Rahman Rezaei to join Amir Abedzadeh at L.A Blues

Amir Abedzadeh warming up before match

The L.A. Blues will have to wait a little longer before Maykel Galindo and Rahman Rezaei suit up, and Charlie Naimo has only so much patience. He could use both of them -- for the intangibles, more than anything else -- for this weekend's USL Pro games against the Wilmington (N.C.) Hammerheads.

Galindo, a former star forward for Chivas USA who played last season with FC Dallas, was expected to make his Blues debut in Friday's 5 p.m. game at Fullerton College, but an ankle sprain will sideline him this weekend -- game two is Sunday at Cal State Fullerton -- and perhaps for next weekend's trip to play Dayton and Pittsburgh.

Rezaei, a center back who played in Italy's Serie A and for Iran at the 2006 World Cup, has his visa but is going through a final background check before he can enter the country.

They'll provide needed skill and experience up front and at the back for the Blues (0-2-0), who were shut out twice at home by Rochester in the first two weeks of the USL Pro season. More so, they will demand accountability of their teammates, which Naimo, the head coach and general manager, wants to see.

“It still really remains to see who our best 11 is,” Naimo said. “That's the biggest mystery, the biggest stresser, is who should be playing. We have a lot of similar players, and there's really not that much of a hierarchy. It's been very hard to find consistency in our team because of that fact.”

The Blues' first season veered off course last year after Argentine playmaker Walter Gaitan departed in mid-June, after just 2½ months with the club, leaving them without, Naimo says, “the leader by example that nobody wanted to cross.” Galindo and Rezaei will be those guys this year.

“No question in my mind,” Naimo said. “I just can't wait for that to happen. Everyone will be more confident players with those guys on the field. Accountability will be difference, and so will confidence.”

L.A Blues is owned by Maryam and Ali Mansouri who also own the Pali Blues that competes in the second tier of the W-League in the U.S.  The L.A blue enjoys the company of Ahmadreza Abedzadeh as their goalkeeper coach to help train his son Amir.  Vishtas Farhadi and Moahmoud Arya Nejad are also with L.A Blues listed as assistant coach.