Schmid Under Fire From Fans

The losses the Galaxy has suffered on the field this season have paled in comparison to the beatings Coach Sigi Schmid has taken on Internet message boards.

Irate fans are calling for Schmid’s job in the wake of the team’s worst season.

But with two matches remaining in the regular season and at least a two-game playoff after that -- all against rival San Jose -- Galaxy General Manager Doug Hamilton is defending Schmid, although he stopped short of issuing a vote of confidence for his coach.

“It’s been my belief since I’ve been in the game that it’s a players’ game and coaches get far too much credit and they take far too much heat,” Hamilton said on Friday. “I think, to a man, our team’s philosophy has always been, it’s a players’ game. Players make or break those games.

“I think Sigi’s done all he can do. I think he’s put in the hours, he’s put in the effort, and again it comes back to players making decisions on the field that impact the game.”

Schmid, whose team is tied with woeful Dallas for fewest goals scored at 31, is hopeful that the Galaxy can use the final two regular-season games with the first-place Earthquakes to set a tone for the first-round, aggregate-goal playoff series.

Meanwhile, any talk of Schmid’s job security is premature, Hamilton said.

“I don’t think that anyone on the Galaxy team has checked in or out on our coaches,” Hamilton said. “I don’t believe that. I think that we’ve had guys not have the years that were expected of them and not played the way that we anticipated they would and we haven’t gotten the results we think we’re capable of getting.”

*

Lavolpe Supporter

Mexico’s 2-0 loss to Uruguay in Chicago on Wednesday prompted more “Hugo, Hugo” chants from fans at Soldier Field, but Coach Ricardo Lavolpe still has his supporters -- even one from the opposition.

Uruguayan forward Vicente Sanchez, who plays for Toluca in the Mexican league, says it bothers him to hear the criticism heaped on Lavolpe, who helped Sanchez get to Mexico.

“It’s wrong that the public acts this way,” Sanchez told Mexican news agency Notimex. “He’s an excellent coach and he will come out ahead. We all know that it’s difficult being on the national team because of the pressures, but Ricardo works hard and he’ll be better the next game.”

Despite Mexico’s victory in the CONCACAF Gold Cup last summer, some fans and media have been lobbying for Lavolpe to be replaced by Mexican legend Hugo Sanchez.

*

Copa Libertadores

An eight-team tournament to determine which two Mexican league teams will represent the country in next year’s Copa Libertadores will be held during January and February at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

The participating teams are: Toluca, Club America, Morelia, Atlante, Guadalajara, Nuevo Leon, Santos and Atlas.

*

GALAXY TONIGHT

vs. San Jose, 7

Site -- Home Depot Center.

Radio -- KMPC (1540), KTNQ (1020, Spanish), Radio Korea (1230, Korean).

Records -- Galaxy 8-12-8, Earthquakes 14-6-8.

Record vs. Earthquakes -- 0-1-1.

Update -- Playmaking midfielder Mauricio Cienfuegos, who will retire at the end of the season, will be honored by the Galaxy in its regular-season home finale. Midfielder Sasha Victorine, who broke his right hip in a midseason match, is expected to play. A fireworks show will follow the match, and club officials anticipate a near-sellout.

Tickets -- (213) 480-3232 or (714) 740-2000.

*

Times wire services contributed to this report.