IRELAND SKIPPER Robbie Keane will face Spain in Gdansk next month — and he’llmeet some of those La Liga stars later in the summer when LA Galaxy host Real Madrd.
The two sides will play each other in a friendly at the Home Depot Center on 2 August as the Spanish giants visit the US for the second successive year.
“You always want to test yourselves against the best teams in the world,” Keane said last night. ”At this moment in time, Real Madrid are certainly one of the best so it’s a good plug for us.
“It’s great to get a team like Real over here, to play a friendly game against them, and I’m sure everyone — the players and everyone associated with the club — will be very excited about it.”
Keane’s Galaxy teammate David Beckham meanwhile is excited to welcome his former club to California too.
“To host Real Madrid is always special for the players, for the team, for obviously the fans to see some of the best players in the world perform in our stadium,” he said.
“It’s something that, over the last few years, we’ve got used to. It doesn’t get any less special. Welcoming a team like that, and with a manager like they have — the current La Liga champions — to our home, is very special.”
Beckham believes the quality of teams who visit the US as part of their pre-season campaign is an indication that the standard of football in the country is improving.
“Big teams like Real Madrid, Manchester United, Barcelona and Chelsea have all come over here for pre-season, to play games and to get match fit,” he said. ”You wouldn’t have those sorts of teams coming over here if it wasn’t going to be a challenge for them, so it says something about this league.”
