The Slanch Report

Everything comes in twos today it seems…

Despite being the greatest female soccer player of all time, Mia Hamm wasn’t able to eke out a victory over her husband’s team at the second annual Celebrity Soccer Challenge at the Home Depot Center on Saturday. Nomar Garciaparra, or Mr. Hamm, led his team, Nomar United to an 8-7 victory over FC Hamm, erasing the embarrassing stigma from losing last year 13-12.

“I was just glad to get that game-winning score, because I didn’t want to have to hear it for another year,” said Garciaparra, he followed up immediately by tearing his hamstring while scratching an itch.

The event, which raised nearly $200,000 for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and the Mia Hamm Foundation as well as encouraging hundreds of fans in attendance to sign up for the National Marrow Donor Registry.

Among the “stars” in attendance were actor C. Thomas Howell (star of the greatest beach volleyball movie, Side out), actors Josh Hutcherson and Mark Consuelos, Donald Faison of ABC’s “Scrubs,” Jimmy Jean-Louis of NBC’s “Heroes,” Angus Jones of CBS’s “Two and a Half Men,” Josh Henderson of the CW’s “90210,” Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo and skateboarders Tony Hawk and Ryan Sheckler. A real powerhouse of stars. Faison endeared himself to the crowd when, after accidentally scoring on his own goal earlier in the game, made up for it by scoring a proper goal later in the match.

Fortunately, the crowd was able to see some real soccer players too, including Brandi Chastain, Kristine Lilly, Joy Fawcett, Tisha Hoch and Abby Wambach. Other current and former male soccer players who participated included Cobi Jones, Chris Seitz, Matt Reis, Brian Dunseth and Alexi Lalas.

[MLS.com]