Group Stage - GROUP A - Match 6
Saturday, July 28, 2007 - 7 p.m. PT
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, Calif.
LOS ANGELES GALAXY v CD GUADALAJARA
REFEREE: Courtney Campbell (JAM)
ASSISTANT REFEREES: Greg Barkey (USA); Craig Lowry (USA)
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Ramón Hernandez (USA)
MATCH BACKGROUND
Leading Group A, the Los Angeles Galaxy will face a real challenge to stay there when take on CD Guadalajara at what should be a teeming cauldron in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. While they have struggled in league play, the Galaxy defeated Pachuca in their SuperLiga opener - even with David Beckham unable to play. Chivas opened their SuperLiga campaign with a draw against FC Dallas, but will have nine players available after they finished their vacations following national team commitments. The teams have met four times previously - all in friendlies - and the Galaxy have won three with one draw.
Los Angeles Galaxy
After a first half of the MLS season of chopping and changing and waiting (for the arrival of David Beckham), the Galaxy felt their 2-1 victory against Pachuca showed the potential quality of the team. "The players are still getting accustomed to our system and to one another," said Galaxy head coach Frank Yallop. Added Chris Klein: "Everyday I feel more comfortable with everything else and with Frank's system." Yallop said it really showed against a quality opponent such as the defending Mexican champion. "I thought we did a nice job of containing and making sure they didn't dissect us as much as they usually do against teams," said Yallop. "They like to spread the field and really open you up and I thought we did a good job of staying compact and tight. I'm real happy with our goalkeeping and defending. We limited their real clear-cut chances." The game was also a real sign of character - one that will be certainly tested at the Coliseum against Chivas. "When you're playing against Mexican teams, coming on this soil, when they get a chance to play and you give them confidence and you don't go at them it's going to be a long day," said Kyle Martino.
CD Guadalajara
Chivas head coach Jose Manuel de la Torre was pleased with how his young players performed in the 1-1 draw with FC Dallas. With nine veteran players given the first game off, mainly because of their Mexican national team commitments over recent weeks - including Omar Bravo, Jonny Magallón and Francisco Javier Rodríguez - de la Torre put out a team with little combined Primera Division experience. "It's good as a coach to get our young players the chance to play in these tournaments as we prepare for the season," de la Torre said. "We take every game and every tournament seriously. We have young players who are pressuring right now to get opportunities. ... We had to leave some of our national team players out to get them rest, but it gave some of our younger players an opportunity". The Chivas boss will have all of his reinforcements for the second SuperLiga, with the exception of Alberto Medina, still rehabilitating an injury.
State of play: Group A
After their victory in the first game, Los Angeles Galaxy sit atop the table in Group A and can seal a berth in the semifinals with a victory against CD Guadalajara. FC Dallas can also go a long way to securing their own spot in the semifinals with a victory against CF Pachuca, while the defending Mexican champions all but need a victory if they are to have hope of advancing.
