Lopez, Cardozo get to work

Los Angeles Galaxy manager Bruce Arena salivated at the prospects of Paolo Cardozo's and Miguel Lopez's success this season during team training on Wednesday.

“We’re hopeful they can add a different dimension to our attack,” Arena said. “We know Lopez is a quick, direct, aggressive attacker. He likes the ball at his feet and he’ll take people on. He can play as a second forward or perhaps as an attacking midfielder or wide midfielder. Cardozo has a good first touch, he plays quick and can score some goals for us.

“I think with all these players, whether it’s the very elite player or players underneath that, I think there’s an adjustment they have to go through. You always have to reserve your judgment until we get going and see how they hold up. I’m hopeful they’re both going to help us.”

“Without a doubt, the [Galaxy are] one of the few teams you hear about,” Lopez said in Spanish through an interpreter, “because of the stars with the team.”

“I just know the league was growing,” Cardozo added, “and becoming more and more recognizable. This is a great opportunity, and I want to take advantage of it.”

For Cardozo, the memory of the SuperDraft remained fresh.

“I was just very anxious that day, the whole day,” he said. “But when I left Buenos Aires to come to the United States, I was told the Columbus Crew were very interested. When the Galaxy drafted me, I was very surprised.

“But at the same I was very thankful to God to get this opportunity that was presented to me.”

“Honestly, I was very happy the day they reached out to my club in Argentina,” Lopez said. “I’m very happy to be here and I want to help this team win championships.”

Lopez hopes that the opportunity to team up with Cardozo will pay dividends this year for the G's.

“It definitely helps when you have someone there you already know,” Lopez said.

“I was very happy when I found out he was going to be here. I’ve played with him for two years," Cardozo said, "and it’s always good when you go to a new team and someone you know was going to be there with you.

“It definitely will help make things easier.”

Beckham set to return later in February

Midfielder David Beckham is set to return to the Galaxy later in February as he concludes training with Tottenham Hotspur.

Of course, the club don't mind the business he has to attend to, right, Mr. Landon Donovan?

“I would normally say yeah, but every year we’ve spent significant time without David, whether it’s been injuries or he’s been away,” Donovan said. “This team knows how to gel quickly and David conversely does a good job of coming into the team. The expectation is to have him back relatively soon.”

“He'll be back this month, the exact date we haven't finalized but he'll be back in February,” Arena added.

Beckham tried to sign a loan with the Spurs, but failed. Additionally, he managed just one full season with the Galaxy, in 2008.

“He has never been that kind of guy who is going to moan,” Donovan said. “When he’s here, he wants to play, he wants to win. I’m sure the day he gets back here he’s going to be ready to go.

“One thing he needed was, he needed a break,” Arena said of Beckham. “He worked real hard just to get back on the field last year coming off his Achilles injury. I think he needed some time away from the game. Then he also needed a slow buildup into the season and I think he's getting that.”

No scheduling problems for All-Star Game, says Garber

One of the biggest hassles for last year's MLS All-Star Game was the selection of players that were exhausted from playing a suicide schedule of matches. Players from the Seattle Sounders were unavailable for the match, while the Los Angeles Galaxy's players were forced to make a quick turnaround.

On Tuesday, MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced plans to fix that problem.

“We’re going to try and do everything we can to ensure that every player that’s picked will be able to play in the game,” Garber said Tuesday on a media conference call. “We have learned a little bit of the lessons from the past, and our goal is to ensure we have full participation.”

The Seattle Sounders and FC Dallas will compete in the summer’s CCL qualifying round, while Toronto FC or the Vancouver Whitecaps could compete in the stage as well if they qualify by winning the Nutrilite Canadian Championship.

That could be trouble for the likes of Dallas's David Ferreira, Seattle's Fredy Montero, Vancouver's Jay DeMerit and Toronto's Dwayne De Rosario.

“It’s fair to say that our goal is to be able to avoid the issue,” Garber said. “The goal is to avoid the problem.”

Of course, the Galaxy won't have to worry about that, since they are already in the group stages of the CONCACAF Champions League...

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