L.A. Galaxy Players Embrace Opportunity to Team with Gerrard, Dos Santos

LOS ANGELES — Steven Gerrard was on hand at an event this week in L.A. to help launch Adidas' new boots. Celebrity status was afforded to the 35-year-old, who will make his MLS bow in the Los Angeles Galaxy's game against the San Jose Earthquakes on Friday. "It's great to be here. [L.A. is] a fantastic place to live and work," he said as he took photos with excited fans who had had their skills judged by the Liverpool great as part of the festivities. Looking relaxed, Gerrard is fitting in to L.A. life, and his teammates are enjoying having him around. Bleacher Report spoke to the Galaxy's Mika Vayrynen and Oscar Sorto to get their thoughts on their most famous new teammate and the MLS game. As a 20-year-old American from Los Angeles, Sorto is in awe of the former England captain: "I feel like bringing these players to our club is going to help all our players from Galaxy develop and learn. That's what I'm looking forward to, to learn from Gerrard [and new signing Giovani] Dos Santos." "When I first saw him [Gerrard] in training, I was just thinking, this guy is amazing, his touch is so simple," he said. "He's one of the players ...

Steven Gerrard’s LA Galaxy Debut Ends in Victory as Midfielder Impresses

STUB HUB CENTER, LOS ANGELES—Steven Gerrard made his Los Angeles Galaxy debut in their friendly match against Club America of Mexico on Saturday evening. Gerrard played the opening 45 minutes of the International Champions Cup game, which ended in a 2-1 win for the Englishman's new club. The visit of the Mexican side to Southern California meant for a lively atmosphere on Gerrard's first outing in America and there was a sense of anticipation around the stadium ahead of the marquee player's debut. The 35-year-old showed a few signs of nerves and rustiness early on, but he grew into the game and began to dictate the play—making more passes and having more touches than any other Galaxy player during the opening 45. The former Liverpool captain lined up alongside diminutive Brazilian Juninho in Galaxy's midfield, with head coach Bruce Arena having explained this week that the pair will work in tandem but that Gerrard "needs to be a little bit closer to goal." After Club America took an early lead through Carlos Quintero in the seventh minute, Gerrard and his team-mates initially looked somewhat shell-shocked and a miscommunication between the Englishman and his new team-mate, Galaxy centre-back Leonardo, almost let the visiting side in for a second goal. But ...

Exclusive: Bruce Arena on Steven Gerrard’s LA Galaxy Role

STUB HUB CENTER, LOS ANGELES—Steven Gerrard was officially unveiled as a LA Galaxy player on Tuesday, taking part in training with his new teammates and meeting the media at his unveiling press conference. The 35-year-old midfielder joins the current MLS champions after 17 years at his boyhood club, Liverpool. "I love Liverpool Football Club and I always will do, I'm still a fan to this day but I needed a fresh challenge," said Galaxy's new No. 8. "I'm a proud scouser," declared Gerrard as he fielded questions on how he's settling in to life in Los Angeles, the adaptation after being at one club for his whole career, and the influence of both David Beckham and Robbie Keane on his decision to move to California. Gerrard admitted his biggest difficulty so far had been the jet lag he suffered in his first three days on the west coast of America, while the only advice Keane had given him was to pack the factor 50 sunscreen.  After the press conference, Bleacher Report spoke exclusively to Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena on how he sees Gerrard's role in LA's midfield. Will he be used in the deep-lying midfield role he's been used most often at Liverpool in the ...