Monday Night Football: A New Arrival & Some Other Stuff
I must admit to being distracted today.
Along with my wife, I would like to announce the arrival of - a bouncing big screen HDTV from Amazon.com. It's our first, so we're justifiably proud.
The wife was driven to tears by a National Geographic DVD. I may never leave the house again. And I may become one of those annoying people who never stop talking about their offspring.
So, because I frankly have have better things to do, I'll keep this brief:
* Landon Donovan scored his first goal for Bayern Munich today.
*They've installed a revolving door at the U.S. Men's National Team training camp in Carson: the official U.S. blog reported Sunday that goalkeeper Troy Perkins took a five-day hiatus from camp to return to Norway for a three-day team bonding trip with his club Valerenga that apparently involves training sessions with the Norwegian Special Forces.
That means Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy was drafted in as a replacement. The Galaxy's Sean Franklin missed training Monday with a groin strain. And Riverside's Chad Marshall withdrew from camp with an injured right knee.
Is it any wonder they canceled training on Tuesday?
*Meanwhile, U.S. Soccer sat down to chat with Chivas USA's Jonathan Bornstein. The Los Alamitos resident reflects on his national team career so far and fills us in on whether he finished his deck on his house (I kid you not). Read it here
*ESPN2 will air the U.S.-Mexico World Cup qualifier at 4 p.m. Feb. 11. In High Def, too!
*Former Galaxy defender Ezra Hendrickson, just retired from the Columbus Crew, has a new job - and an old boss.
*Fellow blogger Steven Goff provides the transfer gossip of the day. Chivas USA could also bring into preseason camp "Reinier Alcantara, the Cuban forward who sought asylum during his national team's stay in Washington in October for a World Cup qualifier," according to Goff.
*The latest player to want David Beckham to stay longer at AC Milan than two months- Kaka. And David Beckham's commitment to the Galaxy has supposedly been downgraded you'll notice.
*Ventura County PDL team the Fusion is the latest local pro club to hold open tryouts. Details here.
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About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
Congrats to the new addition, have a lot of fun with it! (if you’re allowed to use it, that is…)
Hopefully “Mr Galaxy Defense” recovers soon and completely to earn his 1st cap for the USMNT.
Happy that Donovan scored a goal, even if that increases the chances of him leaving the G’s.
Wouldn’t mind Becks staying at AC Milan (duck and cover).
Serie A could suit him more since it’s less athletic than MLS (that’s a positive for MLS) and the Milan lab does wonders for the older players.
Becks has put MLS in the consciousness of the soccer world and even if he leaves, people won’t forget at least having heard about MLS.
Neither will the scouts who didn’t know the league already.
MLS just should sign the new TV/league sponsor contracts before his departure is confirmed.
MLS/Galaxy could still play Milan for All-Star Games, in friendlies or some newly created Atlantic cup competition or having some sort of payout/merchandise % from his future income.
There are other names who puts people in the stadium, apart from playing attractive and successful.
Ben said, "There are other names who puts people in the stadium"
Yeah, but how many of them will come play for MLS? Beck's play hasn't been to great, but what he has done for MLS is phenomenal. As a Galaxy fan, I am sure you would like to see them win more. With Donovan gone, hopefully they can put some slightly warmer bodies out on the field for Beck's to play with.
Almost no team affords a DP, because they are still a huge strain on the cap. Pretty much 1 DP is the limit to have for a competitive and deep team around him.
They came before Becks, and they will come after him.
Some still with something in the tank, some of them when they're a bit older.
I'm not saying that Becks hasn't at least raised the awareness of MLS.
Commitment and trying is all I ask for; winning = bonus.