CARSON, Calif. -- The David Beckham saga apparently is behind them, and the Los Angeles Galaxy now can start to get a little more serious in their preseason preparations.
That approach starts Wednesday, with their opening game in the Pan-Pacific Championship at The Home Depot Center. The Galaxy will take on the J-League's Oita Trinita at 8 p.m. PST, the nightcap in a doubleheader that begins at 5:30 with a game matching K-League champion and 2008 Samsung Hauzen Cup winner Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Chinese Super League winner Shandong Luneng Taishan FC.
The international teams have been busy beefing up their respective rosters for the event, now in its second year (Japan's Gamba Osaka won it a year ago in Hawaii). The Bluewings recently signed Chinese national team defender Li Weifeng, who has more than 100 caps to his credit, from the Chinese Super League's Wuhan Guanggu. Oita, the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup champion a year ago, had two recent additions in Japanese internationals Akihiro Ienaga and Masato Morishige. Morishige represented Japan at the 2008 Beijing Olympics while Ienaga will stay with Oita through the 2009 season on loan from 2008 Pan-Pacific titlist Gamba Osaka.
The Galaxy also have been busy, and not just on the field. Their two best players, Landon Donovan and David Beckham, have been overseas on loan agreements with Bayern Munich and AC Milan, respectively, and both of them have stated their desire to remain in Europe. Beckham's situation eventually forced MLS Commissioner Don Garber to issue a deadline of last Friday to reach an agreement on a permanent transfer. Milan and the Galaxy didn't come to terms and Beckham is scheduled to report back to southern California on March 9.
Arena on Monday insisted the situation has not been a distraction, but he also admitted it has had a somewhat adverse effect on preparing for the March 22 regular-season opener against D.C. United.
"Certainly when you have these types of situations when you have two impact players away from your team, it's a less than perfect way of preparing," Arena said. "This tournament is a very good competition for our team. It's a good way of evaluating not only individual players but where the team is at."
Veteran Eddie Lewis said he has liked what he has seen so far in training camp.
"From a coach's point of view, I think dramatic improvement has been made, not only the top 11 but as a squad in general," he said. "I think the team was quite thin last year. Not only have we improved right from the top but in depth. We have quite a few guys we can call on to do the job."
Lewis, who turns 35 on May 17, said he still gets a thrill out of competitions like the Pan-Pacific.
"Absolutely," he said. "It's something you don't normally get a chance to play in. They're good environments because the crowds will be there and the brand of soccer will be different than a lot of people have seen. It's a wonderful opportunity, especially for the younger players, to be involved in.
"The scary thing is I still get the goosebumps and butterflies I did as a kid. I'm very much looking forward to it."
