CARSON, Calif. – Both CONCACAF Champions League Semifinals feature Mexican clubs against a pair of MLS sides, but even though Mexico and the U.S. have a fierce rivalry at the international level, the LA Galaxy don’t believe that it translates to the CCL.
Following the Galaxy’s final training session ahead of Wednesday’s CCL Semifinal first leg against Monterrey, LA head coach Bruce Arena and forward Landon Donovan—both renowned for their contributions to the U.S. National Team—each disagreed that the rivalry will play a role in CCL.
Their comments are below…
ARENA: “I don’t think the national team’s rivalry has anything to do with this competition, to be honest with you. These are not all Mexican players against all-American players in this competition. It is truly a club competition so it has a very different take than a national team.”
DONOVAN: “I don’t know how the other guys feel, but in the end, you’re going to assume that it’s going to come down to U.S. and Mexican teams in this part of the tournament. Once in a while, you’ll probably have a team break through from another country, but that’s just sort of the expectation. A lot of our players aren't American, a lot of their players aren't Mexican so it changes that a little bit.”
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