There are few teams in the world with the history and tradition of Glasgow's Rangers FC. Champions of Scotland 51 times, Rangers have 134 years of history that they will bring to The Home Depot Center on Wednesday night. In the grand scheme of things, Wednesday night's game between the Los Angeles Galaxy and Rangers is little more than just an exhibition game, but it's a rare opportunity for Los Angeles to take on such a storied team.
"I'll probably think that (this is just an exhibition game) until I wake up in the morning and say, 'I get to play Rangers tonight,'" said Landon Donovan. "Regardless of what kind of team they brought or who they're playing, its still Rangers. Not many people can say they ever did that."
The prestige of Rangers wasn't lost on Galaxy head coach Frank Yallop either, who played in nearly 400 games with Ipswich Town in England. While he recognizes how special an opportunity this is for his players, he also is aware that Wednesday's friendly is an important match in terms of staying sharp.
"To have a club of the size and stature to play us is quite an honor," said Yallop. "We stuttered a little bit to start our season. Any game you have a chance to get some momentum is always good."
Rangers brought a strong side with them from Glasgow, including Kris Boyd, who scored 20 goals in the Scottish Premiership this season. Even though the Scottish season is over and Rangers are preparing for a brief summer vacation, Los Angeles is expecting to get their best game.
"I don't expect Rangers to come in and lie down," said Donovan. "They're going to come to play and they're going to come to win."
The Galaxy will have their hands full too. Rangers brings a squad of European tested players, who compete in the UEFA Champions League on an annual basis. It's the kind of competition that will force the very best out of the Galaxy if they are to compete.
"Playing against these guys, obviously they're top-quality players. As a team we can learn from the speed of play, and how we can move together to get a good result," said veteran defender Tyrone Marshall. "I think if we stick together as a team that's the only way we're going to get a good result."
Los Angeles will play a mixed lineup of starters and reserves to open the match. The Galaxy have a league game on Saturday, so while getting a positive result is important, Yallop is charged with the task of keeping his players fresh for the weekend while remaining competitive against Rangers.
One player not expecting to start is Donovan, but he admitted that he'll be itching to get into the game.
"I want to play. The worst part is sitting on the bench because you watch the game and you want to be in there," said Donovan. "That's kind of good for me because it brings the kid out in me in just wanting to get out there and play."
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
