Soccer By Ives

LA Galaxy vs. Chivas USA: Your Running Commentary

The LA Galaxy and Chivas USA are ready to do battle in the latest installment of the "Super Clasico." Can Chivas USA exact some revenge for its 5-2 loss to the Galaxy (the game where Landon Donovan ruffled some Chivas USA feathers)?

There is more than revenge on the line. Both teams are tied for first place in the West, with the winner taking sole possession of the top spot.

If you plan on watching tonight's match, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the match.

Thursday West Coast Roundup

                                                                      Photo by ISIphotos.com

(On a night when the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA meets in a battle for first place in the West, here is the second installment of SBI's new segment, the West Coast Roundup. SBI correspondent Odeen Domingo shares a few news nuggets from the West Side of the country with us.)

Ching to Seattle expansion team?

Brian Ching might be heading to Seattle and he may bring Dynamo teammates Craig Waibel and Mike Chabala (former Washington Huskies) with him.

Ching, who played collegiately at Gonzaga in Spokane, Wash., was a Sounder for two seasons (in 2001 and 2002) as Seattle’s top scorer before signing with San Jose.

Could he go back to play in the rain?

Well, he didn’t say no.

A Sebastien Le Toux-Brian Ching combination would be fun to watch.

Red Bulls at Wizards: SBI Running Commentary

Good evening folks. The New York Red Bulls are in Kansas City tonight to face the Wizards (8pm, MSG), hoping they can halt a terrible skid and salvage a season that is quickly turning ugly.

The Wizards have their own issues, sitting in last place in the East and needing victories in bunches to get back into the race. A win tonight would go a long way in helping their cause.

I will do a running commentary on the match so feel free to follow along. If you will be watching the match, please feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions on the match in the comments section below.

Enjoy the match:

Liverpool's transfer merry-go-round

With the European transfer market in full swing, one of the most active teams in terms of potential comings and goings is Liverpool, which is coping with ownership strife as well as financial restrictions that don't plague teams like Manchester United and Chelsea. SBI correspondent Carl Setterlund takes a closer look at the Reds and what they are doing this summer.

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One of the most interesting cases in the European transfer market this year has been the case of American-owned British team Liverpool. With owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett prepping for a new stadium at Stanley Park, funds have been in short supply for one of Europe's old soccer powers. Rafa Benitez isn't exactly in Arsene Wenger's self-proclaimed situation, but in order to buy, Benitez will have to sell players to raise the funds. In order to do business, one deal hinges on another and it's made for an interesting situation to keep an eye on.

The best referee video...EVER

In the game of soccer, some referees are great, some are good, and as Jason Kreis reminds us constantly, some are terrible. What they usually aren't is drunk.

At least not unless you're in Belarus, where one referee had a few (dozen) too many and actually tried to referee a match. The video has to be seen to be believed:

There is no truth to the rumor that U.S. Soccer is set to hire this ref to do MLS matches starting later this month (at least I don't think there is).

Admit it, you wish they had let him call the game like that (Wait, he actually did call the game like that. WOW).

Share your thoughts, and laughs, on the video below.

Red Bulls not Welcome to Honduran forward

                                                                   Photo by ISIphotos.com

The Red Bulls' reported plans for a trial for Honduran Under-23 forward George Welcome may be an exercise in futility because they aren't the first MLS team to express interest in the Olympic Qualifying star.

The New England Revolution hold the first MLS discovery option on Welcome, having filed a discovery claim on Welcome during the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament back in March, a source with knowledge of the claim told SBI on Thursday. That means the Revs have first crack at signing Welcome, and it means the Red Bulls could be headed toward another Lider Marmol situation if it brings Welcome in for a look.

San Jose signs Darren Huckerby

FIRST ON SBI

The San Jose Earthquakes have reached an agreement with English striker Darren Huckerby after completing a trade with Toronto FC for his rights, sources with knowledge of the deal told SBI on Thursday. Huckerby will join the Earthquakes when the MLS transfer window opens on July 15th.

The 32-year-old former Manchester City and Leeds player had been in talks with Toronto FC for some time but will now join an Earthquakes squad that has scored a league-low 10 goals this season. Details of what San Jose traded to Toronto FC for Huckerby's rights were unavailable, but one source believes allocation money was involved. Toronto held Huckerby's rights via the discovery process.

Huckerby scored 34 goals in five seasons for Norwich City, playing both as a striker and a left winger. If you haven't seen him play, here is some footage of him in action:

What do you think? Will he be enough to spark San Jose's putrid offense? Is this another mistake by Earthquakes GM John Doyle? Share your thoughts below.

What will happen to Cuauhtemoc Blanco?

                                                                      Photo by ISIphotos.com

Cuauhtemoc Blanco is in some trouble. Just how much remains to be seen.

As you have probably heard by now, Blanco was involved in a series of altercations late in Chicago's U.S. Open Cup loss to D.C. United on Tuesday. Among the incidents were a punch to the midsection of D.C. United midfielder Clyde Simms (which was clearly seen in YouTube video clips before MLS had them removed), an apparent eye gouging of Simms, and an alledged headbutt of a D.C. official who tried to get Blanco to leave the sidelines after the game was over.

D.C. has sent video of the incidents to Major League Soccer and it will be very interesting to see what, if any, punishment the league hands down (if it can hand down any) for an incident that took place in a U.S. Open Cup match and not an MLS match.

The incidents are a disappointing development in what has been an otherwise very successful tenure in MLS for the enigmatic Blanco, who arrived in the league with a reputation as a troublemaker and someone who might cause problems at some point.

Beckham leads MLS All-Star First XI

Major League Soccer revealed it's First XI for the All-Star game against West Ham United in Toronto on July 24th. As expected, David Beckham made the starting lineup, as did teammate Landon Donovan, who had the largest combined vote total (the team was chosen based on voting from fans, players, media, coaches and general managers).

Here is the MLS All-Star First XI:

------------Kenny Cooper--------Landon Donovan--------------

----------------------Cuauhtemoc Blanco-------------------------

Robbie Rogers------------------------------------David Beckham

--------------Shalrie Joseph------Sacha Kljestan-----------------

Jimmy Conrad---------Michael Parkhurst--------Frankie Hejduk

----------------------------Matt Reis---------------------------------

The actual squad that plays West Ham United will look a bit different, with New England head coach Steve Nicol having the option of selecting different players to make up the actual Starting XI for the match. With Kljestan and Rogers expected to make the U.S. Olympic team, and therefore miss the match, Nicol will have plenty of decisions to make.

Here's a closer look at the voting:

MLS suspends Kreis (again)

                                                                                     Photo by ISIphotos.com

Real Salt Lake head coach Jason Kreis went after MLS referees again and will once again pay the price.

MLS has suspended Kreis for two matches and fined him $2,000 for his latest remarks criticizing match officials. Kreis went off about calls made during Real Salt Lake's 0-0 tie against the Houston Dynamo last Thursday.

"It's absolutely ridiculous," Kreis told reporters last Thursday. "Every 50/50 call goes against us. Every home match we play, I feel like we're playing on the road. I've had it up to here."

Morning Ticker: FIFA's Plan B for 2010, Blatter enters Cristiano Ronaldo fray and Barca signs Hleb

                                                                    Photo by ISIphotos.com

Sepp Blatter didn't really surprise anybody when he said he had a back-up plan in case South Africa could not host the 2010 World Cup,  but when the FIFA president came out and said he had three countries lined up as potential replacements, you couldn't help but wonder if FIFA might be ready to pull the plug on South Africa being the host.

Blatter was careful with his wording, stating that the back-up plans would kick in only if a "natural catastrophe" took place that prevented South Africa from being able to host the event, but that was enough to leave the soccer world speculating on whether FIFA is preparing to pull the plug on South Africa 2010.