In a time when everything about American soccer is growing, we just finished the first round of the
new season in the English Premier League and the only 2 American players to see the field were both
goalkeepers. Feels like a step backwards doesn't it?
STORY OF THE DAY
The always amazing Steve Sirk has a great tribute to recently deceased Kirk Urso from the Columbus
Crew.
Brek Shea has been invited into an Olympic training camp that will happen at the same time the USA
senior team is preparing for a friendly against Italy, meaning he is most likely NOT going to be on
Jurgen Klinsmann's roster for the first time since the German took over the program.
This is a Special Edition soccer news blast during this holiday week. I have been off enjoying
regular life, cut had to at least lay all of this good stuff on you once this week. We will be back
to regular service next week. But for now here is some news, in pretty much random order - no
headlines or sections:
dN
du Nord at the Controls - Tue Dec 27, 2011 - My Dad's birthday - new music mix at Spotify.
For one of the 1st times ever MLS is complying with FIFA international dates and only 2 games will
be played this weekend, one of them a make up game. We are getting there.
dN
Michael Bradley has completed his transfer to Chievo in Italy from Gladbach in Germany.
Their Words Big scores are humiliating and difficult to swallow but I don't think they have a
special meaning. They are always under special circumstances. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. Other
Sources Next two games should indicate where U.S. soccer is headed - from The Carson Daily Breeze's
Nick Green: "The more we can get together for longer periods of time, the better.
There will be 4 MLS games shown on ESPN2 this weekend - 1 Saturday, 1 Sunday and 2 Monday. How
weird is that?
dN
I will be a guest this Sun Jul 3 on Vuvuzela - The World Soccer Show at 10am CT from WBCB in
Levittown NJ, hosted by Eric Nash. Tune in to 1490am if you are a local, or dial em up on the web
at WBCB1490.
Daily Breeze reporter Sandy Mazza had never seen an MLS game in person. So what better place to
start than Saturday's Chivas USA-Galaxy SuperClasico. Given the result, she may well have a
standing invitation to sit in the stands with Chivas USA fans at every derby. Here's her report:
Buddle returns: The forward Galaxy fans never wanted to leave has returned to the club (Daily
Breeze file photo). The rumors were true. Edson Buddle has returned to the Galaxy after spending a
year in Germany where he scored 10 goals for second tier Ingolstadt. "I am thrilled to be
If that video doesn't get you excited for a Galaxy season finale that is not about merely
winning a championship, but as Staff Writer Phil Collin rightfully observes leaving a legacy then
nothing will.
The game is perhaps the most important for MLS and soccer in general in Los Angeles and across
the country I argue today in a rare front page column.
Good time Gregg: Gregg Berhalter, seen here celebrating a Galaxy goal with David Beckham and
Todd Dunivant, has played a major role on and off the field in the Galaxy's exemplary defensive
record in recent years; they have conceded fewer goals during his three years with the club than
any other MLS franchise (Daily Breeze file photo).
Hot stuff: Former Galaxy midfield general Mauricio Cienfuegos has returned to the club as a
coach (Daily Breeze file photo).
Mauricio Cienfuegos, the diminutive Salvadoran who made more than 200 hugely influential
appearances for the Galaxy in an eight-year career with the club that ended in 2003, is returning
as technical coach for the LA Galaxy Academy.
I hesitate to turn this into the "Everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask about
the LA Riot Squad" blog, but I wanted to acknowledge this modest (yet excellent) LA Weekly profile
by former Daily Breeze colleague Gene Maddaus on a huge Galaxy fan and member of the fan group
nick-named Shooter (I'd better - I gave Gene the profile idea).
It's a dream come true for the former multiple winner of the Daily Breeze player of the year
award. Here's more from the Associated Press:
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Stanford's Christen Press, a former Chadwick School standout, won the
Hermann Trophy on Friday as the nation's top women's college soccer player.
I'll admit that I'm biased when it comes to Kevin Hartman, one of those MLS players I root for
no matter what team he's on.
El Gato: Kevin Hartman trains with Dallas this week in Toronto ahead of today's MLS
championship game (AP Photo).
Hartman is from the South Bay - he moved to the Palos Verdes Peninsula while in high school -
and went on to play for Cal State Dominguez Hills and UCLA.
Missed opportunity: The Galaxy's Landon Donovan reacts to missing a shot during Sunday's Western
Conference final loss to Dallas at Home Depot Center. (Daily Breeze staff photo).
Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena has some work to do in the off-season after his team's season-ending
playoff loss last weekend.
Crunch time for goalkeeper Kevin Hartman and FC Dallas against the Galaxy Sunday (AP
Photo).
FC Dallas goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, 36, who played high school soccer in the South Bay and also
played for Cal State Dominguez Hills and UCLA, played about 300 games for the Galaxy between 1997
and 2006 before moving onto the Kansas City Wizards and now Dallas.
Sigi Schmid spoke Saturday in the South Bay (Photo: Getty
Images).
Seattle Coach Sigi Schmid held a teleconference with a few members of the media this morning
ahead of Sunday's 6 p.m. playoff decided at Home Depot Center.
Incidentally, he was speaking from the team's hotel at the Torrance Marriott, just down the
street from his old house opposite City Hall on Torrance Boulevard (while I'm sitting next door at
the Daily Breeze office) and that has to be strange for the former long-time Torrance resident on
some level.
That was better from the USA! And beyond getting a 3-2 win in Ljubljana they entertained us. The
game was wide open end to end fun from both teams for 90 minutes. Thank you boys.
dN
The world's 3 biggest friendlies ended like this: Costa Rica 2-2 Spain Germany 3-0 Netherlands Italy 0-1 Uruguay
-Sure they are only exhibitions, but those are all big results.
I really really really DISLIKE the idea of an unbalanced schedule for MLS next season.
-If you play more games against your biggest rivals then each game means a little less, not
more.
dN
Oguchi Onyewu broke a rib of Zlatan Ibrahimovic during a training session fight when they were both
at AC Milan a year ago.
Mexico has dropped captain Rafael Marquez from the national team this week after his 3 game
suspension in MLS after he threw a ball at Landon Donovan, started a brawl and then pretended he
got hit in the face. Karma's a bitch.
And as many times as I have found the Mexican football federation to be poor in their judgement,
they need praise for doing the right thing this time.
Barcelona has clinched their place in the knock out stage of the UCL. See details below.
dN
Just got an email from DirecTV saying that they reached an agreement to keep Fox Soccer on their
system!!! Their deal ended today and they had been in a large disagreement.
Players on the U.S. Futsal National Team scrimmage Thursday at South Coast Soccer City in
Torrance (Photo by Staff Photographer Brad Graverson).
When it comes to U.S. national outdoor soccer teams, the South Bay is already home to all but
the Under-17 boys national team program (that has its HQ in Bradenton, Fla.
Goal scoring sensation Taylor Twellman has called a press conference for 12:30pm Central on
Wednesday to talk about his future playing career. I'm pretty certain its to say goodbye to the
field portion of the game. Damn. But this is what head injuries do to people. I have said it before
and I will say it again, head injuries are very scary and need to be treated with the utmost
seriousness.
The growth of the rich soccer culture in Southern California is continuing, spurred by Facebook
and the Internet.
A decade or so ago, when I first began working at the Torrance-based Daily Breeze, I wrote a
story about the Orange County Glasgow Rangers Supporters Club that met in Old Torrance (the South
Bay was a compromise meeting place for members in OC and LA counties).
It's time to look back and reassess; it's time to look forward and plan.
It's not always easy - even if you're one of the best female soccer players in the nation like
two-time Daily Breeze Player of the Year Christen Press, right, of Palos Verdes Estates.
As if to confirm the uncertainty of women's soccer in this country, as I wrote this week's
column Monday the Chicago Red Stars of WPS folded citing a lack of investment related to the demise
of other teams such as FC Gold Pride.
U.S. Soccer and the U.S. Futsal National Team will stage a player identification camp from
Sept. 12-15 at Torrance's South Coast Soccer City (Daily Breeze file photo).
In a coup for Torrance's South Coast Soccer City the state-of-the-art 73,000-square-foot futsal
facility that includes an international size field will host the U.
Ridge Mahoney of Soccer America considers the Adidas influence on MLS.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"One day we went to Maradona's assistant's house for a barbeque, and we all played some soccer.
That was so cool to meet Maradona. He was a lot different than I thought he'd be.
