Soccer

Sigi Schmid knew there’d be days like this.

But weeks?

It seems the Galaxy’s sluggish play during the course of its record eight-game trip to start the Major League Soccer season -- which is on its sixth leg today in Dallas -- has surprised even the Galaxy coach.

“But I still believe in this team,” Schmid said of his winless squad. “It’s a team that’s lost its way a little bit, a team that needs to find its form.”

He promised changes in the defending MLS Cup champs’ lineup against the also-winless Burn, such as eschewing four defenders in favor of three and reinserting a healthier Mauricio Cienfuegos into his playmaking role at midfield.

The speedy Gavin Glinton may also see significant minutes at forward, at the expense of Alejandro Moreno.

“Six or seven players are under the level they are capable of playing,” Schmid said. “But you can’t bench all of them.”

Still, with no rest for the weary -- the Galaxy (0-2-3) will play an exhibition at the A-League’s Milwaukee Wave United on Sunday afternoon -- Schmid sees this weekend as a chance for players who are normally reserves to shine.

“This is a huge weekend for our club,” he said. “We have 21 players healthy and all 21 of those players will probably play 60 minutes.”

Plus, midfielder Guillermo Gonzalez, the team’s 17-year-old first-round draft choice, will join the Galaxy in Milwaukee.

“Somebody who sits Saturday will probably play the next Saturday,” Schmid said.

And that gets the Galaxy closer to June 7, when the team will christen its new 27,000-seat stadium in Carson.

But before that can happen, the Galaxy will have to survive eight straight MLS road games in a stretch that has also included jaunts to Honduras and Mexico for international matches.

“Eight games goes a little quicker if you have some wins,” Schmid said. “I don’t think these guys expected to be here without a win yet.”

Wishful Thinking?

Count the U.S. women’s soccer team among those hoping the United States is tabbed to host the women’s World Cup for a second consecutive cycle.

“If it comes here, you already have the memories of ’99 that are still fresh and people understanding what a big event it is for us,” U.S. captain Julie Foudy told Associated Press. “Everyone knows America rallies around big events.”

With the defending women’s World Cup champions in Birmingham, Ala., for today’s exhibition against England, the American women see a home-field advantage in playing host, what with a 19-game unbeaten streak on American soil.

“It would be a real injection for our league [the WUSA] and an injection for our team,” said Coach April Heinrichs. “If they had their choice, they would want to play in front of their home crowd.”

Real Gets Real

With the shock of being eliminated from Champions League play slowly wearing off, Real Madrid is left to salvage something from the final five games of the Spanish first division season.

“We have to remember that the league is a major prize as well,” Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas told Reuters. “We’re only a point off the lead and we must be fully focused on that competition.”

Two weeks ago, Real Madrid had a four-point lead in the league and had designs on the first league and European Cup double since 1958. But it was eliminated from Champions League play by Juventus, lost at home, 5-1, to Real Mallorca, and played a scoreless draw at Recreativo Huelva to put a major crimp in those plans.