Bermuda’s national football team will play two friendlies against Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs New England Revolution and the LA Galaxy next week at the National Sports Centre (NSC).

Promoters Setplay confirmed yesterday that the Island’s national team will take on the Revolution in the opening match of the three-match tour next Tuesday night at the Sports Centre before tangling with the Galaxy in the final contest on Friday, February 23.

The two MLS representatives will compete against each other next Thursday at the same venue. Tickets for all of the matches will be sold at the gate. There will be a $15 admission fee for all children and a $20 fee for adults, while all matches are scheduled to kick off at 7.30 p.m.

Tour organiser Clyde Best said yesterday: “We’re going to get some good, exciting football from New England and LA because American football has come on in leaps and bounds over the years. And both clubs have some exciting players and lots of talent.”

In 2005 the Revolution signed Bermudian footballer Khano Smith after watching him score against them at the NSC on their first tour of the Island. Best reckons now that opportunity could be knocking on the door for others.

“If any of our guys do well then who is to say that one or two of them might not get picked up? And this has already been proven with Khano. If they like you, then they’ll take you.”

Smith will arrive home on Friday with the Revs while the Galaxy are scheduled to touch down on Island next Monday, Best said.

Interim national coach Kenny Thompson divulged yesterday that he intends to use next week’s tour matches as an opportunity to gauge his team.

“It’s always good to have matches to gauge ourselves, although in this case I think the matches have come a bit sooner than I would like. We will have to prepare ourselves the best way we can, and at least this is better than not having any matches to play at all. So we will have to very quickly get ourselves together and start the project immediately,” Thompson said.

And in spite of time constraints, the former Bermuda Football Association (BFA) youth director is confident he can assemble a good product capable of executing on the day.

“I believe the players can put on a good performance next week. The players we have are good enough and very capable of putting together a good performance in the short term,” he said.

“We can be competitive depending on the self confidence and desire of the players. And certainly the players will have to believe that they can perform well. I believe they can perform well, but now it’s a matter of instilling belief in the players that they can put on a good performance.”

New England director of communications, Brad Feldman, said the Eastern Conference Revs are chomping at the bit to kick about in the warmer local climate.

“The players are itching to get outside and stretch their legs. After over a week of hardcore fitness and conditioning, they finally broke the soccer balls out at an indoor training centre on Tuesday and it was like letting wild animals out of a cage,” he said.

“The sessions thus far have been razor sharp and competitive, but I know the Revs can’t wait to be playing without a roof over their heads.”

Feldman said one of the team’s primary objective on tour will be to get the players as near as possible to being fully match fit before they return to the US.

“It’s that time of year when the technical staff implement structured fitness training to get the team back into playing shape. On the field, the coaches will be evaluating the players while at the same time pushing them fitness-wise and also introducing team philosophies and tactics to the new players,” Feldman explained.

“We also have several guys (Taylor Twellman, Matt Reis, Michael Parkhurst and Pat Noonan) who have been at the US National Team camp. And so they will be ahead of the rest of the group in terms of sharpness.”

And once again, Feldman added, the Revs look forward to returning to Bermuda’s hospitable environment.

“We certainly value the opportunity to be in a hospitable environment and to interact with the Revolution fans who come to Bermuda to watch the team,” he said.

As for Bermuda’s own Smith, Feldman said: “Khano is a great pro and is very proud that he is from Bermuda. And so I know he’ll be keen to impress in front of friends and family.”