San Diego FC can have no time to ease into their inaugural MLS marketing campaign.
The growth staff will open in opposition to the Los Angeles Galaxy, the defending MLS Cup champions, on Sunday afternoon in Carson, Calif.
The league newcomers will get to see the Galaxy unfurl their league-record sixth championship banner following a considerably shocking run to the title final season.
Los Angeles will not be at full power, as star midfielder Riqui Puig is sidelined long run following knee surgical procedure and ahead Joseph Paintsil is out with a quad damage. However little drop-off is predicted from the Galaxy.
Veteran Marco Reus would be the focus of the Galaxy’s offense, and winger Gabriel Pec is ready to take an enormous leap ahead this season. The Galaxy additionally added ahead Christian Ramirez in a commerce with the Columbus Crew, ahead Matheus Nascimento on mortgage from Brazilian aspect Botafogo and Mathias Jorgensen, a Danish heart again who has performed for quite a few groups in Europe, most lately for Belgian powerhouse Anderlecht.
The midfield can be anchored by Edwin Cerrillo, one of many league’s greatest defensive-minded gamers on the place.
“I believed it was two weeks for us,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney mentioned concerning the staff’s preseason camp and match. “A giant a part of it was getting guys’ legs beneath them and health and attending to combine some guys into our system. We blended in guys, and guys had been capable of adapt inside video games. I do know guys are able to get began.”
San Diego FC function the abilities of Mexican nationwide staff legend Hirving “Chucky” Lozano and Anders Dreyer, a Danish winger who was Jorgensen’s teammate at Anderlecht final season.
The brand new membership additionally consists of winger Luca de la Torre, a San Diego native who has performed on the U.S. males’s nationwide staff, and Paddy McNair, a Northern Eire worldwide heart again who has performed for Manchester United, Sunderland and Middlesbrough in England.
Certain, there are questions — and loads of them — about San Diego FC, as there are with any growth staff. However coach Mikey Varas likes his staff and the progress it has made up to now.
“We’re targeted on three buckets: ensuring that we’re wholesome and match as an growth roster that is rising; ensure that the sport mannequin fashion of performs is evident; after which ensure that we develop a combating staff spirit amongst the staff,” Varas mentioned.
“I believe we have had a really profitable preseason when it comes to maximizing each second that we have had collectively and doing these three issues.”
–Area Degree Media
