Galaxy Is Headed to Seoul
The Galaxy, which leaves for Europe next week to take part in an eight-team tournament in Spain, Wednesday announced that it will be playing in an even more prestigious and far more lucrative event in South Korea in July.
The defending Major League Soccer champion has been invited to the inaugural World Peace King Cup in Seoul July 15-22.
Also playing in the tournament are Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), AS Roma (Italy), Olympique de Lyon (France), PSV Eindhoven (Holland), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa) and Seongnam Ilwha (South Korea).
Plans for the tournament, which is envisioned as a biennial event, were unveiled in Seoul by Pele.
The winner will receive $2 million and the runner-up $500,000.
The eight teams will be divided into two groups of four at a draw in Seoul in May. Each team will play three group games and the two group winners will advance to the final.
The likely fan favorites, if not actual favorites, will be the home team, Seongnam Ilwha, and the Dutch club, PSV Eindhoven, which is coached by Guus Hiddink, South Korea’s immensely popular 2002 World Cup coach.
The Galaxy, currently training at Claremont College, travels to the La Manga Cup in Spain on Feb. 14.
U.S. Women
U.S. women’s national team Coach April Heinrichs called 24 players into camp in Charleston, S.C., to prepare for the defending world champions’ game there against Iceland on Feb. 13.
Returning to the squad after not taking part in the Four Nations Cup in China last month are forward Mia Hamm and midfielders Julie Foudy and Kristine Lilly. Being rested for this game after helping the U.S. win the China event are defender Joy Fawcett, midfielder Lorrie Fair and forwards Shannon MacMillan and Tiffeny Milbrett.
Among those called into camp were defender Nandi Pryce, a UCLA junior who will be seeking her ninth national team appearance.
WUSA-Bound
One of the surprises at the Women’s United Soccer Assn. (WUSA) draft in Atlanta on Sunday was that Lauren Orlandos, from the NCAA champion University of Portland, was not taken in the first round.
Many had predicted she would be among the top three picks.
The former Lake Forest El Toro High standout was the ninth player selected and the second defender. She was drafted by the New York Power.
Other players with Southern California connections drafted were: Portland and former Newhall Hart High midfielder Erin Misaki (Philadelphia Charge); North Carolina and former Placentia El Dorado High goalkeeper Jen Branam (San Diego Spirit); USC and former Mater Dei High midfielder Ali Fennell (Washington Freedom), and Pepperdine and former Los Alamitos High defender Susan Palmer (San Diego).
