Goals from Luis Suarez and Sergi Roberto lifted Barcelona to a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Tuesday that manager Luis Enrique called an encouraging start to the European Champions' North American tour. Uruguay international Suarez came out on top in a clash with former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard - the Galaxy's latest acquisition from Europe.
His 45th-minute strike and Roberto's 56th-minute goal ensured that even without such stars as Argentina's Lionel Messi and Brazilian Neymar - let off the pre-season tour after Copa America duty - Barcelona got the win their dominant performance deserved in front of 93,226 fans at Pasadena's Rose Bowl.
It was the largest crowd ever to watch a match featuring a Major League Soccer club. "Based on what a first game of the pre-season looks like, considering we've only had about seven days of practice, a lot of travelling, overall I feel very positive," the coach said. "Overall, our players look good."
Barcelona, preparing to defend their La Liga, Copa Del Rey and Champions League treble, effectively neutralized any threat from Gerrard and Galaxy team-mate Robbie Keane, while pressing relentlessly themselves. They were finally rewarded in the 45th minute when Suarez fired a left-footed shot past Galaxy keeper Brian Rowe after Rafinha's deflected cross was moved on by Marc Bartra.
Suarez had been off-target from the center of the area in the 11th and from long range in the 23rd, while Rowe made a diving save of Roberto's attempt from outside the box in the 35th. "I'm happy with the way the team played, with the level, the intensity," Luis Enrique said, while stressing that "everything can be better." Both teams made wholesale changes at the break, with Suarez among the seven Barcelona players to depart and Andres Iniesta and Gerard Pique entering the game. Galaxy coach Bruce Arena went even further, but Luis Enrique said such sweeping changes were "logical" for both teams.