With the MLS Cup title run now a thing of the past, the LA Galaxy are on to their next challenge.
The club will begin its three-match Asia Pacific tour game against an Indonesian Select side in Jakarta on Wednesday (7 am ET), before moving on to the Philippines to play in Manila and eventually Australia for a match in Melbourne.
“When you go to these countries, they want to see the players perform so the players have to make a good account of themselves for the club,” Galaxy forward Robbie Keane told reporters shortly before departing Los Angeles. “That’s very important. Of course, it’s going to be a bit more relaxed than what we’ve been used to all season with the season finishing.”
Aside from the footballing aspect to this visit, the Galaxy will look to relax and rejoice over their accomplishments.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a celebration,” Galaxy midfielder Chris Birchall added. “We’ve worked so hard for this all season and we knew that if we would have slipped up it would have been one of them trips where it would have been miserable really. As it is, we’re going to go celebrate because we worked for it.”
This will be just another postseason trip for the club as many of the players on the squad are already seasoned vets with this sort of outing. But the team is already having a different experience than the one players had in 2010.
“It’s more exciting that we won and then if we’d lost and going on this tour like last year,” Galaxy defender A.J. DeLaGarza said. “It’s actually going to be pretty fun. Last year was terrible. We had just lost to Dallas pretty bad, long flight to Australia just for one game, missing Thanksgiving and stuff with your family. All those things added up.”
Ultimately, players want to show well in the matches, which will be broadcast live in the United States on Fox Soccer and Fox Deportes, regardless of the magnitude – or lack thereof – with the results.
“We’re over there for a reason as well, to promote the game, to promote MLS and really have a good time and show all the fans,” DeLaGarza said.
Luis Bueno covers the LA Galaxy for MLSsoccer.com and can be reached by email at buenodad@gmail.com.
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WATCH: Galaxy tour arrives in Jakarta
