CARSON, Calif. -- At first glance, the LA Galaxy's lineup for a must-win CONCACAF Champions League match against the Puerto Rico Islanders was shocking
For a Galaxy side that has made the CCL a club priority, it was surprising to see nine players under the age of 23 and five rookies start against the Islanders. However, the kids quickly showed that they were alright. Tallying four goals on the night, the Galaxy thoroughly trounced the Islanders picking up a vital point in their quest to advance from Group 5 play and into the later stages of the continental competition.
While the success may have surprised some in the press box, Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena was not shocked at all by the performance of his young players.
ARENA: "Well our team's come a long way, all these players we have. The young ones have really developed well over the year and you can see they’re getting confidence and can play, and hopefully that speaks well for the rest of the season and the future for some of the young players...We were very confident in these guys. That’s the reason they played tonight, because they could beat this team."
