Los Angeles Galaxy Ins and Outs, Feb. 13, 2011

Jack McBean Is In

Los Angeles Galaxy forward Jack McBean, signed by the club as a Home Grown Player in late January, was named to the USA Under-17 National Team squad for the CONCACAF U-17 Championships in Jamica.  He is one of 20 players named to the squad by national team manager Wilmer Cabrera.

The USA opens group play on Feb. 14 against Cuba and will continue group play on Feb. 18 against Panama.  The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals, where either Costa Rica, El Salvador or Haiti awaits.

Quarterfinal winners advance to the FIFA U-17 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Mexico from Jun. 18 to Jul. 10.

McBean officially joined the LA Galaxy Youth Academy program last summer at the age of 15, debuting at the SUM U-17 Cup in Houston, and immediately helped make the Galaxy U-16 squad one of the best in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.

McBean scored nine goals in his 10 games with the club, including a hat trick against South Carolina United FC at the annual Winter Showcase in Arizona.
While at the Showcase, he also played in one of the Academy Select games, which brings a number of the nation’s top young players together on the same field.  In that game, McBean scored just five minutes after entering the match, leading his team to a 2-1 win.


On Assignment at Soccer Nation

A number of players were in Long Beach on Saturday for the annual Soccer Nation Expo presented by Cal South at the Long Beach COnvention & Entertainment Center.

Team captain Landon Donovan, former Galaxy midfielder Kyle Martino, Galaxy goalkeepers Donovan Ricketts and John Saunders and assistant coach Curt Onalfo were prsent.


Partnership Between Donovan and Angel key

When asked of Juan Pablo Angel's role with the club, Donovan noted one important aspect that all forwards must have.

“He’s just dangerous,” Galaxy captain Landon Donovan said of Ángel. “The beauty of having Edson [Buddle] last year was that once teams realized that what he was doing was real—it wasn’t just luck, it wasn’t just he was taking a few shots and they were going in—it takes a lot of pressure off of the rest of us.  Juan Pablo’s the same way.”

Edson Buddle signed with FC Ingolstadt of the 2.Bundesliga in the offseason as part of the club's ongoing fight to avoid relegation.

“[Angel] scores goals where a ball drops loose in a box and he pounces on it, he makes a good run in front, and he can score with his head, from both feet," Donovan said. "He can score from distance and he’s good at taking free kicks, so he’s got it all from that standpoint."

"He’s a little bit like Taylor Twellman was where he just wants to score.  He just has something in him that drives him to get to the ball and put the ball in the net. Sometimes that’s inexplicable.  You don’t know why that is."                          

“You want a guy who wants the ball always … and wants the ball in a good position and puts himself in good positions so he can be dangerous," Donovan said. "Edson became very good at that last year ... and Juan Pablo does that, too.”