Galaxy gives two a magical ride
“C’est magnifique!”
Those were the words Sunday evening of Laurent Merlin, a 22-year-old French forward with a magical surname, on hearing that he had earned himself a one-week trial with Major League Soccer’s Galaxy.
Merlin, who has spent several seasons in the French league and has represented France at the under-18 and under-19 levels, was one of two players chosen by the Galaxy from 800 hopefuls who each paid $130 to take part in an open tryout over the weekend.
“I’ve been trying to convince him for more than a year to come to the United States,” said Michael Wiesenfeld, Merlin’s New York-based agent. “We found this opportunity on Yahoo.com, and we said, ‘Let’s go and live the American dream.’ ”
