You're Having A LAFC!

LA is getting a new soccer team - LAFC. But this won't be the first time Nomar and Mia have been in charge of a soccer squad. 

Posting the pics from their charity soccer matches reminds me of what an important cause bone marrow and organ donation really is. 

Perhaps that can become a key component of the new club, like it has in Brazil for Recife. Every time I see this video, I think of the lives that can be saved and I get a little misty. Soccer fandom is great, but when it matters in terms of real life or death, that's just incredible. 

In Mia's own words

How did you get the idea to do this?
This game actually started in 1997, up in Milwakee, but it was an indoor game and it just consisted of women’s national team players, my teammates, and we played college seniors in the area. 2001 was the last game – we had the WUSA and the national team and there was a lot going on. This year, we just had the idea to bring the game back. It’s just such a good thing and Nomar jumped on board. We thought about the Home Depot – it’s in our backyard, and the guys from AEG, Tim Leiweke, were awesome about letting us use this venue. All the people that pitched in were awesome – the celebrities who came out – we didn’t think we’d get the response that we did. It was fantastic.

It's important to get the word out about registration, no?
It’s so important. I think the more that our country becomes a melting pot, the more important it is. What’s so wonderful about Nomar being involved is the importance of minorities getting involved and getting into the bank. Southern California, you see so many people of so many ethnicities. That was illustrated out there today, with the bone marrow donors and the recipients. That five minutes it takes to get registered. I can’t wait to get that call. You change a family’s life – not just the recipient’s, but the entire family’s life – forever. You change that despair and struggle they’ve had and give them an opportunity for hope. I’m just so grateful for all the fans that came out and all the people that supported this.

Because of your brother you can really relate to all the families struggling with these types of diseases - how does it feel to know what they're going through?

It’s motivating. I know what it was like. My brother was told by his doctors, “you have to have a bone marrow transplant.” Then the insurance company said, ‘We don’t think we’re going to pay for it.” That’s to live – and he’s got a young son and a wife. I was making 35, 000 dollars at the time and I was begging for any kind of help. He deserved it. Then we were told, “We can’t find a match for you.” We eventually found his biological father, but that was just a half-match. They call it a haplo. People asked me, what was your goal today? If I got just one more person signed up, that’s one more opportunity that someone out there has and that makes all the difference in the world – in their lives. Watching that young girl out there, I thought, “That could be our daughter.”

Will this become an annual event?
We hope so. We really hope so. We’ll go back and revaluate, but the response has already been good. The celebrities said they had a blast and sounds like the fans did, too.

You dished out a lot of assists to the celebrities. (Smiling) I did.

Game pics

Aren't these good pictures? No, I didn't take them. Nick Ammazzalorso, who used to be one of the Galaxy media guys when I started covering the team, was helping out the organizers of the Celebrity Soccer Challenge and got them to send me a couple of pics. He was always doing nice stuff like that when he worked for the Galaxy, too.


Carlos Mencia does a butt/hip check of Ty Pennington while Julie Foudy looks on.

Rivers Cuomo celebrates scoring a goal with Bianca Kajlich.

Quotes from the Celebrity Soccer Challenge

Inspiration: I think I want to get back in shape and play on a team. I haven’t played since my late twenties. I kind of retired, but I think I want to start again – get on a team, get playing again. --Rivers Cuomo

I’m going to go upstairs (to register as a bone marrow donor). That’s the whole point of this. --Alexi Lalas

We watched Dare to Dream on our way here. I wanted my daughter to see the documentary on how they changed women’s soccer and how far it’s come. I got very emotional watching, because I was one of the pioneers out there playing with the boys and not getting to play with women. I quit before there really was organized girls soccer. It’s rewarding to see how far we’ve come and to know I played a small part in people’s acceptance of women as athletes. --Elizabeth Shue

I’m new to the foundation, but I’ve witnessed what was going on today and I was really touched. There’s a lot of heroes out there, a lot of people making a difference. It’s just inspired us all. -Jim Abbott

Extreme extertion: It was fun. I’ll feel muscles tomorrow that I haven’t felt in years. --Eric Braeden

I was having some groin issues, but the game was still fun. --Rivers Cuomo

Transfer? What transfer?: We’re not going to talk about that. We’re here for this. --Brad Guzan on Celtic. Interesting use of the royal "we".

Forget Freddy - Andy is the savior of U.S. Soccer: I dominated, to put it in short. It was like – Landon, Mia, and then me.
When you’re as good as me, the play really moves through me. I’m sort of like the Pele man, the John Stockton, Steve Nash as it were, if you were making a basketball to soccer comparison. The Joe Montana, as it were. Who else? I’ll say Muhammad Ali. It’s tough to top. Jordan, maybe? -- Andy Samberg, who is a deceptively tough interview, because I can't keep any questions straight when I'm giggling.

The we're-not-even-playing-on-turf-bewilderment: Actors are very uncoordinated. A few kept falling - I don’t understand. Course, I’d probably fall over in front of the camera. --Pete Vagenas

The perhaps-too-traumatized-by-papparazzi-temporary-deafness: Milo! Milo, a couple of quick questions? Milo? --Me to Milo Ventimiglia, who kept walking.

Previous experience: I grew up playing soccer. I played in high school and college. I loved the game. --Ty Pennington

I used to play here in Los Angeles, with a team called the Maccabees. We won the U.S. Championship four times. --Eric Braeden

I played soccer since I was about eight, up until high school. I play a little bit still, every now and then. --Andy Samberg

I have played soccer, but that was about twenty-five years ago. --Jim Abbott

I played as a kid and I still love it. --Nomar Garciaparra

Soccer I.Q: I watch the national team. A lot of these young guys are new, but I definitely watch the highlights and I’ve been following them. I watch the World Cup and all that. --Andy Samberg

I’m a big fan of soccer obviously. I used to play. Alexi Lalas and Mia Hamm, I’ve played with them before. --Eric Braeden

What it's all about: To come out here and play for Mia and Nomar – I think they’re the only two people who could get so many people to come out for a great cause. --Paul Caligiuri

They’re out here to have fun and they’re doing it for a great cause. That’s what’s the most important thing. --Nomar Garciaparra

It’s amazing to be here, with Mia, who is so well known in soccer and to support the cause. It’s really special to be asked to be a part of it. --Chris Albright

It’s a wonderful cause. --Eric Braeden

We’re privileged to be a part of it and so honored that she wanted us, the Galaxy and the Home Depot Center to be part of it. We didn’t think twice. We said, where and when? --Alexi Lalas

Anytime you can come out and be part of this, for such a good cause – it was a good afternoon. --Brad Guzan

Final thoughts: Unless there’s some sort of fracas in the locker room post-game, I hope to be invited back. --Andy Samberg

Before the camera broke

I suppose my next camera (when I can afford one) should be encased in rubber or something, so it can survive being dropped.

Mia's Match

Here's my espn.com story on the Celebrity Soccer Challenge.

Are you registered?

If there was ever a day to take good pictures for the blog, the Soccer Celebrity Challenge would be it, but I dropped my faithful little digital camera and now it's broken.
I can't feel even a little bit sorry for myself today, though, not when covering an event that helps highlight what real struggle is all about by showcasing the difference bone marrow transplants can make in the lives of many people fighting deadly diseases.
I'm in the bone marrow registry - I got tested and signed up years ago. It's especially important for minorities to join the registry, because right now there are so few of them in the database.
Mia emphasized that point when I talked to her. I had to wait a while for that chat, because she was signing autographs for fans for a long, long, time.

Mia Hamm Challenge Running Blog

Game just started. Mia's team is team Red Mia Hamm, Pat Noonan, Elizabeth Shue, Chris Albright, Milo Ventimiglia, Andy Samberg, Lieberthal, Eric Wynalda, Seth Myers, Taylor Twelman, Joy Fawcett, Casey Jennings, Ty Pennington, Eric Braeden
Nomar's is blue; Landon Donovan, Bianca Kajlich, Colleti, Tony Hawk, Alan Hopkins, Julie Foudy, Carlos Mencia, Kristine Lilly, Kim Ng, Tisha Hoch, Alexi Lalas, Anthony LaPaglia, Brad Guzan,
1-Ty Pennington miffed a Mia Hamm cross, though he was right in front of goal
2-Mia takes it herself this time. Goal! 1-0 to Mia
Anthony LaPaglia is in the blue goal, so now he's been scored on by David Beckham and Mia Hamm both. Wonder how many people can say that.
5- Taylor Twellman bangs it off the crossbar. Nomar's team needs to get going.
6- Casey Jennings scores. I have no idea either. Turns out he's the beach volleyball guy. I don't know. 2-0
8- Rivers Cuomo gets one back for Nomar's team. He took a nice pass from Julie Foudy, I believe. 2-1
10- Elizabeth Shue subs in for Pennington. Should be an upgrade.
11- Wynalda (I think) scores from the halfway stripe. 3-1 Mia
13- Mia and Jennings work a nice give and go that leaves hims alone on goal. 4-1 Nomar is getting spanked.
12- Landon Donovan passes to Tisha Hoch (Venturini) for a blue goal. There's too much subbing, I can't keep track of when he came on. 4-2
13- Mia almost scores again.
14- Pete Vagenas, whose name was horribly butchered during introductions, tries to set up Tony Hawk, but the ball is saved off the line.
15- Landon to Pete to Kristine Lilly - she tops the shot way over goal. Weird. It was almost too easy.
15 - Last shot of the half - Eric Braeden scores! Yeah, Victor from Young and the Restless. I think Guzan needs to get in goal for team Nomar.
The celebrities who played pretty well - Jennings, Hawk looked ok too. Also, that guy from Heroes, Milo Ventimiglia, even though he's kinda small.
Second period
16 -Taylor Twellman is in goal this half for Mia's team. He just make a save.
18- Team Blue scores. It's another volleyball guy, Fonomoana, or something.
25- Landon scores, I missed it, really, just saw him jogging back. 5-4
27- Alan Hopkins had the tying goal on his foot, but puts it off the crossbar.
28- Andy Samberg has about three chances to put the ball in, Guzan blocks them all.
28- Rivers Cuomo one on one versus Twellman, puts it wide.
29 - Mia feeds Pennington again. Guzan picks the ball off his foot.
Now it's halftime. Mia gives a speech to introduce the audience to the Foundation's goal, which is to increase bone marrow registration. Mia's brother, Garrett, fought aplastic anemia for years (he finally got a marrow transplant, but developed an infection and died in 1997). The cause is very personal and meaningful to her.
BTW, Nomar isn't playing. Apparently, his MLB contract doesn't allow him to do so, for fear he might get hurt. Lame. Tony Hawk, (my hero) he gets hurt all the time. Course, skateboarding isn't a team sport.
2nd Half
32- Eric Braeden scores for Red. I think Milo had the assist. 6-4
34- Brad Guzan, who is now on the field, scores on Taylor Twellman and then does a little "hush" finger signal. 6-5
36- Guzan gets a sweet pass from Foudy and scores on Taylor again. Tied game. 6-6
37- Taylor does save a shot from Foudy.
39- Ty Pennington finally scores. I think the ball kind of hit him and went in. 7-6 Mia
41- Jennings passes to Wyss (head of Soccer for Hope) Goal! 8-6
42- Kajlich gets a cross right in front of goal, but it rolls right over her foot.
43- Wynalda scores. Jaime thinks Wynalda can still play in MLS. 9-6
44- Milo Ventimiglia doesn't seem to realize it, but he has masking tape stuck to his red shorts.
44- Wynalda scores again. 10-6
45 - Vagenas scores for blue 10-7
45- Guzan scores for blue again. 10-8.
It's funny how the birds of a feather flock together. During the break, Shue talks with Ventimiglia, the SNL guys appear to joke around together and the athletes talk to each other. Except for Noonan, who is chatting with Braeden.
Final Period begins.
Blue just scored again. 10-9
The game continues, but I'm leaving the wifi press box to try to get quotes.

Soccer and Celebrities

Celebritydom isn't usually associated with soccer players in the U.S. One notable exception is David Beckham, obviously, but another is Mia Hamm. Following her retirement, Mia focused mostly on her life with husband Nomar Garciaparra, especially after having twins.

However, there've been signs recently that Mia is looking to get more involved with soccer again. Mia was on the small selection committee that appointed Pia Sundhage to the USWNT coaching position.

Mia is also headlining a Celebrity Soccer Challenge this weekend for a children's charity.

I'll be there - I'm curious to get Mia's thoughts on the team these days. Also, if she's planning further involvement with the new pro league, Women's Professional Soccer. Yep, that's her image in the logo. I've never gotten anyone in MLS to admit whose foot is on their logo.