Galaxy is ready to face Pachuca
In a season where so much has gone wrong, it was pleasing to find that at least one player was smiling Tuesday in the Galaxy locker room.
Israel “Izzy” Sesay, the 16-year-old forward from Sierra Leone, trained for the first time with his new team and was welcomed by none other than David Beckham. That alone was enough to have the teenager beaming from ear to ear.
“Oh, man, he’s been great so far,” Sesay said. “He’s really a nice guy. I went in the locker room and we just talked and stuff. He said welcome to the team and don’t be shy and all that. It was good.”
Sesay, a member of the U.S. under-17 national team, was acquired by the Galaxy in a weighted lottery conducted by MLS and has joined the team as a developmental player. He moved to the U.S. from Africa when he was 11 and has lived in Maryland since then.
“He’s a bright little player,” said Coach Frank Yallop, who first spotted Sesay playing for the under-17 team in January. “He can go at guys, he can run by them, he can do some stuff. We’re excited to have him.”
Sesay probably won’t play tonight when the Galaxy takes on Mexican soccer champion Pachuca in the final of the eight-team SuperLiga tournament. But his new friend, Beckham, said Tuesday that he feels well enough to play a part in the game.
So will Landon Donovan and several of the other players who sat out the Galaxy’s loss at Colorado on Sunday as the Galaxy tries to grab the only title that is realistically within reach this season.
“I’m sure we’ll all be up for the game because finals don’t come round that often,” Beckham said, “and when they do you have to enjoy them and win them.”
Beckham said he really needed a longer break to completely heal his injured left ankle, but acknowledged that that would not be possible any time soon.
“I’m still uncomfortable,” he said, “but hopefully I’ll be ready to play tomorrow.”
The ankle, he said, “is definitely feeling stronger, but it’s taking time. I’ve had quite a few matches in a short space of time. It’s not really been given the necessary time to recover. If I had six weeks’ rest, then it would clear up completely, but that’s not possible.”
The Galaxy and Pachuca are playing for a $1-million first prize, but for both teams it is more a matter of pride than money. Pachuca is trying to win its fourth title in four competitions in the last year. The Galaxy is trying to salvage something, given that its MLS record is 3-10-5 and the team’s chances for making the playoffs seem slim.
“We have to look from this day forward,” Beckham said. “If we win the game tomorrow, it will be a big boost for us, but then we’re still struggling in the league. We have to win almost every game to get through [to the playoffs]. So it’s going to be tough for us, very tough.”
The Galaxy plays Real Salt Lake in Carson on Saturday, after which Beckham will leave to join the England national team for 10 days as it prepares to play Israel and Russia in two crucial Euro 2008 qualifying games in London.
He will be away for the Galaxy’s home game against Colorado Sept. 8 and the “away” game against Chivas USA on Sept. 13.
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GALAXY TONIGHT
SuperLiga final
vs. Pachuca, 8, TeleFutura
Site -- Home Depot Center.
Radio -- 1330 (Spanish).
SuperLiga records -- Galaxy 3-1; Pachuca 1-1-2.
Record vs. Pachuca -- 1-0.
Update -- Goals by Alan Gordon and Landon Donovan earned the Galaxy a 2-1 victory over Pachuca in tournament group play July 24. Rafael Marquez Lugo scored for Pachuca.
