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'That ultimate brass ring' Galaxy quietly leave L.A. for two title matchesPosted: Wednesday October 16, 2002 7:01 PM
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Los Angeles Galaxy held their final practice Wednesday before heading off to play for not one, but two championships. There was considerably more fanfare 35 miles away at Edison Field, where their baseball neighbors, the Anaheim Angels, prepared for the World Series against the San Francisco Giants. "I certainly think they have their fans and we have our fans," Galaxy defender Alexi Lalas said with a wry grin. "Ours may be a little more underground, certainly a little more intelligent, probably better looking. "And all in all probably a better class of people. To each his own. There's a time when you want to drink a bottle of beer and there's a time when you want to enjoy some fine wine." The Galaxy, featuring established stars Lalas and Cobi Jones, and high-scoring Major League Soccer rookie Carlos Ruiz, face the New England Revolution on Sunday in Foxboro, Mass., in the MLS title game. Afterward, the Galaxy go to Ohio to play the Columbus Crew for the U.S. Open Cup on Oct. 24. Los Angeles coach Sigi Schmid, a Giants fan as a youngster who will be pulling for San Francisco in the World Series, hopes his own team can snap an 0-3 record in MLS title games. Because baseball has a much larger following in the United States than soccer, the world's most popular sport, Schmid particularly appreciates the Galaxy faithful. "We have our own soccer junkies who follow us and keep faith with us," he said. "Our situation is a little bit different from the Angels. "They've had a lot of years of mediocrity and now they're having great success, so everybody's excited. We've had success over the years but we haven't grabbed that ultimate brass ring." He says soccer has grown in popularity in the United States, and predicts that America someday will be as sold on the sport as the rest of the world. "I think it will definitely happen," he said. "If I'm still coaching, that would be nice." |
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