Chiapas, Toluca Win in InterLiga
The most interesting sign at the Home Depot Center on Sunday night consisted of only two words: “Adios Soccer.”
Printed in blue against a background of red and white vertical stripes, the attention-grabbing billboard marked the kickoff of Chivas USA’s campaign to woo local fans.
The second half of the message is likely to be equally short and to the point: “Bienvenidos Futbol.”
Soccer, Mexican style, is what Chivas USA is promising to bring to Major League Soccer this year, and soccer Mexican style is what the InterLiga tournament, featuring eight Mexican clubs trying to qualify for the prestigious 45-year-old Copa Libertadores tournament later in the year, is delivering.
Sunday’s two doubleheaders -- at Phoenix and Carson -- produced a total of 12 goals and the sort of passionate crowd involvement that MLS dreams of having on a weekly basis.
At Phoenix, 15,078 turned out at BankOne Ballpark to see Chivas USA’s parent club, Guadalajara, tie Santos Laguna, 1-1. Hector Altamirano’s 64th-minute goal canceled an own goal by Jorge Campos three minutes earlier.
In the afternoon’s second match, Tigres of Monterrey edged Atlante, 2-1, behind two Irenio Soares goals. Horacio Cervantes scored for Tigres.
At the Home Depot Center, 23,102, most of them Club America supporters who booed and whistled every Chivas USA announcement, ignored driving rain and bitter cold and stayed to the end.
They saw Chiapas rout Necaxa, 4-0, in the opener, with Sebastiao Periera scoring twice and Salvador Cabanas and Victor Gutierrez once each.
Toluca’s Paraguayan international, Jose Cardozo, then produced the day’s best individual performance with two exceptional goals -- dragging the ball between two defenders on the first and chipping the goalkeeper on the second -- as Toluca overcame an early Jesus Mendoza goal and defeated Club America, 2-1.
Grahame L. Jones
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Tennis
Wimbledon women’s champion Maria Sharapova defeated Venus Williams, 6-4, 6-3, in an exhibition match at Chiang Mai, Thailand. The match began with a 30-second tribute to victims of the tsunami that killed more than 123,000 people, including nearly 5,000 confirmed dead in Thailand.
Guillermo Coria beat David Sanguinetti, 6-1, 7-6 (4), then teamed with Gisela Dulko to beat Sanguinetti and Francesca Schiavone, 6-1, 6-3, in mixed doubles and give Argentina a 2-1 victory over Italy in the opener of the Hopman Cup at Perth, Australia, an Australian Open tuneup.
Winter Sports
Ronny Ackermann of Germany shook off Todd Lodwick of the United States over the last three kilometers of the cross-country skiing portion to win a Nordic Combined World Cup event at Ruhpolding, Germany.
Ackermann finished in 20 minutes 13.3 seconds, 13.1 seconds ahead of Lodwick.
Albert Demtchenko of Russia won the men’s singles to break up a sweep by the German team of all five races in a Luge World Cup event at Oberhof, Germany.
Barbara Niedernhuber won in 1:23.73 to extend the German women’s unbeaten streak to 53 races.
Miscellany
Russia defeated the United States, 7-2, and Canada defeated the Czech Republic, 3-1, in the semifinals of the world junior hockey championships at Grand Forks, N.D.
Running back Lydell Sargeant of Lompoc Cabrillo High caught a seven-yard touchdown pass from Mark Sanchez of Mission Viejo with no time left, but a two-point conversion attempt failed, enabling Florida to hold on and defeat California, 24-22, in the CaliFlorida Bowl in the Orange Bowl at Miami.
DeSean Jackson of Long Beach Poly caught a 68-yard touchdown pass from Sanchez.
