- Continuing on a theme, with this being the 237th birthday of our country and all (the fourth is just when we told the world about it), President Obama continues his tour of Africa and yesterday kicked around something called the SOCCKET ball. The ball collects kinetic energy with a pendulum inside the ball, and then a thirty minute game can power a small lamp. It's being given to small African communities, as a source of power. The article has a great picture of President Obama heading the ball. It's great having a President who likes soccer.
- The big LA area soccer news yesterday was Carlos Bocanegra signing with Chivas USA. Boca had to go through the allocation process, so Chivas traded a first round draft pick to Toronto in order to get the first slot in the allocation order. LA Times calls Bocanegra Captain America, even though he's no longer captain of the United States national team, and calls the move a reversal in form. Chivas released four players over the weekend before signing Bocanegra. The Daily Breeze was also on the story, saying Chivas had shored up the defense and gave fans a familiar face. This is the second national team player to sign with a Galaxy rival recently, with Clarence Goodson going to the San Jose Earthquakes after the Gold Cup.