Galaxy to Open With Record Trip

The defending Major League Soccer champion Galaxy will open the coming season with a league-record eight-game trip before playing its first home match at its new 27,000-seat Home Depot Center in Carson on June 7 against the Colorado Rapids, it was announced Tuesday.

The Galaxy’s new stadium will also be the site of the MLS All-Star game on a date to be released next week and the MLS Cup 2003 on Nov. 23, marking the first time in the eight-year history of the league that one team will play host to both games in the same season.

“Our schedule this year is definitely going to be a very unique and difficult challenge,” said Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid, who is vacationing in Italy. “I feel confident that our team will do well with this challenge, but I think that our fans must also realize the unique situation we are in and will have to be patient with us a little bit at the beginning of the season.”

The Galaxy will open the season April 5 at Columbus in a nationally televised game on ABC.

The team will play on the road eight of nine Saturdays in April and May, including two trips to Dallas, one to New York/New Jersey and one to New England.

Another quirk in the schedule has the Galaxy without a game between July 10 and Aug. 9. Team spokesman Patrick Donnelly said there are plans to add an international game during the break from MLS play.

Among the highlights of the home schedule is a July 4 game against New England, which the Galaxy defeated for the MLS Cup last season, and a five-game homestand from June 28 to Aug. 6.

-- Paul Gutierrez and Jim Barrero

*

Josh Wolff, a key member of the U.S. World Cup team, was traded from the Chicago Fire to the Kansas City Wizards because of budget restrictions. In exchange for Wolff, the Fire received the Wizards’ first-round pick in the Jan. 17 draft, the No. 3 selection overall.... Gilles Grimandi, a former French defender for Arsenal in the English Premier League, will join the Colorado Rapids, a club source said.... Brazilian Paulo Autuori has been chosen coach of Peru’s national team.... The U.S. women’s national team will play Iceland in an exhibition game on Feb. 16 at Charleston, S.C.

Baseball

Former Dodger backup catcher Chad Kreuter agreed to terms on a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, the team that signed him to his first professional contract in 1985.

Kreuter agreed to a contract with triple-A Oklahoma. He also was invited to the Rangers’ spring training camp as a non-roster player. If Kreuter makes the team, he would be reunited with pitcher Chan Ho Park. Kreuter, who hit .263 and had 12 runs batted in in 41 games last season, was Park’s personal catcher while both were with the Dodgers.

*

Right-hander Albie Lopez and the Kansas City Royals agreed to a $1.5-million, one-year contract.... The Cincinnati Reds gave left-hander Kent Mercker a minor league contract and invited him to their spring training camp.... Third baseman Chris Stynes and the Colorado Rockies agreed to a one-year contract.

Tennis

Two-time defending Australian Open champion Jennifer Capriati was eliminated from the Adidas International at Sydney, losing to Russia’s Tatiana Panova, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, in the second round.

Roger Federer was ousted by Argentina’s Franco Squillari, 6-2, 6-3, and became the first men’s defending champion in 20 years to lose his first-round match.

In matches today, top-seeded Marat Safin reached the quarterfinals with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen.

In women’s matches, Kim Clijsters of Belgium reached the quarterfinals after a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Patty Schnyder.

Clijsters will play Chanda Rubin, a 6-1, 6-3 winner over Alexandra Stevenson.

*

Former world No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten advanced to the second round of the Heineken Open with a 7-6 (5), 6-4 victory over Martin Verkerk of the Netherlands.

*

Serena Williams, seeking a fourth consecutive Grand Slam title, will be the women’s top-seeded player for next week’s Australian Open at Melbourne, and Lleyton Hewitt will be seeded first for the men.

Passings

Vic Bottari, a former University of California football star and most valuable player in the 1938 Rose Bowl, died at 86.

Bottari died Monday of natural causes in Walnut Creek.