Los Angeles Galaxy vs Real Madrid | Preview
The Whites bring their preseason stage in the US to a close with a match at the Rose Bowl
Mourinho’s first match as head coach of Real Madrid went off without a hitch and the Whites beat Club America 2-3. The team knew how to withstand the pressure of coming from behind and gave signs of everything the Portuguese boss has worked on during the preseason stage in the US. On Saturday against the LA Galaxy, Mourinho expects his men to make even further progress prior to the trip home.
Mourinho is still unsure as to whether the most recent arrivals at training camp (Casillas, Van der Vaart, Albiol, Arbeloa, Ramos, Alonso and Khedira) will play on Saturday. Mourinho said:
We will play with the same system we used against America. This system requires a lot of hard work, effort and intelligence in order to cover ground. I don’t know if the players who just arrived can withstand so much, so we will see if they play during the second half against the Galaxy
“Real Madrid mania” has taken over Los Angeles and a large turnout is expected at the Rose Bowl, but Mourinho knows it has been a grueling preseason for his men and that the players have tired legs. Even though his men might not be in top form to play, Mourinho is convinced that preseason matches are the most intense workouts for this team adding:
Playing these matches offers us physical and pyschological wear and tear, which are basic principles for us during the preseason. We will see some important things during the match against the Galaxy.
The friendly will bring an end to Real Madrid’s 11-day stay in Los Angeles as the team is scheduled to fly back to Spain immediately after the match.
SQUAD LIST:
Goalkeepers: Casillas, Dudek, Adan
Defenders: Ramos, Albiol, Arbeloa, Pepe, Marcelo, Garay, Nacho, Tebar
Midfielders: Khedira, Xabi Alonso, Van der Vaart, Lass, Gago, Diarra, Drenthe, Granero, Canales, Di Maria, Pedro Leon, Alex Fernandez, Juanfran
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Higuain, Benzema, Morata
Referee: Mr. Arkadiusz Prus (USA)
Albiol to Realmadrid.com
Raul Albiol has only spent a few days in team camp in Los Angeles, but the defender is already familiar with the grueling workouts held by Mourinho. After sitting out of the match against America, Albiol hopes to see some action on Saturday against the LA Galaxy.
Raul Albiol: "Every new player who has joined us has been welcomed with open arms"
How do you think your teammates played against America?
It was a typical preseason match that we used to get into a rhythm. I sawa some good things. The team is training very hard.
What is training under Mourinho like? What has he asked of you?
Workouts are very intense and almost all contain ball work in small spaces. It really helps because during matches it is important to know how to play with little room to work with. We are improving day by day. Personally speaking, he hasn’t asked me to do anything in particular. He welcomed us and we started training right away. It is going to be a tough season and we have to be ready as soon as possible. We all have to stick together and row in the same direction.
What are your thoughts on the squad that has been put together?
It’s great. There was already a great team last year and now it’s even better with the players that have arrived. We welcomed all the new players with open arms knowing that if they were signed by Real Madrid it’s because they are very talented.
Canales debuted against America and scored. What do you think?
Canales is very talented. Hhe is young and is going to learn a lot at Real Madrid. He will be able to capitalize on his talent here.
How has Khedira adjusted so far?
He is doing very well. We joke around with him a lot because he doesn’t speak Spanish, but he is very laid back and a hard worker. Let’s see if he fully adapts soon and what he is made of.
What are the team’s goals this season?
We need to take things slowly; one match at a time until we are a strong team that can fight for every title. That is what this team deserves.
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