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MLS LA Galaxy

L.A. Galaxy Weekly Update

January 12, 2004 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
LA Galaxy News Release


HARTMAN, ALBRIGHT WAIT FOR THEIR SHOT FOR USA VS. DENMARK SUNDAY: Los Angeles Galaxy goalkeeper Kevin Hartman and midfielder Chris Albright are among those players on USA Head Coach Bruce Arena's side for an international friendly vs. Denmark at The Home Depot Center on Sunday, January 18. Hartman, a veteran 'keeper and 2003 MLS All-Star has made one career international appearance for the Red-White-and Blue, while Albright has made three. Galaxy defender Danny Califf was also a member of the side called in by Arena for the match, but was not able to participate after sustaining a sprained knee. For more information or to purchase group tickets to the match, please call the Galaxy toll-free at 1-877-3-GALAXY or log on to www.lagalaxy.com .

2004 MLS PLAYER COMBINE AND SUPERDRAFT TAKE CENTER STAGE: The Home Depot Center again takes center stage this week when it hosts the adidas 2004 MLS Player Combine. Bringing together 60 of the best college and Project-40 prospects for scrimmages under the close scrutiny of MLS general managers and coaches, the combine began Sunday and runs through Tuesday morning. All 10 GM's and coaches will then have just two days to complete their evaluations of the players before heading to Charlotte, North Carolina for Friday, January 16's MLS SuperDraft, which gets underway at 7 am (PT). Fans looking to follow the draft can watch the first hour on FOX Sports World and may follow the entire proceedings on the draft tracker on www.mlsnet.com .

INTERLIGA FINALS COME TO THE HOME DEPOT CENTER WEDNESDAY NIGHT: After some hard-fought games in group play over the last two weeks that resulted in all eight teams alive for a berth in the finals entering the final day of matches, InterLiga 2004 comes to a dramatic conclusion with the finals this Wednesday January 14 at The Home Depot Center. InterLiga features the top eight Mexican clubs of the 2003 calendar year as they battle for two automatic berths in the 2004 Copa Libertadores for the first time in Mexican soccer history. The Copa Libertadores kicks off on February 4. The first game of the evening, slated for 6:00 PM (PT), will be the championship game, matching the two group winners, Club Santos Laguna and Atlas battling for an automatic berth in the 2004 edition of South America's premier championship for club sides. The loser of the match will look to a play-in match to determine its fate. The second game of the doubleheader will kick off at 8:15 PM (PT) and will feature will match the second-placed teams Club America and Morelia, with the victor to participate in the play-in game at later date with the chance to earn entry into the Copa Libertadores.

LEWIS, THOMPSON AWAIT WORD ON CALL-UP FOR CONCACAF QUALIFYING: Galaxy defenders Ricky Lewis and Scot Thompson are presently in training with the U.S. Under-23 National Team at The Home Depot Center. Later this week, the two Galaxy teammates will find out from U.S. Head Coach Glenn "Mooch" Myernick if they will be members of the final 20-man roster he selects for the CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament to the Olympic Football Tournament Athens 2004. The qualifying tournament will be played in two venues, Estadio Jalisco and Estadio Tres de Marzo, in Guadalajara, Mexico, from February 2-12, 2004. The eight teams competing for continental bragging rights will be divided into two groups of four teams apiece, with the USA, Canada, Honduras and Panama fighting it out in Group A, and the hosts, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago battling for supremacy in Group B. The top two finishers in each group at the conclusion of the round-robin phase will qualify to the semifinals, with the winner of quadrangular meeting the second-placed finisher in the other. The two semifinal winners will book the two places available to CONCACAF in Athens.

GALAXY NAME MARTIN VASQUEZ NEWEST MEMBER OF COACHING STAFF: Former USA international midfielder Martin Vasquez has been hired as the club's new assistant coach effective immediately. A veteran of both MLS and the Mexican First Division, Vasquez has appeared in over 400 league matches, and is a long-time fixture as both a player and a coach in the Southern California soccer scene. The 40-year-old Vasquez, who holds a U.S. "A" Coaching License, joins the Galaxy following a two year-stint (2001-2002) as the assistant coach under Carlos Juarez with the San Diego Spirit, formerly of the WUSA. From 1999-2000, he spent two seasons at Cal Poly Pomona also as the assistant to Juarez, overseeing both the men and women's programs. In three MLS seasons as a player, Vasquez was one of the league's top defensive midfielders and appeared in 87 games (83 starts), recording nine goals and 16 assists for 34 points with the Tampa Bay Mutiny (1996 and 1997) and San Jose Earthquakes (1998). A 1996 MLS Eastern Conference All-Star, Vasquez started in all but one match and tallying five goals and six assists in a standout first season, which lead to Tampa's first Eastern Conference Championship and the best overall record in MLS.

GALAXY ASSISTANT COACH RALPH PEREZ MOVES INTO FRONT OFFICE ROLE: Galaxy Assistant Coach Ralph Perez will be joining the front office as its new Director of Youth Player Development and Identification. Perez, who is currently assisting with the U.S. Olympic Team camp, will report directly to General Manager Doug Hamilton and will be responsible for identifying of local and non-local players, organizing and facilitating Galaxy clinics and community outreach. Perez joined the organization on January 26, 1998 after serving the previous two seasons on the staff of the MetroStars. During his coaching tenure with the Galaxy, Perez contributed to the club winning three championships, including the 2002 MLS Cup, 2001 U.S. Open Cup and the 2000 CONCACAF Champions' Cup for the treble of titles in the region.

2004 GALAXY SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW: Los Angeles Galaxy tickets are now on sale for the 2004 season at The Home Depot Center, who open their ninth season in MLS with a match against the New England Revolution at 7 pm (PT) on Saturday April 3, 2004. For more information or to purchase your 2004 Los Angeles Galaxy season tickets, please call toll-free 1-877-3GALAXY.

Did you know ... The Los Angeles Galaxy's appearance in 2003 MLS Cup Playoffs was their eighth in the eight-year history of Major League Soccer. They are the only MLS team to have accomplished this feat.

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