Three of the six Cuban players who defected to the U.S. last month have been given a tryout with the Los Angeles Galaxy, the L.A. Times Grahame L. Jones reports. Jose Manuel Miranda, Yenier Bermudez and Yordany Alvarez were members of the Cuba U-23 team that saw six players and one assistant coach defect while playing in an Olympic Qualifying tournament in Tampa, Fla. The trio reached L.A. by bus via Miami.
“So they were a little bit tired,” when they arrived, Galaxy coach Ruud Gullit said. “But they can play, they can play football. You have to give them a chance. It’s quite an adventure for them also.” Both Gullit and midfielder David Beckham added that the Galaxy is serious about the tryout. “It’s always good to have players come in and push other players and teammates for positions,” Beckham said. “They’re good players.”
Separately, reporters asked the L.A. captain and its coach who they’d rather see in the Champions League final. Beckham, predictably, chose a Manchester United-Liverpool final, while Gullit, friend of Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard and a former Chelsea player and coach, chose Barca and Chelsea.