West Long Beach is a football hotbed, and for a reason. My neighborhood is known for having a strong devotion to Chivas Guadelajara, Club America, Pumas UNAM, Atlas, and other mainstays in the Primera Division de Mexico. I see high school students don these jerseys, juggling replica Jabulanis while chatting about classes, relationships, and football.

However, there are others in my neighborhood who follow the clubs in Argentina. When you think of Argentine football, the two biggest clubs that come to mind are River Plate and Boca Juniors. Sure, there are other well known teams like Independiente, Estudiantes de la Plata, Newell's Old Boys, Racing, Lanus, San Lorenzo, and those sides, but it's the Superclasico power duo of Boca and River that have drawn the most attention.

On Sunday at 5:00 p.m. PT, Roberto Pompei's Xeneizes will tangle—er, tango with Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy at the grassy dance floor known as the Home Depot Center.

No introduction is necessary on what makes Boca Juniors a club worth celebrating/scorning in Argentina.

Boca have tallied up 23 Argentine Primera Division crowns, six Copa Libertadores, four Recopas Sudamericanas, three world club titles (Intercontinental Cup), two Copas Sudamericanas, one Copa Oro, one Supercopa Sudamericana, and one Supercopa Masters. Their 18 international titles ties AC Milan for the most.

Boca Juniors were awarded the title "Campeón de Honor" in 1925, due to a highly successful tour through Europe in which the club played Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid and Real Sociedad for a 15-1-3. Combined with their 41 professional titles, and 7 amateur champions, that makes it 49. This goes to show you why Boca Juniors are known as El Rey de Copas , the King of Trophies.

And they have also created some great players such as Juan Román Riquelme, Nicolás Burdisso, Carlos Tévez, and Fernando Gago, among others.

The shield that constitutes Boca's insignia is updated every time a new championship is added. With every new Primera Division crown, a new gold star enters the blue.

Roughly 40 percent of all Argentinians are fans of the club. As a results, they get their own coffins and a cemetery. The Galaxy, sadly, don't have that option yet. Give them a few decades.

But enough about trophies and fans. Let's take a look at the match. This is the makeup of the team touring the States.

Goalkeepers: Javier García, Josué Ayala, Sebastián D’Angelo

Defenders: Gastón Sauro, Leandro Aguirre, Hugo Ibarra, Leandro Marín, Luciano Fabián Monzón, Ezequiel Muñoz, Breyner Bonilla (Colombia), David Achucarro.

Midfielders: Jesús Méndez, Cristian Erbes, Matías Giménez, Nicolás Colazo, Gastón Rossi.

Forwards :Pablo Mouche, Lucas Viatri, Nicolás Blandi, Orlando Gaona Lugo (Paraguay), Sergio Araujo.

Many of the top stars on the club such as Palermo, Riquelme, and Federico Insua will sit this one out because of the Albiceleste's final preparations for South Africa. That's not to say this Boca Juniors side is not dangerous its own right.

Watch for Luciano Monzon to play a key role in Boca's defense. Monzon was a member of the Argentine U-23 team that won the gold medal at Beijin a couple years ago. Also, Javier Garcia is a rising young keeper and will be one to watch at Calle Victoria.

This should be a contest that will prove to be a critical warm-up to the May 29 match between the Galaxy and Columbus Crew.


Prediction:

With the watered-down rosters on both sides, I am going to say that Boca wins, but it will be a more even contest than it would otherwise be. Let's try this scoreline.

Boca Juniors 3, Los Angeles Galaxy 1

The match will be televised by Fox Sports West and Galavision. Now for some...

Ins and Outs

Inter's trebles paints Milan black...and blue

So, Bruce Arena, did you say hello to Jose Mourinho for me while you were away?

That's because Mourinho's Inter Milan defeated Louis van Gaal's Bayern Munich 2-0 in the 2010 UEFA Champions League final in Madrid.

"Generally these games tend to be a little on the conservative side because there's so much at stake," Arena said on the match. "I think everybody probably was looking for a final of Barcelona-Manchester United, but I think Bayern Munich-Inter Milan is the next best thing."

Or Manchester United vs. the MLS All Stars. Can't beat that. Or...maybe not.

Have fun painting the town black and blue, you nerizzuri-clad Inter Milan fans.


Blitzkrieg in Cleveland dooms Die Nationalelf

You can't blame the fans for getting that feeling that they were let down for not seeing a close, tenacious friendly betwen Pia Sundhage's USA women and Silvia Neid's Germany counterparts at Cleveland's Paul Brown Stadium.

It was nothing but a blitzkrieg of an ambush as the USA demolished Germany 4-0 off of a brace by Abby Wambach, Heather O'Reilly's first goal in 15 tries, and another by Kristine Lilly.

The USA earned their first off a Wambach penalty in the 31st minute. Six minutes later, a scramble in the box found O'Reilly, whose finish facilitated by Shannon Boxx healed the 14-game itch.

But it was the two goals in two minutes in the second half that all but sealed the deal for the USA. Lilly's 130th career goal was followed up by Wambach scoring on the transition from Lori Lindsey.

It was almost a hat trick for Wambach late in stoppage time, but her would-be third goal was called for offsides.

That's not to say the USA's defending wasn't holding its part. Hope Solo was clutch in the net, making save after save after save. Every chance Germany had was either called for offsides (with a good deal of that coming at the expense of Inka Grings) or denied by the USA's No. 1.

Hey Silvia, seems to me that the vacation you promised Die Nationalelf couldn't have come any sooner.

Prelim work for the G's at the Champions League

The Los Angeles Galaxy will be facing the Puerto Rico Islanders of the USSF Division 2 Pro League in the Preliminary Round of the 2010-11 CONCACAF Champions League. The Islanders qualified as the champion of the 2010 CFU Club Championship, defeating Trinadad and Tobago's Joe Public FC.

The first leg of this series will be scheduled for July 26 at the Home Depot Center. The second leg will take place at Bayamon's Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium on the weekend of August 3.

The winner will join the winner of the 2010 Bicentenario Liguilla between Toluca or Santos Laguna, CD Olimpia of Honduras and the winner between Club Xelaju MC of Guatemala and one of these teams from El Salvador: CD FAS, CD Aguila and AD Isidro Metapan.

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