Galaxy
Ready To Meet Puntarenas
By Larry
Morgan / MLSnet.com
CARSON, Calif. - The Los Angeles Galaxy
continue their preseason preparations on
Wednesday night at Cal State Fullerton's
Titan Stadium, where they will host Costa
Rican side Puntarenas FC in an international
friendly.
Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena admitted he
doesn't know much, if anything, about this
week's opponent, although he does savor the
idea of having his club involved in a
meaningful competition. The Galaxy have not
lost in any of their preseason matches --
five scrimmages, including last Friday's 5-2
victory over San Diego State which featured
three goals by Edson Buddle -- and Arena
said he's viewing Wednesday's game as the
first real indication of how far his team
has progressed.
Not that he's been worried about the
Galaxy's development. Unlike last year at
this time, when the Galaxy were deep into
their roster overhaul and adjusting to
Arena's coaching in his first training camp
with the club, this preseason has progressed
smoothly.
"I just think we're very far ahead from last
year in all aspects of the game," he said.
"Last year we played the games a little too
early for us with a whole new group coming
in. When we played the Pan-Pacific
(Championship) in the middle of February,
that was a little too early.
"Now we're in the middle of March, which is
a better time for us to be playing open
games."
Puntarenas currently are tied for second
(with CF Universidad de Costa Rica) in Costa
Rica's Primera Division, nine points behind
first-place San Carlos FC, and have won only
one of their last five matches (1-2-2).
Puntarenas, founded in 2004, is led by
captain/defender Dario Delgado Mora and were
finalists in last season's Costa Rican
League championship, where they lost to CF
Brujas on penalty kicks.
Puntarenas, who are coached by Uruguayan
Jorge Walter Gonzalez Estevez, qualified for
the quarterfinals of the 2007 CONCACAF
Champions Cup, now known as the CONCACAF
Champions League. They lost to the Houston
Dynamo 2-1 in a competition that eventually
was won by CF Pachuca, who beat CD
Guadalajara in the final.
Puntarenas had qualfied for the Champions
Cup by virtue of their 2006 Torneo UNCAF
championship.
"My sense is they're a good team and good
competition," Arena said. "It's competition
in a gated game, which helps.
"When you play an exhibition in public you
take it a little bit more seriously. I think
that's a start of our final preparations for
the opening game of league."
The Galaxy begin the regular season against
the New England Revolution on March 27 at
The Home Depot Center. |
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