him out. There was also someone who posted under the name of Jesus Padilla who said "Nooooooo, don't kick me out" but I didn't count that one.
Anyway, some of the responses there were harsh. Those who didn't want him around anymore were split between the viscious responses "Kick him out! He can't tarnish the tradition!" and the sympathetic ones "As much as I hate to say it, he shouldn't stay here anymore." Those who did support him said things like "Well, if foreigners can play for the national team why not Chivas?" or "I can't believe this is even an issue - that's why this country is the way it is (por eso estamos como estamos)."
Just wanted to share that tidbit of info to give you guys a bit of an insight into what the reaction is like down in Guadalajara and Mexico.
Read more...
Accident of Birth
Nester de la Torre is fighting with all the power his words have to justify the club keeping Jesus Padilla, even if it means glossing over the club knowing where Jesus was born. I'll bet Mascerano, wherever he is, is wondering why the club didn't try this hard to keep him around back in his day.
"En México, por motivos sociales existen compatriotas que tienen que ir a trabajar a los Estados Unidos, y el que por esa necesidad y que por accidente tu nacimiento se de en otro pedazo de tierra que no sea México ¿te quita todos tus valores, costumbres y raíces como mexicano?, osea que ¿si naces en un avión sobrevolando el océano ya no puedes ser mexicano?"
"In Mexico, for social reasons we have countrymen who need to go to work in the United States, and for that need and for the accident of one's birth on another piece of land that isn't Mexico, does that take away their values, customs and Mexican race? Or if you were born on a plane does that mean you're not Mexican?"
I'm not sure I understand the "accident of birth" argument. If it was such an accident, happenstance, why would Chivas follow the policy of fielding Mexican-born players for so long?
According to his birth certificate, Jesus' mother was born in California, so why wouldn't she stay in the land of her birth? All of his four sisters (two older, two younger) were also born in California, so the idea that the family passed through California quickly just when Padilla was born is weak.
Padilla's own argument is pretty weak, too. Though he admits his U.S. birth, he protests that he is Mexican and offers as proof the fact that he's not blonde. Stereotypes are alive and well.
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"En México, por motivos sociales existen compatriotas que tienen que ir a trabajar a los Estados Unidos, y el que por esa necesidad y que por accidente tu nacimiento se de en otro pedazo de tierra que no sea México ¿te quita todos tus valores, costumbres y raíces como mexicano?, osea que ¿si naces en un avión sobrevolando el océano ya no puedes ser mexicano?"
"In Mexico, for social reasons we have countrymen who need to go to work in the United States, and for that need and for the accident of one's birth on another piece of land that isn't Mexico, does that take away their values, customs and Mexican race? Or if you were born on a plane does that mean you're not Mexican?"
I'm not sure I understand the "accident of birth" argument. If it was such an accident, happenstance, why would Chivas follow the policy of fielding Mexican-born players for so long?
According to his birth certificate, Jesus' mother was born in California, so why wouldn't she stay in the land of her birth? All of his four sisters (two older, two younger) were also born in California, so the idea that the family passed through California quickly just when Padilla was born is weak.
Padilla's own argument is pretty weak, too. Though he admits his U.S. birth, he protests that he is Mexican and offers as proof the fact that he's not blonde. Stereotypes are alive and well.
Read more...
And then there were more
Many Chivas fans have tried to downplay the Jesus Padilla story and feel sympathy toward the youngster. After all, Chivas have portrayed him as a victim of circumstance and that he truly is 100 percent Mexican.
If you believe that story and you think this particular case is a non-issue, I suppose that's your prerogative.
But Padilla is not the only American-born player in Chivas' system. I learned earlier tonight from a source in Guadalajara that there is indeed another American-born player within their ranks. This player, well, you'd have a difficult time trying to convince many that he's more Mexican than cactus.
We'll let Mural break the story so you'll have to check back tomorrow for this somewhat familiar name.
And then come back and let us know if you think this new one is a non-story too.
Read more...
If you believe that story and you think this particular case is a non-issue, I suppose that's your prerogative.
But Padilla is not the only American-born player in Chivas' system. I learned earlier tonight from a source in Guadalajara that there is indeed another American-born player within their ranks. This player, well, you'd have a difficult time trying to convince many that he's more Mexican than cactus.
We'll let Mural break the story so you'll have to check back tomorrow for this somewhat familiar name.
And then come back and let us know if you think this new one is a non-story too.
Read more...
Playing the victim
Actually, the more I think about it, it's an act of pure genius on Chivas' part to cast Jesus Padilla as the victim and Luis and I as agents of the U.S. Federation.
Number one, it garners sympathy for Jesus, but also absolves the club of responsibility -putting his having a Mexican birth certificate all on him and his parents.
Number two, how better to rally fans around Padilla and support him staying with Chivas than to charge a conspiracy to steal Jesus away from El Tri? Never mind that Sammy Ochoa's career in Mexico has continued just fine despite him playing for the U.S. U20 national team, while being born in the U.S. didn't stop Edgar Castillo from choosing to represent Mexico.
It's far more effective to throw out a red herring and hope the fans and media bite on that, think, "Poor Jesus, being hounded by American media, who want to kidnap him into playing for the U.S. national team."
Read more...
Number one, it garners sympathy for Jesus, but also absolves the club of responsibility -putting his having a Mexican birth certificate all on him and his parents.
Number two, how better to rally fans around Padilla and support him staying with Chivas than to charge a conspiracy to steal Jesus away from El Tri? Never mind that Sammy Ochoa's career in Mexico has continued just fine despite him playing for the U.S. U20 national team, while being born in the U.S. didn't stop Edgar Castillo from choosing to represent Mexico.
It's far more effective to throw out a red herring and hope the fans and media bite on that, think, "Poor Jesus, being hounded by American media, who want to kidnap him into playing for the U.S. national team."
Read more...
Inconsistencies
The original Jesus Padilla story - the one where he was born in Mexico but came here at the age of 2 - did not make sense before.
The updated Jesus Padilla story doesn't make sense either.
Now, before I get into it, some of you may wonder why we care or why we're pursuing the story. Well, it's a story because of Chivas' own traditions. It's an issue because it's their policy and they are a giant club with millions of fans worldwide. And as a player on said club, Padilla is in the limelight, for both good and bad, just like any other Chivas player. Scrutiny and criticism, both positive and negative, comes with the territory.
Anyway, Padilla's story is now this: he was born here, in San Jose, Calif., but when he was 10 days old, his family moved back to Mexico. For how long, who knows? But he said during a news conference today that his parents were there because of work and he's lived in Mexico since. I'd quote the link but it's on Mural.com, and that's a pay site. If I find the info elsewhere I'll put it up.
Well, that story doesn't make sense either. His oldest sister was born here in the U.S., that's not contested. So were his three younger sisters. So how long is his whole life? Did he live down there while his parents and other sisters lived in San Jose?
Then there's this story. The San Jose Mercury News profiled Padilla in July of last year, when Chivas played Busan of Korea in San Jose. Read the story and tell me that there aren't inconsistencies.
And as far as the issue of him supposedly disliking the possibility of playing for the U.S., he's talking a big game now but back in July - after he turned down the U-20 invite - he said he'd like to keep his options open, a mindset that supposedly had the blessing of his father.
To some of you, it may seem like I have something against Padilla. Even he himself wondered why this investigation of him. But when he essentially comes up with tales about his life, someone has to call him on it.
Read more...
The updated Jesus Padilla story doesn't make sense either.
Now, before I get into it, some of you may wonder why we care or why we're pursuing the story. Well, it's a story because of Chivas' own traditions. It's an issue because it's their policy and they are a giant club with millions of fans worldwide. And as a player on said club, Padilla is in the limelight, for both good and bad, just like any other Chivas player. Scrutiny and criticism, both positive and negative, comes with the territory.
Anyway, Padilla's story is now this: he was born here, in San Jose, Calif., but when he was 10 days old, his family moved back to Mexico. For how long, who knows? But he said during a news conference today that his parents were there because of work and he's lived in Mexico since. I'd quote the link but it's on Mural.com, and that's a pay site. If I find the info elsewhere I'll put it up.
Well, that story doesn't make sense either. His oldest sister was born here in the U.S., that's not contested. So were his three younger sisters. So how long is his whole life? Did he live down there while his parents and other sisters lived in San Jose?
Then there's this story. The San Jose Mercury News profiled Padilla in July of last year, when Chivas played Busan of Korea in San Jose. Read the story and tell me that there aren't inconsistencies.
And as far as the issue of him supposedly disliking the possibility of playing for the U.S., he's talking a big game now but back in July - after he turned down the U-20 invite - he said he'd like to keep his options open, a mindset that supposedly had the blessing of his father.
To some of you, it may seem like I have something against Padilla. Even he himself wondered why this investigation of him. But when he essentially comes up with tales about his life, someone has to call him on it.
Read more...
New policy?
Might the fallout from the Jesus Padilla case cause a shift in policy with one of the most storied clubs in the Western Hemisphere?
Before yesterday, the common belief was that Chivas accepted only players born in Mexico - it was pretty black and white. Now, it seems that there is a gray area. Padilla and Chivas officials acknowledge that the player was born in San Jose, California, but that since he was able to get his birth certificate in order and, to Chivas, his upbringing checks out, both sides are content with putting this behind them and moving on.
Only time will tell, though, if this becomes a long-term solution or if it is just a bit of damage control on both of their parts. As is usually the case, the people (in this case Chivas fans) will likely determine the outcome of this particular case. I imagine that if there is some sort of acceptance among some Chivas fans while there is likely some animosity or similar emotions from another portion of their immense fan base. Who has the larger numbers and yields more power is the question. Then there is the Mexican media of course that might play a large role as well.
If Padilla does stick around, though, then it may be some sort of shift in policy. Perhaps Chivas will be more open to signing foreign-born children of Mexican nationals and thus expanding their talent base. Of course, this is assuming Padilla's is an isolated incident.
Read more...
Before yesterday, the common belief was that Chivas accepted only players born in Mexico - it was pretty black and white. Now, it seems that there is a gray area. Padilla and Chivas officials acknowledge that the player was born in San Jose, California, but that since he was able to get his birth certificate in order and, to Chivas, his upbringing checks out, both sides are content with putting this behind them and moving on.
Only time will tell, though, if this becomes a long-term solution or if it is just a bit of damage control on both of their parts. As is usually the case, the people (in this case Chivas fans) will likely determine the outcome of this particular case. I imagine that if there is some sort of acceptance among some Chivas fans while there is likely some animosity or similar emotions from another portion of their immense fan base. Who has the larger numbers and yields more power is the question. Then there is the Mexican media of course that might play a large role as well.
If Padilla does stick around, though, then it may be some sort of shift in policy. Perhaps Chivas will be more open to signing foreign-born children of Mexican nationals and thus expanding their talent base. Of course, this is assuming Padilla's is an isolated incident.
Read more...
It's not where you were born
It's how quickly you travel over the border.
Chivas and Jesus Padilla now have their story straight. In this article on mediotiempo, They both acknowledge that Jesus was born in San Jose, California. However, they add that he went immediately, within two weeks, to Mexico, and got a birth certificate there. That seems to stretch the definition of "birth certificate", since a person can only be born once in one place. There's also no way to verify the claim of when they traveled across the border, even though it's hard to believe a family with an infant and a mother who has just given birth suddenly feel like traveling to a tiny town in Mexico.
Anyway, the gist from their viewpoint is that there's no problem at all. To play for Chivas, you don't have to be born in Mexico, after all. That's just a technicality.
Read more...
Chivas and Jesus Padilla now have their story straight. In this article on mediotiempo, They both acknowledge that Jesus was born in San Jose, California. However, they add that he went immediately, within two weeks, to Mexico, and got a birth certificate there. That seems to stretch the definition of "birth certificate", since a person can only be born once in one place. There's also no way to verify the claim of when they traveled across the border, even though it's hard to believe a family with an infant and a mother who has just given birth suddenly feel like traveling to a tiny town in Mexico.
Anyway, the gist from their viewpoint is that there's no problem at all. To play for Chivas, you don't have to be born in Mexico, after all. That's just a technicality.
Read more...
Truth comes out
Confronted with the story we broke yesterday and the subsequent stories that ran in Cancha today, Jesus Padilla spoke.
Here's what he said:
I was born in San Jose, California, but at 10 days of age I moved to San Jose de los Reynosos with my parents. They were over there working but they have always lived here. They acquired a Mexican birth certificate for me and I am a proud Mexican.
I have my birth certificate and every document is in order. I am more Mexican than cactus. They are investigating me as if I were a delinquent - I don't know why. If perhaps they (the U.S. Soccer federation) feel as if I were an option, they should forget about it. Maybe they see it as a good option, to call me for the national team, but I'm going to continue playing here and fighting for a spot with the Mexican national team.
And Chivas VP Nestor de la Torre also was quoted in the article.
I don't think we need to think too much about this. Everything is very clear and we don't need more background. Jesus Padilla was born in the United States, in California. Less than two weeks after, they moved to Mexico. He was registered here as a Mexican. He has a Mexican birth certificate and as such we see him as eligible to play for Chivas.
Read more...
Here's what he said:
I was born in San Jose, California, but at 10 days of age I moved to San Jose de los Reynosos with my parents. They were over there working but they have always lived here. They acquired a Mexican birth certificate for me and I am a proud Mexican.
I have my birth certificate and every document is in order. I am more Mexican than cactus. They are investigating me as if I were a delinquent - I don't know why. If perhaps they (the U.S. Soccer federation) feel as if I were an option, they should forget about it. Maybe they see it as a good option, to call me for the national team, but I'm going to continue playing here and fighting for a spot with the Mexican national team.
And Chivas VP Nestor de la Torre also was quoted in the article.
I don't think we need to think too much about this. Everything is very clear and we don't need more background. Jesus Padilla was born in the United States, in California. Less than two weeks after, they moved to Mexico. He was registered here as a Mexican. He has a Mexican birth certificate and as such we see him as eligible to play for Chivas.
Read more...
Getting the story straight
Here's an important detail about the Jesus Padilla story - no one leaked it. Whether anyone from the Guadalajara club or their associated club here, Chivas USA, knew about Jesus' birthplace is another story, but no one said anything to Luis or I about it before we started working on the story.
When we'd confirmed our suspicions by obtaining a copy of his birth certificate, that's when we started calling people like Thomas Rongen. Rongen's viewpoint that Padilla is unhappy at Chivas may or may not be true, but it didn't impact our story in any way.
We weren't tipped off at all, we just tracked the story down. If anyone thinks a disgruntled Padilla spilled the beans somehow, they're just wrong. Padilla's the one person we still haven't talked to. We tried more than once to set up an interview, but Guadalajara wouldn't cooperate.
Read more...
When we'd confirmed our suspicions by obtaining a copy of his birth certificate, that's when we started calling people like Thomas Rongen. Rongen's viewpoint that Padilla is unhappy at Chivas may or may not be true, but it didn't impact our story in any way.
We weren't tipped off at all, we just tracked the story down. If anyone thinks a disgruntled Padilla spilled the beans somehow, they're just wrong. Padilla's the one person we still haven't talked to. We tried more than once to set up an interview, but Guadalajara wouldn't cooperate.
Read more...
Hitting the fan
The cover of Thursday's edition of Cancha, the sports section of Mural, a newspaper in Guadalajara.
The headline says: Goooool against tradition
Inside, Chivas VP Nestor de la Torre said they would review Jesus Padilla's paperwork on Thursday.
I actually got an e-mail from one of their editors late Thursday. We ended up talking on the phone and swapping Padilla stories. They too had a sense that things didn't line up.
According to one of the stories in Cancha, Padilla was not available for comment. However, I'm sure the same won't be the case on Thursday since the news broke a bit late for them on Wednesday.
This story is far from over.
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Silence!
For the last few days, Mexico national team coach Hugo Sanchez has been rather quiet. No post-match assessment. No post-training thoughts. No brash comments. No humble comments... well, not that there are ever too many of those.
Mexican sports daily Ovaciones tells us why:
After chants of "La Volpe, La Volpe" rang during the Under-23's friendly against Chile on Tuesday, national team coach Hugo Sanchez has yet to talk and is apparently upset over what happened after not speaking to the media after the match or following training yesterday (Wednesday).
Of course, similar chants were heard when Ricardo Lavolpe was Mexico's coach. But in those instances, it was "Hugo, Hugo" chants that rang out during games. Now that the shoe is somewhat on the other foot - Hugo does not enjoy the overwhelming amount of support these days as when he took over - perhaps the way he is dealing with it is to avoid the press.
Read more...
Mexican sports daily Ovaciones tells us why:
After chants of "La Volpe, La Volpe" rang during the Under-23's friendly against Chile on Tuesday, national team coach Hugo Sanchez has yet to talk and is apparently upset over what happened after not speaking to the media after the match or following training yesterday (Wednesday).
Of course, similar chants were heard when Ricardo Lavolpe was Mexico's coach. But in those instances, it was "Hugo, Hugo" chants that rang out during games. Now that the shoe is somewhat on the other foot - Hugo does not enjoy the overwhelming amount of support these days as when he took over - perhaps the way he is dealing with it is to avoid the press.
Read more...
Dynamo get their man
Houston found their replacement for Joseph Ngwenya/Nate Jaqua in the form of Franco Caraccio.
The 21-year-old Argentine is set to join the defending MLS champs soon enough, according to Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle.
Caraccio will join Houston from Arsenal de Sarandi. Arsenal won the 2007 Copa Sudamericana but Caraccio only played once during the tournament, a late-game substitute in an early-round match.
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The 21-year-old Argentine is set to join the defending MLS champs soon enough, according to Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle.
Caraccio will join Houston from Arsenal de Sarandi. Arsenal won the 2007 Copa Sudamericana but Caraccio only played once during the tournament, a late-game substitute in an early-round match.
Read more...
Different goals
I'm sure some MLS fans were glad that Houston was in the Pan-Pacific to restore a bit of pride to the local league, because the Galaxy definitely looked rough last night.
Of course, the defending champions aren't trying a bunch of new players, don't have a new coach who has yet decide on a formation, and don't have too many preseason injuries to deal with.
It's small consolation to the Galaxy fans, but I'll go out on a limb and say the club is at least better than they looked last night.
If Houston wins the Pan-Pacific - how appropriate for Hawaii's native son, Brian Ching, to claim the title.
Sadly, if attendance last night is any indication, it maybe the only such competition. With around 15,000 in the stands, that's low for an MLS game, and certainly not worth the long flight out to the island for four teams.
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Of course, the defending champions aren't trying a bunch of new players, don't have a new coach who has yet decide on a formation, and don't have too many preseason injuries to deal with.
It's small consolation to the Galaxy fans, but I'll go out on a limb and say the club is at least better than they looked last night.
If Houston wins the Pan-Pacific - how appropriate for Hawaii's native son, Brian Ching, to claim the title.
Sadly, if attendance last night is any indication, it maybe the only such competition. With around 15,000 in the stands, that's low for an MLS game, and certainly not worth the long flight out to the island for four teams.
Read more...
First-hand perspective
Martin Rogers of Yahoo Sports is in Honolulu for the Pan Pacific Championship... not that I'm jealous or anything...
Good for Martin, honestly. I don't think any of the other SoCal-based scribes are out there.
Anyway, Martin seemed impressed with Sean Franklin and Julian Valentin as well as Houston's entire performance.
And, in case you missed it, here's an earlier story Martin wrote about the possible sanity that might be in store for the Galaxy as opposed to last year's insane madhouse.
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Good for Martin, honestly. I don't think any of the other SoCal-based scribes are out there.
Anyway, Martin seemed impressed with Sean Franklin and Julian Valentin as well as Houston's entire performance.
And, in case you missed it, here's an earlier story Martin wrote about the possible sanity that might be in store for the Galaxy as opposed to last year's insane madhouse.
Read more...
Benny's payday?
My SI.com editor Jonah Freedman tells us that Benny Feilhaber is seeking DP-like money to return home and play in MLS. He also mentions three clubs that have been mentioned before with Benny - Houston, Chivas USA, San Jose.
I agree with Jonah - and not just because he's my editor. Benny does not equal DP money. I wouldn't fork over more than $200 K for Feilhaber. He's essentially unproven at the club level, though clearly he's very talented.
While I think Chivas USA and San Jose would be eager to get ahold of him, I don't expect either club to overpay for him. Chivas would likely have to get rid of an existing midfielder to accommodate him while San Jose probably doesn't want to start its franchise off by overspending. So far, their player personnel moves have been rather calculated.
At some point, Feilhaber is going to realize that his best option - at least in the short term - is on this side of the pond. If he brings his alleged salary demands down, then a move might be easier facilitated.
Read more...
I agree with Jonah - and not just because he's my editor. Benny does not equal DP money. I wouldn't fork over more than $200 K for Feilhaber. He's essentially unproven at the club level, though clearly he's very talented.
While I think Chivas USA and San Jose would be eager to get ahold of him, I don't expect either club to overpay for him. Chivas would likely have to get rid of an existing midfielder to accommodate him while San Jose probably doesn't want to start its franchise off by overspending. So far, their player personnel moves have been rather calculated.
At some point, Feilhaber is going to realize that his best option - at least in the short term - is on this side of the pond. If he brings his alleged salary demands down, then a move might be easier facilitated.
Read more...
Preseason unit rankings: forwards
The last edition of my preseason rankings. Obviously, forwards rely a great deal on service from the midfield and backs, but I tried to base these rankings on what the forwards bring to the table in terms of individual qualities and collective abilities.
1. New York. Jozy Altidore-Juan Pablo Angel pairing should strike fear among all opposing defenses. Altidore has barely scratched the surface of his potential while Angel's touch and skill are unmatched.
2. DC United. Luciano Emilio made huge splash a year ago. No reason he won't do it again. Jaime Moreno hasn't yet shown signs he won't be productive. Will need more production from likes of Guy Roland-Kpene and Rod Dyachenko.
3. Chivas USA. Maykel Galindo is fast, skillful and exciting. The Cuban is an ideal complement to Ante Razov, who is still a deadly finisher. Alecko Eskandarian is a strong acquisition and provides Chivas the depth they lacked here a year ago.
4. Los Angeles. Landon Donovan is good for double-digit goals, double-digit assists, but supporting cast has more questions than answers. Carlos Ruiz can still finish but brings a lot of baggage. Edson Buddle is decent when he tries. Alan Gordon, though, is a complete waste.
5. New England. Taylor Twellman will go down as league's all-time leading scorer, as Revs seemingly bent on keeping Twellman around. But Twellman will miss having Pat Noonan around.
6. FC Dallas. Kenny Cooper is rock-solid, provided defenders don't cheap shot him. Question is, who will play alongside him? With good potential, Ricardinho seems most likely to fill role. Dominic Oduro in mix as well.
7. Toronto. Makings of strong forward line, provided Danny Dichio stays on the field. Jeff Cunningham still one of league's most dangerous forwards.
8. Chicago. Chris Rolfe is solid but Chad Barrett is frustrating. So many times last season, Barrett failed to put away simple chances in front of the goal. How much can Fire expect from Andy Herron?
9. Houston. Brian Ching didn't go to Austria - that's a plus. But who will replace those who did? Probably not Chris Wondolowski.
10. Real Salt Lake. Robbie Findley could take a big leap in his development this year. Six goals in a half-season at RSL is promising start. Yura Movsisyan and Fabian Espindola could emerge as well.
11. Colorado. Production was minimal from Nico Hernandez, Conor Casey and Omar Cummings a year ago (five combined goals in total of 47 games). Talent is there but group needs to be tidier in front of goal.
12. Kansas City. With Eddie Johnson gone, KC will struggle for goals. Have some decent hard-working players in Davy Arnaud and Scott Sealy but are missing the go-to guy.
13. Columbus. Robbie Rogers is an intriguing talent who could deliver this year. Alejandro Moreno can put away chances but is a bit immobile. Ricardo Virtuoso still an unknown quantity.
14. San Jose. Gavin Glinton was one of Frank Yallop's favorites off the bench in LA, but Glinton will need to put together more 90-minute efforts. Kei Kamara needs to progress his own development in a hurry as well.
Read more...
1. New York. Jozy Altidore-Juan Pablo Angel pairing should strike fear among all opposing defenses. Altidore has barely scratched the surface of his potential while Angel's touch and skill are unmatched.
2. DC United. Luciano Emilio made huge splash a year ago. No reason he won't do it again. Jaime Moreno hasn't yet shown signs he won't be productive. Will need more production from likes of Guy Roland-Kpene and Rod Dyachenko.
3. Chivas USA. Maykel Galindo is fast, skillful and exciting. The Cuban is an ideal complement to Ante Razov, who is still a deadly finisher. Alecko Eskandarian is a strong acquisition and provides Chivas the depth they lacked here a year ago.
4. Los Angeles. Landon Donovan is good for double-digit goals, double-digit assists, but supporting cast has more questions than answers. Carlos Ruiz can still finish but brings a lot of baggage. Edson Buddle is decent when he tries. Alan Gordon, though, is a complete waste.
5. New England. Taylor Twellman will go down as league's all-time leading scorer, as Revs seemingly bent on keeping Twellman around. But Twellman will miss having Pat Noonan around.
6. FC Dallas. Kenny Cooper is rock-solid, provided defenders don't cheap shot him. Question is, who will play alongside him? With good potential, Ricardinho seems most likely to fill role. Dominic Oduro in mix as well.
7. Toronto. Makings of strong forward line, provided Danny Dichio stays on the field. Jeff Cunningham still one of league's most dangerous forwards.
8. Chicago. Chris Rolfe is solid but Chad Barrett is frustrating. So many times last season, Barrett failed to put away simple chances in front of the goal. How much can Fire expect from Andy Herron?
9. Houston. Brian Ching didn't go to Austria - that's a plus. But who will replace those who did? Probably not Chris Wondolowski.
10. Real Salt Lake. Robbie Findley could take a big leap in his development this year. Six goals in a half-season at RSL is promising start. Yura Movsisyan and Fabian Espindola could emerge as well.
11. Colorado. Production was minimal from Nico Hernandez, Conor Casey and Omar Cummings a year ago (five combined goals in total of 47 games). Talent is there but group needs to be tidier in front of goal.
12. Kansas City. With Eddie Johnson gone, KC will struggle for goals. Have some decent hard-working players in Davy Arnaud and Scott Sealy but are missing the go-to guy.
13. Columbus. Robbie Rogers is an intriguing talent who could deliver this year. Alejandro Moreno can put away chances but is a bit immobile. Ricardo Virtuoso still an unknown quantity.
14. San Jose. Gavin Glinton was one of Frank Yallop's favorites off the bench in LA, but Glinton will need to put together more 90-minute efforts. Kei Kamara needs to progress his own development in a hurry as well.
Read more...
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Pan-Pacific running blog
No Landon Donovan - he's out with a tendon injury. Beckham is starting, though. Anthems are playing.
Steve Cronin, Michael Gavin, Greg Vanney, Troy Roberts and Chris Klein on defense
Alvaro, Josh Tudela and Kelly Gray midline
Ely Allen, Beckham, Edson Buddle on the top line
Kick-off.
2- Announcers are talking about the Brazilian influence in Japanese soccer.
3- GOAL! Gamba Osaka - all those of our readers who didn't buy Luis ranking the Galaxy defense so low, please take note - the poor marking and a rather simple finish from Bare that defeats Cronin.
10- Almost another goal. Cronin is saved by the crossbar.
12- Bare is teeing up on Cronin, but this time Cronin gets in a decent save.
13- I've covered the Galaxy for years and when I was posting the line-up, "Who are these guys?" crossed my mind.
15- The Galaxy are scrambling, but they often are hitting bad passes. They're not giving up, but they look desperate.
16- Nice through ball for Bare, Cronin comes off his line, Bare touches ball around him but puts it too far and over the goal line.
19- Galaxy with a nice little run of possession - but it doesn't lead to anything threatening - oh, wait, Beckham puts the ball on Buddle's head, but Buddle heads it over the bar.
22- The turf is pretty poor. It's making the ball bounce strangely.
26- I wish this was on the Spanish channel. These guys aren't even talking about the game.
They just showed a replay of the goal - Bare was arguably offsides, but it was still poor defending.
30- Ely with a through-ball is into the box, turns back, lays the ball off - not well. At least the Galaxy got within range of the goal.
31- Ely again with the ball, but the defense cuts off the middle and starts a counter. Still a good run from the Galaxy.
33- Alvaro looks perpetually angry. He earns a free kick on the right. Beckham lines it up, hits Kelly Gray in the stomach, but Gray doesn't recover in time to kick the ball into the goal. Sad.
36- Ooh, another through ball leaves Cronin exposed and facing two attackers, he comes out quick and gets a palm on it - the follow is denied off the line by Troy Roberts. Cronin is looking better, even if the defense is still shambolic.
39- Gavin with a nice cross pass to Beckham, who then hits a really poor cross out of bounds. That play would have made more sense if the names were reversed.
40- Cronin with another save. He looks more comfortable now.
42-Becks lines up another freekick - Fugikaya catches it.
43- Freekick for Gamba Osaka - Becks is in the 4-man wall - I think the ball hit him, actually.
44- Bare tees up on Cronin again, this time with another low shot, but Cronin gets down for the save.
Halftime
46- Becks is still around for the second half. Josh Wicks is in goal, Valentin looks like a little like a cyborg warrior with his face patched and that Full90 helmet thing.
53- Gamba looks a little tired, or perhaps they're just content with their one-goal lead. They're not pressuring the Galaxy much, but the Galaxy still can't put together a decent attack.
56- Free kick for Osaka - but wide of goal
58- The Galaxy just keep making simple mistakes. There are a lot of young players out there right now, and i'm sure they're nervous, but some of the gaffes are terribly amateur.
60- Roberts bundles away a ball in the box. Out for a corner, which gets cleared.
61- Galaxy get the ball in the box and get a shot off, but it bounces off a defender.
62- Beckham can't corral a long ball. He seems really irritated. It's not a pretty match, can't blame him.
64- Gavin on an overlapping run gets into the box, but takes too long to shoot and gets blocked.
67- Looked like a handball in the box, but Baldomero Toledo lets it go. Corner. Beckham takes, ball comes out to Josh Tudela, who shoots way over the bar. Gray comes off for Jordan (more who?)
70- Give Beckham credit - he's out there with his team still, trying to make things happen.
71- Buddle brings down a pass, gets the ball in front of goal, but Jordan can't shove past his defender to poke it into goal.
74- That was weird, a graphic showed up briefly of David Beckham wearing the old Galaxy gold uniform. But he never wore it - they had switched to the current look before he joined the team.
76- Buddle with a sweet flick in the box to MacDonald, who skies it. Another chance lost.
78- MacDonald serves a random ball into the box, Osaka clears the Galaxy half-chance.
80- Corner for Gamba, cleared out.
81- Beckham initiates a comedy of errors, he steals a ball and passes into the box, MacDonald misses the header, Ely Allen whifs on the kick, than pulls the ball away from his charging teammate, Tudela, then centers for a miss by Buddle? Not sure.
85- Galaxy playing long-ball looking for a goal chance.
89- Gamba freekick - served out.
90- Ball into the area, but MacDonald can't get a head on it. Probably last chance for the Galaxy.
90+ Nope, Buddle brings the ball down in the area and manages to turn his defender, but after all that work, his shot was weak and easily caught by the goalkeeper.
90+ Wicks saves one final shot.
LA loses, will play third place game on Saturday.
Read more...
Steve Cronin, Michael Gavin, Greg Vanney, Troy Roberts and Chris Klein on defense
Alvaro, Josh Tudela and Kelly Gray midline
Ely Allen, Beckham, Edson Buddle on the top line
Kick-off.
2- Announcers are talking about the Brazilian influence in Japanese soccer.
3- GOAL! Gamba Osaka - all those of our readers who didn't buy Luis ranking the Galaxy defense so low, please take note - the poor marking and a rather simple finish from Bare that defeats Cronin.
10- Almost another goal. Cronin is saved by the crossbar.
12- Bare is teeing up on Cronin, but this time Cronin gets in a decent save.
13- I've covered the Galaxy for years and when I was posting the line-up, "Who are these guys?" crossed my mind.
15- The Galaxy are scrambling, but they often are hitting bad passes. They're not giving up, but they look desperate.
16- Nice through ball for Bare, Cronin comes off his line, Bare touches ball around him but puts it too far and over the goal line.
19- Galaxy with a nice little run of possession - but it doesn't lead to anything threatening - oh, wait, Beckham puts the ball on Buddle's head, but Buddle heads it over the bar.
22- The turf is pretty poor. It's making the ball bounce strangely.
26- I wish this was on the Spanish channel. These guys aren't even talking about the game.
They just showed a replay of the goal - Bare was arguably offsides, but it was still poor defending.
30- Ely with a through-ball is into the box, turns back, lays the ball off - not well. At least the Galaxy got within range of the goal.
31- Ely again with the ball, but the defense cuts off the middle and starts a counter. Still a good run from the Galaxy.
33- Alvaro looks perpetually angry. He earns a free kick on the right. Beckham lines it up, hits Kelly Gray in the stomach, but Gray doesn't recover in time to kick the ball into the goal. Sad.
36- Ooh, another through ball leaves Cronin exposed and facing two attackers, he comes out quick and gets a palm on it - the follow is denied off the line by Troy Roberts. Cronin is looking better, even if the defense is still shambolic.
39- Gavin with a nice cross pass to Beckham, who then hits a really poor cross out of bounds. That play would have made more sense if the names were reversed.
40- Cronin with another save. He looks more comfortable now.
42-Becks lines up another freekick - Fugikaya catches it.
43- Freekick for Gamba Osaka - Becks is in the 4-man wall - I think the ball hit him, actually.
44- Bare tees up on Cronin again, this time with another low shot, but Cronin gets down for the save.
Halftime
46- Becks is still around for the second half. Josh Wicks is in goal, Valentin looks like a little like a cyborg warrior with his face patched and that Full90 helmet thing.
53- Gamba looks a little tired, or perhaps they're just content with their one-goal lead. They're not pressuring the Galaxy much, but the Galaxy still can't put together a decent attack.
56- Free kick for Osaka - but wide of goal
58- The Galaxy just keep making simple mistakes. There are a lot of young players out there right now, and i'm sure they're nervous, but some of the gaffes are terribly amateur.
60- Roberts bundles away a ball in the box. Out for a corner, which gets cleared.
61- Galaxy get the ball in the box and get a shot off, but it bounces off a defender.
62- Beckham can't corral a long ball. He seems really irritated. It's not a pretty match, can't blame him.
64- Gavin on an overlapping run gets into the box, but takes too long to shoot and gets blocked.
67- Looked like a handball in the box, but Baldomero Toledo lets it go. Corner. Beckham takes, ball comes out to Josh Tudela, who shoots way over the bar. Gray comes off for Jordan (more who?)
70- Give Beckham credit - he's out there with his team still, trying to make things happen.
71- Buddle brings down a pass, gets the ball in front of goal, but Jordan can't shove past his defender to poke it into goal.
74- That was weird, a graphic showed up briefly of David Beckham wearing the old Galaxy gold uniform. But he never wore it - they had switched to the current look before he joined the team.
76- Buddle with a sweet flick in the box to MacDonald, who skies it. Another chance lost.
78- MacDonald serves a random ball into the box, Osaka clears the Galaxy half-chance.
80- Corner for Gamba, cleared out.
81- Beckham initiates a comedy of errors, he steals a ball and passes into the box, MacDonald misses the header, Ely Allen whifs on the kick, than pulls the ball away from his charging teammate, Tudela, then centers for a miss by Buddle? Not sure.
85- Galaxy playing long-ball looking for a goal chance.
89- Gamba freekick - served out.
90- Ball into the area, but MacDonald can't get a head on it. Probably last chance for the Galaxy.
90+ Nope, Buddle brings the ball down in the area and manages to turn his defender, but after all that work, his shot was weak and easily caught by the goalkeeper.
90+ Wicks saves one final shot.
LA loses, will play third place game on Saturday.
Read more...
Padilla regrets choice?
Thomas Rongen invited Jesus Padilla to join the U.S. U20 national team just prior to the Youth World Cup in Canada, but Padilla turned him down. Most club teams would be happy to have a player involved in competition against the world's top teams, but Chivas apparently made it clear to Padilla that they would be very unhappy with him if he agreed.
The U20 World Cup is a great showcase though - Adu parlayed a good stint there to a contract abroad. I wondered at the time if Padilla might regret turning down the offer. According to Rongen, he already has.
He’s a part of Chivas Guadalajara, where he’s not happy right now and feels he might have made some bad choices and allowed the pressure from Chivas to get to him. He very much wants to represent his country. This is after the World Cup, so he realized the importance and expressed to me that he’d eventually like to play for theU.S.
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The U20 World Cup is a great showcase though - Adu parlayed a good stint there to a contract abroad. I wondered at the time if Padilla might regret turning down the offer. According to Rongen, he already has.
He’s a part of Chivas Guadalajara, where he’s not happy right now and feels he might have made some bad choices and allowed the pressure from Chivas to get to him. He very much wants to represent his country. This is after the World Cup, so he realized the importance and expressed to me that he’d eventually like to play for the
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Fishy story
The more I read about Jesus Padilla and the more I found out about him and his family, the less I believed his tale.
I've never talked to him. I've seen him play in person, at SuperLiga a year ago. And I saw him with Chivas USA two years ago, though I can't remember anything but him walking by me after a training session. But I read enough about him that I just didn't buy whatever he was selling.
First, his mom is from California. Jesus is third of six but the oldest (Jesus is the only boy) was born here in California. Next is his sister Carmen, who plays for the Mexican national team. I ran across Carmen's bio on her alma mater's Web site, the University of the Pacific in Stockton. The bio says she was born in San Jose, though Jesus said in an interview (Andrea linked to it below) that she was born in Mexico. Then, of course, Jesus was allegedly born in Mexico, while the three younger sisters were all born in California. The first birth and last three births were not contested by anyone.
I have some cousins who are born here and have had a child here, and I'm telling you there is no way in hell that they are moving down to small-town Mexico to have a child or two, then come back here and have three more. It's not going to happen. It's just not. Maybe it happens a lot, maybe not at all. I don't know. But what I do know is my family wouldn't do that, so it seemed fishy to me.
Why would his mom have moved down to Mexico with an infant to give birth to two more kids? So one of them could play for Chivas?
So we started investigating it.
And we found out the truth, and our suspicions were justified after all.
Read more...
I've never talked to him. I've seen him play in person, at SuperLiga a year ago. And I saw him with Chivas USA two years ago, though I can't remember anything but him walking by me after a training session. But I read enough about him that I just didn't buy whatever he was selling.
First, his mom is from California. Jesus is third of six but the oldest (Jesus is the only boy) was born here in California. Next is his sister Carmen, who plays for the Mexican national team. I ran across Carmen's bio on her alma mater's Web site, the University of the Pacific in Stockton. The bio says she was born in San Jose, though Jesus said in an interview (Andrea linked to it below) that she was born in Mexico. Then, of course, Jesus was allegedly born in Mexico, while the three younger sisters were all born in California. The first birth and last three births were not contested by anyone.
I have some cousins who are born here and have had a child here, and I'm telling you there is no way in hell that they are moving down to small-town Mexico to have a child or two, then come back here and have three more. It's not going to happen. It's just not. Maybe it happens a lot, maybe not at all. I don't know. But what I do know is my family wouldn't do that, so it seemed fishy to me.
Why would his mom have moved down to Mexico with an infant to give birth to two more kids? So one of them could play for Chivas?
So we started investigating it.
And we found out the truth, and our suspicions were justified after all.
Read more...
More Mexican than El Tri
I interviewed Claudio Suarez about Chivas Guadalajara's policy of fielding only Mexican-born players. After he talked about how many fans have an emotional connection to the club because it has only Mexican players, I joked, "So Chivas is more Mexican than the Mexican national team?"
He smiled. "Well, in some ways, it's easier to be a part of the national team, because a player can be naturalized and join, but Chivas doesn't accept nationalized players."
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He smiled. "Well, in some ways, it's easier to be a part of the national team, because a player can be naturalized and join, but Chivas doesn't accept nationalized players."
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What they don't know won't hurt us
As has been pointed out in comments here, and if you read carefully, alluded to in Luis' article, it's very likely that Chivas officials knew all along that Jesus Padilla was born in the U.S.
The story of him being born in Mexico, and his family later moving to the States could have been concocted by the club itself to appease the Guadalajara fans who are very rigid about the requirement that players must be born in Mexico. The club could have asked Jesus just to produce a Mexican birth certificate (very easy to get, even if you're from somewhere else) to add a little more validation to the story.
One reason Luis and I were skeptical of Padilla's story was inconsistencies in articles like this one.
That article specifically mentions that the Chivas website says Padilla was born in San Miguel El Alto, Jalisco, but Padilla says it was actually San José de los Reinosos, Jalisco. Why wouldn't his own club get that right?
It's not as if professional sports clubs don't fudge the rules to gain advantages all the time. The LA Dodgers signed Adrian Beltre when he was only 15, which was against league rules. In this case, though, Chivas has done nothing illegal.
Yet if they knew about Padilla's birthplace and tried to deceive Chivas fans about it, that doesn't make the organization look good. Either they're too chicken to tell the truth, or they think nothing of undercutting the traditions of the club by devious means.
Some people will say, "no big deal", but I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss possible deception by the club. After all, if it didn't matter, why not just come out and say that Padilla was U.S. born?
Read more...
The story of him being born in Mexico, and his family later moving to the States could have been concocted by the club itself to appease the Guadalajara fans who are very rigid about the requirement that players must be born in Mexico. The club could have asked Jesus just to produce a Mexican birth certificate (very easy to get, even if you're from somewhere else) to add a little more validation to the story.
One reason Luis and I were skeptical of Padilla's story was inconsistencies in articles like this one.
That article specifically mentions that the Chivas website says Padilla was born in San Miguel El Alto, Jalisco, but Padilla says it was actually San José de los Reinosos, Jalisco. Why wouldn't his own club get that right?
It's not as if professional sports clubs don't fudge the rules to gain advantages all the time. The LA Dodgers signed Adrian Beltre when he was only 15, which was against league rules. In this case, though, Chivas has done nothing illegal.
Yet if they knew about Padilla's birthplace and tried to deceive Chivas fans about it, that doesn't make the organization look good. Either they're too chicken to tell the truth, or they think nothing of undercutting the traditions of the club by devious means.
Some people will say, "no big deal", but I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss possible deception by the club. After all, if it didn't matter, why not just come out and say that Padilla was U.S. born?
Read more...
Picky, picky
A lot of people already knew that Jesus Padilla had Mexican and U.S. citizenship. Yet it's not enough for Club Deportivo Guadalajara to field only Mexican citizens. The standard for the club has long been that all their players had to be Mexican-born. Heritage and naturalization isn't enough. Yet at least two other players have played for the Jalisco club who were not born in the country.
Gerardo Mascareño was one. He played in ten games for the club in 1998 and scored a goal. However, club directors were apparently under tremendous pressure from fan groups not to play Mascareño because of his U.S. birth. He was traded to Pachuca.
An earlier player lasted years with Chivas, though rumors circulated for a long time that he was born in the U.S. Eduardo Fernández de la Garza managed to stay on for four seasons with Guadalajara, though birth records in Texas state he was born there.
Though many people consider Gabriel Caballero to be the first naturalized player for the Mexican national team, Mascareño appeared for El Tri years before. He played the second half of an international friendly versus Ecuador on Oct. 23, 1996, back when Bora Milutinovic ran the squad.
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Gerardo Mascareño was one. He played in ten games for the club in 1998 and scored a goal. However, club directors were apparently under tremendous pressure from fan groups not to play Mascareño because of his U.S. birth. He was traded to Pachuca.
An earlier player lasted years with Chivas, though rumors circulated for a long time that he was born in the U.S. Eduardo Fernández de la Garza managed to stay on for four seasons with Guadalajara, though birth records in Texas state he was born there.
Though many people consider Gabriel Caballero to be the first naturalized player for the Mexican national team, Mascareño appeared for El Tri years before. He played the second half of an international friendly versus Ecuador on Oct. 23, 1996, back when Bora Milutinovic ran the squad.
Read more...
Made in America
My latest effort for SI.com was a bit of a callaborative effort between myself and Andrea. It should make some noise both here and in Mexico.
Jesus Padilla of Chivas de Guadalajara, we found out, was born in San Jose, Calif. How did we find that out? We got a copy of his birth certificate, which shows he was born here in the U.S.
Chivas thus has an American on their roster.
Padilla has played only for Tapatio (their second-division club) this year but he played for Chivas in Copa Libertadores on Tuesday. He's played in 11 games for Chivas and has played in SuperLiga, Sudamericana and now Libertadores as well.
We'll be discussing the story and its implications here in more detail I'm sure but for now I just wanted to pass the link and story along.
Read more...
Jesus Padilla of Chivas de Guadalajara, we found out, was born in San Jose, Calif. How did we find that out? We got a copy of his birth certificate, which shows he was born here in the U.S.
Chivas thus has an American on their roster.
Padilla has played only for Tapatio (their second-division club) this year but he played for Chivas in Copa Libertadores on Tuesday. He's played in 11 games for Chivas and has played in SuperLiga, Sudamericana and now Libertadores as well.
We'll be discussing the story and its implications here in more detail I'm sure but for now I just wanted to pass the link and story along.
Read more...
K-Mart update
The venerable Billy Witz of the LA Daily News checks in on Kyle Martino.
The writing is on the wall for Martino. I think he could still be of use in this league but his best role is in the center of the field, and that's where the Galaxy has other options.
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The writing is on the wall for Martino. I think he could still be of use in this league but his best role is in the center of the field, and that's where the Galaxy has other options.
Read more...
Preseason unit rankings: midfielders
Part three of four of my preseason unit rankings. The midfield units were difficult to sort through. From about 4-9 or so, the teams were very evenly matched and you can't go wrong interchanging the units there. But the dropoff is severe towards the bottom.
1. Houston. Dwayne De Rosario leads quite a deep squad, which Dynamo will need for its various tournaments it will play this year. Ricardo Clark needs to stop kicking fallen players, though. Brian Mullan is solid on the right while Stuart Holden is very promising. May have to deal away a mid or two to get some help up front, though.
2. Colorado. Without Christian Gomez, the team had a pretty deep midfield. With the former MVP, they've got one of the best overall in the league. Gomez gives Colorado the centerpiece the Rapids have lacked for years. Pablo Mastroeni is still imposing presence while Terry Cooke has a great soccer mind.
3. Chivas USA. No Gomez or De Rosario but plenty of depth. Sacha Kljestan could take next step toward stardom this year if he can maintain his MVP-esque play from July to October of last year. Raphael Wicky brings wealth of international experience.
4. DC United. Marcelo Gallardo replaces his countryman but is it an upgrade? It seems so, but how quickly can Gallardo adapt to MLS? The supporting cast is strong with Clyde Simms, Fred and Ben Olsen providing support on both sides of the ball.
5. Los Angeles. David Beckham's credentials speak for themselves and he is a giant asset no matter where he plays. There are questions about the depth in the middle of the park but the makings are there for a stable and above-average midfield.
6. New England. Shalrie Joseph one of most talented players in MLS while Steve Ralston ages like fine wine. The addition of Mauricio Castro will help out the left side of the Revs' midfield.
7. Chicago. Cuauhtemoc Blanco is listed as a forward but he's essentially a midfielder. His ability is unquestionable. Beyond that, though, the dropoff is severe. Justin Mapp is a fine player but his health hampered him all of 2007.
8. FC Dallas. Juan Toja is a solid player with great upside. Arturo Alvarez had a lot of success a year ago but needs to prove that was no fluke. Pablo Ricchetti, Dax McCarty and Marcelo Saragosa offer depth. Andre Rocha is an intriguing addition.
9. Kansas City. Nothing flashy but the Wizards have decent depth and solid players in the midfield. Carlos Marinelli, though, is a very talented player.
10. Colubmus. Guillermo Barros Schelotto is quality but there is not much to get excited about elsewhere. Eddie Gaven is a decent player but rather inconsistent. Not a lot of scoring options here.
11. Real Salt Lake. Javier Morales is promising and will be good to have from the start of the season. Kyle Beckerman is very solid while Nathan Sturgis has good upside, but RSL has seemingly a lot of role players in the midfield.
12. New York. The potential for ugliness is there. Injury-prone Claudio Reyna is getting slower by the minute. Dane Richards is an asset but there aren't too many of those around in New York.
13. Toronto. Carl Robinson and Maurice Edu are a solid duo but who else will step up?
14. San Jose. The depth here is terrible. San Jose focused on defense and goalkeeping and building from the back up, which given recent expansion teams' failures in that area was smart. But the 'Quakes have a dearth of talent in the midfield.
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1. Houston. Dwayne De Rosario leads quite a deep squad, which Dynamo will need for its various tournaments it will play this year. Ricardo Clark needs to stop kicking fallen players, though. Brian Mullan is solid on the right while Stuart Holden is very promising. May have to deal away a mid or two to get some help up front, though.
2. Colorado. Without Christian Gomez, the team had a pretty deep midfield. With the former MVP, they've got one of the best overall in the league. Gomez gives Colorado the centerpiece the Rapids have lacked for years. Pablo Mastroeni is still imposing presence while Terry Cooke has a great soccer mind.
3. Chivas USA. No Gomez or De Rosario but plenty of depth. Sacha Kljestan could take next step toward stardom this year if he can maintain his MVP-esque play from July to October of last year. Raphael Wicky brings wealth of international experience.
4. DC United. Marcelo Gallardo replaces his countryman but is it an upgrade? It seems so, but how quickly can Gallardo adapt to MLS? The supporting cast is strong with Clyde Simms, Fred and Ben Olsen providing support on both sides of the ball.
5. Los Angeles. David Beckham's credentials speak for themselves and he is a giant asset no matter where he plays. There are questions about the depth in the middle of the park but the makings are there for a stable and above-average midfield.
6. New England. Shalrie Joseph one of most talented players in MLS while Steve Ralston ages like fine wine. The addition of Mauricio Castro will help out the left side of the Revs' midfield.
7. Chicago. Cuauhtemoc Blanco is listed as a forward but he's essentially a midfielder. His ability is unquestionable. Beyond that, though, the dropoff is severe. Justin Mapp is a fine player but his health hampered him all of 2007.
8. FC Dallas. Juan Toja is a solid player with great upside. Arturo Alvarez had a lot of success a year ago but needs to prove that was no fluke. Pablo Ricchetti, Dax McCarty and Marcelo Saragosa offer depth. Andre Rocha is an intriguing addition.
9. Kansas City. Nothing flashy but the Wizards have decent depth and solid players in the midfield. Carlos Marinelli, though, is a very talented player.
10. Colubmus. Guillermo Barros Schelotto is quality but there is not much to get excited about elsewhere. Eddie Gaven is a decent player but rather inconsistent. Not a lot of scoring options here.
11. Real Salt Lake. Javier Morales is promising and will be good to have from the start of the season. Kyle Beckerman is very solid while Nathan Sturgis has good upside, but RSL has seemingly a lot of role players in the midfield.
12. New York. The potential for ugliness is there. Injury-prone Claudio Reyna is getting slower by the minute. Dane Richards is an asset but there aren't too many of those around in New York.
13. Toronto. Carl Robinson and Maurice Edu are a solid duo but who else will step up?
14. San Jose. The depth here is terrible. San Jose focused on defense and goalkeeping and building from the back up, which given recent expansion teams' failures in that area was smart. But the 'Quakes have a dearth of talent in the midfield.
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Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Yank abroad?
So, does Edgar Castillo count as a Yank abroad? He was born in New Mexico, one of the 50 United States. And he plays abroad, albeit a stone's throw from the U.S. border.
Regardless, an American played for the Mexican national team on Tuesday. Edgar Castillo played all 90 minutes in Mexico's 2-0 win over Chile. The game was the Under-23 team's preparation for the upcoming Olympic qualifying tournament, which will be played here at HDC.
Here's the full lineup for Mexico:
1.- Jonathan Orozco, 2.- Omar Esparza (19.- Luis Robles 45’), 3.- Edgar Castillo, 4.- Francisco Gamboa, 5.- Julio Cesar Domínguez, 6.- Patricio Araujo, 7.- Pablo Barrera (22.- Juan Carlos Silva 82’), 8.- Jorge Hernández (13.- Sergio Ávila 45’), 9.- Santiago Fernández (17.- Luis Ángel Landín 45’), 10.- Cesar Villaluz (16.- Omar Arellano 70’), 11.- Edgar Andrade (20.- Enrique Esqueda 70’).
Even without Guillermo Ochoa, it's a pretty good lineup. And of course Carlos Vela and Giovani Dos Santos weren't around. Cesar Villaluz scored a goal. That guy is one to watch for sure. I mean, Vela and Gio will be good but don't count out Villaluz. He's nails.
Anyway, getting back to Edgar, I believe that's three games he's now played in for El Tri. And he's a left-sided player.
Yank abroad or not, he's property of El Tri.
ADD: Here's Chile's lineup. Mexico won 2-0.
1.- Gregory Morales, 2.- Marco Biskupovic, 3.- Bastián Arce, 4.- Bruno Romo, 5.- Rafael Caroca, 6.- Charles Aránguiz (14.- Alexis Gutiérrez 89’), 7.- Braulio Baeza (15.- Jorge Gálvez 75’), 8.- Esteban Sáez, 9.- Mauricio Gómez, 10.- Joan Muñoz (16.- Robert Méndez 86’), 11.- Boris Sagredo.
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Regardless, an American played for the Mexican national team on Tuesday. Edgar Castillo played all 90 minutes in Mexico's 2-0 win over Chile. The game was the Under-23 team's preparation for the upcoming Olympic qualifying tournament, which will be played here at HDC.
Here's the full lineup for Mexico:
1.- Jonathan Orozco, 2.- Omar Esparza (19.- Luis Robles 45’), 3.- Edgar Castillo, 4.- Francisco Gamboa, 5.- Julio Cesar Domínguez, 6.- Patricio Araujo, 7.- Pablo Barrera (22.- Juan Carlos Silva 82’), 8.- Jorge Hernández (13.- Sergio Ávila 45’), 9.- Santiago Fernández (17.- Luis Ángel Landín 45’), 10.- Cesar Villaluz (16.- Omar Arellano 70’), 11.- Edgar Andrade (20.- Enrique Esqueda 70’).
Even without Guillermo Ochoa, it's a pretty good lineup. And of course Carlos Vela and Giovani Dos Santos weren't around. Cesar Villaluz scored a goal. That guy is one to watch for sure. I mean, Vela and Gio will be good but don't count out Villaluz. He's nails.
Anyway, getting back to Edgar, I believe that's three games he's now played in for El Tri. And he's a left-sided player.
Yank abroad or not, he's property of El Tri.
ADD: Here's Chile's lineup. Mexico won 2-0.
1.- Gregory Morales, 2.- Marco Biskupovic, 3.- Bastián Arce, 4.- Bruno Romo, 5.- Rafael Caroca, 6.- Charles Aránguiz (14.- Alexis Gutiérrez 89’), 7.- Braulio Baeza (15.- Jorge Gálvez 75’), 8.- Esteban Sáez, 9.- Mauricio Gómez, 10.- Joan Muñoz (16.- Robert Méndez 86’), 11.- Boris Sagredo.
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Checking in on camp
Didn't get to this last week but my SI.com editor Jonah Freedman wrote this column about his trip down to HDC a week ago. Jonah lives in Northern California, not something I envy too much. It's not that I've got a bias against Northern California necessarily, though as an LA Dodgers fan I have nothing but contempt for those chumps in orange and black. But the wind and the chilly weather would be enough for me to stay away from NoCal.
Anyway, one interesting note that Jonah mentions is the possibility of Benny Feilhaber joining Chivas USA. Jonah says in the story that there is an outside possibility but one nevertheless. Feilhaber to Chivas USA would be nothing short of a coup and would really catapult the club to frontrunner status in the West. Still, I think that in order to get him Chivas would have to clear someone from their senior roster, which is pretty stacked as it is.
Jonah was at the Red Bulls-Chivas game on Tuesday and got lucky when he was one of six print reporters to talk to David Beckham on Thursday. I haven't seen any less than 10 or so but there weren't too many scribes out there for Becks.
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Anyway, one interesting note that Jonah mentions is the possibility of Benny Feilhaber joining Chivas USA. Jonah says in the story that there is an outside possibility but one nevertheless. Feilhaber to Chivas USA would be nothing short of a coup and would really catapult the club to frontrunner status in the West. Still, I think that in order to get him Chivas would have to clear someone from their senior roster, which is pretty stacked as it is.
Jonah was at the Red Bulls-Chivas game on Tuesday and got lucky when he was one of six print reporters to talk to David Beckham on Thursday. I haven't seen any less than 10 or so but there weren't too many scribes out there for Becks.
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Missing Martino
I just got off the phone with the Galaxy media folk (Yay, Galaxy media guys for calling me back!). The travel roster for the squad was finally released. I say finally, because the team has been there for a while (Boo) already.
Anyway, midfielder Kyle Martino wasn't on the list, which struck me as a bit strange. So I called to check if he was injured. He is not.
Why then, was he left on the continent?
The Galaxy's director of Soccer Paul Bravo did have this formal statement prepared, which the press officer read over the phone: "We felt it was appropriate to limit the number of players traveling to Hawaii. We will further limit the number to Asia. Kyle remains a member of the Galaxy."
Meanwhile, Carlos Ruiz is on the squad, but his injury status means he will not play on Wednesday. He will be assessed on Friday and may play Saturday.
As for Martino's absence and the rather terse statement on his behalf, make of it what you will.
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Anyway, midfielder Kyle Martino wasn't on the list, which struck me as a bit strange. So I called to check if he was injured. He is not.
Why then, was he left on the continent?
The Galaxy's director of Soccer Paul Bravo did have this formal statement prepared, which the press officer read over the phone: "We felt it was appropriate to limit the number of players traveling to Hawaii. We will further limit the number to Asia. Kyle remains a member of the Galaxy."
Meanwhile, Carlos Ruiz is on the squad, but his injury status means he will not play on Wednesday. He will be assessed on Friday and may play Saturday.
As for Martino's absence and the rather terse statement on his behalf, make of it what you will.
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On the spot
I know, I know, I ramble, but for those who are curious about the life of a soccer reporter - aside from what you already learn from me on this blog all the time - check it out.
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No deal
Francisco Mendoza nearly became full property of Chivas Guadalajara in the offseason. Instead, he is back with Chivas USA, but in a different capacity than in years past. Mendoza doesn't have a deal yet. His contract ran out at the end of last year and he hasn't signed a new deal yet.
He told me that his agent was working on a deal and that he expected everything to be taken care of by the start of the season.
Hopefully everything works out for him. He made roughly $90,000 a year ago, or thereabouts, and in my opinion deserves something north of $100,000.
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He told me that his agent was working on a deal and that he expected everything to be taken care of by the start of the season.
Hopefully everything works out for him. He made roughly $90,000 a year ago, or thereabouts, and in my opinion deserves something north of $100,000.
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The Galaxy's 'keeper
On the day I posted my goalkeeper rankings, Grahame Jones of the LA Times has a feature on Steve Cronin, who came in at number 14 on my list.
Several Galaxy fans have complained in the comments section about Cronin and his rating. Maybe he'll prove that he deserves to be higher on the list come next season. But he's played a total of six regular-season games in four years. How can I not be skeptical of him?
Some have also pointed out that Matt Reis once backed up Kevin Hartman and he's done well for himself since leaving. Yes, this is true. But the one advantage Reis had over Cronin was that Reis worked with Zak Abdel, the ex-Galaxy, ex-Chivas USA, current U.S. national team goalkeepers coach. Abdel coached Hartman and Brad Guzan during the seasons each won the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award. Cronin has not had the luxury of working under Abdel, save for his spell in US camp earlier this year.
Anyway, just some food for thought.
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Several Galaxy fans have complained in the comments section about Cronin and his rating. Maybe he'll prove that he deserves to be higher on the list come next season. But he's played a total of six regular-season games in four years. How can I not be skeptical of him?
Some have also pointed out that Matt Reis once backed up Kevin Hartman and he's done well for himself since leaving. Yes, this is true. But the one advantage Reis had over Cronin was that Reis worked with Zak Abdel, the ex-Galaxy, ex-Chivas USA, current U.S. national team goalkeepers coach. Abdel coached Hartman and Brad Guzan during the seasons each won the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award. Cronin has not had the luxury of working under Abdel, save for his spell in US camp earlier this year.
Anyway, just some food for thought.
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Preseason unit rankings: goalkeepers
Here is the second of my four preseason unit rankings. I didn't put the goalkeepers in with the defense. I felt they needed a look of their own.
1. Chivas USA. Brad Guzan is hands down the best goalkeeper in MLS. The only worrisome spot is his backup. There is no other goalkeeper on the roster right now. If Guzan bolts during the summer transfer window, Chivas could be crippled. Still, Guzan is good for several stellar saves a match.
2. New England. Matt Reis is reliable and dependable, so much so that you kind of take him for granted. While it’s not necessarily a plus for him, Reis probably won’t be called into U.S. national team duty too much which means more games for him this season.
3. Houston. Pat Onstad is the oldest goalkeeper in MLS, but that’s not exactly slowing him down. Onstad made a strong case for 2007 Goalkeeper of the Year but he had to be content with winning his third MLS Cup.
4. San Jose. Joe Cannon and Preston Burpo are a solid 1-2 punch, but Cannon is the man barring injury. Cannon led San Jose to its first MLS Cup title back in 2001 and hasn’t slowed down much since.
5. Colorado. Bouna Coundoul can make the spectacular save look easy but can also make the easy save into an adventure. He’s developed quickly since he was thrust into the fire in 2006. Bouna Time is now on 24/7, and the Rapids will benefit.
6. D.C. United. Zach Wells is seemingly the heir apparent to Troy Perkins while Jose Carvallo is a promising number two. Both should play a lot this year as D.C. will compete in five tournaments.
7. Columbus. Will Hesmer seemingly will stop the revolving door the Crew have had at goalkeeper for several years. Hesmer has a lot of upside and will be put to test with the shaky defense in front of him.
8. Kansas City. Kevin Hartman is talented but he’s not getting any younger. Some complained about Hartman’s weight last year, as he put on some pounds from his days with the Galaxy. A heavier Hartman had some trouble with his mobility that a lighter Hartman does not.
9. New York. No more aging Dutch ‘keeper around, so this job is Jon Conway’s to lose. Conway has never been a full-time starter, though. Can he handle the load?
10. FC Dallas. Dario Sala and Ray Burse can each have their moments, but can also provide headaches. Burse has more upside but Sala is a bit more settled in the goal.
11. Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando has won an MLS Cup but isn’t a championship-caliber goalkeeper any more. Rimando has his moments but is tested too much playing behind RSL’s poor defense.
12. Chicago. Matt Pickens will be missed. Jon Busch is a health concern and is unlikely to make it through an entire season healthy. Not much behind Busch either.
13. Toronto. Greg Sutton has played a lot in the United Soccer League. Can he handle the rigors of playing in Major League Soccer?
14. Los Angeles. Steve Cronin has been waiting in the wings for years, but there is a reason why Cronin never got a chance. He’s a decent backup and can play well in a pinch but is not number one material.
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1. Chivas USA. Brad Guzan is hands down the best goalkeeper in MLS. The only worrisome spot is his backup. There is no other goalkeeper on the roster right now. If Guzan bolts during the summer transfer window, Chivas could be crippled. Still, Guzan is good for several stellar saves a match.
2. New England. Matt Reis is reliable and dependable, so much so that you kind of take him for granted. While it’s not necessarily a plus for him, Reis probably won’t be called into U.S. national team duty too much which means more games for him this season.
3. Houston. Pat Onstad is the oldest goalkeeper in MLS, but that’s not exactly slowing him down. Onstad made a strong case for 2007 Goalkeeper of the Year but he had to be content with winning his third MLS Cup.
4. San Jose. Joe Cannon and Preston Burpo are a solid 1-2 punch, but Cannon is the man barring injury. Cannon led San Jose to its first MLS Cup title back in 2001 and hasn’t slowed down much since.
5. Colorado. Bouna Coundoul can make the spectacular save look easy but can also make the easy save into an adventure. He’s developed quickly since he was thrust into the fire in 2006. Bouna Time is now on 24/7, and the Rapids will benefit.
6. D.C. United. Zach Wells is seemingly the heir apparent to Troy Perkins while Jose Carvallo is a promising number two. Both should play a lot this year as D.C. will compete in five tournaments.
7. Columbus. Will Hesmer seemingly will stop the revolving door the Crew have had at goalkeeper for several years. Hesmer has a lot of upside and will be put to test with the shaky defense in front of him.
8. Kansas City. Kevin Hartman is talented but he’s not getting any younger. Some complained about Hartman’s weight last year, as he put on some pounds from his days with the Galaxy. A heavier Hartman had some trouble with his mobility that a lighter Hartman does not.
9. New York. No more aging Dutch ‘keeper around, so this job is Jon Conway’s to lose. Conway has never been a full-time starter, though. Can he handle the load?
10. FC Dallas. Dario Sala and Ray Burse can each have their moments, but can also provide headaches. Burse has more upside but Sala is a bit more settled in the goal.
11. Real Salt Lake. Nick Rimando has won an MLS Cup but isn’t a championship-caliber goalkeeper any more. Rimando has his moments but is tested too much playing behind RSL’s poor defense.
12. Chicago. Matt Pickens will be missed. Jon Busch is a health concern and is unlikely to make it through an entire season healthy. Not much behind Busch either.
13. Toronto. Greg Sutton has played a lot in the United Soccer League. Can he handle the rigors of playing in Major League Soccer?
14. Los Angeles. Steve Cronin has been waiting in the wings for years, but there is a reason why Cronin never got a chance. He’s a decent backup and can play well in a pinch but is not number one material.
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Pan Pacific push
Here's my PE column about the Galaxy and the Pan Pacific Championship. This picture was one you may see elsewhere on the web today, or may have seen already. It's David Beckham and Miss Honolulu Raeceen Woolford upon the Galaxy's arrival in Hawaii on Monday.
We've gotten quite a bit of press releases and the sort from tournament organizers Soccer United Marketing ever since the tournament was announced. I even got a press kit mailed to me on it back in December, something I wasn't expecting.
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Yemen yell
Someone from Yemen stopped by our blog, so we've added that country to our greetings list.
Yemen actually used to be divided into two countries, North and South, but merged into one entity in 1990. That hasn't helped their soccer fortunes, though, as the Yemeni team has yet to make at impact at any international tournament.
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Monday, February 18, 2008
Keeper swap
Zach Wells did well in the second half, despite the goal he allowed. On that play, though, there wasn't much he could have done. It was a counter that wound up as a 2-on-1 and the 1 wasn't in great position.
But Wells did make a nice diving save off a 25-yard rocket from a Chivas USA trialist. And he did well to cut down a few other chances inside the area.
Jose Carvallo, who played in the first half, really didn't do a whole lot. That was more due to Chivas' inability to generate offense. Ante Razov and Sacha Kljestan had some decent looks but dribbled themselves out of danger.
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Chivas trailists beat DC
It wasn't pretty but Chivas USA beat DC United 1-0 on Monday afternoon. The goal was scored in the second half by Arnolfo Salazar.
Probably the most memorable thing from the game, at least for me, was Jesse Marsch's altercation with Luciano Emilio. Well, it wasn't much of an altercation really. Emilio tackled Marsch visciously from behind, a challenge that easily would have drawn a red card had the game been a regular-season match. Instead, it drew only a yellow card from the referee.
But it drew quite an agitated response from Marsch. After Emilio tackled Marsch, the Chivas USA midfielder stood up, pushed Emilio away and yelled, quite loudly "motherf***er!"
Emilio didn't really do much but stand there. Marsch immediately hobbled to the bench, where he promptly picked up a Gatorade bottle and threw it at Emilio. Marsch was some 20 yards from him and the bottle didn't come close to do enough damage, but the point was made.
Soon after that, Brad Guzan told the referee that that should have been a red card and the referee yelled back to him "Quiet."
A little later in the half, Emilio ran into the box after a loose ball but Guzan knocked him down and snatched the ball. I was half-expecting, though, for one of Chivas' field players to take a run at Emilio and maybe tackle him from behind to see how he likes it but nothing came of it. If this were a regular-season game, perhaps it would have been different. If it were the NHL, gloves would have most certainly dropped.
Anyway, Chivas USA ran out this lineup:
Brad Guzan; Jorge Flores, Claudio Suarez, Jim Curtain, Alex Zotinca; John Cunliffe, Jesse Marsch, Gerson Mayen, Sacha Kljestan; Atiba Harris, Ante Razov.
Only Flores played the whole game. He moved to left mid for the second half and did okay. There were a few times he could have shown a bit more creativity but overall he held his own out there.
DC United had the following lineups (they too made wholesale changes in the second half):
First half: Jose Carvallo, Marc Burch, Domenic Mediate, Bryan Namoff, Clyde Simms, Quavas Kirk, Ryan Cordeiro, Marcelo Gallardo, Luciano Emilio, Jerson Monteiro, Patrick Carroll.
Second half: Zach Wells, Devon McTavish, Gonzalo Martinez, Brandon Owens, Josh Gardner, Justin Moose, Grady Renfrow, Daniel Stratford, Fred, Jamil Walker, Jaime Moreno.
Chivas USA played all subs and trailists in the second half yet they outplayed DC United for large stretches of the half. Arnolfo Salazar scored the goal on a counter. Chukwudi Chijinju got the assist.
After the game, Marsch had his ankle taped and was his otherwise usual self and I even joked with him about throwing the Gatorade bottle. I told him he couldn't have made it as a baseball player with that sort of arm and accuracy.
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Probably the most memorable thing from the game, at least for me, was Jesse Marsch's altercation with Luciano Emilio. Well, it wasn't much of an altercation really. Emilio tackled Marsch visciously from behind, a challenge that easily would have drawn a red card had the game been a regular-season match. Instead, it drew only a yellow card from the referee.
But it drew quite an agitated response from Marsch. After Emilio tackled Marsch, the Chivas USA midfielder stood up, pushed Emilio away and yelled, quite loudly "motherf***er!"
Emilio didn't really do much but stand there. Marsch immediately hobbled to the bench, where he promptly picked up a Gatorade bottle and threw it at Emilio. Marsch was some 20 yards from him and the bottle didn't come close to do enough damage, but the point was made.
Soon after that, Brad Guzan told the referee that that should have been a red card and the referee yelled back to him "Quiet."
A little later in the half, Emilio ran into the box after a loose ball but Guzan knocked him down and snatched the ball. I was half-expecting, though, for one of Chivas' field players to take a run at Emilio and maybe tackle him from behind to see how he likes it but nothing came of it. If this were a regular-season game, perhaps it would have been different. If it were the NHL, gloves would have most certainly dropped.
Anyway, Chivas USA ran out this lineup:
Brad Guzan; Jorge Flores, Claudio Suarez, Jim Curtain, Alex Zotinca; John Cunliffe, Jesse Marsch, Gerson Mayen, Sacha Kljestan; Atiba Harris, Ante Razov.
Only Flores played the whole game. He moved to left mid for the second half and did okay. There were a few times he could have shown a bit more creativity but overall he held his own out there.
DC United had the following lineups (they too made wholesale changes in the second half):
First half: Jose Carvallo, Marc Burch, Domenic Mediate, Bryan Namoff, Clyde Simms, Quavas Kirk, Ryan Cordeiro, Marcelo Gallardo, Luciano Emilio, Jerson Monteiro, Patrick Carroll.
Second half: Zach Wells, Devon McTavish, Gonzalo Martinez, Brandon Owens, Josh Gardner, Justin Moose, Grady Renfrow, Daniel Stratford, Fred, Jamil Walker, Jaime Moreno.
Chivas USA played all subs and trailists in the second half yet they outplayed DC United for large stretches of the half. Arnolfo Salazar scored the goal on a counter. Chukwudi Chijinju got the assist.
After the game, Marsch had his ankle taped and was his otherwise usual self and I even joked with him about throwing the Gatorade bottle. I told him he couldn't have made it as a baseball player with that sort of arm and accuracy.
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Galaxy guess again
1) You can’t bet against them (the MLS Cup finalists), because they’re always there. I know Houston’s going to struggle offensively. They need to find some sort of forwards, somehow, but they’re always a good team and it's the same with New England. How much Pat hurts them, I don’t know, and Andy Dorman. We’ll find out. Change is bound to happen after a while, especially in this league. You can’t go on keeping guys who are that good forever.
2) People always look back to the golden age of the Galaxy and while I was a part of it, I’m almost tired of hearing about it, because I think the team can do better.
3) It’s the team that many players want to play for and it’s a place that many people want to live. There’s always going to be that certain amount of pressure, playing for the Galaxy, but we need to do something this season. We need to win something and get into the playoffs. Last season was disappointing.
4) With young rookies, you can always tell the ones who are going to make it by their demeanor off the field, in addition to what they can do on it. They show an ability to adapt in the team, but off the field, they also show that sort of – it’s not reverence, but respect, and wanting to learn from the veterans. In that sense, those are guys that are going to stick around for a while and succeed in this league.
5) For the guys who have been around for all the coaching changes – there’s not many - I think we’ve seen a wide variety of what’s out there. I think that those guys are able to adapt a lot better. With that said, it hasn’t helped our results and it hasn’t helped us make the playoffs. But I think we’re ready to accomplish something. We have the players and the staff to do that.
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2) People always look back to the golden age of the Galaxy and while I was a part of it, I’m almost tired of hearing about it, because I think the team can do better.
3) It’s the team that many players want to play for and it’s a place that many people want to live. There’s always going to be that certain amount of pressure, playing for the Galaxy, but we need to do something this season. We need to win something and get into the playoffs. Last season was disappointing.
4) With young rookies, you can always tell the ones who are going to make it by their demeanor off the field, in addition to what they can do on it. They show an ability to adapt in the team, but off the field, they also show that sort of – it’s not reverence, but respect, and wanting to learn from the veterans. In that sense, those are guys that are going to stick around for a while and succeed in this league.
5) For the guys who have been around for all the coaching changes – there’s not many - I think we’ve seen a wide variety of what’s out there. I think that those guys are able to adapt a lot better. With that said, it hasn’t helped our results and it hasn’t helped us make the playoffs. But I think we’re ready to accomplish something. We have the players and the staff to do that.
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Preseason unit rankings: defense
Over the next few days, I'm going to rank each MLS team's unit - goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards. Basically, I looked at the different elements each team has as of mid-February and ranked them accordingly.
I start with the defense (I didn't take into account goalkeepers as that will be a separate category). Feel free to let me know if you agree or disagree.
1. Houston. Strong, hard-working defense. If Bobby Boswell can recapture pre-2007 form, defense could be better than last year’s.
2. Chivas USA. Strong on the inside, speedy on the outside. Shavar Thomas and Claudio Suarez formed stellar pairing a year ago, but Suarez needs to continue avoiding the affects of old age to replicate 2007.
3. Chicago. CJ Brown and Gonzalo Segares provide continuity. Wilman Conde’s situation and possible exit, though, could hurt the defense while his possibly sour mood could provide a distraction. A shaky three, right now.
4. New England. Michael Parkhurst may be league’s best defender right now while Chris Albright adds some toughness. If Gabriel Badilla joins, he’d vault New England up the standings.
5. Colorado. Good collection of talent. Jose Burciaga joins and will solidify the left back spot. Facundo Erpen, Mike Petke and Ugo Ihemelu provide options at central defense.
6. DC United. A bit of instability with Boswell gone, but newcomers Gonzalo Martinez and Gonzalo Peralta (potentially) should compensate the loss.
7. Toronto. Marvell Wynne and Todd Dunivant are strong on the outside. Tyrone Marshall and Andrew Boyens could form strong pairing in middle. Definitely more to build around at start of this year than last.
8. San Jose. The makings of a strong defense. Ramiro Corrales might seem weak because of his performance on Feb. 6 but his experience along with Nick Garcia will help build a strong base for the ‘Quakes.
9. New York. Not much to work with here. Will Juan Carlos Osorio find a more stable lineup than Bruce Arena a year ago? Bulls are a work-in-progress at best.
10. Kansas City. Two reliable players are gone as the Wizards have a new look. Chance Myers must come through immediately, which is a lot of pressure for a rookie.
11. FC Dallas. Losses offset additions as Clarence Goodson and Chris Gbandi are gone. Newcomer Duilio Davino’s ability only one of many questions on Hoops’ backline.
12. Real Salt Lake. Nat Borchers and Ian Joy must hit the ground running for RSL’s defense to have a chance of success. Matias Mantilla will be around for a full season, which is one of the few plusses from this squad.
13. Columbus. Frankie Hejduk and Ezra Hendrickson are in their mid-30s going on 50. What will Chad Marshall offer this year? Tim Ward has seemingly been a decent prospect forever – will he finally deliver?
14. Los Angeles. The turnover with the defense has been swift, as the continuity here is nonexistent. Greg Vanney and Celestine Babayaro combine with Abel Xavier to form perhaps the league’s oldest defense, not something to be proud of.
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I start with the defense (I didn't take into account goalkeepers as that will be a separate category). Feel free to let me know if you agree or disagree.
1. Houston. Strong, hard-working defense. If Bobby Boswell can recapture pre-2007 form, defense could be better than last year’s.
2. Chivas USA. Strong on the inside, speedy on the outside. Shavar Thomas and Claudio Suarez formed stellar pairing a year ago, but Suarez needs to continue avoiding the affects of old age to replicate 2007.
3. Chicago. CJ Brown and Gonzalo Segares provide continuity. Wilman Conde’s situation and possible exit, though, could hurt the defense while his possibly sour mood could provide a distraction. A shaky three, right now.
4. New England. Michael Parkhurst may be league’s best defender right now while Chris Albright adds some toughness. If Gabriel Badilla joins, he’d vault New England up the standings.
5. Colorado. Good collection of talent. Jose Burciaga joins and will solidify the left back spot. Facundo Erpen, Mike Petke and Ugo Ihemelu provide options at central defense.
6. DC United. A bit of instability with Boswell gone, but newcomers Gonzalo Martinez and Gonzalo Peralta (potentially) should compensate the loss.
7. Toronto. Marvell Wynne and Todd Dunivant are strong on the outside. Tyrone Marshall and Andrew Boyens could form strong pairing in middle. Definitely more to build around at start of this year than last.
8. San Jose. The makings of a strong defense. Ramiro Corrales might seem weak because of his performance on Feb. 6 but his experience along with Nick Garcia will help build a strong base for the ‘Quakes.
9. New York. Not much to work with here. Will Juan Carlos Osorio find a more stable lineup than Bruce Arena a year ago? Bulls are a work-in-progress at best.
10. Kansas City. Two reliable players are gone as the Wizards have a new look. Chance Myers must come through immediately, which is a lot of pressure for a rookie.
11. FC Dallas. Losses offset additions as Clarence Goodson and Chris Gbandi are gone. Newcomer Duilio Davino’s ability only one of many questions on Hoops’ backline.
12. Real Salt Lake. Nat Borchers and Ian Joy must hit the ground running for RSL’s defense to have a chance of success. Matias Mantilla will be around for a full season, which is one of the few plusses from this squad.
13. Columbus. Frankie Hejduk and Ezra Hendrickson are in their mid-30s going on 50. What will Chad Marshall offer this year? Tim Ward has seemingly been a decent prospect forever – will he finally deliver?
14. Los Angeles. The turnover with the defense has been swift, as the continuity here is nonexistent. Greg Vanney and Celestine Babayaro combine with Abel Xavier to form perhaps the league’s oldest defense, not something to be proud of.
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SuperLiga groups
According to Mexican sports daily Ovaciones, Club America declined to participate in the 2008 SuperLiga and thus Pumas were added to the field.
The SuperLiga groups will be:
Group A
Chivas USA
New England
Atlante
Pumas
Group B
Houston
DC United
Chivas Guadalajara
Pachuca
America's disinterest is bad news for Chivas USA, as a Chivas USA-America match would be far easier to market than Chivas USA-Pumas.
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The SuperLiga groups will be:
Group A
Chivas USA
New England
Atlante
Pumas
Group B
Houston
DC United
Chivas Guadalajara
Pachuca
America's disinterest is bad news for Chivas USA, as a Chivas USA-America match would be far easier to market than Chivas USA-Pumas.
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Locals' view
The Honolulu Advertiser with a story on the Pan-Pacific Championship. One of the main questions surrounding this tournament is the focus here, but whether the tournament is successful is much more important for the locals. A successful tournament to them would mean large crowds and true interest from abroad, which would in turn mean an economic boost.
No word on ticket sales, though. If ticket sales are slow and the stadium is mostly empty, then this might not be worth the hassle for next year. But if crowds are large and the interest extends beyond just one particular Galaxy player, it will be a good thing for the local economy.
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No word on ticket sales, though. If ticket sales are slow and the stadium is mostly empty, then this might not be worth the hassle for next year. But if crowds are large and the interest extends beyond just one particular Galaxy player, it will be a good thing for the local economy.
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More Galaxy guess who
1) I definitely knew that I was ready last year, but at the same time, I knew that it was out of my hands. I tried to do the best job I could last year here to be ready for this year. Right now, through preseason, I feel every day I’m getting a little bit better and the team is coming together. We’ll definitely learn a lot before the season starts.
2) I hope I get to hang out with Chingy when we're in Hawaii. I want to see all his old spots and hopefully find some good restaurants he used to go to and hang out.
3) The last year and half, I guess for me, professionally and personally, have been extremely tough as far as what the team has gone through, so I haven't enjoyed myself as much as I had in years past, but hopefully we’ve turned the corner and hopefully, this ship is being steered in the right direction. I have fun when we’re winning, so obviously, the past year and half haven’t been the greatest pleasure for me, as I’m sure it wasn’t for the fans. The Galaxy means more to me than I can describe, so obviously, it affects me.
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A foundation
I'm trying to write my weekly soccer column for the Press-Enterprise right now. I'm writing about the Pan Pacific Championship, but the focus there isn't on the games themselves but rather the tournament and what the Galaxy feels is important to get from said tournament.
Another part of the PPC that won't make my column is what we can expect to see from the Galaxy this year. So far, the Galaxy's preseason games have consisted of closed-door scrimmages. No fans, no media, nobody knows what happened except for the players and coaches themselves. So this in essence will be the first opportunity for all of us to see the 2008 Galaxy in action.
Now, the beginning of this season is a stark contrast to last year. In '07, it was all about making sure the team hit its stride when Becks arrived. Now, it's about preparing for the season just like other clubs. The main pieces are seemingly in place now and it's about trying to lay down some sort of foundation to hit the season running.
I'll be interested in the games mostly to see what to expect from the Galaxy this year. I guess my main points of interest will be seeing who comprises the backline, and where David Beckham lines up.
I never really thought last year's midfield worked, with Kyle Martino out left and Beckham in the middle (for the few games he played) alongside Peter Vagenas and whoever was healthy out right.
I'd like to see Chris Klein out right for all 30 games this year. Klein is best at that position and can offer more there than he can at the back, where played out of necessity a year ago. Klein on the right with Beckham and Kelly Gray in the middle isn't bad. I also don't see Martino as a true left midfielder, but is he a better option there than whoever else the Galaxy has?
But we won't know what Ruud Gullit's tendencies are until we see some actual games against actual teams. I guess we'll start to get some answers soon. So that's one positive from the PPC.
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Another part of the PPC that won't make my column is what we can expect to see from the Galaxy this year. So far, the Galaxy's preseason games have consisted of closed-door scrimmages. No fans, no media, nobody knows what happened except for the players and coaches themselves. So this in essence will be the first opportunity for all of us to see the 2008 Galaxy in action.
Now, the beginning of this season is a stark contrast to last year. In '07, it was all about making sure the team hit its stride when Becks arrived. Now, it's about preparing for the season just like other clubs. The main pieces are seemingly in place now and it's about trying to lay down some sort of foundation to hit the season running.
I'll be interested in the games mostly to see what to expect from the Galaxy this year. I guess my main points of interest will be seeing who comprises the backline, and where David Beckham lines up.
I never really thought last year's midfield worked, with Kyle Martino out left and Beckham in the middle (for the few games he played) alongside Peter Vagenas and whoever was healthy out right.
I'd like to see Chris Klein out right for all 30 games this year. Klein is best at that position and can offer more there than he can at the back, where played out of necessity a year ago. Klein on the right with Beckham and Kelly Gray in the middle isn't bad. I also don't see Martino as a true left midfielder, but is he a better option there than whoever else the Galaxy has?
But we won't know what Ruud Gullit's tendencies are until we see some actual games against actual teams. I guess we'll start to get some answers soon. So that's one positive from the PPC.
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Sunday, February 17, 2008
Hey! Must be the money
A Galaxy teammate, speaking on Ty Harden's retirement:
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If you really look at it, it’s where we are in the evolution of our league. The reality is that a smart young guy can take a look at things and say, "I can build my professional career right now, or I can continue playing soccer, not making as much as I would in the business world and have to start over when I’m 30, 35." I think that’s just the reality now. If you look at other sports, and you have these young guys who come out, they have the aspiration to sign that big contract. That allows some buffer time when you do retire to be able to figure things out. You have a lot more leeway and opportunity to do things. A young guy, a smart guy like Ty Harden, decided to choose a different path. For him, it was a personal decision and I think all the guys here respect the decision that he made.
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Dem's fightin' words
Atlas beat America 1-0 in Guadalajara on Saturday, and the loss apparently affected America's Richard Nuñez quite a bit.
This what he had to say after the game:
Without a doubt, Atlas is a small club. They demonstrated as much in the second half when they fell back (to defend), and losing against a small club hurts a great deal. When a great club like America attacks, the rival retreats just like Atlas did.
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This what he had to say after the game:
Without a doubt, Atlas is a small club. They demonstrated as much in the second half when they fell back (to defend), and losing against a small club hurts a great deal. When a great club like America attacks, the rival retreats just like Atlas did.
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Dream on
I'm all over Sueno MLS. I've been covering it for MLSnet.com so I was out in Bell Gardens on Friday and Saturday. Here's the story from the first day.
Not sure if they've come across the next Jorge Flores yet, but some of the action I've seen hasn't been very good. It's funny though. I've talked to quite a few trialists and all of them, well all except for one, said that they expect to get called back. I think some of them will get their hearts broken soon.
The only one who didn't say that was probably the best player I've talked to so far, a guy who made it far last year and is back to try it again. Pretty humble guy actually. I'll post a link when that story runs.
Anyway, if you want a chance of fulfilling your Sueno, there are apparently still spots left open. Okay, so maybe you won't be on an MLS roster in the future but at least you could score a free t-shirt and a ticket to a game!
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Not sure if they've come across the next Jorge Flores yet, but some of the action I've seen hasn't been very good. It's funny though. I've talked to quite a few trialists and all of them, well all except for one, said that they expect to get called back. I think some of them will get their hearts broken soon.
The only one who didn't say that was probably the best player I've talked to so far, a guy who made it far last year and is back to try it again. Pretty humble guy actually. I'll post a link when that story runs.
Anyway, if you want a chance of fulfilling your Sueno, there are apparently still spots left open. Okay, so maybe you won't be on an MLS roster in the future but at least you could score a free t-shirt and a ticket to a game!
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Chivas gets destroyed
A lot of reserves played, but Japan's U-23s beat Chivas USA by 4-0 on Saturday. Haven't gotten the release on it yet so can't post full lineups but only a handful of starters played any substantial minutes.
We'll see who plays for the team on Monday against DC United, a match I will attend.
Good thing is for some of you planning to catch Chivas USA in Santa Clarita for the Feb. 23 friendly against Columbus, some of the walking wounded are hoping to play in that game, so you may see the return of Jonathan Bornstein and perhaps some of the other injured players (Panchito Mendoza, Alecko Eskandarain, Paulo Nagamura, etc.).
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We'll see who plays for the team on Monday against DC United, a match I will attend.
Good thing is for some of you planning to catch Chivas USA in Santa Clarita for the Feb. 23 friendly against Columbus, some of the walking wounded are hoping to play in that game, so you may see the return of Jonathan Bornstein and perhaps some of the other injured players (Panchito Mendoza, Alecko Eskandarain, Paulo Nagamura, etc.).
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Saturday, February 16, 2008
It's not that easy
A few people commented that if Ty Harden really wanted to play for Seattle, he could just request a trade instead of taking a year off. Apparently, that's what Wilman Conde did, but the Chicago Fire haven't let him go. There are probably all sorts of reasons. For example, what organization wants to strengthen a conference rival, especially when they barely made the playoffs last year? Suffice it to say, it's not as simple as "Ask and you shall receive".
By the way, I'm not saying it should be, either. It's true that many players are accomodated, but it almost always is when it doesn't inconvenience the trading team very much, and it rarely happens intraconference.
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By the way, I'm not saying it should be, either. It's true that many players are accomodated, but it almost always is when it doesn't inconvenience the trading team very much, and it rarely happens intraconference.
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The Goats gear up
A preseason look at Chivas USA.
As inevitably happens in articles, editing changes things slightly, and I didn't write the last line in this piece. I don't think it's really possible to turn the spotlight off the Galaxy - not as long as David Beckham is on board. It's simply not going to happen. But can Chivas USA steal at least some of the limelight? That's a far more valid possibility.
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As inevitably happens in articles, editing changes things slightly, and I didn't write the last line in this piece. I don't think it's really possible to turn the spotlight off the Galaxy - not as long as David Beckham is on board. It's simply not going to happen. But can Chivas USA steal at least some of the limelight? That's a far more valid possibility.
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Handy Vanney?
Greg Vanney used to be a good Galaxy defender. Back in the Rose Bowl days, Vanney was a fixture on the backline of an emerging Galaxy club before he went abroad. Now, it's like old times again as Vanney is with the club once more.
But will he once again be a good Galaxy defender?
Alexi Lalas talked to Billy Witz of the Daily News about Vanney, and the Galaxy boss seems to think he's gotten a player with qualities that extend beyond the soccer field.
The part of the story that struck me is where Lalas said that Vanney would "bring a level of professionalism that, quite honestly, we need more of."
When I read that, I paused and wondered if he really said that. Of course he did, but I just couldn't believe that he would actually think that and feel that way.
Let me think of some of the players who carried a great deal of "professionalism" about them whom Lalas has shipped away.
- Todd Dunivant: That guy is a pro's pro. He knows his role on his team and does nothing to take the focus away from his team.
- Tyrone Marshall: Talk about a professional... Tyrone has this league figured out and knows what's important and is not afraid to smack his teammates into shape.
- Chris Albright: He matured so much with the Galaxy. A company man, through and through, Albright was hard on youngsters and demanded a lot from them, and all that was beneficial to the team.
- Kevin Hartman: Sometimes, too honest for his own good, but Gato knew how players needed to carry themselves on and off the field.
- Herculez Gomez: He went from a knucklehead to a pro in no time, and he could have helped groom some of the youngsters along as well.
Anyway, I know there are more, but I want to get back to Lalas' comments. A year ago, the Galaxy needed guys who could handle this unique environment David Beckham's presence demanded. Now, the Galaxy needs more professionalism. I wonder at what point the Galaxy is going to need guys who the team can actually use on the field and build around for several years to come, not aging has-beens with a few good games left in them. I wonder when the Galaxy will feel it is important to keep players for longer than a couple of seasons.
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But will he once again be a good Galaxy defender?
Alexi Lalas talked to Billy Witz of the Daily News about Vanney, and the Galaxy boss seems to think he's gotten a player with qualities that extend beyond the soccer field.
The part of the story that struck me is where Lalas said that Vanney would "bring a level of professionalism that, quite honestly, we need more of."
When I read that, I paused and wondered if he really said that. Of course he did, but I just couldn't believe that he would actually think that and feel that way.
Let me think of some of the players who carried a great deal of "professionalism" about them whom Lalas has shipped away.
- Todd Dunivant: That guy is a pro's pro. He knows his role on his team and does nothing to take the focus away from his team.
- Tyrone Marshall: Talk about a professional... Tyrone has this league figured out and knows what's important and is not afraid to smack his teammates into shape.
- Chris Albright: He matured so much with the Galaxy. A company man, through and through, Albright was hard on youngsters and demanded a lot from them, and all that was beneficial to the team.
- Kevin Hartman: Sometimes, too honest for his own good, but Gato knew how players needed to carry themselves on and off the field.
- Herculez Gomez: He went from a knucklehead to a pro in no time, and he could have helped groom some of the youngsters along as well.
Anyway, I know there are more, but I want to get back to Lalas' comments. A year ago, the Galaxy needed guys who could handle this unique environment David Beckham's presence demanded. Now, the Galaxy needs more professionalism. I wonder at what point the Galaxy is going to need guys who the team can actually use on the field and build around for several years to come, not aging has-beens with a few good games left in them. I wonder when the Galaxy will feel it is important to keep players for longer than a couple of seasons.
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Email from Africa
Usually I just get the regular email scams, but this one was a bit more soccer-specific, though I'm obviously not an agent. Looking at the pictures that were sent, I couldn't help but think of all the youth soccer practices I've seen in the United States where every player has a practice uniform and the fields are perfectly green grass. But there or in the favelas of Brazil, or in Africa, Asia or anywhere soccer is played, the love of the game continues.
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Dear player's agent
i'am a soccer coach in AFRICA precisly in cote d'ivoire ,in my team i have many groups
U8-10 ,U11-13, U14-16 and U18+.
To day i have many good and experient players in U18+ category,i'm ready to dispos all players for tranfer .
if you are interessed and need picture , cv or an others information of players please reply
this message
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Friday, February 15, 2008
SuperLiga clubs
Word out of Mexico is that the following four clubs will comprise the Mexican part of SuperLiga 2008:
Chivas, Pachuca, Atlante, Pumas
If true, the tournament would include the finalists from the Apertura 2007 season as well as the Clausura 07 champs (Pachuca) and the Apertura 06 champs (Chivas).
The MLS quartet is expected to be:
Chivas USA, Houston, DC United, New England
Should make for an interesting tournament, especially given the possible matchups of:
Chivas-Chivas USA; Houston-Pachuca; Chivas-DC United
I just hope that Pumas sends its first squad instead of the young team they sent to InterLiga.
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Chivas, Pachuca, Atlante, Pumas
If true, the tournament would include the finalists from the Apertura 2007 season as well as the Clausura 07 champs (Pachuca) and the Apertura 06 champs (Chivas).
The MLS quartet is expected to be:
Chivas USA, Houston, DC United, New England
Should make for an interesting tournament, especially given the possible matchups of:
Chivas-Chivas USA; Houston-Pachuca; Chivas-DC United
I just hope that Pumas sends its first squad instead of the young team they sent to InterLiga.
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Chivas USA stuff
I was out at Sueno MLS today and will be out there again on Saturday. Jonathan Bornstein and Paulo Nagamura will be out there in the morning as well.
A couple of things I wanted to pass along...
- Chivas USA said sayonara to Takayuki Suzuki. Okay, lame attempt. Sorry. But the former World Cup player is no longer part of the club's preseason contingent. Neither is the Muslin guy who wore 99 during the friendly on Tuesday. They're dropping like flies.
- If you're making plans on watching Chivas USA take on Japan's Under-23 team, scrap them. The game tomorrow will start at 2 p.m. and will be played on the main field at Home Depot Center but will be open to media only. Bummer. I'm just passing along information. If you want to go down and try to get in and catch the action, I guess you could always do that.
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A couple of things I wanted to pass along...
- Chivas USA said sayonara to Takayuki Suzuki. Okay, lame attempt. Sorry. But the former World Cup player is no longer part of the club's preseason contingent. Neither is the Muslin guy who wore 99 during the friendly on Tuesday. They're dropping like flies.
- If you're making plans on watching Chivas USA take on Japan's Under-23 team, scrap them. The game tomorrow will start at 2 p.m. and will be played on the main field at Home Depot Center but will be open to media only. Bummer. I'm just passing along information. If you want to go down and try to get in and catch the action, I guess you could always do that.
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Random thoughts
Billy Witz has the story on Ty Harden retiring.
Something doesn't feel right to me about this. Pure speculation on my part, but I wonder if Harden isn't taking a year off so he can then unretire and join Seattle when they come into the league in 2009. It wouldn't be the first time a player has pulled this off - in his playing days, Alexi Lalas "retired" and left the Kansas City Wizards in October of 1999 only to sign with the Galaxy in Jan 2001.
Such a move is pretty much the only way Harden could control his destiny. As a lower-rung player, he doesn't have a lot of pull to go where he'd like. Seattle would place him relatively near his hometown of Junction City, Oregon. Harden also attended the University of Washington in Seattle, and probably has many friends and perhaps even a sweetheart in the area. He might have considered it worth the risk to take a year or so off, work a local job, and then hook up with the newest MLS team.
It's ironic that the Galaxy, who are usually the beneficiaries of players wanting to be near LA, may have gotten burned by someone willing to sacrifice to be elsewhere instead.
In the scramble for a replacement, the Galaxy traded to get Greg Vanney from DC United. I think this is a poor move, because Vanney has lost more than a step. He's simply cumbersome these days, and his vast experience and good positioning isn't enough to compensate for that. Going to DC for Vanney is young Quavas Kirk.
Galaxy fans who remember Kirk's various injury problems may not consider his leaving much of a loss, but I'd remind them of how much potential Kirk showed whenever he was healthy. He is big, strong and fast, with a striker's experience when getting forward.
I just talked to Kirk on Wednesday and asked about his injury. He flashed that big grin of his and said he was "all good". It would be just the Galaxy's luck that Kirk is finally really fit and remains injury-free when he's gone.
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Something doesn't feel right to me about this. Pure speculation on my part, but I wonder if Harden isn't taking a year off so he can then unretire and join Seattle when they come into the league in 2009. It wouldn't be the first time a player has pulled this off - in his playing days, Alexi Lalas "retired" and left the Kansas City Wizards in October of 1999 only to sign with the Galaxy in Jan 2001.
Such a move is pretty much the only way Harden could control his destiny. As a lower-rung player, he doesn't have a lot of pull to go where he'd like. Seattle would place him relatively near his hometown of Junction City, Oregon. Harden also attended the University of Washington in Seattle, and probably has many friends and perhaps even a sweetheart in the area. He might have considered it worth the risk to take a year or so off, work a local job, and then hook up with the newest MLS team.
It's ironic that the Galaxy, who are usually the beneficiaries of players wanting to be near LA, may have gotten burned by someone willing to sacrifice to be elsewhere instead.
In the scramble for a replacement, the Galaxy traded to get Greg Vanney from DC United. I think this is a poor move, because Vanney has lost more than a step. He's simply cumbersome these days, and his vast experience and good positioning isn't enough to compensate for that. Going to DC for Vanney is young Quavas Kirk.
Galaxy fans who remember Kirk's various injury problems may not consider his leaving much of a loss, but I'd remind them of how much potential Kirk showed whenever he was healthy. He is big, strong and fast, with a striker's experience when getting forward.
I just talked to Kirk on Wednesday and asked about his injury. He flashed that big grin of his and said he was "all good". It would be just the Galaxy's luck that Kirk is finally really fit and remains injury-free when he's gone.
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Around town
Sometimes I just see soccer-related stuff and pull out my camera. I found this in a local parking garage.
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Thursday, February 14, 2008
Who said this? Dos
We didn't play our best and Mexico played well. All that said, we still tied. I think Jozy played well. He wasn't perfect, though. I'm getting more comfortable out there (his playing position). I had more time there this past month.
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No thanks
FC Dallas had the chance to sign an international defender but passed. Gustavo Cabrera of the Guatemalan national team and Comunicaciones tried but failed to latch on to FC Dallas. Despite not exactly featuring a wealth of defensive talent, FC Dallas brass apparently felt they could do without the services of a Guatemalan defender.
Of course, it's not just his skill level that has to be considered here. Cabrera would take up a senior international slot, and you don't want to use those on just a marginal or decent player. I've always felt teams should maximize their senior international slots and I don't know that Cabrera would fit that description.
Still, Cabrera must really have not impressed because FC Dallas' defense is shitty no matter if they play with six defensive midfielders.
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Of course, it's not just his skill level that has to be considered here. Cabrera would take up a senior international slot, and you don't want to use those on just a marginal or decent player. I've always felt teams should maximize their senior international slots and I don't know that Cabrera would fit that description.
Still, Cabrera must really have not impressed because FC Dallas' defense is shitty no matter if they play with six defensive midfielders.
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Finally
We've got our 27,000-seat soccer mecca out here in L.A., and now the nation's capital will have its own 27,000-seater as well.
It looks as if D.C. United will finally get the soccer-specific stadium it so desperately needs. Makes sense too, to have one of the league's best franchises in its own stadium. I mean, how the Rapids have a nice place but D.C. has to play in a fossil of a stadium is strange.
I've never been to RFK Stadium, and while it looks decent in some parts watching it from television, I don't think it will be missed. I heard the press box there smells like cheeseburgers and french fries, since it's situated above some concession stands, or something to the effect.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that when the stadium is built - and I'm not sure there is a timeline yet - that the MLS Cup will be played there as well as the All-Star game within a year of opening.
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It looks as if D.C. United will finally get the soccer-specific stadium it so desperately needs. Makes sense too, to have one of the league's best franchises in its own stadium. I mean, how the Rapids have a nice place but D.C. has to play in a fossil of a stadium is strange.
I've never been to RFK Stadium, and while it looks decent in some parts watching it from television, I don't think it will be missed. I heard the press box there smells like cheeseburgers and french fries, since it's situated above some concession stands, or something to the effect.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that when the stadium is built - and I'm not sure there is a timeline yet - that the MLS Cup will be played there as well as the All-Star game within a year of opening.
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Sad end
Nobody wants to go out like this, and if it truly is the end of his days it will be a depressing end to a great career.
Ronaldo tore a tendon in his knee during an Italian league match with AC Milan on Wednesday and was carried off the field in tears. In 2002, he redeemed himself for his 1998 failures, having won the World Cup that eluded him. Ronaldo won a pair of World Cups and scored plenty of goals along the way.
I was lucky enough to see him play in the World Cup, twice actually, in 2002. I was at U.S.-Brazil in 2001 (a friendly at the Rose Bowl) but can't remember if he played. Ronaldinho played, I believe. I was also at Real Madrid-Galaxy in 2005, and I know for sure that he did not play. In fact, his absence was a bit strange. Oh well. There were plenty of other stars there that day.
It's too bad, though, that we didn't get to see him in MLS. I never really thought it would happen, just figured he'd have too much interest in playing in Europe to keep him there. But it would have brought added exposure to the league and given us another star player to watch week in and week out.
And, who knows, it may have prolonged his career.
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Ronaldo tore a tendon in his knee during an Italian league match with AC Milan on Wednesday and was carried off the field in tears. In 2002, he redeemed himself for his 1998 failures, having won the World Cup that eluded him. Ronaldo won a pair of World Cups and scored plenty of goals along the way.
Ronaldo's injury, though, is likely the end even if he does return. The way he played and his moves and agility, there's no way a rehabilitated knee could withstand that.
I was lucky enough to see him play in the World Cup, twice actually, in 2002. I was at U.S.-Brazil in 2001 (a friendly at the Rose Bowl) but can't remember if he played. Ronaldinho played, I believe. I was also at Real Madrid-Galaxy in 2005, and I know for sure that he did not play. In fact, his absence was a bit strange. Oh well. There were plenty of other stars there that day.
It's too bad, though, that we didn't get to see him in MLS. I never really thought it would happen, just figured he'd have too much interest in playing in Europe to keep him there. But it would have brought added exposure to the league and given us another star player to watch week in and week out.
And, who knows, it may have prolonged his career.
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Who said this?
I liked Mexico. I thought they played better than the U.S. They’ve played well against the U.S. before, but the U.S. is a team that is always organized and never makes mistakes, while Mexico gets distracted and commits errors. That’s when the U.S. does its damage. In this game, the U.S. had the advantage. They went ahead twice, but Mexico was able to respond and tie the game. It surprised me that Mexico scored on set pieces, because the U.S. has tall players, but Mexico had several good plays. I think the players were satisfied with their effort, because they gave a good effort. But the U.S. retains a certain dominance, because in the end, we weren’t able to win. I hope in the next match, the team will triumph. In Mexico, there’s great pressure for us to win versus the U.S.
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Becks and Cuauh
Funny - even though this is a bit old. Becks and Temoc are hanging out, with Blanco controlling the remote.
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Coincidence
Nothing controversial, folks. I didn't even interview these players at practice. But as it was ending, they happened to come over to where I was. They proceeded to kick balls toward the goal so other players could practice heading. So I took a few pics.
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Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Corrales to San Jose
San Jose added to what is shaping out to be a decent defense corps by adding Ramiro Corrales from Brann via Houston. According to Bernardo Fallas, Corrales joins San Jose for some allocation money.
Corrales joins Nick Garcia, Jason Hernandez and Ryan Cochrane as experienced players on San Jose's defense. Plus he's a former 'Quake, and they love their former 'Quakes up north. With Joe Cannon manning the nets, San Jose's defense doesn't seem as bad as other expansion teams' backlines.
The only question is, will the attackers score some goals to keep the pressure off the defense? Even the best defense will crack if the opponents keep the ball 60 or more percent of the time.
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Corrales joins Nick Garcia, Jason Hernandez and Ryan Cochrane as experienced players on San Jose's defense. Plus he's a former 'Quake, and they love their former 'Quakes up north. With Joe Cannon manning the nets, San Jose's defense doesn't seem as bad as other expansion teams' backlines.
The only question is, will the attackers score some goals to keep the pressure off the defense? Even the best defense will crack if the opponents keep the ball 60 or more percent of the time.
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Skeptical signing
FC Dallas introduced defender Duilio Davino on Tuesday to the local media and afterward participated in his first training session with the club.
Though Davino brings a quality resume, if I'm an FC Dallas supporter I'm not exactly excited at the prospects of having him around.
Davino is aging. He has clearly lost a couple of steps. He doesn't know the league - the style of play, the opponents, the pace of the MLS game, the physical aspects of it - but he's going to be tagged with the responsibility to stabilize the defense. Now, you may fall back on the experience factor and feel comfortable. After all, this guy does have a quality resume - World Cup veteran, more than 75 caps for Mexico, league champion with Club America, more than 400 Mexican First Division appearances.
FC Dallas' defense is troubling. Drew Moor returns, and as long as Jonny Magallon isn't around, he'll be okay. Clarence Goodson is out. So is Chris Gbandi. After that, there aren't a lot of guys around who saw a lot of minutes in 2007. Bobby Rhine is around, as well as Alex Yi and David Wagenfuhr, but those guys are spot starters/decent backups at best.
FC Dallas' defense is in trouble, and pinning their hopes on Davino isn't the best solution.
Perhaps, though, this move is supposed to draw more fans. And while Davino is certainly a recognizable figure to America fans - and there are many of them - I don't know that a defender will draw people to games. Rafael Marquez, perhaps. Duilio Davino, not so much.
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Though Davino brings a quality resume, if I'm an FC Dallas supporter I'm not exactly excited at the prospects of having him around.
Davino is aging. He has clearly lost a couple of steps. He doesn't know the league - the style of play, the opponents, the pace of the MLS game, the physical aspects of it - but he's going to be tagged with the responsibility to stabilize the defense. Now, you may fall back on the experience factor and feel comfortable. After all, this guy does have a quality resume - World Cup veteran, more than 75 caps for Mexico, league champion with Club America, more than 400 Mexican First Division appearances.
FC Dallas' defense is troubling. Drew Moor returns, and as long as Jonny Magallon isn't around, he'll be okay. Clarence Goodson is out. So is Chris Gbandi. After that, there aren't a lot of guys around who saw a lot of minutes in 2007. Bobby Rhine is around, as well as Alex Yi and David Wagenfuhr, but those guys are spot starters/decent backups at best.
FC Dallas' defense is in trouble, and pinning their hopes on Davino isn't the best solution.
Perhaps, though, this move is supposed to draw more fans. And while Davino is certainly a recognizable figure to America fans - and there are many of them - I don't know that a defender will draw people to games. Rafael Marquez, perhaps. Duilio Davino, not so much.
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More U.S-Mexico thoughts
The San Diego Union-Tribune's Mark Zeigler takes another look at the U.S.-Mexico match in his weekly soccer column.
One thing he points out here is Landon Donovan's role on the right side of the field. Now, I don't think Bob Bradley has Landon tied down to the right flank. Donovan has the freedom to roam around the center of the field - at least that's what we've heard from Bradley before.
But this game and the many before this one that have had Landon out right just prove that he is ineffective out there. He needs to be in the middle with the freedom to roam to the flanks, not the other way around.
I know using a 3-5-2 isn't realistic for the U.S. but it's always intrigued me nonetheless. With a three-man backling, you could get away with playing Landon in the center of the midfield along with Michael Bradley and Ricardo Clark or Maurice Edu or Benny Feilhaber. It just seems the options in the center are strong and in certain spots on the back are weak. With a three-man backline, you eliminate the need for a left back and the possibility of Ramiro Corrales ever playing a meaningful match for the U.S. again. Jonathan Bornstein can play wide left as a midfielder and is fast enough to drop back and help the backline.
It's going to be a long World Cup qualifying cycle and those will utlimately be the important games, but it's these sort of details that will make a huge difference down the line.
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One thing he points out here is Landon Donovan's role on the right side of the field. Now, I don't think Bob Bradley has Landon tied down to the right flank. Donovan has the freedom to roam around the center of the field - at least that's what we've heard from Bradley before.
But this game and the many before this one that have had Landon out right just prove that he is ineffective out there. He needs to be in the middle with the freedom to roam to the flanks, not the other way around.
I know using a 3-5-2 isn't realistic for the U.S. but it's always intrigued me nonetheless. With a three-man backling, you could get away with playing Landon in the center of the midfield along with Michael Bradley and Ricardo Clark or Maurice Edu or Benny Feilhaber. It just seems the options in the center are strong and in certain spots on the back are weak. With a three-man backline, you eliminate the need for a left back and the possibility of Ramiro Corrales ever playing a meaningful match for the U.S. again. Jonathan Bornstein can play wide left as a midfielder and is fast enough to drop back and help the backline.
It's going to be a long World Cup qualifying cycle and those will utlimately be the important games, but it's these sort of details that will make a huge difference down the line.
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No go
Jose Cardozo is gone. He looked slow and out of shape, according to Preki.
Cardozo was a legend in Mexico. With Toluca, Cardozo was one of the best strikers the Mexican league has ever seen. But two years of retirement will do make you slow and unfit. It's one thing to miss a year with injury or for whatever reason and come back, but two years off on the wrong side of 30 is not a good thing.
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Cardozo was a legend in Mexico. With Toluca, Cardozo was one of the best strikers the Mexican league has ever seen. But two years of retirement will do make you slow and unfit. It's one thing to miss a year with injury or for whatever reason and come back, but two years off on the wrong side of 30 is not a good thing.
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Tuesday, February 12, 2008
MLS' best striker?
You could make a pretty strong case for Juan Pablo Angel. He did miss an open shot today against Chivas USA, pushed it just wide actually, but it's just rust that he'll have overcome by the start of the season. Better to miss those now than in April.
Also a nice guy and stopped to take pictures with onlookers, even with a schmuck wearing a Pachuca jersey (thanks gly!).
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Deep and talented
How deep is Chivas USA? The team they sent out against New York today, the first-half team anyway, was a decent one. And that team wasn't full strength. Not by a long shot. All you have to do is compare teams to see how good this club can be.
Tuesday's first-half squad: Brad Guzan; Jorge Flores, Claudio Suarez, Jim Curtin, Alex Zotinca; John Cunliffe, Jesse Marsch, Marko Murlin, Sacha Kljestan; Ante Razov, Atiba Harris.
The players who were not available for the game: (okay, no decent goalie to call in but...) Sam Reynolds; Jonathan Bornstein, Shavar Thomas, Bobby Burling, Lawson Vaughn; Francisco Mendoza, Paulo Nagamura, Raphael Wicky, Anthony Hamilton; Alecko Eskandarian, Maykel Galindo.
There is some notable dropoff in a few positions but this team has close to an embarrassment of riches.
Shavar Thomas, by the way, is stuck in Jamaica. He's trying to get a visa to get his way back into the United States.
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Tuesday's first-half squad: Brad Guzan; Jorge Flores, Claudio Suarez, Jim Curtin, Alex Zotinca; John Cunliffe, Jesse Marsch, Marko Murlin, Sacha Kljestan; Ante Razov, Atiba Harris.
The players who were not available for the game: (okay, no decent goalie to call in but...) Sam Reynolds; Jonathan Bornstein, Shavar Thomas, Bobby Burling, Lawson Vaughn; Francisco Mendoza, Paulo Nagamura, Raphael Wicky, Anthony Hamilton; Alecko Eskandarian, Maykel Galindo.
There is some notable dropoff in a few positions but this team has close to an embarrassment of riches.
Shavar Thomas, by the way, is stuck in Jamaica. He's trying to get a visa to get his way back into the United States.
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Running laps
First-teamers running laps while would-be teammates prepared for second half. From left to right: Atiba Harris, Jim Curtin, Claudio Suarez, Ante Razov, Sacha Kljestan, Alex Zotinca, Jesse Marsch.
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Hey ladies
Some nice eye candy made its way around the track and field stadium today. Not sure who these ladies were but they were easy on the eyes.
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Badilla MLS bound?
New England has apparently set their sights on Deportivo Saprissa defender Gabriel Badilla. According to this report from Costa Rica, Badilla could soon join the MLS Cup runners-up.
With Badilla, 23, and Michael Parkhurst on the backline, New England would have the best young defensive pair in the league, and possibly the best defensive pair, period. Badilla would be an upgrade over Avery John, and quite a bit younger. Badilla played for Costa Rica in the 2006 World Cup. He's a central defender but can also play wide if need be.
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With Badilla, 23, and Michael Parkhurst on the backline, New England would have the best young defensive pair in the league, and possibly the best defensive pair, period. Badilla would be an upgrade over Avery John, and quite a bit younger. Badilla played for Costa Rica in the 2006 World Cup. He's a central defender but can also play wide if need be.
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Like old times
Jim Curtin, Bob Bradley and Ante Razov hanging out on the Chivas USA sideline. Jesse Marsch was with this trio a bit as well but sneaked away before I could take a decent picture.Read more...
Letting his hair down
I got the chance to talk to Alecko Eskandarian for the first time today, well, for the first time since he's been here with Chivas USA. He seems like a good guy who will be willing to do whatever he can to help Chivas win.
He also said he's going to ditch his headgear. I've had difficulty spotting him while out at training. I guess I'm so used to Alecko wearing his headgear that that's what I instinctively search for. Instead, he's the one in need of a haircut. Actually, his new look just looks different.
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Guzan shuts out Red Bulls
I've been out and about doing family stuff for most of the afternoon so I haven't yet gotten a chance to post about today's Chivas USA-Red Bulls match. The Red-and-White beat New York 1-0 on an early goal by Ante Razov. It was so early in fact that I didn't see it. Thanks to bad traffic on the 91, I didn't get to the game until minutes after Ante scored. Of course, not much happened afterward.
Chivas USA looked like this in the first half:
Brad Guzan; Jorge Flores, Jim Curtin, Claudio Suarez, Alex Zotinca; John Cunliffe, Marko Muslin, Jesse Marsch, Sacha Kljestan; Ante Razov, Atiba Harris.
The second half lineup:
Brad Guzan, Jorge Flores, Mike Munoz, Marko Muslin, Zach Flores; El Hadj Cisse (Nick Blanco 77), Kraig Chiles, Dan Paladini, Keith Savagel Justin Braun, Chukwudi Chijinju.
I thought Jorge Flores played decent at left back. He wasn't Jonathan Bornstein but he did okay for himself. Not sure if that's his best position but he could prove to be useful at left back if he develops well there. None of the other players from the second half impressed, well, except for Brad Guzan. He made a pair of nice saves late in the game to preserve the shutout.
Chivas USA looked like this in the first half:
Brad Guzan; Jorge Flores, Jim Curtin, Claudio Suarez, Alex Zotinca; John Cunliffe, Marko Muslin, Jesse Marsch, Sacha Kljestan; Ante Razov, Atiba Harris.
The second half lineup:
Brad Guzan, Jorge Flores, Mike Munoz, Marko Muslin, Zach Flores; El Hadj Cisse (Nick Blanco 77), Kraig Chiles, Dan Paladini, Keith Savagel Justin Braun, Chukwudi Chijinju.
I thought Jorge Flores played decent at left back. He wasn't Jonathan Bornstein but he did okay for himself. Not sure if that's his best position but he could prove to be useful at left back if he develops well there. None of the other players from the second half impressed, well, except for Brad Guzan. He made a pair of nice saves late in the game to preserve the shutout.
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Nice shot
Clint Mathis is showing no signs of slowing down. After he spurned MLS and the Galaxy by joining Ergotelis of Greece, Mathis warmed up to his new club by knocking in this nifty equalizer in a 2-2 draw on the weekend against Apollon Kalamarias.
Is it me or does that little tune at the end of the clip remind you of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven?"
Anyway, nice goal!
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Is it me or does that little tune at the end of the clip remind you of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven?"
Anyway, nice goal!
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Trouble for Nkong
Alain Nkong was on top of the world last week after scoring the match-winner in Cameroon's 1-0 semifinal win over Ghana in the African Nations Cup.
Now, he may be looking for an attorney.
Nkong was a no-show in Cancun as he was supposed to have reported back to Atlante following the ANC, which for Nkong ended in a 1-0 loss to Egypt on Sunday. Nkong, though, was not heading back to Atlante's first club. The defending Mexican league champs wanted to send Nkong to Leon of the second division but Nkong apparently felt he deserved better.
Atlante filed a complaint against Nkong, according to this story. They've taken some recourse and gotten the FMF involved. Atlante officials, though, said they would be open to talking to Nkong to come to an agreement.
Nkong landed a spot on Atlante before the start of the Apertura 2007 season and helped Atlante win a championship. After he was selected for Cameroon's ANC squad, Atlante dropped Nkong and wanted to ship him to the second division, but Nkong said no and now the club is apparently trying to force its will.
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Now, he may be looking for an attorney.
Nkong was a no-show in Cancun as he was supposed to have reported back to Atlante following the ANC, which for Nkong ended in a 1-0 loss to Egypt on Sunday. Nkong, though, was not heading back to Atlante's first club. The defending Mexican league champs wanted to send Nkong to Leon of the second division but Nkong apparently felt he deserved better.
Atlante filed a complaint against Nkong, according to this story. They've taken some recourse and gotten the FMF involved. Atlante officials, though, said they would be open to talking to Nkong to come to an agreement.
Nkong landed a spot on Atlante before the start of the Apertura 2007 season and helped Atlante win a championship. After he was selected for Cameroon's ANC squad, Atlante dropped Nkong and wanted to ship him to the second division, but Nkong said no and now the club is apparently trying to force its will.
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Champs = best?
Are champions the best?
Maybe, maybe not. The couple of responses I got here yesterday said that winners were the best and that's that.
While I agree that winning trumps everything - I don't think Greeks cared if they were perceived to be the best European team in 2004 - it's still a debate that rages on regardless. An English buddy of mine told me after the Euro 2004 final that England would beet Greece hands down, so he obviously didn't feel Greece was better than England.
However, I disagree a bit with the assertion that a championship means that the team is the best. I think if we were to rank the Asian sides here, we'd probably have South Korea and Japan as numbers one and two, or two and one, with someone possibly throwing Saudi Arabia into the mix. I don't think anyone would mention Iraq as being the best Asian side, even though they are the Asian Cup holders.
Ultimately trophies speak the loudest, but this debate rages on regardless of titles. I just tried to give some insight as to why there is a lingering debate.
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Maybe, maybe not. The couple of responses I got here yesterday said that winners were the best and that's that.
While I agree that winning trumps everything - I don't think Greeks cared if they were perceived to be the best European team in 2004 - it's still a debate that rages on regardless. An English buddy of mine told me after the Euro 2004 final that England would beet Greece hands down, so he obviously didn't feel Greece was better than England.
However, I disagree a bit with the assertion that a championship means that the team is the best. I think if we were to rank the Asian sides here, we'd probably have South Korea and Japan as numbers one and two, or two and one, with someone possibly throwing Saudi Arabia into the mix. I don't think anyone would mention Iraq as being the best Asian side, even though they are the Asian Cup holders.
Ultimately trophies speak the loudest, but this debate rages on regardless of titles. I just tried to give some insight as to why there is a lingering debate.
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Voices in the crowd
Another complainer?
Or will people realize that when a sport is growing, media exposure is something that should be fostered?
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Or will people realize that when a sport is growing, media exposure is something that should be fostered?
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Monday, February 11, 2008
Pan Pacific coverage
In case you care about the tournament, the Pan-Pacific Championship will be broadcast on ESPN Classic. It's not exactly a prime channel, but it's something.
Incidentally, I heard an explanation last week about the participating teams. Supposedly it was to be the US champs (Houston), the Japanese champs (Gamba Osaka), an Australian team (Sydney FC) and the SuperLiga champs (Pachuca). But since Pachuca supposedly declined to participate, the SuperLiga runners-up were chosen to go, and thus we have the LA Galaxy.
Sydney FC, by the way, aren't the Aussie champs but they are a finalist for the A-League championship.
As far as the Galaxy's participation, how convenient...
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Incidentally, I heard an explanation last week about the participating teams. Supposedly it was to be the US champs (Houston), the Japanese champs (Gamba Osaka), an Australian team (Sydney FC) and the SuperLiga champs (Pachuca). But since Pachuca supposedly declined to participate, the SuperLiga runners-up were chosen to go, and thus we have the LA Galaxy.
Sydney FC, by the way, aren't the Aussie champs but they are a finalist for the A-League championship.
As far as the Galaxy's participation, how convenient...
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Africa's best
Egypt claimed the African Nations Cup on Sunday, and thus they are kings of Africa.
But are they Africa's best side?
I was struck with this dilemma yesterday so I decided to explore it a bit more. You'll have to wait for Tuesday's PE column for my explorations (I looked at all the confederations and the supposed best teams in each region).
Egypt, though, struck me as odd. Egypt won the ANC in 2006 and 2008 and beat Ivory Coast and Cameroon (twice) en route to this year's crown. But Egypt did not qualify for the 2006 World Cup, nor the 2002 cup, the 1998 cup and the 1994 cup. In fact, Egypt has only played in two World Cups - 1990 and 1934. Additionally, their roster is not as stacked as other African nations.
Still, Egypt won this tournament two consecutive times now, which proves it isn't a fluke.
What constitutes "best?" As I mention in my column, if you ask a typical American soccer fan and a typical Mexican soccer fan who the best team in CONCACAF is, you'll get two different answers. What defines "best?" Is it simply championships won? Players the nation has produced? Does the league come into play? What about matches against common opponents? Games in Europe? Simply qualifying for tournaments? What about youth national teams - do those count?
It's really a subject you can write a book on. My PE attempt was about 800 words.
I didn't really come to a conclusion in my column, though, at least as to Egypt's superiority. I would consider them the best side right now but they have to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. The two-time defending African champions simply have to, otherwise we'll be right back here a couple of years from now.
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But are they Africa's best side?
I was struck with this dilemma yesterday so I decided to explore it a bit more. You'll have to wait for Tuesday's PE column for my explorations (I looked at all the confederations and the supposed best teams in each region).
Egypt, though, struck me as odd. Egypt won the ANC in 2006 and 2008 and beat Ivory Coast and Cameroon (twice) en route to this year's crown. But Egypt did not qualify for the 2006 World Cup, nor the 2002 cup, the 1998 cup and the 1994 cup. In fact, Egypt has only played in two World Cups - 1990 and 1934. Additionally, their roster is not as stacked as other African nations.
Still, Egypt won this tournament two consecutive times now, which proves it isn't a fluke.
What constitutes "best?" As I mention in my column, if you ask a typical American soccer fan and a typical Mexican soccer fan who the best team in CONCACAF is, you'll get two different answers. What defines "best?" Is it simply championships won? Players the nation has produced? Does the league come into play? What about matches against common opponents? Games in Europe? Simply qualifying for tournaments? What about youth national teams - do those count?
It's really a subject you can write a book on. My PE attempt was about 800 words.
I didn't really come to a conclusion in my column, though, at least as to Egypt's superiority. I would consider them the best side right now but they have to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. The two-time defending African champions simply have to, otherwise we'll be right back here a couple of years from now.
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Rapidly improving
Christian Gomez has been property of the Colorado Rapids for about three days now, and I still can't believe it.
I'm not so stunned that Colorado pulled off a deal - they actually had a decent offseason a year ago. But to get a player of Gomez's caliber, easily one of the top five players in MLS, is quite a surprise.
The move thrusts Colorado into the throes of the playoff contenders out West. I've always been a fan of Terry Cooke, and add Pablo Mastroeni, Mehdi Ballouchy and Colin Clark to the mix and Colorado has a deep, talented and versatile midfield.
Still, I am not convinced it can work simply because Fernando Clavijo is pulling the strings. Will he let the guys in the middle of the field play or will he suck the creativity out of Gomez? Still, as much incompetence as Clavijo has shown in recent years, even he can't mess up Gomez, can he?
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I'm not so stunned that Colorado pulled off a deal - they actually had a decent offseason a year ago. But to get a player of Gomez's caliber, easily one of the top five players in MLS, is quite a surprise.
The move thrusts Colorado into the throes of the playoff contenders out West. I've always been a fan of Terry Cooke, and add Pablo Mastroeni, Mehdi Ballouchy and Colin Clark to the mix and Colorado has a deep, talented and versatile midfield.
Still, I am not convinced it can work simply because Fernando Clavijo is pulling the strings. Will he let the guys in the middle of the field play or will he suck the creativity out of Gomez? Still, as much incompetence as Clavijo has shown in recent years, even he can't mess up Gomez, can he?
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Scenes of joy
Snippets of the celebrations across Cairo after Egypt won their confederation championship. Similar scenes played out in Chicago last year after the U.S. won... oh wait, no they didn't.
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African champions
In case you haven't seen the highlights, Egypy beat Cameroon 1-0 in Sunday's African Nations Cup final. No magic from Eto'o and Nkong were enough to keep Egypt from winning their sixth African Nations Cup crown.
Rigobert Song had a horror of an effort on the match-winner.
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Rigobert Song had a horror of an effort on the match-winner.
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Friday, February 8, 2008
The Jalisco Incident
Yep, Luis posts important videos from competitions. While I find this stuff.
A word of advice to fans coming to Galaxy or Chivas USA training. Avoid the bushes or the cement walls around the training fields.
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A word of advice to fans coming to Galaxy or Chivas USA training. Avoid the bushes or the cement walls around the training fields.
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African semis
Here are the highlights of Ghana-Cameroon. Alain Nkong's goal was a thing of beauty.
And here's Egypt-Ivory Coast, widely considered an upset though Egypt won the ANC in 2006.
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And here's Egypt-Ivory Coast, widely considered an upset though Egypt won the ANC in 2006.
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Path becoming clearer
The United States' schedule for later this year hasn't been set yet. The U.S. still has to get past the major hurdle that is Barbados/Dominica, major as in let's hope no one picks up a major injury in that walkover series.
Once in the semifinal round, the U.S. will play games in some of the following sites:
Bridgeview, Ill.; Columbus, Ohio; Frisco, Texas; Seattle, Wash.; Commerce City, Colo.; and Washington D.C.
If form holds, the United States' schedule will be the following:
Sept. 10 vs. Cuba
Oct. 11 vs. Trinidad & Tobago
Nov. 19 vs. Guatemala
It would be nice to see different venues used for this round. For qualifying in 04-05, the US played in, among other sites, Foxboro, Columbus, D.C., Alabama, Salt Lake and Connecticut. Already, the US will use a new venue as Home Depot Center will be utilized for the Barbados/Dominica showdown.
I'd like to see a clean sweep of new venues: Toyota Park, DSG Park and Pizza Hut Park. You'd get (hopefully) good crowds for these important games in cities that have invested in American soccer. Not a bad deal.
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Once in the semifinal round, the U.S. will play games in some of the following sites:
Bridgeview, Ill.; Columbus, Ohio; Frisco, Texas; Seattle, Wash.; Commerce City, Colo.; and Washington D.C.
If form holds, the United States' schedule will be the following:
Sept. 10 vs. Cuba
Oct. 11 vs. Trinidad & Tobago
Nov. 19 vs. Guatemala
It would be nice to see different venues used for this round. For qualifying in 04-05, the US played in, among other sites, Foxboro, Columbus, D.C., Alabama, Salt Lake and Connecticut. Already, the US will use a new venue as Home Depot Center will be utilized for the Barbados/Dominica showdown.
I'd like to see a clean sweep of new venues: Toyota Park, DSG Park and Pizza Hut Park. You'd get (hopefully) good crowds for these important games in cities that have invested in American soccer. Not a bad deal.
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Thursday, February 7, 2008
Laughing last
The U.S. went ahead, but Mexico pulled back each time. Here's one viewpoint where the joke is both on Landon Donovan and Hugo Sanchez.
The little Mexican mascot says, "Well, at least we shut Donovan up." The second one says, "Unfortunately, now this guy won't shut up."
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The little Mexican mascot says, "Well, at least we shut Donovan up." The second one says, "Unfortunately, now this guy won't shut up."
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Red-and-White preseason
Chivas USA announced their preseason schedule. Because few of you will head to the away games, here are the SoCal preseason fixtures.
Tuesday, Feb. 12 - New York, 10 a.m.
Saturday, Feb. 16 - Japan U-23, 2 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 18 - DC United, noon
Wednesday, Feb. 20 - UC Riverside, 10 a.m.
Saturday, Feb. 23 - Columbus, at Santa Clarita, 5 p.m.
Saturday, March 15 - San Diego St., 10 a.m.
Wednesday, March 19 - CS Fullerton, 10 a.m.
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Tuesday, Feb. 12 - New York, 10 a.m.
Saturday, Feb. 16 - Japan U-23, 2 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 18 - DC United, noon
Wednesday, Feb. 20 - UC Riverside, 10 a.m.
Saturday, Feb. 23 - Columbus, at Santa Clarita, 5 p.m.
Saturday, March 15 - San Diego St., 10 a.m.
Wednesday, March 19 - CS Fullerton, 10 a.m.
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Alain!!!
(Thanks to east river for tipping us off to this)
Alain Nkong is a hero. That's official. The well-traveled Nkong came off the bench for his native Cameroon and scored the match-winner in Cameroon's 1-0 win over Ghana on Thursday. The win propels Cameroon through to the final and knocks out the host nation in gut-wrenching fashion.
Nkong, of course, was not good enough to play for the Colorado Rapids but helped Atlante win the Mexican First Division title. Atlante, though, rewarded him by sending him to Leon of the second division, apparently unhappy with Nkong's call-up to Cameroon's national team. However, Nkong balked at the move and will return to Atlante upon completion of the African Nations Cup.
Good for Nkong. It's good to see him succeed, for both club and country.
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Alain Nkong is a hero. That's official. The well-traveled Nkong came off the bench for his native Cameroon and scored the match-winner in Cameroon's 1-0 win over Ghana on Thursday. The win propels Cameroon through to the final and knocks out the host nation in gut-wrenching fashion.
Nkong, of course, was not good enough to play for the Colorado Rapids but helped Atlante win the Mexican First Division title. Atlante, though, rewarded him by sending him to Leon of the second division, apparently unhappy with Nkong's call-up to Cameroon's national team. However, Nkong balked at the move and will return to Atlante upon completion of the African Nations Cup.
Good for Nkong. It's good to see him succeed, for both club and country.
Read more...
Road trip!
Galaxy at San Jose - Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, Aug. 3.
Galaxy at Salt Lake - Saturday, May 3
Chivas USA at San Jose - Saturday, Oct. 11
Chivas USA at Salt Lake - Saturday, Sept. 20
Anybody planning on going on any of these road games? I might have to squeeze in the Galaxy-San Jose game on Aug. 3.
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Galaxy at Salt Lake - Saturday, May 3
Chivas USA at San Jose - Saturday, Oct. 11
Chivas USA at Salt Lake - Saturday, Sept. 20
Anybody planning on going on any of these road games? I might have to squeeze in the Galaxy-San Jose game on Aug. 3.
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For planning purposes
Well, the MLS schedule is out so now we know each respective SoCal team's path to the playoffs or to nowhere.
Here's a link to the full league schedule.
Some of the HDC highlights include:
Chivas USA vs Galaxy on Saturday, April 26; Thursday, July 10 and Thursday, Aug. 14. Interestingly, the teams will meet only three times this year as opposed to five times in '05 (four league games plus an Open Cup) and four times the last two years.
Chicago at Chivas USA, Thursday, June 19
Chicago at Galaxy, Thursday, Aug. 21
No scheduled league games at HDC between July 10 and Aug. 14.
Also, thought this was interesting. On Wednesday, Aug. 20, Chivas will play at Houston and D.C. United will play New England. That looks like they're setting up those four teams to participate in the Champions League.
As far as Champions League goes, MLS didn't do Chivas USA any favors. Now, I'm assuming Chivas will have to compete in the preliminary round. So they'll have a game Aug. 26-28 and another Sept. 2-4. Well, they play Wed. 8/20 at Houston, Sat. 8/23 vs San Jose, then a Cup game, Sat. 8/30 vs Toronto, the second leg on 9/2-4 and then AT Toronto on Sat 9/6. So they could conceivably play a Wednesday game in Central America and a game four days later in Canada. Nice. Then, if they advance to the group stage, they could be faced with some adverse travel itineraries. They play at New England (9/11), at Salt Lake (9/20), at DC (10/4) and at San Jose (10/11) during the group stage.
The Galaxy's schedule is fairly consistent. That is, it's not spring-light, fall-heavy like a year ago.
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Here's a link to the full league schedule.
Some of the HDC highlights include:
Chivas USA vs Galaxy on Saturday, April 26; Thursday, July 10 and Thursday, Aug. 14. Interestingly, the teams will meet only three times this year as opposed to five times in '05 (four league games plus an Open Cup) and four times the last two years.
Chicago at Chivas USA, Thursday, June 19
Chicago at Galaxy, Thursday, Aug. 21
No scheduled league games at HDC between July 10 and Aug. 14.
Also, thought this was interesting. On Wednesday, Aug. 20, Chivas will play at Houston and D.C. United will play New England. That looks like they're setting up those four teams to participate in the Champions League.
As far as Champions League goes, MLS didn't do Chivas USA any favors. Now, I'm assuming Chivas will have to compete in the preliminary round. So they'll have a game Aug. 26-28 and another Sept. 2-4. Well, they play Wed. 8/20 at Houston, Sat. 8/23 vs San Jose, then a Cup game, Sat. 8/30 vs Toronto, the second leg on 9/2-4 and then AT Toronto on Sat 9/6. So they could conceivably play a Wednesday game in Central America and a game four days later in Canada. Nice. Then, if they advance to the group stage, they could be faced with some adverse travel itineraries. They play at New England (9/11), at Salt Lake (9/20), at DC (10/4) and at San Jose (10/11) during the group stage.
The Galaxy's schedule is fairly consistent. That is, it's not spring-light, fall-heavy like a year ago.
Read more...
When next they meet
The United States and Mexico might not play again this year. With World Cup qualifying taking up a chunk of the fall, and other friendlies agains