Former Galaxy Coach Schmid Will Lead Crew
Sigi Schmid, who was fired by the Galaxy 14 months ago, was named coach of the Columbus Crew on Thursday.
The move was not a surprise, although Schmid had to give up his position as coach of the U.S. under-20 national team and will move away from Southern California for the first time in more than four decades.
After 19 years as coach of UCLA, where he won three NCAA titles, and five years with the Galaxy, Schmid, 52, said he was willing to relocate now because his three sons had completed high school.
Schmid was fired from the Galaxy in August 2004, with the team in first place in its conference. He led Los Angeles to an MLS title two seasons before.
This year, Schmid coached the U.S. into the second round of the FIFA World Youth Championship in the Netherlands, wrote a weekly column for MLSnet.com and served as an analyst for the Fox Soccer Channel on MLS and international matches.
He could have continued those roles and spent next summer at the World Cup in Germany, where he was born, but chose to return to MLS.
“For me, the opportunity was now,” he said. “I made a promise to my kids that I wouldn’t leave L.A. until they were done with high school. They’re done with high school, so leaving L.A. was not a problem.
“My wife wanted me to go to a place where I was appreciated.”
Schmid replaces Greg Andrulis, who was dismissed by Columbus in July after a 4-10-2 start. Assistant coach and former Poland international Robert Warzycha served as interim coach for the rest of the season, but the Crew finished 11-16-5 and failed to make the playoffs. One of Schmid’s first actions was to retain Warzycha as assistant coach.
Schmid’s return to MLS sets up a possible confrontation next season with Steve Sampson, the coach who replaced him with the Galaxy.
“Is there going to be extra motivation to play against L.A.? I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t, and I don’t do that,” Schmid said. “Yes, there’s motivation to beat them. There’s motivation to beat every team.”
-- Grahame L. Jones
GOLF
Merrick Takes Lead at California State Open
John Merrick of Marina del Rey shot a four-under-par 68 to take the lead at the California State Open Golf Championship in Temecula.
Play was suspended by darkness with 50 players still on the course.
Merrick, a 23-year-old UCLA graduate, birdied the final two holes for a two-round score of 138. Shaun Haberstroh of Carlsbad, Jay Johnson of Tucson and Jessie Lanham of La Quinta are tied at one stroke behind. First-round leader Jeff Hart of Solana Beach shot a 74 and is two shots behind.
Six-time PGA Tour winner and two-time Ryder Cup team member Steve Pate shot a 73 and is three over par at 147. The projected cut is four over.
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Hunter Haas shot a nine-under 63 to take a one-shot lead in the Funai Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Haas, who birdied five of his first seven holes on the easier Palm course, is No. 166 on the PGA Tour money list and has three weeks left to make at least $250,000 if he wants to keep his card for next season.
The group at eight-under 64 includes Ryan Moore, a former U.S. Amateur champion who is trying to become the first player since Tiger Woods to earn his PGA Tour card without going to qualifying school. Moore needs to finish the equivalent of No. 125 on the money list, and now is at No. 121.
Woods, who won the American Express Championship two weeks ago, failed to birdie any of the par-fives on the Palm course and shot a 68. Vijay Singh played the Magnolia course, which was more than two strokes harder, and shot a 69.
MOTOR SPORTS
Perris Is Last Stop Before Oval Nationals
Sprint car drivers in the USAC/CRA series will get a final tuneup for the Oval Nationals at Perris Auto Speedway on Saturday night with a 30-lap main event on the half-mile clay oval.
Damion Gardner holds a 90-point lead over series champion Rip Williams, with Cory Kruseman another four points back. The Oval Nationals are Nov. 3-5.
The fifth annual Nitto NHRA Sport Compact World Finals will be run Saturday and Sunday at Pomona Raceway. Final eliminations will start at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. The Powerade Auto Club NHRA Finals will be run Nov. 3-6 on the same quarter-mile drag strip.
-- Shav Glick
BASEBALL
Brewers Retain Lee on $8.5-Million Option
All-Star slugger Carlos Lee’s $8.5-million option for 2006 was exercised by the Milwaukee Brewers.
Lee hit .265 last season with career highs of 32 home runs and 114 RBIs.
The Brewers acquired Lee from the Chicago White Sox in 2004 for outfielder Scott Podsednik, pitcher Luis Vizcaino and a minor league player.
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Philadelphia Phillie catcher Mike Lieberthal had surgery on his right knee but is expected to be ready when spring training starts in February.
The 12-year veteran had arthroscopic surgery in Los Angeles to remove debris in his knee, assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said.
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The Arizona Diamondbacks have received permission to interview Padre General Manager Kevin Towers for their general manager opening.
Padre spokesman Luis Garcia said Chief Executive Sandy Alderson granted the Diamondbacks permission to interview Towers, who has been San Diego’s GM since Nov. 17, 1995.
Neither Alderson nor Towers returned calls from Associated Press seeking comment.
Under Towers, the Padres won three National League West titles and reached the 1998 World Series.
TENNIS
Ginepri Advances to Madrid Quarterfinals
Robby Ginepri beat third-seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, 6-3, 7-5, to reach the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters.
Fourth-seeded Guillermo Coria also fell, to Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, 7-5, 6-3.
In today’s quarterfinals, Ginepri will play 11th-seeded David Ferrer of Spain, who defeated No. 6 Mariano Puerta of Argentina, 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4.
Top-seeded Rafael Nadal, David Nalbandian of Argentina, Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic and Croats Ivo Karlovic and Ivan Ljubicic also reached the last eight.
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Second-seeded Amelie Mauresmo won only two games, losing, 6-2, 6-0, to qualifier Katarina Srebotnik in the second round of the Zurich Open in Switzerland.
Mauresmo, ranked fourth in the world, made her second straight early exit after an opening-round loss in Moscow last week. The Frenchwoman has won two titles this year.
Srebotnik needed 54 minutes to break her opponent five times, with Mauresmo winning only 17% of her second-serve points. Srebotnik will face Ana Ivanovic of Serbia-Montenegro, who cruised past compatriot Jelena Jankovic, 6-2, 6-1.
Top-seeded Lindsay Davenport rallied to beat Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2. Davenport, who will move from No. 3 to No. 1 in the rankings next week, will play Italy’s Francesca Schiavone in the quarterfinals.
Schiavone rallied past fifth-seeded Nadia Petrova in a third-set tiebreak to win, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3).
Italy’s Flavia Pennetta advanced after beating Bulgaria’s Sesil Karatantcheva, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3, and will face sixth-seeded Patty Schnyder.
MISCELLANY
Bradley Loses Bid to Clear Nickname
The NCAA has rejected Bradley University’s bid to be taken off a list of colleges whose American Indian nicknames, mascots and logos will be banned in postseason play starting next year.
An NCAA staff committee ruled that the Braves nickname creates an environment where fans, opponents and others can exhibit behavior hostile and abusive to Native Americans.
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The first night football game in the 101-year history of Hollywood High will take place on campus at 7 tonight, when the Sheiks (2-4 overall, 0-1 in league) play host to Sun Valley Poly (1-5, 0-1) in a Sunset Six League game under portable lights helped paid for by the Community Redevelopment Agency of Hollywood.
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The NBA is considering a league-wide standard for physical exams after the death of Atlanta Hawk center Jason Collier. Individual team doctors from each of the NBA’s 30 franchises currently determine the physical exams for their players.
