JUST REWARD FOR CHIVAS' METALHEAD.Byline: SCOTT FRENCH SOCCER CARSON - For a moment, Francisco ``Paco'' Palencia was on stage with Metallica, the corner flag his guitar, a searing sear 1 v. seared, sear·ing, sears v.tr. 1. To char, scorch, or burn the surface of with or as if with a hot instrument. See Synonyms at burn1. 2. solo surging through his head to his hands. The Mexican striker had just nodded Chivas USA to a two- goal lead in its Major League Soccer playoff debut, and the frustration of five weeks on the sideline came pouring out. ``I love heavy metal,'' the former Mexico World Cup star and sometime musician explained after Chivas' 2-1 triumph Sunday over the Houston Dynamo Houston Dynamo is a professional soccer team based in Houston, Texas that plays in Major League Soccer and are the current MLS Cup Champions, by virtue of their victory against the New England Revolution in MLS Cup 2006. at Home Depot The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) is an American retailer of home improvement and construction products and services. Headquartered in Vinings, just outside Atlanta in unincorporated Cobb County, Georgia, Home Depot employs more than 355,000 people and operates 2,164 big-box Center. ``Sometimes, when I score a golden goal, I try to play, like, heavy metal.'' It capped a golden return for MLS's highest-paid player -- $1.36 million per year, including bonuses -- who set up Chivas' first goal, Ante Razov's 45th-minute free kick, then scored the second, a glancing header from Sacha Kljestan's free kick in the 68th. Little more than a month earlier, Palencia's season was pronounced finished, victim of a badly sprained ligament in his right knee. His return for the playoffs should have been a surprise, but those who know him knew otherwise. ``He's not someone who accepts the odds,'' Chivas coach Bob Bradley
Palencia's work ethic work ethic n. A set of values based on the moral virtues of hard work and diligence. work ethic Noun a belief in the moral value of work and veteran leadership spurred Bradley to hand him the captain's armband arm·band n. A band worn around the upper arm, often as identification or as a symbol of mourning or protest. Noun 1. armband - worn around arm as identification or to indicate mourning soon after the coach took charge following the dismal inaugural season. His knack for the net -- Palencia has been a scorer everywhere he's played, for Cruz Azul and Guadalajara in Mexico, Espanyol in Spain, Mexico's national team -- and ability to create for teammates makes him integral to Chivas USA's attack. And his easygoing eas·y·go·ing also eas·y-go·ing adj. 1. a. Living without undue worry or concern; calm. b. Lax or negligent; careless. c. , somewhat quirky nature has endeared him to teammates and fans. When told his season was finished, Palencia refused to listen. ``I love soccer -- futbol, for me -- and I want to play,'' Palencia said. ``It's frustrating when you're in the crowd watching your teammates fighting to win the game, and you can't help.'' He helped plenty this time, drawing the foul at the edge of the box that led to Razov's goal -- he took a pass from Juan Pablo Juan Pablo is a common Spanish given name. It is the equivalent of "John Paul" in English or "Jean-Paul" in French. Some famous people with this name:
``He's a good actor,'' said Serioux, denying he fouled Palencia. ``If there's somebody in Hollywood watching him today, they should definitely pick him up. ... I guess anyone would have done it.'' Kljestan's free kick from the right flank, a good 40 yards out, found Palencia in the box, and his header beat Onstad to the right post. Palencia raced to the corner, ripped the flag from the ground and was in air-guitar heaven, a celebration inspired, he said, by his friend Robert Trujillo, Metallica's bassist. ``Paco (coming back) was massive,'' Razov noted. ``He showed what a leader's all about. They say he's done for the year, and he showed he's not done.'' Razov, too, is back from injury, and so are Juan Pablo Garcia, Claudio Suarez and Jesse Marsch. Palencia's return could prove decisive. The Dynamo, when it was the San Jose Earthquakes
HDC - Disk Controller , settled for a draw at home in the second leg and was done. Its conqueror, the Galaxy, went on to the title. Chivas believes it's a feat that can be duplicated. Chelsea? Barca? Lyon tops 'em all Consider all the usual suspects pretenders. Barcelona? Just lost to Chelsea and Real Madrid. Chelsea? What a roster, but where's the panache? Manchester United? A shadow of Sir Alex's great teams of the late '90s and early 2000s. Real Madrid? Juventus? ACMilan? Once upon a time. The best club soccer in the world is played these days by Lyon, which is well on its way to a sixth successive title in France's Ligue 1 and looking like the team to beat in the UEFA UEFA Union of European Football Associations UEFA n abbr (= Union of European Football Associations) → U.E.F.A. Champions League. The club, officially Olympique Lyonnais, is 9-0-1 domestically and has throttled its GroupE foes in Europe, routing Real Madrid (2-0), Steaua Bucharest (3-0) and Dynamo Kiev (3-0) while playing inspiring soccer. The loss of imposing midfielder Mahamadou Diarra to Real Madrid hasn't caused any harm. Juninho pulls the strings, Fred, Tiago, Karim Benzema and Florent Malouda share in the scoring, and newcomer Alou Diarra has expertly stepped into the other Diarra's role. Rising Pachuca The hottest team in Mexico is Pachuca, winner of last spring's Torneo Clausura and left for dead by coach and player defections and an 0-4 start to the Apertura. Under Enrique Meza, who guided Toluca to threetitles from 1998-2000 before a stint as Mexico's national team coach, the Tuzos have dropped just one of their past nine games and Sunday vaulted from fifth to first in the Primera Division's Group 2 with a 1-0 triumph at Jaguares. Overall leader Toluca is next, Saturday in Pachuca. The Tuzos, with a balanced attack led by Juan Carlos Cacho Juan Carlos Cacho (born May 3, 1982 in Mexico City) is a Mexican football striker currently playing for CF Pachuca in Mexico and for the Mexico national football team. Club Career Juan Carlos Cacho is a product of the youth system of Cruz Azul. , also are on the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of the Copa Sudamericana semifinals. They routed Lanus 3-0 in a quarterfinal opener last week in Buenos Aires and figure to finish off the Argentines at home Wednesday. Trouble up north Canada, the only realistic threat to U.S. supremacy at next month's CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup The CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup, the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) championship competition, takes place every other year. , is in crisis following captain Charmaine Hooper's and star forward Christine Latham's request for an inquiry into actions by coach even Pellerud. Hooper, Lathum and defender Sharolta Nonen, all former WUSA WUSA Women's United Soccer Association WUSA Windows Update Standalone Installer stars, are pursuing legal action against Pellerud and the Canadian Soccer Association after they were suspended for missing August exhibitions against China. Hooper and Lathum say Pellerud pressured them to quit their W-League clubs and join the league champion Vancouver Whtiecaps, for whom several national-teamers play, and a residency program funded by Whitecaps owner Greg Kerfoot. Pellerud, who won the 1995 Women's World Cup The Women's World Cup could refer to either the:
CAPTION(S): 3 photos, box Photo: (1) Francisco ``Paco'' Palencia does his best Metallica impression after scoring for Chivas USA in its 2-1 playoff victory Sunday over Houston. Edna T. Simpson/Staff Photographer (2) JUNINHO (3) KIM KALLSTROM Box: Etc. |
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