December 2008 Archives

And yeah, I know it's a mouthful.

More information - and the poll - is here.

I'll pull the plug on this and declare a winner at noon Thursday, although it doesn't appear there's much doubt who it will be.

Thanks to all who took the time to vote.

U.S. Men's National Team Coach Bob Bradley has included 19 players with 10 or fewer international appearances, including nine in search of their first cap, on the roster for the traditional January camp at Home Depot Center.

Those players include Palos Verdes' John Thorrington of the Chicago Fire (three caps, 0 goals), Cal State Northridge product Sean Franklin of the Galaxy (0/0), Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers (0/0) and Riverside's Chad Marshall of the Columbus Crew (4/1).

Also named to the squad were Chivas USA's Sacha Kljestan of Huntington Beach (12/0) and Jonathan Bornstein of Los Alamitos (13/1).

The camp for the 25 players that begins Jan. 4 culminates Jan. 24 with a game against Sweden in Carson.

Here's the complete roster.

'Tis the season.

Not only for journalists to use that over-used phrase, but for largely meaningless end of year awards. Still, they're also fun.

So this blog is joining the party with a highly prestigious (ahem) award of our own: the 100 Percent Soccer Southern California Soccer Personality of the Year.

Read the column then cast your vote. We'll announce the winner New Year's Day.

Thanks for reading.

Cal State Dominguez Hills junior defender Kevin Gallaugher was today named the Division II National Player of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

He led the Toro defense to 14 shutouts on the year, including three in five games in the NCAA postseason. The defense gave up just 19 goals on the season.

It's the first such honor for the program in eight years, when Juan Carlos "JC" Bolanos led CSUDH to its 2000 NCAA Title.

"Throughout the year in our 27 games, I don't think Kevin had one bad game," reflects head coach Joe Flanagan, who also coached Bolanos during the 2000 run. "This award shows how complete and prepared of a player he is in every game, and the level he played at. As a great defender, he truly deserves the opportunity to be player of the year."

In other news that filtered out over the holidays:
*Two Galaxy players - David Beckham and Landon Donovan - are in Dubai training with two different European teams.

*HDC press box colleague Luis Bueno brings us up to date on Chivas USA midfielder Panchito Mendoza, who played over the weekend in CD Guadalajara's 2-1 win over Necaxa. Bueno translates what Mendoza had to say about the Mexican league in comparison to MLS.

*The New York Times Goal blog follows the lead of England's FourFourTwo magazine and asks famous players to name their best all-time team. Chivas USA's Claudio Suarez names his here.

*The U.S. men's Under-18 National Team on Sunday began a week-long 72-player camp at Home Depot Center. Among the locals being evaluated by former Chivas USA assistant coach and newly-appointed U-18 Coach Mike Matkovich are: defender Jesus Gonzales (Chino Hills, Calif.; FC Barcelona); midfielders Eder Arreola (Chino Hills; UCLA), Antonio Benitez (Azusa; LAFC Chelsea), Miles Byass (San Bernardino; Arsenal FC), Alejandro Cobarubias (Cudahy; Galaxy), Pablo Cruz (Azusa; LAFC Chelsea), Chris Ortega (Chula Vista; Arsenal FC), Patrick Otte (Thousand Oaks; Middlesborough Academy); Giovanni Rollie (Los Angeles; LAFC Chelsea), Michael Roman (Oxnard; Real So Cal); forwards Orr Baroush (Reseda; Chivas USA Academy), Marquis Brooks (Chula Vista; Galaxy),

*Celebrities confirmed for the second annual Mia Hamm & Nomar Garciaparra Celebrity Soccer Challenge, a Jan. 17 charity soccer match benefiting Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and the Mia Hamm Foundation at Home Depot Center include: skateboarding pros Tony Hawk and Ryan Sheckler, U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Kerri Walsh, former NFL running back Marcus Allen, Zachary Levi of Chuck, Jimmy Jean Louis of Heroes and Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo. Tickets are $20 through the HDC box office or via TicketMaster.

Finally, a reminder that $50 gets you a tryout Jan. 17-18 with PDL team Ventura County Fusion. Details here.

Sporadic posting will continue through the new year. But check back tomorrow for my regular weekly column and a poll.

MLS Defender of the Year Chad Marshall has signed a new multi-year contract with the MLS champion Columbus Crew, the club announced today, after he had reportedly tested the market overseas.

"We have made a significant commitment to ensure that Chad remains a member of the Crew and we are very pleased to have gotten that priority accomplished," said Crew technical director Brian Bliss. "It goes without saying that he played a vital role in our championship season and re-signing him allows us to retain our core group of key contributors."

Marshall, 23, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2004 Superdraft, rebounded from an injury-shortened 2007 season to start 29 games and rank second on the team in minutes played. Anchored by Marshall, the Crew's defense allowed the third fewest goals in the league en route to the best regular season record in MLS.

He capped the year by scoring the winning goal at MLS Cup in Carson.

While searching for a suitable holiday video (freestyle soccer moves set to Christmas music? Yuck. A burning yule log? Been there done that.) I ran across this offering on the Galaxy blog from Van Nuys' Tristan Bowen.

Bowen, of course made history late this year when he became the first youth player to come up through the ranks of an MLS club and sign a professional contract.

He is also one of the very few players to emerge from the San Fernando Valley in recent years.

So here's an obviously enthused Bowen talking (a little wide-eyed it must be said) on the Galaxy's recent trip to New Zealand reflecting on the dramatic turn his life took in 2008.

And of course, it's always a good time of year to remind aspiring soccer players that, like Bowen's, your dreams can come true, as well.

Happy holidays from 100 Percent Soccer:

He's made 67 appearances for the Jamaican National Team.

Is a veteran of the lower divisions in England.

And has apparently impressed Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena:

"I have known Donovan for a number of years as a goalkeeper with the Jamaican National Team and have always been impressed with his physical qualities. After a closer examination of the player, I am absolutely amazed with his abilities both on and off the field. It is also a position that we felt the need to improve and believe that he will be a great addition to our team and has the potential to be one of the best goalkeepers in MLS."

Of course, some fans of one of his former teams, Bradford City, have quite a different opinion of the 31-year-old veteran, which they expressed here when 100 Percent Soccer broke the news the Galaxy were chasing Rickets.

Here's the rest of the Galaxy press release:

At 6-foot-4, Rickets is a commanding presence in the box. A member of Jamaica's 1998 World Cup squad as a 21-year-old, Ricketts has made 67 international appearances for his country. He boasts an impressive 11-7-6 record in 24 World Cup qualifying matches, including all eight of Jamaica's games during qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Despite recording three consecutive shutouts at the end of the qualifying campaign, including one in a 1-0 win over Mexico in Kingston, Jamaica on October 10, Ricketts and the Reggae Boyz narrowly missed out on advancing to the final stages of the 2010 CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying, losing out to Mexico on goal difference. Earlier this month, he helped lead Jamaica to the 2008 Digicel Caribbean Championships where they defeated Grenada 2-0 in the final.

A native of Montego Bay, Jamaica, Rickets started his professional career playing for his hometown club of F.C. Waddadah before signing with Village United, who plays in Jamaica's top league, in 2002. In January 2004, he moved to England, signing with Bolton Wanderers of the English Premier League. Ricketts never played a game for Bolton and in July 2004 was signed on loan by League Two side Bradford City, who then signed him on a permanent basis at the end of that season. He spent four years with the Bantams, appearing in more than 115 games for the club before returning to Jamaica to again sign with Village United this summer.

The Galaxy certainly needed an experienced netminder after enduring the shaky likes of Steve Cronin, Josh Wicks and Josh Saunders this season. Given the comments from British fans though, is he right for the Galaxy? Sounds like we're going to have an entertaining time finding out at the very least.

What do you think?

Photos by Steve McCrank

Coach Ralph Perez leads the Galaxy fantasy Camp

I've always been curious about the annual Galaxy Fantasy Camp held at Home Depot Center.

Does former Galaxy defender Abel Xavier guest lecture and demonstrate "The Art of Playing Effective Central Defense"? Does former Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas stop by to speak on "How to Build A Winning Team"?

O.K., maybe not.

So I accepted the invitation Saturday to get a little taste of why about 40 wanna be pros a year fork over $1,000 (not including airfare and hotel) to spend five days training like real soccer players.

Read about it here.

Thanks to coach Ralph Perez, camp director Blane Shepard and, especially, the 40 campers who allowed me to gate crash their fantasy camp experience.

And in case anyone was wondering, yes, my muscles are still sore.

Poetry in motion (that's Rafa Melgoza on the ball, BTW).

Photo Courtesy of the Galaxy

Barely five minutes into warm-up drills and your trusty soccer columnist wonders if he'll get through the day.

More fuel for the idea frenetic midfielder Francisco Mendoza,23, has exited Chivas USA for good after scoring five goals in 111 games (a record for a Mexican in MLS), although we may well see him play one last time in Carson.

From the Chivas USA press release:

Under head coach Efraín Flores, Chivas de Guadalajara is currently preparing for the upcoming InterLiga tournament. Guadalajara faces Atlas and Club América in Texas and then Tigres UANL Jan. 9 at Home Depot Center in the final doubleheader of the tournament's opening round.

Chivas de Guadalajara opens its 17-game Clausura 2009 campaign on Jan. 17 when it hosts Cruz Azul at Estadio Jalisco.

Mendoza will join up with Chivas at their preseason camp.

David Beckham was just introduced to the crowd before today's 11:30 a.m. AC Milan-Udinese game that's live on Fox Soccer Channel, BTW, flanked by two rows of little kids wearing AC Milan replica jerseys emblazoned with his name and number (32, geddit?). And no, he's not playing.

Read about Saturday's introductory press conference here or watch the highlights below:

Is this.

It's what any self-respecting Galaxy fan should be wearing at the opening game of the season to make a massive statement to the front office, don'tchathink?

For other soccer related gift ideas click here.

I like to keep this blog as Southern California focused as possible, but is there any soccer fan locally not looking forward to the beginning of the knockout rounds of the best club competition in the world?

Thought not. Purists will tell you that this is when the real competition begins anyway.

Today's draw.

It means Manchester United's Alex Ferguson and Inter Milan's Jose Mourinho will resume hostilities.

It means Liverpool's Spanish Coach Rafael Benitez faces former club Real Madrid, who are now coached, of course, by former Tottenham gaffer Juande Ramos (and yes, I just like writing gaffer).

And former Chelsea Manager Claudio Ranieri returns to his old club as Inter Milan coach.

Landon Donovan may also be interested to know Bayern Munich got Portugal's Sporting Lisbon.

Who drew the short straw? French club Lyon, which faces Barcelona.

Capping a breakout year, Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan was named U.S. Young Soccer Athlete of the Year Thursday, He scored a team-leading two goals in three games at the Olympics and played an increasingly influential role for Chivas USA directing traffic and sparking offensive assaults from midfield. He also scored the U.S. Soccer Goal of the Year.

More on the other award winners here.

Here's your chance. USL expansion team Austin Aztex, which is under the same ownership as newly-promoted EPL team Stoke City, will hold open tryouts in Oxnard in January. Be quick, because registration closes Friday.

Aztex Coach Adrian Heath, a former player with Everton and Stoke City, is the coach of the Aztex and explained why the team is coming to Southern California to scout for players:

"From our point of view it's simpler us going there than trying to get 20-30 players over to Austin. We know it's a hotbed of talent over there in California, it's one of the hotbeds of talent in terms of football. We think we can look around and get some good players.

"The owner and myself are both Stoke people and we're both born there ... obviously we've got a very, very close relationship with them - and they'll be coming over to see us in the preseason to play an exhibition game. So if we see a player that's got the talent and has the mindset of going over to Europe, this would be a real advantage.

If we were to get two or three (players) from the tryouts over there and a similar number from the tryouts in Austin in February, that's six players for your roster and we'd be very very pleased with it. You don't really know beforehand so it would be a pleasant surprise to get that sort of number.

We've (also) got a relationship now with (Mexican club) Monterrey. If that's the road (a player) would like to go it would be a good opportunity for them. We've got very, very close links with Monterrey. Maybe for Hispanic players if they want to start their career in soccer this would be a perfect opportunity for them and if we felt they were good enough we could let them go down to Monterrey and let them have a look as well."

Register here.

In Detroit tonight, it was U.S. 1 China 0. Attendance: 11,933 (in economically depressed Michigan on a freezing night, a far better attendance than at the HDC).

Game story.

Gratuitous list of the week.

Sacha Kljestan's Olympic goal against Holland was the U.S. Soccer Goal of the Year. (Click on day 3).

And thanks to everyone who participated in the annual Daily Breeze ball drive. The final score was 3,500 - a record.

Remember when Chivas USA said, um yesterday, that no changes in the coaching staff were imminent?

Strike that.

Assistant Coach Mike Matkovich has joined the U.S. Men's Under-18 National Team as head coach.

"Mike Matkovich was a key contributor to our coaching staff this past season. While we are sorry to see him go, we know the U.S. Under-18 head coaching position represents a great opportunity for Mike and we wish him the best of luck," said Chivas USA Vice President of Soccer Stephen Hamilton. "We will now begin the process of searching for a replacement to be named to Preki's technical staff in the weeks ahead."

Matkovich, 46, was named Chivas USA assistant coach Feb. 12, joining from Toronto, where he had served in the same role during that club's inaugural MLS season.

They actually went on sale Friday at Home Depot Center, but I neglected to mention it.

The highly recommended tournament, with doubleheaders at the HDC set for Jan. 8,9 and 10, is fast approaching.

Tournament details here.

Chivas USA is offering a special InterLiga ticket deal starting at $25 that also includes a ticket to the club's MLS opener.

Here are the details from the (edited) press release:

The special offer gives fans three games for the price of two, between seeing four Mexican First Division clubs in a doubleheader, as well as Chivas USA's first match of the 2009 MLS season.

The first InterLiga doubleheader at Home Depot Center kicks off on Thursday, Jan. 8, with Morelia vs. Pachuca at 6 p.m., followed by Toluca vs. UAG (Tecos) at 8:30 p.m. The action continues the next night, on Friday, Jan. 9, with Club América vs. Atlas at 6:30 p.m., and Chivas de Guadalajara vs. UNAL (Tigres) at 9 p.m. The tournament closes on Sunday, Jan. 11 with the two finals being played at 4:00 p.m. and the second at 6:30 p.m. The two winners will qualify for the prestigious Copa Libertadores 2009.

The InterLiga Pack costs just $25 for the endline seats, and $60 for seats on the sidelines. In addition to any of the three InterLiga doubleheaders at The Home Depot Center, the Pack also includes a ticket to Chivas USA's 2009 Opening Game, which takes place on Saturday, March 21, at 7:30 p.m. against the Colorado Rapids. Call 1-877-CHIVAS-1.

A rather muddled report out of Guadalajara that was picked up by at least one American media outlet variously had a Chivas coach coming to Chivas USA as either an assistant coach or a replacement for current Coach Preki.

Not so, said Chivas USA officials.

"At this point there are no coaches assistant, head or otherwise to be added to the coaching staff," said Chivas USA spokesman Keegan Pierce. "There is no truth to the rumor the club is looking to make a (head) coaching change."

The team, however, is in the early stages of replacing Director of Soccer Dennis te Kloese, who left at the end of October to take a job overseeing the youth soccer set-up at Mexican team Tigres. That was te Kloese's primary responsibility at Chivas USA, too, but he was also involved in trades meaning Chivas USA is looking for a multifaceted replacement.

Seattle though did finally announce their first-ever head coach today; you only get one guess who it is.

Finally, all those Southern Californians dreaming of a possible road trip to Salt Lake City to see the U.S. World Cup qualifier against Mexico Feb. 11 had better really tune up their cars. U.S. Soccer today announced the venue is Columbus. (C'mon now, did you really think U.S. Soccer wants a bunch of road tripping Mexican fans from Southern California attending the game?)

The U.S. is unbeaten in Columbus and the first World Cup qualifier held there in 2001 was dubbed "Guerra Fria ('Cold War')" because the game-time temperature got no higher than 29 degrees. Brrr.

Read it here.

Women's Professional Soccer 's L.A. Sol opens the league's inaugural season Sunday, March 29 in a nationally televised 3 p.m. game against the Washington Freedom at Home Depot Center, the team will announce Tuesday.

The league's other five teams will begin play the following weekend.

"We are certainly honored that WPS has chosen us to host the league's inaugural game; it will be a great reward for all of the women's soccer fans in the Southland who have been anxiously awaiting our arrival," said Los Angeles Sol General Manager Charlie Naimo.

The remainder of the season's schedule will be announced at a later date. Sol season tickets are now on sale beginning at $125. Call 1-877-4-SOL-TIX or click the link to the right.

Also, the 10-round WPS draft is set for Jan. 16. The draft order:
1. Boston Breakers
2. Chicago Red Stars
3. FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
4. Sky Blue FC (New Jersey/New York)
5. Los Angeles Sol
6. Saint Louis Athletica
7. Washington Freedom

Which means Boston gets Amy Rodriguez of USC.

Rumor of the moment: Supposedly Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan has captured the interest of a dozen teams including Celtic.

Jorge Flores of Chivas USA, Brian Perk of UCLA, Marcus Watson of the Galaxy Academy and Pat Sigler of Cal Poly were among the 26-player squad named to the U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team roster by Coach Thomas Rongen for an eight-day camp in Florida that began today. The camp includes a pair of scrimmages against CONCACAF foes Haiti Dec. 20 and Canada Dec. 22.

And for all you L.A. Rampage, Pali Blues, San Fernando Quakes, etc fans out there:

United Soccer Leagues announced the 68 PDL teams will play a 16-game season beginning May 1 and concluding July 19. Playoffs will begin July 24-26 and the championship will be held Saturday, Aug. 8, on Fox Soccer Channel. The W-League will kick off the season with 37 teams beginning May 8. The season concludes July 19, with playoffs beginning July 24-26. The W-League champion will be determined Aug. 7-8 on Fox Soccer Channel.

U.S. Soccer has announced its first batch of yearly awards with Soccer By Ives winning blog of the year. The Washington Post's excellent Soccer Insider finished second (weren't those two reversed last year?). And as much as I enjoy the wit of press officer Aaron Heifetz (and I do, really) the WNT Blog is not the third best soccer blog out there.

Finally, the answer to the question how fit is Chivas USA's Jonathan Bornstein? Pretty damn fit.

I need to get down to work writing Tuesday's column, but wanted to note in passing that:

*The transfer rumor of the day had the Galaxy chasing Argentine defender Andrés D'Alessandro, who is currently with Brazilian team Internacional. The club reportedly turned down a $10 million bid from the Galaxy (and yes, that is yet another indication - were one needed - that Landon Donovan is indeed gone).

*Shocker! The steal of the year comes as former Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid is set to be announced Tuesday as the new coach of the Seatttle Sounders.

*The deal of the young week so far has U.S. Soccer confirming today what 100 Percent Soccer reported over the weekend; U.S. Women's National Team Coach Pia Sundhage has signed a a new four-year deal.

*From the Haven't We Heard This Before Department? comes word that to play for England David Beckham must play club games.

*Cal State Dominguez Hills senior forward Kyle Holland and Coach Joe Flanagan will appear live between 5 and 7 this evening on Fox Football Fone-In on Fox Soccer Channel to discuss the program's NCAA Division II National Championship.

*In a coup for Women's Professional Soccer during these tough economic times, Puma has stepped up to become the league's "official sport and lifestyle apparel, footwear and equipment supplier."

"Puma has built up a strong momentum in women's soccer over the past 10 years collaborating closely with pioneering partners that have redefined the game on a global and local stage. Today, we are proud to be one of the founding partners of Women's Professional Soccer in what promises to be a new pioneering chapter for women's soccer," said Puma Chairman & CEO Jochen Zeitz. "The WPS partnership provides Puma with a perfect platform to reinforce the brand's positioning as the most desirable sportlifestyle brand in the world as well as underline our continued commitment to women's sports."

The move makes sense given that Puma also sponsors Brazilian star Marta and is likely to be paying most of her salary if she indeed signs with the Los Angeles Sol.

As soccer spectacles go this 1-0 game on a chilly night in surburban Carson before a few thousand fans at the tail end of a long year was not one for the ages.

China were content to remain in a disciplined defensive shell much of the game and went long stretches without getting a sniff of goal, while a tired-looking U.S. found it difficult to break them down and looked out of sorts offensively.

Trojan Amy Rodriguez duly provided the offensive spark coming off the bench to create Tina Ellertson's goal, but really there were few highlights.

In the end the U.S. were content with a narrow 1-0 win over a quality opponent.

"I would rather play China than a team that's not going to give us a challenge," said Torrance's Shannon Boxx. "We love to compete and if it's not a challenge for us what's the point of being out there. We always want to improve even though this is a victory tour and we're out there having fun, we always out there to get better. Yeah, it's been a long season and I think at the end I was like 'let's keep the win' - I wasn't pushing forward as much as I was at the beginning of the game. We've been playing for 12 months straight - it's a long time."

A sidenote: the crowd was announced at 3,619.The last time the nations met in Southern California they played before a then record crowd of 90,185 at the Rose Bowl in the 1999 Women's World Cup final back in the Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain era. How times have changed.

Still, the small crowd received a preview of what future Sol striker Han Duan might provide the WPS team, notably rounding Kate Markgraf with relative ease at one point to snap off a shot.

"She's a great player," Boxx said. "When I look at China - and we scrimmaged with them the other day - she's the player that I notice. In the game I was like "wow" she's doing some great things for China and to play with the Los Angeles Sol I'm excited because that's someone I get to play with. She's a great player on the ball and she seems to find space for herself and that's awesome because I know when I play with her I'm going to get the ball back."

More on the game is here.

U.S. Women's National Team Coach Pia Sundhage has signed a new four-year contract with U.S. Soccer that will be announced Monday, 100 Percent Soccer has learned.

The new deal will take the Swedish coach through the 2011 World Cup in Germany and was widely expected. Sundhage was given a short-term contract after the firing of Greg Ryan with the mission of winning an Olympic gold medal.

Mission accomplished.

It's been almost exactly a year since Sundhage took charge of the team at a camp at Home Depot Center, so I did a little Q & A with the coach in the wake of the China game Saturday in Carson in a year that saw the U.S. win a record number of games.

Question: Reflect on your year in charge. How was it?
Answer: It's been fantastic. It's almost a dream come true. ... Coaching the best players in the world - it has been better than I could have thought about and dream about. ... They have embraced the change because I wanted to change both a little bit of the playing style, but I guess also my leadership is a little bit different because I do not come from this country and I think U.S. Soccer was brave to hire me in an Olympic year. Its been fantastic even though Kristine Lilly got pregnant, Abby (Wambach) broke her leg and we lost the first game against Norway. But we found a way to have fun, we found a way to win and we really worked as a team. I think that is key.

Q: So what will change in the next four years?
A: We won the gold medal because of great defense and a great atmosphere in the team. I think we should go into Germany in 2011 and try to win another gold medal, but I hope people will talk about the way we attack. So now we have two years to adjust the attacking style because honestly I think Brazil played better attacking soccer than we did (at the Olympics). I like the way Japan is playing attacking soccer as well. They knock it around and they are comfortable with the ball. So we need to learn from the Asian team when it comes to technique and to read the game a little bit better and that is in the attack.

I watched the U-20 World Cup, hopefully we'll change the team a little bit. I'm impressed with the way they've changed their game - I've only been here 10 months so I can see many things happening with these players. I can promise you it will not be exactly the same players. We will try to change different players coming in and try to change the chemistry a little bit, the atmosphere a little bit and expectations and I think that's important going forward. Because, we want to win the gold medal in a different way.

Q: What was the key to success this year?
A: First of all, they were looking for a change, so that was a good start. Whatever I did, something they hadn't done before, they embraced that. Secondly, they work as a team. They respect the roles, they had different kinds of roles. If you look at the back four I expect them to keep possession, be comfortable, so we change the expectations and little by little going into the Olympics mentally we were strong. We knew that we have a lot of fun and we can do it.

U.S. 1 China 0

The second half followed a similar pattern to the first, the U..S. having the better of the play, but just failing to emphatically put China away, the final touch missing in front of the goal most of the night.

A marauding Amy Rodriguez created the breakthrough goal in the 66th minute, crossing from the left wing to Tina Ellertson who scored the first goal of her national team career - in her first national team call-up by Coach Pia Sundhage - from about five yards out.

Veteran Kristine Lilly almost added to her career 129 international goals four minutes after entering the game for Angela Hucles. She collected a Tina Ellertson pass in the 55th minute, but shot wide from about 12 yards.

Perhaps China's best attack came in the 68th minute when future Sol striker Han Duan left Kate Markgraf for dead along the right touch line, but her shot hit the side netting.

Tonight's attendance was all of 3,619.

More later.

Few moments of high anxiety for either team in the opening 45 minutes means zero goals, although the U.S. did have the majority of the possession and leads 9-2 in shots.

But the last shot of the game (before a weak Tina Ellertson effort in stoppage time) came in the 15th minute and the contest could do with a shot (or two) of adrenaline.

Highlights include:
*Carli Lloyd almost scoring direct from a 10th minute corner that appeared to at least partially go over the line after China goalkeeper Zhang Yanru had trouble handling the ball under pressure.

*A Lindsay Tarpley break down the right wing in the 19th minute saw a cross sent over to an on-rushing Angela Hucles, who should have done better to at least get the ball on target.

*Tina Ellertson, making her first start for the full national team as a striker, rounded goalkeeper Zhang Yanru in the 28th minute to set up Lindsay Tarpley, but her shot went wide.

Hucles replaced Tarpley up front midway through the first half to little effect.

An intimate crowd should we say here at the HDC this evening.

U.S. lineup:
goalkeeper Hope Solo; defenders Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone, Rachel Buehler; Lori Chalupny; midfielders Heather O'Reilly, Shannon Boxx, Carli Lloyd, Angela Hucles; strikers Lindsay Tarpley, Tina Ellertson.

Options off the bench include Bruin Lauren Cheney, Trojan Amy Rodriguez and veteran Kristine Lilly.

China starts L.A. Sol allocation Han Duan up front.

The burning question (as was pointed out to me just now): can Torrance's Boxx score her fifth goal in five U.S. games tonight in front of family and friends at the HDC. She has one previous goal this year - a header against China in January, which won the Four Nations Tournament for the U.S..

Well, that headline is a little awkward.

But after an almost 16-month absence from Carson the U.S. Women's National Team is back in the South Bay where they'll put their perfect 8-0 record at Home Depot Center on the line against China.

Yes, the weather looks gloomy out there, but there are plenty of tickets available for the 6 p.m. game that is not televised.

And this is likely going to be a tight game: the U.S. and China have met twice this year and last time out the U.S. squeezed through 1-0.

Those looking forward to the Sol season should know that neither Stephanie Cox nor Aly Wagner (both injured) will play tonight, but Torrance's Shannon Boxx will be seeking her fifth goal in five appearances at the HDC. More on Boxxy here, BTW.

(Meanwhile, U.S. midfielder Christie Rampone is closing in on a record of her own).

But one likely Sol player fans can see is Chinese striker Han Duan, who has been allocated to the team.

BTW, here's the complete squad for China: goalkeepers 1-Zhang Yanru, 18-Weng Xiaojie; defenders 15-Zhou Gaoping, 5-Weng Xin Zhi, 2-Yuan Fan, 4-Wang Kun, 14-Liu Hua Na;
midfielders 3-Zhang Ying, 19-Gao Yan, 12-Wang Dan Dan, 17-Gu Ya Sha, 6-Zhang Na, 7-Bi Yan, 16-Zhang Rui; forwards 8-Xu Yuan, 10-Liu Sa, 9-Han Duan, 11-Lou Jiahui.

Also missing for the U.S. tonight: Natasha Kai (illness) and UCLA striker Lauren Cheney, who is taking time off after a long college season.

Trojan Amy Rodriguez is in the squad though, as is evergreen veteran Kristine Lilly, 37, who has 340 caps (no-one in the world has more) and 129 goals (second most in the world).

More on the game is here.

And while there is no TV coverage, I'll blog from the game tonight so join me back here for updates.

Seattle is in the final stages of signing Sigi.

Cal State Dominguez Hills Coach Joe Flanagan was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) West Region Coach of the Year, leading a collection of eight men's and women's soccer players named to NSCAA All-Region squads. First team selections are Kyle Holland (Anchorage), Miguel Benitez (Hawthorne/Bishop Montgomery High) and Kevin Gallaugher (Walnut).

*Pac-10 player of the Year Tina DiMartino of UCLA is one of three Hermann Trophy finalists. Kerri Hanks of Notre Dame and Casey Nogueria from North Carolina are the others. The winner is revealed Jan. 9.

*UCLA junior midfielder Michael Stephens, the 2008 Pac-10 Player of the Year who led UCLA in scoring with 23 points, was named to the 2008 NSCAA All-Far West Region first team.

Looks like Sigi Schmid, a long-time South Bay resident and the MLS Coach of the Year, has gotten out of his contract with Columbus.

Here's the complete MLS statement on the matter issued this afternoon:

NEW YORK (December 12, 2008) - Major League Soccer announced today that the Columbus Crew and Seattle Sounders FC resolved a potential contractual issue regarding former Crew coach Sigi Schmid. Columbus acquired allocation money and cash from Seattle, thus releasing Schmid from contractual obligations and allowing him to proceed with his contract negotiations with Seattle. In connection with this matter, Major League Soccer found no evidence of tampering by Seattle Sounders FC.

Photo by Bruce Hazelton

Briefly:

*Cal State Dominguez Hills held a victory rally Thursday for their national championship team. Picture gallery here.

*More reports of the messy tampering charges apparently lodged against the Sounders over former Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid are surfacing. Negotiations between the Columbus Crew, MLS and Seattle are likely under way; league officials told me Wednesday they could perhaps comment Thursday on the issue, but didn't release a statement. Schmid is due back in Southern California over the weekend, so perhaps I'll know more then.

*More on the week's preparations for Saturday's U.S. Women's National Team game against China at Home Depot Center here. (Plenty of) tickets are still available.

*The South Bay Force is hosting the Odyssey Cup in the South Bay this weekend. Tournament schedule and more info here.

*Finally, plenty of soccer on the box this weekend.

Best bets include the 10 a.m. Sunday College Cup on ESPN2, an event virtually every MLS coach scouts (including the Galaxy's Bruce Arena and Dave Sarachan) and the 3 p.m. Sunday Caribbean Championship final between Jamaica and Grenada, worth a look to see potential Galaxy target Donovan Ricketts, the goalkeeper for the Reggae Boyz.

Also:
7 a.m. Saturday Fox Soccer Channel Manchester City-Everton
9:30 a.m. Saturday FSC Manchester United-Tottenham Hotspur
10 a.m. Sunday KVEA Toluca-Cruz Azul (the second leg of the Apertura final; Toluca lead 2-0)

But I'm not talking just any old replica jerseys; I'm talking autographed, and, in some cases, game worn jerseys like these.

This is the perfect solution for the soccer fan in your life if, like me, you're having a little trouble getting into the holiday spirit this year. After all, the proceeds benefit U.S. Soccer's charitable foundation, while as of this writing, some of these jerseys in the auction aren't costing much more than a regular replica jersey would anyway sans autographs.

For instance, there's a Chivas USA jersey autographed by their conference semifinal squad for $75; a game worn Eddie Johnson autographed FC Dallas jersey with a starting bid of $85 - those are pretty good prices even given the extra $10 you have to bid. Bidding ends Monday.

Want some other gift ideas that will help you feel a little better about yourself? Then click here.

Briefly:
*Loyola Marymount sophomore Rafael Baca of Lawndale was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Far West Region Third Team, the first Lion to receive the honor since Bobby Burling and Diego Barrera in 2006. He has led LMU in scoring the last two years.

*Long Beach State sophomore midfielder Lindsay Bullock of Manhattan Beach and senior midfielder Hayley Bolt of Lakewood were named to the NSCAA/adidas All-West Region second-team and third-team respectively. Bullock led the team with 10 goals, while Bolt had nine.

*There's still time to register for the Ventura County Fusion tryouts on Saturday and Sunday.

*Finally, (and trivially) check out how hung David Beckham is here.

A reliable source has told 100 Percent Soccer the Galaxy are in negotiations with Jamaican National Team goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.

The 31-year-old veteran of the English league is currently playing for a Jamaican team after being refused a work permit. He was subsequently released by lower division team Bradford City.

Galaxy officials declined comment, but did not deny the team was eying Ricketts, a veteran of the 1998 World Cup.

The big 6 foot 4 inch keeper is currently playing for his country in the Caribbean Football Union's Digicel Caribbean Championship, where he was blamed for conceding the tying goal after failing to hold onto a ball in a 1-1 draw Monday against Trinidad & Tobago.

The team is believed to be in search of an veteran (but relatively inexpensive) starter after seeing the inexperienced Steve Cronin and Josh Wicks share time between the posts last season behind a leaky defense (to put it mildly).

But I guess that's better than the 5 percent figure that was going to be on the March ballot.

Details here.

As expected. Details.

Updated 8:55 a.m. Wednesday

Confirmed.

And I heard from Sigi in an e-mail that backs up the Dispatch story: "I am on hold as to signing a new contract with anyone else," he wrote.

More later.

Updated: 1:15 p.m. Wednesday
MLS officials declined comment today on the tampering allegations the Crew has reportedly filed against the Sounders over unauthorized contact with Schmid.

Is it wrong to take a certain amount of glee in this first story?

Maybe, but it looks like Galaxy fans weren't the only ones not to get value for money from David Beckham and the Galaxy this season.

Meanwhile, this hardly qualifies as news, but the amazing thing about this story is that Becks has yet to kick a ball for AC Milan yet - he isn't even in Italy until Dec. 20 - and yet officials there are already getting misty-eyed over his short stay and want it to be longer. Knew that was coming didn't you?

Finally, Chivas USA defender Bobby Burling had ankle surgery last week to remove bone spurs, the club announced today. The Loyola Marymount University product is out up to eight weeks, meaning he should return "around the time" Chivas USA reconvenes for preseason in February, club officials said. He started 18 games for the team last season.

The re-emergence of the U.S. Women's National Team was one of the soccer stories of the year and I took a closer look ahead of Saturday's game again China at Home Depot Center in today's column.

As usual, not all the material I collected made into the column for space reasons, so here's some bonus quotes.

Here's Shannon Boxx on the greater responsibility she had getting involved with attacks under Sundhage:

"I had a different role this year and it was really fun to learn. ... I was more offensive than I've ever been on this team, so I think there's lots of things I can improve on.

"It is fun to change your game. ... You want to grow every year you play ... Granted I've always come forward, but I've always been that last runner coming forward. ... Sometimes I get in that position (in front of goal) and I say 'what do I do?' because I'm not used to it."

Here's Aly Wagner on this year's Olympic experience compared to 2004:

"I was one of the last players picked so I was just so grateful to be there and be part of the team. And I knew my role was to be ready when called upon as opposed to before when I was involved heavily going into the Olympics. There was something very rewarding for me in the process (of) just getting back."

And here's Wagner on the prospect of playing with Marta for the Sol:

"I think Marta is the best player in the world and I'm really excited to see what she trains like. ... I'm excited to play with her because she reads the game extremely well and serving balls into her runs is going to be fun. I love her flair and passion for the game. I'm excited to learn from her and, maybe, teach her a few things."

Correction: And apologies to Kristine Lilly, whose name I managed to misspell in the column after writing her name, oh, three jillion times in the last few years.

Photo: John Alexovich

Ever wanted to mob a national championship winning team at an airport?

You have your chance at LAX today.

The Cal State Dominguez Hills men's soccer team returns to Southern California at 5:45 p.m. today when they get off Southwest Flight 2781 at Terminal 1, a day after beating Dowling University 3-0 in Tampa to become NCAA Division II national champions.

It was Coach Joe Flanagan's second national title with CSUDH:

"This was more satisfying because I realize now how tough it is to get back," he said. "This one, we made some adjustments along the way, and to see them come together at the end of season during our unbeaten streak was phenomenal to watch."

I'm guessing they're still wearing these smiles, too.

Two national titles and one world championship for teams and players from Southern California in one day?

Believe it.

Not only did Cal State Dominguez Hills win a second national championship earlier today, but Rolling Hills Estates' Whitney Engen went the full 90 as North Carolina came from behind to beat Notre Dame 2-1 today in the NCAA Women's College Cup.

To top things off, North Korea couldn't stop Bruin Sydney Leroux from getting her tournament-leading fifth goal of the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup and the U.S. duly won 2-1 to take the title in Chile.

A dominating 3-0 win today over Dowling State gave Cal State Dominguez Hills the Division II national championship.

"This team definitely peaked at the right time," said Coach Joe Flanagan on national television, as he held a photograph of former player Jaret Minami, who died just before the season began. "We played our best soccer in the last three weeks of the season."

It's the second national title in eight years for Flanagan and the Toros.

At 11 a.m. Sunday in the NCAA Tournament final North Carolina (24-1-2) plays Notre Dame (26-0) with the Palos Verdes Peninsula's Whitney Engen in command of the defense for the Tar Heels.

(BTW, how can you write an entire story about Engen and not quote her?).

Then, UCLA's scoring sensation Sydney Leroux (four goals, two assists) and the rest of the U.S. Under-20 Women's World Cup team play in the final of the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup Sunday against North Korea at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

More here.

A half empty stadium. An easy win. The Galaxy's season is done.

Details here.

UCLA is done for the year.

More reaction here.

The Cal State Dominguez Hills men (18-2-4) progress with a 3-2 overtime win against hosts Tampa in the Division II final four. CSUDH will face New York's Dowling College (18-3) at 10:30 a.m. Sunday in the final. (Updated: the game is live on CBS College Sports Network).

More details.

It certainly couldn't make things any worse given the generally execrable level of officiating in MLS.

And it's apparently under consideration, at least at the international level, according to the Associated Press:

GENEVA (AP) - The use of five officials at international soccer matches will move a step closer to reality when UEFA endorses the plan next week after successful trials at youth level.

UEFA's executive committee will meet Thursday to approve a progress report based on
18 matches played with an extra official monitoring each penalty area. The extra officials help the traditional team of a referee and two assistants.

A decision on changing the laws of the game could come as soon as March, but the
extra referee's assistants are unlikely to become a regular feature until after the 2010
World Cup in South Africa.

The new system was designed to maintain a human element in decision-making and
curb debate on the need for video replays and goal-line technology.

The use of additional officials has received glowing reviews since UEFA was invited to
run trials last March by world governing body FIFA and its rule-making arm, the
International Football Association Board (IFAB).

The trials took place at European Under-19 Championship qualifying games played in
Slovenia, Hungary and in Cyprus.

The fourth and fifth officials stand off the pitch to the side of their goal and are able to
communicate with the referee through headsets.

They are asked to spot fouls when players come together in front of the goal before a
free-kick or corner kick, and help rule on whether the ball has crossed the goal line. They also help referees determine valid penalty claims from dives by attacking players.

FIFA's executive committee is expected to study the UEFA report when it meets Dec.
18-19 in Tokyo.

A decision on whether to introduce the five-official system rests with the IFAB - made
up of representatives from FIFA and the soccer associations of England, Northern
Ireland, Scotland and Wales - which is scheduled to meet in Northern Ireland next
March.

Yes, the Galaxy officially play their last game of the season tonight at 10:30 from New Zealand on Fox Soccer Channel.

They're having trouble drawing a crowd though and tickets are being given away in a two for one deal. Defender Julian Valentin sounds considerably more enthusiastic here.

BTW, former Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid is apparently one of two finalists for the coaching job with the Seattle Sounders, who showed off their new green uniforms on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the UCLA women are in today's Final Four again with one Bruin drawing inspiration from the death of her mother.

Incidentally, South Bay soccer nut Greg Delgado points out that the Palos Verdes Peninsula remarkably has players on three of the four teams participating in the NCAA Tournament.

UCLA has Rolling Hills Estates' Jen Belcher on its roster, while semifinal opponents North Carolina boast Whitney Engen, who is from the same city.

Even more amazingly, according to Delgado who knows both families, the two grew up on the same street; it's a long shot the pair will meet on the field though - Belcher has played just 71 minutes in three games for UCLA this season.

Kickoff is at 4 p.m. on ESPNU.

In the earlier semifinal, Stanford has representation from Palos Verdes Estates' Christen Press, a striker who has started every game this season for the Cardinal. The former Chadwick School star is the team's top scorer this season with 16 goals and 11 assists.

The semifinal against Notre Dame begins at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

Finally, the Cal State Domiguez Hills men play their Division II semifinal in Florida this afternoon with Coach Joe Flanagan motivated a "tiny bit" by revenge.

Hear more from Flanagan here and goalkeeper Miguel Benitez here.

First the Goners:
*Germany is out of the Under-20 Women's World Cup after losing 1-0 to the U.S. today on a Sydney Leroux strike. The UCLA forward added to her tournament-leading goal total, which now stands at five. The U.S. plays North Korea in Sunday's final.

*Landon Donovan has gone from the Galaxy on loan to Bayern Munich until March 15, according to the German club's Web site. From the Galaxy: silence.

*Alleged striker Roberto Nurse has left Chivas USA for good, according to Spanish-language Web site Mediotempo. Colleague Luis Bueno helpfully translates Nurse's whining comments on his Web site here. From Chivas USA: silence.

(Updated: Chivas USA officials confirmed Friday afternoon that Nurse was informed his option for next season would not be picked up).

I must respectfuly disagree with Luis' assertion that Nurse should have got more of an opportunity here, though.

Nurse started all of two games for Chivas USA, produced just three shots on target and looked hopelessly ill-equipped to handle MLS. The moral of the story: fringe top-flight players in Mexico's top league are not good enough for MLS, something Chivas USA should have learned in their inaugural season.

Meanwhile, former Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan was between the posts as EPL club Aston Villa slumped to a 2-1 defeat in the UEFA Cup at the hands of lightly-regarded Slovakian side MSK Zilna. However, Villa still progressed to the next round on aggregate and Guzan wasn't to blame for either goal from the reports I've seen.

Lastly, the Galaxy has relaunched its Spanish-language Web site lagalaxfutbol.com. More upgrades are in the works.

Cal State Dominguez Hills Coach Joe Flanagan, in his 15th year with the program, has his squad in the Division II Final Four for the first time since 2001. The all-time winningest coach in Toros history (as well as their all-time leading goalscorer), the former L.A. Salsa player took time out to answer questions via e-mail from Tampa, Fla., where the Toros are preparing for Friday's semifinal against Tampa.

Question: CSUDH is back in the Final Four for the first time since 2001. How did this season and the team stack up against the squads you took to the Final Four the previous two times, especially the 2000 national champions?
Answer: Even though in 2000 we hadn't been in the playoff before we were a more seasoned group, whereas this team is younger and if you compare the stats from the 2000 team they had some big goal scorers and this year we are getting it done as a whole team. This team seems to really play together and rely on each other game in and game out.

Q: Coming into this season off back to back CCAA titles, you expected to field a deep team. Did the season unfold as you thought?
A: The team has definitely exceeded my expectations. It's not that I didn't expect us to get this far, but anytime you get to the Final Four you feel very fortunate because we know how tough it is to get out of our region. The depth of our team, as usual, is a key part of our success, because we had guys with injuries and missing games. We had guys step in which makes our team better and healthier because we are not having to push guys who are injured and overworked.

Q: What do you know about your opponents Friday?
A: It is hard to really scout being that we don't have any common opponents and we never played them head to head. There is no real video tape available so you have to go off the stats and look for certain things. We are not changing what we do, we will make a couple of adjustments on game day, but we will play like we have so far to be the best on that day.

Q: The team has worn black armbands this season in recognition of former player Jaret Minami, who passed away at a young age just before the season began. How has that affected the team?
A: Its always a motivating factor for me to be focused and working hard just like J.T. always was. I think he has been a 12th man for us, he has been out there playing with us and I know it has been a great inspiration for our players, staff and coaches to play for him each and every game"

Q: Is this team capable of winning a national title?
A: Yeah, we are here and we are in the arena, and once we got here anything can happen. In 2000 I was just happy to get to the Final Four. I didn't know what it was all about. I didn't know if the field would be above and beyond us, but we won it. The next year I thought we had a great chance of winning it, but we didn't. If you talk to any coach in the CCAA, they feel that if you get out of our region you are a battle tested team. Hopefully we can get a semifinal win and we will have the chance to get to the championship on Sunday.

Earlier, I did a similar Q & A with Toros goalkeeper Miguel Benitez. Read it here.

Quickly:
*David Beckham + long flight = nothing to say.

*Bruin Sydney Leroux and the U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team are 90 minutes away from the final of the Under-20 Women's World Cup when they play at 2 p.m. Thursday on ESPNU against Germany. The former player for Canada has four goals, while the team as a whole has scored nine in three games and conceded none. The winner plays France or North Korea on Sunday.

*Women's Professional Soccer today announced the list of 144 players that will attend its two combines that begin Dec. 11.

Locals invited include defenders Sasha Andrews and Carrie Dew, goalkeeper Karen Bardsley, midfielder Chioma Igwe, forwards Rosie Tantillo, Mele French and Katy Cross, (all Pali Blues); striker Tina DiMartino (UCLA); midfielder Ashley Nick (USC) and goalkeeper Joslyn Slovek (Ventura County Fusion).

The 2009 WPS draft is Jan.16. There are also local tryouts in February.

*The Homeless World Cup has started. Columnist Tom Hoffarth has the essentials. The latest on this year's version is here (great headline on that latter one).

To finish, today's APOD. Good night.

So does this mean beleagured Mexico Coach Sven-Göran Eriksson keeps his job at least until Jan. 28?

That's when he leads Mexico against his native country in Oakland in a game announced today.

Tickets starting at $20 went on sale today to Visa card holders and go on sale to the general public Dec. 15.

Mexico will play five games in the U.S. in 2009 in the sixth edition of what has become an annual tour.

And for those of you who like to make a note on your calendar so that crucial World Cup qualifier doesn't clash with a trip to see Aunt Agnes, here's the (packed) schedule of U.S. Men's National Team games scheduled next year (so far).

With the exception of the Sweden friendly at Home Depot Center in Carson and the trio of Confederations Cup games in South Africa, all are World Cup qualifiers; venues have yet to be determined. The Gold Cup runs July 3-26 with venues and teams to be announced
Jan. 24 vs. Sweden
Feb. 11 vs. Mexico (home)
March 28 vs. El Salvador (away)
April 1 vs. Trinidad & Tobago (home)
June 3 vs. Costa Rica (away)
June 6 vs. Honduras (home)
June 15 vs. Italy
June 18 vs. Brazil
June 21 vs. Egypt
Aug. 12 vs. Mexico (away)
Sep. 5 vs. El Salvador (home)
Sept. 9 vs. Trinidad & Tobago (away)
Oct. 10 vs. Honduras (away)
Oct. 14 vs. Costa Rica (home)

With a couple of exceptions - general admission prices rose all of $1 from $14 to $15 - Chivas USA has responded to the recession and its middling average crowd of about 15,000 last season - by reducing ticket prices for 2009.

End zone prices remain at $18, but side line tickets go from $32 to $26, midfield from $36 to $34 and preferred from $45 to $38.

The club has also introduced a new "family-oriented" corner section price of $22.

That's good because it appears the city of Carson early this morning instituted a Home Depot Center ticket tax of somewhere between 2 and 5 percent.

Meanwhile, Scots, Welsh, Dutch and, um, Lichtenstein fans can rejoice: GolTV will now carry those nations' World Cup qualifying games. The cable channel already shows games involving Italy, Germany and Spain.

U.S. Women's National Team Coach Pia Sundhage has called in 22 players for the 6 p.m. Dec. 13 game against China in Carson and a Dec. 17 match against the same opponents in Detroit.

Added to the squad were forward Amy Rodriguez, who recently finished her senior season at USC and started the last five games at the Olympics; UCLA striker Lauren Cheney, who last weekend helped UCLA to a sixth consecutive NCAA Final Four appearance; and veteran Kristine Lilly, the world's all-time leader in caps with 340, but who has not played for the U.S. in over a year, taking time off for the birth of her daughter.

The match at Home Depot Center will also be the fifth in U.S. colors for midfielder Shannon Boxx, who grew up in Torrance. Boxx has scored in all four of her previous appearances with the U.S. in Carson and was recently named as a FIFA Women's Player of the Year candidate along with U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo.

Tickets range in price from $18 to $60 for the game in the South Bay.

The full U.S. roster includes all the players who won the gold at the Olympics against Brazil: goalkeepers Nicole Barnhart, Hope Solo, Briana Scurry; defenders Rachel Buehler, Lori Chalupny, Stephanie Cox, Marian Dalmy, Tina Ellertson, Kate Markgraf, Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone; midfielders Shannon Boxx, Carli Lloyd, Heather O'Reilly, Lindsay Tarpley, Aly Wagner, Kacey White; forwards Lauren Cheney, Angela Hucles, Natasha Kai, Kristine Lilly, Amy Rodriguez.

MLS released the opening weekend fixtures today for the 2009 season and Chivas USA plays the Colorado Rapids at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 21 on Fox Soccer Channel, while the Galaxy faces D.C. United at noon the following day on Telefutura.

Complete schedules for the 30-game, 15-team season will be announced in early February.

The season begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 19 with the New York Red Bulls meeting the Seattle Sounders FC live on ESPN2.

Other games March 21:
Columbus Crew at Houston Dynamo.
Chicago Fire at FC Dallas.
Toronto FC at Kansas City Wizards
New England Revolution at San Jose Earthquakes

Oh, and his Beckhamness just landed in New Zealand.

A 10 percent ticket tax proposal didn't find enough support on the City Council a couple of weeks ago, but now a 2 percent tax is under consideration tonight.

I took Monday off. The column returns next week and blog posts later Tuesday.