International clubs look to impress in PPC

CARSON, Calif. -- The second edition of the Pan-Pacific Championship, which begins Wednesday with a doubleheader at The Home Depot Center, features an intriguing mix of talent from outside the United States.

The Japanese entry in the event, Oita Trinita, is the J-League's Yamazaki Nabisco Cup champion. They also are the first J-League side to conduct their preseason training on the U.S. mainland. Yokohama F. Marinos of the J-League did train in the U.S. in 2005, but that was during a league break.

Oita also has been boosted by the recent return of midfielder Masashi Miyazawa, who had been on loan with the league's Vegalta Sendai, and includes defender Masato Morishige, a 21-year-old who recently signed a two-year contract and was a member of the Japanese team in the Beijing Olympics.

Head coach Pericles Chamusca said he is anxious to show the Home Depot Center crowd what his team is capable of.

"We hope to show our type of soccer to the U.S. fans," he said.

The tournament's Korean entry, the Suwon Samsung Bluewings, recently signed Chinese national team defender Li Weifeng from the Chinese Super League's Wuhan Guanggu. The Bluewings also finished in the Lunar New Year Cup in Hong Kong, where they lost to Sparta Prague of the Czech Republic.

The club recently extended the contract of coach Cha Bum-Kun, who is the South Korean national team's all-time leader in goals and was the first player from his country to play in the German Bundesliga. Bum-Kun is expected to remain with the team through 2011.

"We are looking forward to competing on an international level," Cha said. "It will be very good for our young players and help them improve."

The Chinese side, Shandong Luneng Taishan FC, has been busy in its preseason preparations with three one-sided scrimmages -- but on the wrong side -- against MLS teams. The Chinese Super League champions lost to Chivas USA 5-1 just more than a week ago. They also had closed-door scrimmages against the Seattle Sounders (a 2-0 loss) and Real Salt Lake (an 8-0 loss).

Head coach Ljubisa Tumbakovic of Serbia said he and the team are thankful to be in the competition, despite some less-than-ideal circumstances.

"We are in a difficult situation because of injuries," he said. "We are not well-prepared right now."

The first game of the doubleheader matches the Suwon Samsung Bluewings against Shandong Luneng Taishan FC at 5:30 p.m. PT, followed by the Los Angeles Galaxy and Oita Trinita at 8 p.m.