Uh, Carolina RailHawks … I think you’re gonna need some bigger bleachers.
In an online report posted today by LA Galaxy Insider Adam Serrano, both Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane stated they believe they’ll be available for selection in next Tuesday’s match against the RailHawks in the fifth round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The game takes place on Field 2 at WakeMed Soccer Park and kicks off at 7 p.m.
This follows and confirms information provided to INDY Week yesterday by a reliable source that the Galaxy intends to bring their full available squad to Cary next week.
This will be the third consecutive year the RailHawks have hosted the Galaxy in Open Cup competition, with Carolina winning each of the previous two encounters.
Donovan, who remains with the Galaxy after being left off the U.S. Men’s National Team currently competing in the FIFA World Cup, said he hopes to play from the outset of Tuesday’s match.
“We’re all expecting to play in this game,” Donovan told reporters today. “We’re sick of losing to Carolina and we’re sick of going out of the Open Cup early.”
Keane said he also expects to travel with the team, but he did not forecast how much expects to play against the RailHawks.
This news casts a further pall over the RailHawks’ need to switch the location for next week’s match from the nearly 10,000-plus WakeMed Soccer Stadium to the adjacent Koka Booth Stadium, aka Field 2. The Town of Cary is currently re-sodding the main stadium with Bermuda turf, making it unplayable.
News of Donovan and Keane’s presence next week would expect to drive up ticket sales for the match. However, even with temporary seating being brought onto Field 2 by the RailHawks, the expected capacity for next Tuesday’s match is currently only around 3,000.
