L.A. Soccer News conducts an interview with Frank Yallop, the man who may soon become the most famous coach in Major League Soccer, once David Beckham arrives, that is. This week the Los Angeles Galaxy began its preseason camp without three players on duty with the U.S. national team and of course, without Beckham, who’s still sitting on the bench, waiting for Real Madrid’s season to end.
Yallop says their absence is giving a few “trialists” a chance to earn a spot on the squad. He wants the team to be “dynamic” and “versatile” enough that it doesn’t depend on a few superstars (i.e. Landon Donovan and Beckham) to churn out good results. “We’ve got to get on with our jobs, because [David’s] not here for half the year,” Yallop said. “We can’t just sit back and wait for him to arrive. He might come in and get injured in the first game.” Yallop adds that the team’s U.S. players, like Donovan, Chris Albright and Nate Jaqua, could be called away for international duty. There are three international tournaments this summer: the U-20 World Cup in Canada, the 2007 Gold Cup in the U.S. and the 2007 Copa America in Venezuela.
Yallop says he’s proud to have so many internationals on his squad, but for this reason, depth will be key. He says there are still a few players in particular the team is looking to sign, and an open tryout on Feb. 10 and 11 could bring with it a few surprises.