The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • Page 36

Mexico the U.S. was a woeful 527-9 in the series between 1934 and 1999 the Americans have dominated over the past seven years, going 7-2-1, with a shutout victory over Mexico in the 2002 World Cup marking the high point. In fact, Mexico has not beaten its rivalin the U.S. in the last seven games and has not scored a goal on American turf since 1999. players are certainly aware of the said U.S.

Coach Bob Bradley, whose interim status hangs somewhat in the balance tonight. Sanchez has used those statistics as motivation for his team, so I think that just puts more on the line as we go into this That shows some of his competitiveness, which has always marked his Bradley said whether or not he gets the U.S. job on a full-time basis has not affected his work with the team. not allowed this interim thing to factor into any part of he said. What Bradley has done is to bolster his roster by bringing in four England-based players: goalkeeper Tim Howard of Everton, defender Carlos Bocanegra and midfielder Clint Dempsey of Fulham and winger Bobby Convey of Reading.

think they mix in well with the players who have been in Bradley said. In addition to the above four, the U.S. starting lineup also is likely to include Chris Albright, Jimmy Conrad, Landon Donovan, Pablo Mastroeni and Ricardo Clark, with the other two starting spots a little more problematic. Eddie Johnson, Chris Rolfe, Justin Mapp, Jonathan Bornstein and By Grahame L. Jones Times Staff Writer PHOENIX Tired of being pushed around on the soccer field by the United States for the past six or seven years, Mexico is more than ready to reestablish its regional dominance in the sport.

You could see it in Coach Hugo eyes this week. You could hear it in forward Cuauhtemoc voice. You could sense it in the focus and ferocity of the training sessions here Monday and Tuesday. Tonight, in front of an expected sellout crowd of at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Mexico plays the U.S. for the first time in more than 17 months long enough for an always-simmering rivalry to have heated by a few degrees.

a friendly, sure, but as Blanco put it recently: play friendly fans, who will make up the vast majority of the crowd, believe this is the beginning of a new era because Sanchez, widely viewed as the greatest- ever player, is making his debut as coach of the national team. They are counting on the former Real Madrid striker to reverse atroublesome trend. After decades of failure against Bobby Boswell all could get playing time. Mexico, meanwhile, has called in virtually all of its top stars, but the player receiving the most attention after training at Arizona State on Monday night was newcomer Nery Castillo, who had flown in from Greece that afternoon. Castillo, 22, was born in Mexico but raised in Uruguay, where he made his professional debut at 15 before playing for the last six years with Greek powerhouse Olympia- kos.

Sanchez, who labored hard to persuade Castillo to choose national team over those of Uruguay and Greece, called Castillo someone who in well because fast and a player with a goal-scoring The coach also called in defender Carlos Salcido from PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands and defender Ricardo Osorio and midfielder Pavel Pardo from Stuttgart in Germany. say if going to start or not, but they will Sanchez said. TONIGHT United States vs. Mexico University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, 6 PST, ESPN2 and Univision Records Mexico leads the all-time series, 29-12-10. Update The match could be apreview of the 2007 Gold Cup final in June in Chicago, the winner of which will qualify for the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa in 2009, one year before the next World Cup.

grahame.jones@latimes.com Ross D. Franklin Associated Press NEW AT THE TOP: U.S. Coach Bob Bradley, left, says he worried about his interim tag. Mexico Coach Hugo Sanchez is widely considered his greatest player. Ric Francis Associated Press Mexico takes it seriously U.S.

given up a goal on its home turf in the rivalry since 1999 and Sanchez is being counted on to reverse the trend. SPORTS D3 LOSANGELESTIMES FANFEST SATURDAY TICKETS 5 FREEPARKING OPENS 9 AM ATANGELSTADIUM OFANAHEIM Size Really Matters and Now Up to You Sports, Business or Life Every Inch Counts 90 Minute Surgery with Immediate Results Ask Your Questions Get the Facts Free Consultation Call Today! SINCE 1993 Penile Enlargement Medical Breakthrough New Technique 866-771-0033 5092197 By Grahame L. Jones Times Staff Writer PHOENIX Major League Soccer released its 2007 season schedule Tuesday, and it apparently is counting on a midsummer arrival of David Beckham because 11 of the 15 road games are slated for after the All-Star break. schedule is this living, breathing animal that at times can be incredibly beautiful and at times incredibly said Alexi Lalas, the president and general manager. the competitive side with the business side is always a challenge, but especially this Exactly when Beckham joins the Galaxyremains a matter of conjecture.

To judge by the 195-game schedule, Beckham could be in time for the game against the Chicago Fire on July 4 or and this is more he could be in time to play in the MLS All-Star gameJuly 19 in Denver. contract with Real Madrid expires June 30. Lalas, whoalong with Galaxy Coach Frank Yallopwill travel to Spain next week to meet with Beckham at his Madrid as much in the dark as anyone regarding the plans. know the exact date when planning to Lalas said. One August swing in particular looks to be the 2007 Beckham Tour, with the Galaxy visiting, in order, Toronto, Boston, Washington and New York, coming home to play one of its fourSuper Clas- ico games against Chivas USA and then heading for Denver all in a three-week span.

good part is we know what up Lalas said. and the players recognize there will be some long trips and some challenges. If we steel ourselves ahead of time, we can hopefully come through it unscathed or with the least amount of The 13 teams Toronto FC makes its debut as the first Canadian MLS teamwhen it plays Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center in the April 7 opener willplay 30 games between April 7 and Oct. 21. The playoffs are set for Oct.

25- Nov. 11, with MLS Cup 2007, the championshipgame, scheduled for Nov. 21in Washington. For the first time in league history, allgames will be televised, the majority of them nationally, and Beckham will feature prominently in the telecasts. Lalas said he was well aware that MLS had to make the most of its highest- priced investment ever.

the teams in the league want to maximize it. I respect what the league is trying to do, but it make it any easier for Lalas said. The schedule has been arranged so that every MLS team with the exception of FC Dallas willplay host to the Galaxy after arrival. Dallas will not be left out in the cold, however, because it is slated toplay host to the Galaxy in the SuperLiga, a new tournament pitting four top Mexican league teams against four leading MLS clubs. has been a significant factor in the said Ivan Gazidis, the deputy commissioner.

probably the most difficult one ever had to do. We had to start with the L.A. teams and build the schedule out from Complicating matters is the U.S. national participation in the Gold Cup and the Copa America in June and July, which will strip MLS clubs of their best American players, as well as the SuperLiga tournament and a couple of other international games. Still, Whit Haskel, vice president and general manager of Chivas USA, said he was pleased with the outcome, whether the schedule had been bent toward Beckham or not.

the league is going to make this type of investment, it only makes Haskel said. excited. Some of the high points are that we get to play the Galaxy four times. the only team in the league that does grahame.jones@latimes.com 8 GALAXY, CHIVAS USA SCHEDULES, D6 MLS banks on Beckham The league has loaded the second half of the schedule with 11 road games in anticipation of the British arrival. is truly the largest sport in the world, and this is the most important club in the most important sport in the Gillett said ata news conference.

Hispresence alongside Hicks epitomized the drastic departure from the days of local ownership. From formation in 1892 through its first century or so, it surely never imagined ownership by a Coloradanvoted to the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and the owner of, among other things, the Mesquite Championship Rodeo. In the Premier League, which has 340 foreign players, ever more about a borderless globe. One media debate last spring focused on Arsenal, the North London club with no prominentBrit- ish on its roster at the time. 2006-07 roster in- cludes24 foreign playersand its marketing tentacles reach around based Aston Villa to Randy Lerner of the Browns proved more tranquil, partly because of fan fatigue with his octogenarian predecessor.

And the sale of Liverpool, the most successful club in the history of beyond-beloved game, to the owners of the Montreal Canadiens (Gillett) and Rangers and the Stars (Hicks)? That wrought a few odd groans about bankruptcy or support ofPresident Bush, but those comments pretty much drowned in the comprehension of reality. ultimate sports league saw its foreign- ownership total hike to seven, or 11 if you count foreign-company ownership, according to the BBC. ThePremier Leagueincludes owners from Egypt (Mohamed Fayed, owner ofHarrods department store), Icelandand two from Russia. Roman Abramovich, the Russian billionaire, has spent so profusely on player salaries that common parlance to follow with bought their (Twoin a row, for the record.) Clearly, curious billionaires can expect stout challenge for a league deemed the most popular in sports and televised in 196 countries with a new overseas TV deal worth $1.225 billion. For several months, it had seemed apparent that Liverpool would go to the fifth-richest person, sheik Mohammed bin RashidMaktoum of Dubai.

That hit a snag, and today, Americans own three of the 20 top-flight clubs, and while each May three clubs suffer relegation to the second tier, none of these three figuresto plummet any year soon. In a league that routinely draws complaints for its predictability, four clubs tend to float to the top of the standingsacross the winter: Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. They form their own de facto glamour division, and Americans own half of them. the globe, much like those of Manchester United and Chelsea. Yet, Liverpool, even with its league-record18 championships, its five European Championships (third behind Real Madrid and AC Milan), and its seven FA Cup championships (a year-long English tournament that runs concurrently with the league schedule), comes up shy of the other bigwigs in the global-cachet division.

Liverpoolwould seem to have ample potential for catching up. Among English fans who seethe from underneath the big four, it often draws praise as the most likable brute. Until the teamgets its plannednew stadium, it plays at Anfield, probably the most hallowed ground. Since the 1960s, Liverpoolfans have resuscitated Never Walk the Rodgersand Hammerstein tune from the 1945 Broadway They sing it to the players throughout games. The song title is painted on their stadium and carved to the lattice work of the stadium gates.

The stadium sits in a gritty, authentic neighborhood that echoes the past, now with American owners that promise the future. Americans keep buying into British soccer Liverpool, from Page D1 is truly the largest sport in the world, and this is the most important club in the most important sport in the George Gillett co-owner of Liverpool includes two new partners. One is Spanish-language Univision, which will broadcast games on its over-the-air network, Telefut- ura (Channel 46 in L.A.), and its cable and satellite network, Galavision. The second is Fox cable, which will broadcast games on the Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en The Galaxy will appear on ESPN2 six times, HDNet eight Last season, the Galaxy was the defending Major League Soccer champion and made 17 national television appearances six on ESPN2, nine on HDNet, the digital cable high-definition network, and two on Fox cable. This season, despite failing to make the 2006 playoffs, the team will have 26 of its 30 games broadcast nationally, according to the 113-game television schedule MLS released Tuesday.

One reason for the increased exposure comes down to one man: David Beckman. The former England captain, who signed a five-year deal with the Galaxy last month, is expected to join the team in July and viewers may see him a lot. Sixteen of the final 17 games will be broadcast nationally. Another reason is the new television contract, which times, Telefutura and Galavision seven times and on the Fox Soccer Channel five times. L.A.’s other MLS team, Chivas USA, will make 19 national appearances six on ESPN2, five on the Fox networks, four on Telefutura and four on HDNet.

FSN West and Prime Ticket will announce their local Galaxy and Chivas schedules later. Stewart National TV to focus on Beckham and Galaxy July 4 Chicago 7:30 p.m. July 7Kansas City 7:30 p.m. July 24 CD 8 p.m. July p.m.

Aug. 23 Chivas USA 7 p.m. Sept. 1Real Salt p.m. Sept.

8 Colorado 7:30 p.m. Sept. 16Houston 5 p.m. Sept. 23 FC Dallas 5 p.m.

Oct. 13Toronto p.m. Oct. 18 New York 7 p.m. Beckham in L.A.

The schedule at the Home Depot Center after David contract with Real Madrid expires (Note: debut date with the Galaxy has not been determined): MLS.