The toughest test for the Los Angeles Galaxy in the inaugural SuperLiga could come on Tuesday night, when they take on Mexican Primera Division side CF Pachuca.
Pachuca currently holds the CONCACAF Champions' Cup title and South America's Copa Sudamericana. They are also the defending champions of Mexico, winning the 2007 Clausura last June.
Added to that, the Galaxy could face opponents of their own making. Coming off a gutty performance against Chelsea on Saturday, it would be hard to blame the team if it suffered an emotional letdown. But if that happens, Los Angeles is in for a long night as Pachuca is arguably the best team in the Americas right now.
"We know how good they are. We expect them to be just as tough if not tougher than Chelsea," said Alan Gordon. "They're one of the best teams in the world in my opinion."
While the majority of the Galaxy players have been limited to video in getting to know their opponents, at least one member of the squad has first-hand experience with Pachuca. Newly acquired midfielder Kelly Gray was with Houston Dynamo at the beginning of the season, and faced Pachuca in the Champions' Cup semifinals. Dynamo pushed Pachuca to extra time before bowing out on aggregate.
"Pachuca is an incredible squad. Their offense is unbelievable and they don't give up a lot of goals," said Gray. "It's going to be a hard fought, tough game."
The quality of Pachuca alone should be reason enough for Los Angeles to avoid any sort of letdown. In fact, head coach Frank Yallop is hoping for the exact opposite. He is hoping that the performance put in on Saturday against Chelsea will become the norm rather than the exception.
"We set the standard that should be there every game. Our effort should be the same every match," said Yallop. "It's not guaranteeing winning, but it's giving a good account of yourselves."
Inconsistent has been an unfortunate but appropriate tag for the Galaxy so far this season, and while Tuesday's game means nothing in terms of the league season, the Pachuca game as well as the rest of the SuperLiga tournament provides the club with an opportunity to gain a foundation for the rest of the year.
It will take a complete team effort to get any sort of result against Pachuca, but in the long run the spirit and effort brought to the field on Tuesday will determine if the night is a success or not for the Galaxy.
"We've been doing too much (up and down) this year and guys know it," said Landon Donovan. "It's time to put two good, three good, four good performances together and get going. If we play flat against (Pachuca), they can beat us good."
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
