Green Card for Ricketts

Los Angeles Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts earned his US Green Card this past week.  As a result, Ricketts will no longer occupy one of the international slots on the club's roster.

The 2010 Major League Soccer Goalkeeper of the Year and a two-time MLS All-Star, Ricketts has a 28-12-14 record in his two seasons with the Galaxy, keeping 20 clean sheets in 55 regular season appearances.  His 0.96 goals against average is the best in MLS history amongst goalkeepers that have played in more than one game, while his 0.90 GAA in 2010 was the best single season mark in Galaxy history.

In two seasons with Ricketts on the roster, the Galaxy have allowed 57 goals in 60 regular season games after surrendering 62 goals in 30 games in 2008.  A Jamaican international, Ricketts has collected 76 caps for his country and was a member of Jamaica’s team at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. 

Makes you wonder if Mr. Beckham is also considering getting his green card, if he hasn't already...

Miguel Lopez Signs With the G's

Also announced this past week was the signing of midfielder Miguel Lopez of Quilmes AC. Lopez played for Quilmes in Argentina’s Primera B Nacional (Second Division) last year, helping them earn promotion to the Primera Division in August 2010 ahead of the start of that year’s Apertura.

Lopez is capable of playing wide on the left or in central midfield.  A teammate of Paolo Cardozo, the Galaxy’s first round pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft, at Quilmes, Lopez appeared in 21 games for the club last season.  He began his career in the youth system of Gimnasia La Plata, joining the club at the age of 10 and staying there for seven years.

In 2005, Lopez joined the first team at Deportivo Coreano in the Torneo Argentina B, spending three years there before signing with fellow Buenos Aires-based club Defensores Cambaceres in the Primera C before joining Quilmes a year later.

A special on Lopez as part of the "This Is The Los Angeles Galaxy" series will be published later this season.

San Diego Clasico vs. Los Xolos On the House

The Los Angeles Galaxy will be facing Club Tijuana of the Mexican Liga de Ascenso on March 2 in the San Diego Clasico at Torero Stadium, on the campus of the University of San Diego.

“We are very excited to announce this match against Club Tijuana in San Diego, a market that is important to our organization and one where we have wanted to play for quite some time,” LA Galaxy President of Business Operations Tom Payne said.  “In addition, it is a good game for us against a quality opponent as we complete our preseason preparations for the 2011 MLS season.”

Club Tijuana is coached by former Club America and Mexican National Team midfielder Joaquín Del Olmo, who in his first season with the club guided Los Xoloitzcuintles to their first title last December, winning the Apertura.

Led by their captain Javier Gandolfi, goalkeeper Adrian Zermeno and forward Raúl Enríquez, Club Tijuana posted an impressive 11-1-5 record last season.  Gandolfi, a defender from Argentina, and Zermeno, who spent eight seasons at Toluca, spearhead their defense, which conceded only seven goals in 21 games last season.

This marks the first time the Galaxy will play at the 6,000-seat Torero Stadium, the home of the University of South Dakota football and soccer teams.

Donovan to Skip the Match With the Pharaohs? 

Landon Donovan's offseason could include skipping a Feb. 9 match against Egypt in Cairo as part of rest after 2010 and ahead of the 2011 Major League Soccer campaign.

“It’s hard to know now,” Donovan said. “If you ask me today I’d say, ‘No chance,’ because I’m pretty tired and sore. We’ll see how it goes in the next few weeks."

The Galaxy team captain looked forward to the new season.

“I’m very excited,” Donovan said.  “This is the first time I can remember where I had enough time to really get antsy to play again.  I’m excited to be back, to see new faces, to start up again and that hasn’t happened in a while."

“For me, this is the first time in a long time I’ll be with the team during preseason,” he said.  “It does make a difference.  It helps to know guys from day one so you don’t have any hiccups in the beginning of the season."

Unwinding, however, proved to be a pain in the behind for Donovan.  After a while, the need to return proved too much.

“I’m so used to going all the time that it was almost difficult to just relax,” Donovan said. “You want to find something to do.  You almost have to force yourself to just relax, and my body actually up until the last week before preseason started this week, there were still some spots that hurt."

“I knew it was the right decision, but I also knew it was the right time to come back when I watched the US game the other night and it was just killing me to just sit on the couch watching.”

New Rules and New Regulations

On Saturday, Major League Soccer unveiled its new roster and player rules.

“One fundamental change from 2010 was the Re-Entry process,” said MLS executive vice president of player relations and competition, Todd Durbin, in an interview with MLSsoccer.com.  “It gave players increased rights, it gave teams new ways to build their rosters and it helped make the offseason significantly more interesting.”

In addition, teams can compose their roster entirely of homegrown players if they so wish.

“It’s gone incredibly well and we are ahead of schedule in terms of the numbers of players that we are signing,” Durbin said.  “Our teams continue to demonstrate a significant commitment to this initiative and I believe 10 to 15 years from now that the face of the league in terms of quality will forever be impacted by this initiative."

“You can build an entire roster of home grown players.  Teams can sign an unlimited number of these players to their senior roster or the off-budget roster. That is up to the team.”

Other highlights of the rules include—a total of 144 international slots available to clubs league wide, a roster freeze date of Sept. 15 and the two international transfer windows (Jan. 21 through April 15 and July 15 through August 14).

More information on the rules can be seen here .

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In the last post, I sifted through an interesting interview with MLS EVP Dan Courtemanche (Part One and Part Two) and worked through some of the marketing-oriented commentary.

However, while I called out a mention of the league’s continuing interest in the Hispanic audience, I didn’t delve into the topic.

So here are a few tidbits from the interview and elsewhere, along with a reasonably crazy and unrealistic idea to go with them.

The interview offers hints that the SuperLiga competition’s days may be over, though that decision hasn’t been made public at this point. 

The SuperLiga was (or is?) an odd competition in many ways: a marketing invention between MLS and its Mexican counterpart. 

There are other regional competitions that MLS and Mexican league clubs play each other in, namely CONCACAF Champions League, that had much more tangible international relevance and for SuperLiga, the Mexican clubs were only in their pre-season, so MLS victories were somewhat tainted (and with non-matching calendars, that may always be a challenge with any regional competition).

All that negativity aside, the games were entertaining and typically had a better level of intensity than nearly any regular season MLS game. That aside, for a New England Revolution fan, it offered what MLS could not… a trophy.

If the competition is to disappear, it is one less vehicle available to attract Hispanic (and in particular Mexican) fan appreciation and support.   While it can be argued how much resonance the SuperLiga competition had with your average Mexican soccer fan, it did at least offer some news coverage and attention in that target market.

One positive of a potential demise to SuperLiga is certainly the hope that the fixture congestion that haunts most MLS seasons will be somewhat alleviated. 

However, if that isn’t priority number one, perhaps we will see MLS more seriously consider accepting the open invite from CONMEBOL to participate in the Copa Libertadores.

Presuming MLS clubs can hold their own in South America, which would take some assistance from the schedule and the now slightly larger rosters, the competition would improve our teams and add some credibility to the level of play in MLS. 

Also, South American clubs, like Argentina’s storied Boca Juniors, are at least feigning interest in MLS, so building on that interest might provide some significant value for the league.  

Long and expensive flights, calendar issues and myriad other logistical and cost concerns might prevent this from becoming a reality.    While still an unlikely possibility at best right now, it sure is a fun prospect to think about as the league matures.

Closer to home, there are some positive steps in MLS to add logical connections to Mexican brands, demonstrated by the addition of Corona Extra as a new major sponsor of Chivas USA and Bimbo Bakeries USA (a subsidiary of the huge Grupo Bimbo) as sponsor of the Philadelphia Union. 

Admittedly, Corona is the more well-known brand for most Americans, and while having “Bimbo” emblazoned on the chest of a soccer player might drive more confused smirks than anything else, the Union join four major regional clubs that are already sponsored by Grupo Bimbo: Mexico’s America, Chivas de Guadalajara and Monterrey and Costa Rica’s Deportiva Saprissa.  

That’s not bad company, and the logo will look rather familiar to those teams’ US based fans, perhaps lending a sense of credibility in their eyes.

Still, there may be no better way to attract a certain demographic fan base than to have players on the field that they relate to. 

If this is considered a marketing “must have” (the “Product P” in the “Four Ps” of Marketing) perhaps the new CMO needs to convince the MLS brass that players from certain countries that offer a “needed marketing demographic pull” could have a reduced hit on a team’s salary cap.

If research shows that, across the board, Mexican fans are the greatest untapped potential Hispanic audience in every MLS city, the league could suggest that moving forward any Mexican player (however they choose to define this, National Team capped?) salary only hits the salary cap at 80% of its total.

The league could also pick any geographic region to suit the local population.  This discussion started about the Hispanic population, so perhaps it is Salvadoran in D.C., Colombian in NYC and Brazilian in New England.  (Of course, I have done no research whatsoever on this, so that’s just fodder for discussion.)  

There would likely have to be changes in the salary reduction that somehow reflects the varying ability to find players that would fit in MLS from a skill and expense perspective and could vary by team.

Of course, outside of the goal to attract Hispanic fans, this could be taken further… say Polish players in Chicago?  And if the league can play with the percentage discount based on what it decides is a likely return in terms of marketing.

Clubs deciding that they don’t want their choices limited can continue business as usual, but I’m sure there are a few hidden gems in every country that MLS could conceivably see marketing, and presumptively on-field, value in.

Maybe this is too centrally managed for even a single entity MLS, but it sure would be interesting...even if a short-lived strategy to ensure we are not overlooking the vast talent pool that could attract Hispanic fans to MLS. 

I would just like to think of it as a coupon program to go shopping south of the border, and add some “sabor latino” to our soup.   Speaking of which, maybe Goya should be our next target sponsor.

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The chance that Major League Soccer would dock the Eastern and Western Conferences were practically equivalent to the league's receiving any praise for the retaining of conferences.

Well, as unnecessary they may seem, MLS is going to have conferences at least through the end of this year. Knowing that we may only have 19 clubs in MLS for 2012, it's likely (and unfortunate) that we can say bye to the balanced schedule and not bye to the conferences. 

Needless to say, MLS' announcement that the Houston Dynamo were transferring from the West to East, unsurprisingly, failed to receive any joy amongst the fans. If anything, it simply reignited the same topics that have been hot topics of debate for the past few years now: conference vs. single table, open league vs. closed league model and MLS Cup vs. Supporters Shield. 

There was minor praise, in very short doses. Most of it was claiming that MLS would expand to around 30 clubs in the future, and would need as much conference emphasis as possible. While I cannot see that happening anytime soon, nor do I see FIFA allowing that happen ever, their reasons are not valid presently. Especially in a league playing a balanced schedule.

Right now, with no legitimate need for conferences for the past year now, it has come down to one reason MLS is retaining conferences.

It is not that they have aversions to a single table, nor is it they want to assemble an NFL-style division structure. This goes back to the good old topic that every fan and foe of MLS can agree on: MLS and money. 

Think about it. While MLS puts on a post-season tournament to crown their "league" champion, it is the sole showcase that television networks put the most of their minimal emphasis on. Amid extremely poor TV ratings, the only way the league can receive any chance of earning contracts is if there is a guaranteed possibility that an MLS franchise (everyone's favorite word) from the East or West Coast makes the playoff chase.

With conferences now at nine apiece, and with the minimum of teams qualifying from each conference remaining at two, it perfectly ties into the reason the league is expanding its playoff size from eight to 10 clubs.

Sure it waters down the regular season, makes it less meaningful and emphasizes the unwanted playoffs, these conferences ensure that at least one Eastern or Western Conference club will truly earn their place in the playoffs. Following last seasons' West Coast domination, it is critical that an East Coast club makes it into the playoffs. 

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Who is the fastest?

A huge question will be asked at the 104th Millrose Games in New York City: Which sport has the strongest combination of power, speed and acceleration?

Is it American football? Is it bobsleigh? Is it baseball? Is it basketball? Or is it world football?

Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Bryan Jordan will investigate the question when he participates in the Super 60 II event at the Millrose Games on Friday.

Others participating in the event include NFL star Jacoby Jones, a wide receiver with the Houston Texans, former NBA star Jay Williams, former MLB All-Star Junior Spivey, Olympic bobsled gold medalist Steve Mesler and defending champion/former NFL star Tony Dorsett.

McBean, USA U-17s on assignment in Jamaica

As mentioned in the previous Ins and Outs, Galaxy Youth Academy product Jack McBean is training with the USA Under-17 men's national team ahead of the CONCACAF U-17 Championship in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Among the team members in the lineup, center backs Andrew Souders and Mobi Fehr possess a strong presence the back line, while Matt Dunn, Esteban Rodriguez and Tarik Salkicic will figure prominently in the midfield.

Look for Mario Rodriguez, one of the Americans' most impressive performers during the Nike International Friendlies, to provide the goal-scoring punch the USA needs at this tournament.

Here is the line-up for the USA U-17 men's national team, managed by Wilmer Cabrera.

GOALKEEPERS (2): Kendall McIntosh (Mustang Academy, Santa Rosa, Calif.), Fernando Pina (Houston Dynamo Academy, Houston)

DEFENDERS (6): Kellyn Acosta (FC Dallas Juniors, Plano, Texas), Joe Amon (South Carolina United FC, Summerville, S.C.), Zach Carroll (Vardar, Grand Blanc, Mich.), Mobi Fehr (Tokyo Verdy 1969, Tokyo), Nathan Smith (Cal Odyssey, Clovis, Calif.), Andrew Souders (Crew Soccer Academy, Amherst, Ohio)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Jordan Allen (Empire United, Rochester, N.Y.), Christian Duarte (Texans SC Houston, League City, Texas), Matt Dunn (FC Köln, Dallas), Alejandro Guido (Aztecs Premier, Chula Vista, Calif.), Marc Pelosi (De Anza Force, Sunnyvale, Calif.), Esteban Rodriguez (Cosmos Academy West, Palmdale, Calif.), Tarik Salkicic (Strictly Soccer, Pinellas Park, Fla.)

FORWARDS (5): Paul Arriola (Arsenal FC, Chula Vista, Calif.), Alfred Koroma (Solar Chelsea FC, Arlington, Texas), Jack McBean (Los Angeles Galaxy Academy, Newport Beach, Calif.), Andrew Oliver (Westside United, Indianapolis), Mario Rodriguez (Central Aztecs, North Hollywood, Calif.)

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I’ve talked before about being a marketer by trade, so my intrigue about a number of recent MLS marketing related news items should come of no real surprise.  What was a bit more surprising was my inability to immediately tie them into a neat and tidy theme, with the exception of the inevitable thoughts about how these items affect, or compare to, our local New England Revolution.

What prompted these thoughts was L.E. Eisenmenger‘s interview with MLS EVP Dan Courtemanche on the marketing of MLS (if any of this is interesting to you, go read Part One and Part Two), which included a number of interesting tidbits, only a few of which I’ll cover here.

Courtemanche made it clear that the MLS marketing is targeting the “core soccer fan in the 18 to 34-year-old age group,” and his belief that marketing messages to that core group will resonate reasonably well with older and younger audiences, who all seek to emulate that group anyway.  

Key to winning over this group will be a focus on “authenticity and the Hispanic audience.”  (I’ll cover some thoughts on attracting the Hispanic audience in my next post.)

The interview spent a fair amount of time focused on “game presentation,” which I agree is not a trivial topic, though Mr. Courtemanche rightly called out that, “what occurs on the field during the 90 minutes is top priority.”  I heartily concur.

I was hoping to hear more about how to better communicate an ever-improving soccer product in MLS via marketing, but talk centered more on how not to distract from the game than promote its continuing improvement.  I think there are opportunities to do both, and hope and expect that MLS brass agrees.

And, while I agree that the demographic of core soccer fans between 18-34 is an obvious target, it is also more competitive to win their soccer mind share in a crowded international soccer market.  

By more competitive, I presume that the targeted demographic is quite likely much more knowledgeable about and interested in John Henry’s purchase of Liverpool.  They are significantly more likely to be at a pub (or in front of their TV) watching the English Premier League than the local mom and dad looking to bring their kids to their local professional sporting event.  

The competitive bar is raised for winning the “core soccer fan’s” attention, exceeding their expectations of on field quality and being seen as a Tier One sports offering.  Soccer Moms (and Dads) may have a lesser bar to leap and shouldn’t be ignored.

To that end, there is a largely unexploited “value” message the Revolution (and MLS generally) could be better promoting to families, who have to spend literally hundreds of dollars on a memorable day at most other local top tier professional sporting events—and likely far less on a similar excursion to see the Revolution.  (Unless they linger too long at Patriot’s Place.)  

I think this value message might resonate less, though would not be irrelevant, for the current target market, who probably buy tickets for smaller sized parties at any one time.

There should be room for more than one marketing strategy in today’s market.  That will be an interesting thought for a Chief Marketing Officer to figure out—and luckily, MLS just hired one.  J. Russell Findlay has assumed the CMO role of both the MLS and Soccer United Marketing, and (not surprisingly) has extensive brand management experience and has worked with MLS and SUM from a sponsor’s perspective.  

Good luck, sir.  

It will be interesting to see if the Revolution marketing leadership, like the seemingly well-liked Cathal Conlon (who I’ve never met), has the marketing pedigree that is up to par for what MLS, it’s new CMO and a more sophisticated consumer demands.  Time will tell.

Another key theme that was discussed in the interview and which resonated strongly with me was the focus on the fan experience “from when the fans drive into the stadium” and that everything from “parking or getting into the stadium through the ticket turn styles or the concession stands or the restrooms or the seats” can affect that experience.

Given his focus on this, I’d love to see Mr. Courtemanche provide a Report Card for the various teams in MLS on how their game day experience is representing MLS the way he and Don Garber would expect.  I would bet the grades vary wildly across the league. 

I’ve not yet been to nearly as many MLS stadiums as I’d like, but I have attended many at both Gillette/Foxboro and Giants Stadium, and a couple games at Qwest Stadium in Seattle.  (I’m excluding the MLS Cup final in RFK Stadium, since that was very much a one-off special event, not a regular season game.) 

Looking at those games and stadiums, there are both significant similarities (all are NFL-first stadiums) and vast differences. 

Giants Stadium was clearly an NFL home where the MetroStars/Red Bulls were a rent paying tenant that was clearly playing second fiddle.  However, the Red Bulls have now moved to their own, world class soccer facility.  “Experience” problem fixed.

When I first attended a Seattle Sounders game, I was astounded by (among other things) how the details in and around the stadium were transformed into Sounders and MLS branding, with few Seahawks/NFL remnants jumping out. 

Large soccer themed tarps covered unoccupied areas, Sounders gear shared space with NFL selections in the Pro Shop without feeling as if it was was being overwhelmed and expensive looking Sounders logos adorned doors and entryways around the stadium. 

The Sounders may be a second class citizen at Qwest, but it sure doesn’t feel that way on game day.

There is still much work to be done at Gillette Stadium.  Now, some of this is out of the hands of the team staff, but it’s not completely out of reach when the team owner owns both tenant teams and the stadium itself.  

It isn’t necessary for the Revolution to gain parity with their more storied and successful Kraft-family team, but much more could be done to ensure the Revolution doesn’t feel like alien being invading Patriots territory.

It will be interesting to watch MLS efforts to better target key demographics and improve game day experiences.  I’ll also be intrigued as to how these changes make their way, if at all, to the New England Revolution.  

From this outsider’s perspective, the team has made improvements in engaging the community via social media and communications, and seemingly has been working more closely with supporter’s groups to energize the base.

It’s time to see how far the pendulum will swing toward more aggressive, proactive marketing and then, most importantly, if the on-field product going to make the marketers’ lives a bit easier by winning some games and playing some attractive soccer.

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Cristman, Leonardo poised for big year

After performance relatively well in their endurance and strength tests yesterday, the Los Angeles Galaxy's Adam Cristman and Leonardo feel that they are ready for a big year in 2011.

“It’s been a rough two years,” said Cristman, acquired two weeks ago in a trade with D.C. United. “My first year and a half in the league were great. I was making great strides in my professional career and I’ve hit a skid.

“For me, [the strength and endurance test results] was positive reinforcement for all the work I’ve put in the last few weeks. I’m happy to put all of that behind me and it’s nice to be here and have a fresh start.”

“I think the first day was good,” Leonardo added. “I’m going to take it day to day, little by little, but I’m going to get better.

“It was exciting to see the guys, I’m happy to be back here. It’s a new year, a lot of new people as well and we want to win titles. That will take time and a lot of hard work. But it all starts today.”

MLSSoccer.com places Galaxy #1 in Power Rankings

Well, isn't this flattering. The editors at MLSSoccer.com (a.k.a. Simon Borg and Co.) placed Bruce Arena's Galaxy at the top of the preseason power rankings on the site.

Bleacher Report and The View from Victoria Street placed the Galaxy third in the standings.

At least they were placed in the top three by consensus. The full power rankings can be seen here.

Here comes Curt Onalfo

Curt Onalfo was named assistant coach and reserve team coach on Thursday.

Onalfo played for current Galaxy general manager and head coach Bruce Arena with D.C. United in 1998 and then served as his assistant coach with the U.S. National Team for four years, including at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

“I am very excited to be reunited with Bruce and am looking forward to working alongside him and the rest of the coaching staff here with the Galaxy,” Onalfo said. “I began my MLS career with the Galaxy in 1996 and my ambition remains the same from then, to work each and every day in order to help this club win championships.”

Onalfo spent two-and-a-half seasons as the Kansas City head coach, leading the team to the postseason twice. He had a 27-29-22 record in his time with Kansas City before leaving the club in August 2009. In December 2009, he was named as D.C. United’s head coach and held that position for eight months before leaving the club in August.

Onalfo joins Arena, as well as associate head coach Dave Sarachan, player/assistant coach Gregg Berhalter and goalkeeper coach Ian Feuer on the Galaxy coaching staff.

Preseason Roster and Schedule

This is the Los Angeles Galaxy's 2011 preseason roster and schedule.

LA Galaxy Preseason Roster – as of January 25, 2011

GOALKEEPERS (3) – Brian Perk, Donovan Ricketts, Josh Saunders

DEFENDERS (8) – Gregg Berhalter, A.J. DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant, Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, Frankie Hejduk, Leonardo, Ryan Thomas

MIDFIELDERS (11) – David Beckham, Chris Birchall, Paolo Cardozo, Landon Donovan, Hector Jimenez, Bryan Jordan, Juninho, Daniel Keat, Jovan Kirovski, Dustin McCarty, Michael Stephens

FORWARDS (4) – Juan Pablo Angel, Chad Barrett, Adam Cristman, Mike Magee

HEAD COACH – Bruce Arena

LA Galaxy Preseason Schedule – as of January 25, 2011

January 24-February 12               Training at The Home Depot Center

February 8                                 Preseason game vs. Portland Timbers

February 10                               Preseason game vs. San Jose Earthquakes

February 13                               Depart for Arizona

February 14-22                          Training in Arizona

February 16                               Preseason game vs. Colorado Rapids

February 20                               Preseason game vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

February 22                               Preseason game vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

February 23                               Return to Los Angeles

February 24-March 14                 Training at The Home Depot Center

March 15                                  LA Galaxy at Seattle Sounders FC – MLS First Kick

Two new faces at preseason camp

In addition to the roster that you see here, two new additions have been brought in to the club: the Youth Academy's very own Jack McBean and Argentinean Miguel Lopez.

“It’s great to get going again,” Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. “I think we’ve done a good job in the offseason trying to improve our team. Hopefully we’ll see that during the season. It’s never easy."

McBean will join the first team following the 2011 CONCACAF U-17 Championships in Montego Bay, Jamaica, concludes.

"[McBean is] a 16-year old [striker], strong, good with his back to the goal, athletically good,” Arena said. “He’s that at 16. We don’t get any bonus points for playing 16-, 17-, 18-year-old players. He’s now with the men. We’re going to see how that adds up in our environment.”

Lopez is a teammate of SuperDraft selection Paolo Cardozo from their days with Quilmes AC.

“[Lopez is] a player on the ball that’s very eager to go at players one-on-one,” Arena said. “He’s dynamic in that sense and it’s something I think we need. It’s a player that can penetrate with the ball and go at players. That’s going to be the dimension he offers our team.”

A man with California Cool

Frankie Hejduk continues to soak up the opportunity given to him in Major League Soccer, and now as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy, he reaps the payoff.

“I have a big smile on my face,” he said Wednesday with the Galaxy in the first week of preseason training. “The sun is shining and the weather is sweet.”

Frankie’s a good player,” Arena said. “At his age, he’s if not our fittest player he’s one of our top two or three. He gives us a lot of experience. He can play anywhere in the back, as well as wide midfield. With the addition of Frankie he certainly helps us.”

“For me, it’s an ideal situation,” Hejduk said on playing for the G's. “To come back and end my career where it started, getting back to the roots and everything is really cool. My friends and family getting to see me play is awesome.

“What I’m looking forward to with this team obviously is nothing less than a championship. I didn’t come here to not win a championship. This club has some big-time tradition and I want to be a part of that.”

Hejduk's mercenary mentality showed when asked of the role he will play.

“Whether that’s a reserve role or coming off the bench or helping out wherever I can. I’m here for the team. Wherever Bruce wants to put me I’m all for it. The main thing is to be a veteran, help all the young guys out and be positive. Be a good locker room guy and push these guys and try to win a championship.

“I love Columbus and all. I loved my time there … it was incredible, to be honest. The next stage is here. Things happen, that’s MLS. Now I’m concentrating on the club that wants me here and to be a part of a championship team."

Hejduk, a native of La Mesa, CA, is hopeful that there is a little bit more left in the tank.

“[I hope to keep playing ] as long as I’m competitive and I feel like my legs are still under me and I don’t feel I’m hurting the team I’m going to play as long as I can. 

"I love the sport, I’ve been doing it for a number of years now. I still feel competitive, I still feel healthy, I’m still fit, still running and I’m looking forward to challenging the guys. It’s going to be a fun year.”

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(Carson, CA)—Landon Donovan spoke to members of the press at the LA Galaxy's preseason training camp at the Home Depot Center in Carson on Wednesday.

Despite widespread speculation about him joining an EPL club, the Team USA player had foregone his usual training loan in Europe to rest after a busy 2010.

“This is the first time I can remember where I had enough time to really get antsy to play again. I’m excited to be back and see new faces and to start up again, and that hasn’t happened in a while.”

Donovan spoke about the turnover in the Galaxy’s attack during the offseason, specifically the departure of the Galaxy’s leading goal scorer last season, Edson Buddle, and the arrival of former Aston Villa striker Juan Pablo Angel from the New York Red Bulls.

“There’s no question that losing Edson hurts. We’re obviously very happy for him and to see him score in his first game was great. As people who are distributing the ball to your attacking players, you want the guy who always wants the ball and wants the ball in a good position and puts himself in a good position so he can be dangerous, and Edson became very good at that last year, where when we got the ball he made sure he was in a spot where if we got it to him he had a chance to score. Juan Pablo does that too.”

Juan Pablo Angel, the former Aston Villa striker, joined the Galaxy during the offseason from New York Red Bulls.

“Juan Pablo’s résumé speaks for itself," said Donovan. "He’s just dangerous. If he’s in front of the goal teams have to worry about him, and if they don’t he’s gonna score a lot of goals. Having more players like that on your team is helpful. It helps guys like me, it helps guys like David (Beckham), it helps guys like Juninho, it helps us all be more creative and do our jobs better.”

Donovan also spoke about the importance of his own personal contribution to making up some of the goals Buddle had provided for the club last season.

“As a general rule I want to be more dangerous in front of the goal regardless of where I’m playing. I think last year because of the amount of games and the amount of wear I did things a little more beneficial to the team in other ways, but this year I want to be more dangerous, and with Edson leaving I feel there is a little more need for that.

“Hopefully the other forwards prove me wrong and I can play in different roles, but regardless of all that I want to make sure that I’m more dangerous and get a lot more looks at goal.”

As for whether not having David Beckham on hand for the Galaxy's preseason training has had an effect, for Donovan it just seemed like business as usual.

“Every year we’ve spent significant time without David, whether it’s been injuries or he’s been away. This team knows how to gel without David, but the expectation is to have him back relatively soon so he can be with the team.

“For me this is the first time in a long time I’ll be with the team for preseason too. It does make a difference, it’s nice to know guys from day one so you don’t have any hiccups in the beginning of the season. When he’s here, he wants to play, he wants to win. I’m sure the day he gets back here he’s gonna be ready to go.”

The poster boy for American soccer looked tanned, rested and more relaxed than he had in the latter half of 2010. Asked about his time off, he responded, “It was nice. A little bit of traveling, a lot of rest. I’m so used to going all the time that it was almost difficult to just relax. You have to force yourself to just relax.

“My body, up until the last week before preseason there were still some spots that hurt, so I know it was the right decision, but I also knew it was the right time to come back when I watched the US game the other night and it was just killing me to be on my couch watching.”

The Galaxy kick off the 2011 MLS season on March 15 when they play Seattle Sounders FC at Qwest Field.

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Gonzalez and Franklin at the front for the States

Defenders Omar Gonzalez and Sean Franklin played a key role in the USA's 1-1 draw with Chile at the Home Depot Center last Saturday. Franklin earned his first-ever cap as a member of the national team in the draw.

“It was definitely an honor to be playing with the national team,” Gonzalez said. “It was a fun game. The first half was so much fun and getting to see all the new guys out there was fun.”

“Nothing’s final until it’s written down,” Franklin said. “I was excited to get the start. I wanted to just calm down, not freak out too much.”

Gonzalez was quick to note that working with fellow defender and New York Red Bull Tim Ream, who had a fantastic outing for the USA, was key.

“We worked together the last week and I like playing with him next to me,” he said. “Hopefully that’s one relationship I would like to see again.”

For Franklin, it was a case of "so far, so good," but there's room for improvement.

“I think I did OK," he said. "I wish I would have done better attacking-wise, as far as some better balls being crossed, but I thought I did OK,” he said.

Defender A.J. De La Garza did not play in the game and was the only unused substitute.

News from the Training Camp...

On Monday, the Los Angeles Galaxy began training camp by hitting the weight rooms to work on their conditioning. The club won the MLS Supporters' Shield but is looking for bigger hardware on the way.

“We’re not satisfied with what we did in 2009 and 2010. (In 2011) we want to be better,” manager Bruce Arena said. “We think we have the right players, we know it’s not perfect but we think we have the ability to be better this year.”

“We won the Supporters’ Shield, had the most points in the league, had the third most points in MLS history, but that’s not good enough,” Franklin said. “Our ultimate goal is to win MLS Cup and that’s going to be our goal this year.”

“He (Arena) said we have expectations to win, and win championships,” said backup goalkeeper Josh Saunders. “That’s why we are here. Even with the Champions League, this year we want to win everything. Every competition we are in, we want to win.”

Adam Cristman, one of the acquired players from D.C. United, was disappointed by the complacency of the team and looked to fix that this year.

“On previous clubs I’ve been with, sometimes you would settle with winning the Supporters’ Shield and calling that a good year,” said Cristman, “but Bruce expects more and I think the rest of the guys do as well.”

Chad Barrett, another acquisition from Toronto FC, has never been hungrier to lift the MLS Cup, among other things.

“I’ve never been on a championship team and haven’t been to the playoffs the last couple of years,” he said. “I’m hungrier than ever and want to help this club do this.”

Three players were unable to make training camp this week. Juan Pablo Angel was still in New York preparing for the move, David Beckham was doing his own training at Tottenham Hotspur FC and Juninho was in Brazil. All three players are expected to be in camp within the next week or so.

One of the major tests used at training camp was the VO2 test.

“It’s kind of like putting on a snorkeling mask for the first time,” Barrett said. “It’s just not normal to breathe underwater and it’s not normal to run on a treadmill with a mask on. It’s harder to breathe and harder to run with, but I guess it’s a good test to see where we are at.”

The VO2 test is an endurance test that consists of a player running on the treadmill while wearing an oxygen mask. It is used in Europe, and this is the fourth consecutive season the Galaxy conducted the VO2 test.

“The purpose of today was to introduce new players to the returning veterans and get an analysis of where players stand physically,” Arena said. “I think all of those things were accomplished. 

“It (the VO2) gives us understandings of where players are starting at and allows us to use science to see where players are individually and where our team is as well.”

In addition, the players did a six-minute run while strapped to a wireless heart-rate monitor to get a base.

“Fitness early on is going to be longer in endurance,” said Ben Yauss, the Galaxy’s strength and conditioning coach. “We want to make sure we have the guys at the right intensity levels and make sure we are pacing them and pushing them accordingly.”

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The New York Red Bulls have had success developing superb talents that become big contributors for the United States Men’s National Team. USMNT first-team regulars Tim Howard, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore all spent the entirety of their MLS careers with the franchise, before moving on to bigger things in Europe.

The team may have two more names to add to that list.

After Saturday night’s friendly against Chile, current Red Bulls Tim Ream and Juan Agudelo continued their sharp form and further established themselves on the international stage.

Both players earned their second cap for the USMNT and impressed many.

Ream, who started and played every single minute for the Red Bulls in his rookie season, went the full 90 for the Americans. His composure and communication skills, for the most part, were good.

What was best though, and what drew a lot of attention during the MLS season, was his passing ability from the back. Ream does a good job seeing the field and getting the ball out cleanly. The good attack in the run of play that led to the penalty kick started with a Ream pass up the field.

There is a strong group of center backs ahead of Ream on the depth chart, but his performances in MLS and the last two friendlies with the USA have been good. He’s not far off the pace and those ahead of him are older, making Ream a real possibility for the 2014 World Cup. One thing he has done recently is move ahead of Omar Gonzalez as the better center back prospect, although the two do make a good combination that hopefully can grow together.

The player that drew the penalty kick to set up the equalizer against Chile was teen-sensation forward Juan Agudelo. He stole the spotlight in the friendly against South Africa in November, scoring in the 85th minute.

Against Chile, he came on as a substitute in the 60th minute and, along with fellow youngster Teal Bunbury, really provided a spark to a stalling US attack. Like Ream and Gonzalez, Agudelo and Bunbury are developing a good chemistry together (some are comparing their rise to the recent pairing of Altidore and Charlie Davies).

Agudelo is strong when dribbling at someone and can either play up top or out wide on the wing. The Red Bulls—where Agudelo was a rookie/home-grown player this past season—attempted to bring him on slowly, but when they started him in the final two games of the regular season and both playoff games, those plans quickly changed.

Each time he has stepped onto the pitch, be it for club or country, the excitement level of the fanbase grows. The difficulty for the Red Bulls, as well as Bob Bradley (more so with Agudelo than Ream) will be tempering expectations with his development. There is still a lot of room to grow and it is important that his development not get stunted with lofty expectations and ill-advised transfers.

For the Red Bulls, Agudelo should join Ream in the starting lineup in 2011. On the field they will provide lots of energy and creative talent going forward.

Off the field, as their status with the USMNT improves, their marketability will do the same. Add them to main attractions Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez, and the Red Bulls should be able to pack the stadium.

There are a couple of concerns, however. Firstly, the question often asked is how much longer the Red Bulls will be lucky enough to deploy these two talented players. Young and skilled, transfer rumors will swirl and, eventually, the two will follow in the footsteps of players like Howard, Altidore and Bradley and take their games to the next level.

From what Red Bull ownership is saying, that time is still a couple of years away though, and until that day comes, the team should just focus on doing the best they can while they have these talents. 

Also, as they secure their spots on the national team they will frequently be unavailable to the club during the season. For example, the CONCACAF Gold Cup will be played this summer, overlapping with the MLS regular season. Both have an outside shot of making the squad and if they do, they will leave the team for the duration of the tournament.

The Red Bulls—like the whole league—are no stranger to losing players to international duty, however, they do know how to handle the situation.

What is most important is that the team currently holds two of the brightest young soccer stars in America, and they will be strong contributors to the club trying to win its first championship in the history of the franchise.

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“We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community...Our ambitions must be broad enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes and for our own.” —Cesar Chavez

Sometimes a brief exchange of dialogue with an individual may be an educational one. A few weeks ago, I had finished covering Major League Soccer's SuperDraft in Baltimore, Maryland. As soon as the draft was officially over, I made my way down to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Convention, because I had agreed to be interviewed for a radio show based in Philadelphia. 

As I waited to be interviewed, Viva Ann Guerrero approached me and introduced herself. She informed me that she was the President and CEO of her nonprofit, Ball Without Borders. As she was explaining to me the purpose of her organization, I had to cut our conversation short, because I was informed that I was next to be interviewed.

Following my radio interview, I had to catch my bus back to New York City. Nevertheless, I asked Viva for any information that she has about Balls Without Borders and assured her that I will contact her within the next 24 hours. At that point, I had already decided to write an article about her organization and the positive impact they're making for children currently living in refugee camps and war-torn regions.

Meeting an individual like Viva is one of the things I find amazing about soccer. While soccer is a game many of us enjoy watching and playing, it's also a sport in which social, political, economic, humanitarian and military issues can be universally addressed. In the case of the victims, it can be utilized as a lightning rod to help begin the healing of their lives.

As stated in their website, Balls Without Borders is, "An international humanitarian organization, Balls Without Borders, Inc. (BWB) delivers soccer balls to serve as a distraction for children affected by armed conflict and natural or man-made disasters, and in doing so bears witness publicly to the plight of the people we serve. A 501 (c)(3) Non-Profit Organization, it is a goal of BWB to provide play therapy and connect cultures through sports." (www.ballswithoutborders.com)

Since being formed in 2007, Balls Without Borders has delivered over 4,600 soccer balls to places such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa. In addition, they've also distributed soccer balls to Haitian refugees living in the Dominican Republic. Within the next few months, soccer balls will be distributed to the children of Guatemala.

By working with the US military, regional AYSO and Club team organizations, Balls Without Borders has created a public awareness of the plight of people at risk. Their outreach work has consisted of sending field volunteers and staff to speak at international and national tournaments and conferences.

In addition to speaking at various tournaments and conferences, Balls Without Borders have also sponsored amateur events and competitions while addressing the collateral damage that most often gets ignored...People and the struggles they have to face and deal with in their war-torn region or refugee camp.

As stated in the information Viva handed to me, each soccer ball distributed hopefully fulfills three goals:

"To provide a form of Play Therapy to children growing up in refugee camps, war-torn regions, and areas affected by natural disaster. Play Therapy is the first step in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Children.

"Involving US teams and individuals in the donation process creates an avenue for cultural awareness through the common language of soccer, 'The World's Game.'

"Just as the World Cup was created in 1930 to bring nations together under a diplomatic umbrella after World War I, BWB hopes to create an avenue for Peace by transcending differences in culture, socio-economic standing, or any other barriers that are forgotten when people find a common ground in physical activity."

Not only is this program beneficial to the children of those regions, it's also beneficial to our children living in the United States. While the rest of the planet learns about the United States, many Americans tend to ignore the other regions worldwide and focus more on the TMZ/Facebook/Twitter cyberworld which many of us have access to.

A program such as Balls Without Borders will not only educate our children about the other regions of the world, they're also given the opportunity to make a difference. When a child donates their ball, his/her name is written on it and then sent to a child who's living in a refugee camp or war-torn region.

While many of us will probably never visit any of those countries, most of us are capable of donating a used soccer ball so we can make a difference in a child's life. For more information on how you can help, please go to their website or send them an email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Cesar Diaz covers Soccer for Latino Sports. You may follow him on Facebook at Covering Soccer and at Twitter at @CoveringSoccer and @LatinoSports143. Please email your questions and comments to Cesar at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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