TORREÓN, Coah. – The LA Galaxy are due for a hostile reception at the Estadio Corona on Tuesday, but none of that seems to faze captain Robbie Keane who believes his team has the experience needed to advance in the CONCACAF Champions League.
Keane and the Galaxy head into their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal second leg with Santos Laguna in Torreón scoreless on aggregate after their 0-0 draw at StubHub Center last week. Although the Galaxy head into Tuesday’s match needing a win or a tie with goals scored to advance, Santos are considered by many reporters to be favorites.
However with the high profile additions of Nigel de Jong, Ashley Cole, and Jelle Van Damme bolstering an already talented roster, Keane expects no fear from Galaxy players when the first ball is kicked on Tuesday.
“It’s a big game and it’ll be played in a hostile atmosphere, but we certainly have a lot of experienced players which will serve us in good stead when you’re playing in a hostile atmosphere like this,” Keane told reporters after the team’s final training session in Torreón. “This is what players thrive on. I enjoy these occasions and we hope that the 90 minutes that we got last week will stand us in good stead tomorrow.”
The Galaxy will be in for a challenge on Tuesday having been eliminated by Mexican teams in Mexico in their last two CCL knockout round appearances. None of that seems to bother Keane, however, as the Irishman is confident that the Galaxy have enough experience to get a win in Torreón.
“We’ve never had these kinds of players before. Experienced players like this,” Keane said. “I’m hoping that it’ll help us because they’re going to have some tough times and they’ll have possession of the ball, but this is where you need your experienced players to stand up and be counted. We have winners on this team. We have more of a chance with this team than we have ever in terms of the experience that we have.”
