I don't know about you, but the weekend can't quick enough for me after the less than cheery news this week about what one newsroom wit described as our 301.K plans.

And there's plenty of soccer on TV and live locally to distract us.

I'll be back with a Chivas USA preview Saturday and a Galaxy one Sunday, but the bottom line is although the 1-1 draw last night between Real Salt Lake and the Red Bulls did little to clarify the playoff picture Chivas USA can still qualify for the playoffs while the Galaxy can put themselves (and us) out of their misery and be eliminated from the post-season.

Just a couple of quick items of local interest to pass along:
*Chivas USA striker Ante Razov is out two weeks with a mild right calf strain. The club's all-time leading scorer hobbled out of Saturday's game against the Wizards in the first half.

*Chivas USA defender Eric Ebert, already on the season-ending injury list, underwent right knee surgery Tuesday afternoon in Santa Monica.

After the realities of the last week - politicians seeking to bail out their banking buddies or (even worse) the Galaxy doing an excellent impression of a PDL team (no disrespect intended to that league) - I figured those of us with brains shaped like this (thanks to reader KLF for the link) could do with a laugh.

That a Juan Carlos Valenzuela own goal in the 75th minute gave Chile a 1-0 win over Mexico pretty much summed up the tenor of this game.

Neither team exhibited much rhythm and attacking opportunities were sparse - especially in a dull first half dominated (and I use the term loosely) by Mexico.

Smaller crowd than usual for a Mexico game tonight, perhaps because of the relatively high ticket prices given the squad of youngsters and "B" team players trying to force their way back into the international reckoning.

BTW, Mexico and Chile last met June 4 in the Copa America when they played to a 0-0 draw.

The basics on the 8 p.m. friendly were recounted in Tuesday's column.

Here's more on the challenges facing Sven.

And former CD Guadalajara prodigy Carlos Vela was otherwise engaged Tuesday banging home a hat trick for Arsenal in his first start for the London club.

I plan to blog from the game tonight and fans who are attending should remember there's a pre-game Futbol Fiesta Zone with live music and a massive 50-foot-tall Mexico National Team jersey fans can sign.

It's adios, Hugo, hola, Sven, when Mexico plays Chile Wednesday at the Coliseum. Tickets are still available, by the way.

Spent the day columnizing for Tuesday's newspaper about the most popular national team in Southern California - Mexico - which plays an 8 p.m. Wednesday exhibition at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum against Chile.

Fans who want to get an autograph or two from Mexican National Team stars should show up at the adidas Sports Performance store Tuesday on Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica.

Here's your live soccer and television viewing guide for the weekend.

The Galaxy (6-10-8) look for their first victory in 12 games at 8 p.m. Saturday at Home Depot Center (live on Fox Soccer Channel) against D.C. United (10-11-3), while Chivas USA (8-10-6) are on the road in Salt Lake (live at 6 p.

The U.S. beat a clearly out of their depth Trinidad & Tobago Wednesday night, taking advantage of their opponents' obvious inexperience (and lack of leadership as ESPN commentator and former T&T goalkeeper Shaka Hislop pointed out numerous times) to comfortably win 3-0 in Chicago.

Some observations:
*Neither Brian Ching nor Eddie Johnson were particularly convincing (again) at forward.

A full slate of World Cup qualifying games around the world is scheduled today.

Right now, for instance, Carl Robinson of Toronto FC is leading Wales against Russia and the sensation of Euro 2008, Andrei Arshavin, on Fox Soccer Channel.

Televised games later today include the Netherlands against Macedonia at 11:30 a.

A Clint Dempsey goal was enough for the U.S. to beat Cuba 1-0 Saturday, while Mexico beat Jamaica, 3-0.

David Beckham started on the bench for England in the win over Andorra and Croatia downed Kazakhstan, 3-0.

Up next for Mexico Wednesday: a likely dispirited Canada.

The U.

Kidding themselves it was somehow bright to continue with a full domestic league program when most others around the world are suspended this weekend, MLS officials are trying to ignore what the rest of the planet is focusing on: the dozens of World Cup qualifiers scheduled this weekend (and next week).

I'm getting up to watch the 6 a.m. U.S.-Brazil Olympic women's football final.

So briefly:
*The U.S. continued its domination of Guatemala Wednesday with a 1-0 win in the first game of the semifinal round of World Cup qualifying.

*Sven Wins For Mexico.

*CONCACAF WCQ Scores.

Mexico will make its U.S. debut under new Coach Sven Goran Eriksson 8 p.m. Sept. 24 against Chile at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, it was announced today by officials with Federación Mexicana de Fútbol and Soccer United Marketing.

It will be Mexico's fourth game of the year on U.S. soil.

No Ante Razov. No Maykel Galindo. No win. But a valiant effort.

Question: What did Preki et al see in Roberto Nurse?

It will be an all MLS SuperLiga final with the New England Revolution, 2-0 winners over bad losers Atlante tonight, playing the Houston Dynamo Tuesday in Boston.

I only watched the last 10 minutes of the game (work intervened), but that was enough to see some ugly scenes at game's end for the second consecutive SuperLiga semifinal.

Well, let's hope there's no repeat of Tuesday's temblor, but it seemed an apt headline in more ways than one as you'll find out if you keep reading.

*The U.S. Men's Olympic Team drew 0-0 with the Ivory Coast in Hong Kong in what was the wee hours of the morning our time. Cameroon is up Saturday in the final tune-up before the games begin.

(Originally posted by Nick Green on July 29, 2008 7:13 AM. A problem with our blogging software today meant I had to repost this item this evening).

The Mexican season started resumed play this weekend, but you wouldn't know it by reading the English-language media in this country (and, yes, that is one of the only summaries I could find on the opening weekend of play on a Google News search.

The Mexican season started resumed play this weekend, but you wouldn't know it by reading the English-language media in this country (and, yes, that is one of the only summaries I could find on the opening weekend of play on a Google News search. Thank you, Canada).

I do not profess to be any sort of Mexican soccer expert (and this is a good place to acknowledge the insights and suggestions of Chivas USA spokesman Keegan Pierce for his invaluable assistance in researching and writing today's column), but this piece is undoubtedly long overdue.

Another soccer-filled weekend is on tap, so let's get to it.

*The Galaxy are out of town in New York where Claudio Reyna retired this week and the Red Bulls signed two South American midfielders who could make their debuts Saturday.

The game airs live at 3:30 p.m. on Fox Soccer Channel and a crowd of more than 45,000 is expected to turn out largely to see David Beckham who continues to prove why he's nicknamed Golden Balls.

Ante Razov's deciding goal.
Photo by Scott Varley

Before we get started, take a deep breathe and read this fine piece of journalism on Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan and his father.

I'll wait.

But then we figured Kljestan would be going to the Olympics, didn't we?

A common theme for Chivas USA Coach Preki this season has been his grousing that his team doesn't capitalize on their chances.

Well, they did tonight, substitute Ante Razov scoring with an eight-yard header from a nice Sacha Kljestan cross in the 73rd minute for the only goal of the game.

Lots of shots on goal from the two teams (a dozen), but only three from Santos Laguna on target so the score is 0-0 after the opening 45 minutes.

The Mexican champions have looked fast and smooth when they transition into attack and gave some idea of their potency with a goal only 60 seconds or so into the game that was called back for offside.

All sorts of changes tonight for Chivas USA including Dan Kennedy in goal, Claudio Suarez on the bench, Mexican Roberto Nurse making his debut up front and young Kraig Chiles getting a rare start (likely as a withdrawn forward).

The Chivas USA lineup: Kennedy, Jim Curtin, Carey Talley, Shavar Thomas, Jonathan Bornstein, Francisco Mendoza, Sacha Kljestan, Paulo Nagamura, Chiles, Nurse and Atiba Harris.

Chivas USA plays the second game of its SuperLiga campaign at 8 tonight (live on Telefutua) at Home Depot Center in a must-win situation against Mexican champions Santos Laguna.

I'll blog from Carson as usual.

Pachuca plays New England at 5 p.m. on Telefutura.

Down the coast from us, the U.

Not wanting to repeat last year's lack of depth at forward that cost Chivas USA a half-decent playoff run, Preki has signed 24-year-old Mexican forward Roberto Nurse, who has played three (on and off) years in the Mexican first division.

And of course, Chivas USA has been a Mexican-oriented team with few Mexicans lately.

Suarez' miss from the penalty spot.

Photo by Scott Varley

Game story.

Box score.

Here's Claudio Suarez on missing the first half penalty kick:

"I feel bad for having missed it because it influenced the result. If I'd put it in it would have changed the game.

The second half was as tepid as the first half was smoking hot, Pachuca running out winners, 2-1.

An Ante Razov header from 12 yards that almost slipped in the corner of the net and required the fingertips of Pachuca goalkeeper Miguel Calero to keep out was the offensive highlight five minutes into the half.

An event-filled opening 45 minutes saw Chivas USA blow a lead, squander a penalty kick and come in at the half trailing 2-1.

Chivas could and probably should have been up 2-0 in the first 10 minutes, with Sacha Klejstan hitting the bar from 16 yards, wasting a fine Jonathan Bornstein run, who split the Pachuca defense after intercepting a lazy clearance.

Chivas USA plays its first ever competitive international game tonight against SuperLiga and CONCACAF Champions Cup title holders Pachuca.

So it's a hell of a time for goalkeeper Lance Parker (Missouri State) to make his professional debut. Parker is favored over presumed starter Dan Kennedy with Brad Guzan headed to England's Aston Villa.

Chivas USA moves into a new era this evening without star goalkeeper Brad Guzan in their SuperLiga opener at 7 against Pachuca (live on TeleFutura).

Said Coach Preki of the culmination (hopefully) of the drawn out trade:

"I won't say it's a relief because now we've got to see what we have with the other young goalkeepers we have.

Veteran Chivas USA and Mexican international defender Claudio Suarez considers himself a "simple soccer player" who initially was dead set against writing his autobiography.

But the classy Suarez, respected for his modest demeanor off the field and his commanding defensive presence on it, succumbed and the result is "Claudio Suarez: Portrait of a Warrior.

The second edition of SuperLiga begins today with a 5 p.m. game on TeleFutura between CD Guadalajara and D.C. United.

The Houston Dynamo-Atlante game follows at 7 p.m. on the same channel.

The MLS Players Union is apparently not pleased with that alleged $1 million in SuperLiga prize money figure the league throws around.

Here's some quotes from Pachuca ahead of Sunday's SuperLiga match with Chivas USA.

``What you're going to see here is a team taking the tournament very seriously,'' Pachuca coach Enrique Meza said. ``The test comes on Sunday. We'll see how it comes together.''

Pachuca midfielder Gabriel Caballero: ``We see that the MLS year after year is better and better.