The 2005 MLS Cup and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Champion Los Angeles Galaxy began day three of training camp on Wednesday morning with their first touches with the new MLS adidas ball at The Home Depot Center on the campus of California State University - Dominguez Hills.
Following two days of testing, Galaxy players were excited to get out on the field and kick the ball around for the first time. Head Coach Steve Sampson and his staff worked out the players with a variety of one-and-two touch drills followed by some finishing drills. Led by veterans Peter Vagenas, Cobi Jones and Tyrone Marshall, a high level of intensity was present as players looked to clear away the off-season cobwebs.
Before the end of the morning training session, Galaxy draft picks Marc Burch and Aaron King arrived from the airport at the team's training field and were introduced to the team during a water break. Burch, who helped the Terrapins win the NCAA title last month, is awaiting his physical before he can join the club for pre-season training. Meanwhile, Aaron King, who was the club 48th and last pick in the MLS SuperDraft, was thrown right into the mix with the team for the afternoon session.
The opening of training comes as the Galaxy prepare for their full slate of matches in 2006, starting with an international exhibition against the national team of Korea Republic on Wednesday, February 8. Tickets for this high-profile international match are already on sale and range from $25-$75 with discounts available for groups of 15 or more.
In addition, the Galaxy will again compete in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, one of the premier club competitions in the Americas, beginning with a home-and-home series with Deportivo Saprissa (CRC) that will be played on February 23 in Carson and March 8 in Costa Rica.
Finally, the club will open the 2006 MLS regular season against the New England Revolution on Saturday, April 1 at 8 pm (PT). The game will be a hotly contested rematch of MLS Cup 2005, in which the Galaxy defeated Revs by a 1-0 score in overtime. The complete 2006 MLS regular season schedule will be released shortly.
For more information or to purchase tickets to any of these matches or Galaxy 2006 season tickets, please contact the Galaxy ticket office toll-free at 1-877-3-GALAXY or visit the tickets section of LAGalaxy.com.
