Players See Potential of Stadium
Galaxy midfielder Ezra Hendrickson engaged U.S. women’s national team players Lorrie Fair, Heather Mitts and Jenny Benson in an impromptu game of kicking a soccer ball around a dirt lot Thursday.
Wearing hard hats, dodging earth-moving machines and struggling to be heard over the din of a construction site, the foursome were on the floor of what will be a soccer stadium at the under-construction Home Depot National Training Center in Carson.
“It’s exciting because I was here in May and it’s come so far in a few months,” Hendrickson said. “It’s going to be such a better atmosphere altogether than playing in the Rose Bowl, which is a 90,000-seat stadium. To have this intimacy in front of [27,000] people ... everything is so close. Imagine playing ... and the fans are right here on top of you. The fans at the Rose Bowl are like 20 yards out beyond the field.
“It’s going to be a chance for us to feed off the energy of the crowd, which in soccer is a big thing. It’s an advantage and I think that’s going to help us.”
The 85-acre, $130-million development, which also will feature a 13,000-seat tennis stadium, is scheduled to open in June and house the Galaxy and the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams.
Benson, who was born in Fountain Valley and lives in Huntington Beach, was taken aback by the scene.
“It’s amazing to think that we could be playing in this,” said Benson, who plays for the Philadelphia Charge of the Women’s United Soccer Association.
“It’s like a dream come true because soccer has grown so much in this area within the past 10 years, first with the World Cup in ’94 and the women’s World Cup in ’99. The possibility of [the center] has become a reality. I’m stoked.”
Vieira Needs a Rest
The English Premier League season is only five games old but Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira said he needs a rest.
“I’m not just tired, I’m cooked,” Vieira told the Evening Standard newspaper. “I can hardly stand up at times. My back hurts, my legs hurt, I hurt everywhere. I am going to see the manager because he must give me some rest.
“I don’t know when or how, but we have to do it quickly because the Champions League is coming and there will also soon be two matches with the French team.”
Vieira played in France’s three World Cup matches before its shocking early exit.
He also played in France’s 2-1 Euro 2004 qualifying win over Cyprus on Saturday and in its 1-1 friendly draw against Tunisia on Aug. 21. He has played in every Arsenal game.
Not that Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger cares.
“Patrick played in Cyprus on Saturday night and after the game against Manchester City on Tuesday night, he was very tired,” Wenger told the Associated Press. “I looked at the statistics for Tuesday’s game and, physically, Patrick was outstanding. He pushed himself very hard and that explains why he was so tired.
“But I have no plans to rest him.”
Trouble for Torrado
Mexican international midfielder Gerardo Torrado injured his left leg playing for his Spanish club team Sevilla and will be out for up to two months, Spanish media reported.
