New Celtic striker Scott Brown is confident the Scottish champions will get the stern pre-season test they need during their tour of the United States.
The Glasgow giants are preparing to face a Major League Soccer All-Star XI in Commerce City, Colorado, in the early hours of Friday morning.
The spotlight is currently on the MLS following former England captain David Beckham's move to Los Angeles Galaxy and Brown expects to face tough opposition as he tries to impress Hoops boss Gordon Strachan.
Brown, a recent £4.4million signing from Hibernian, said: "We don't really follow it [MLS] but you see it on the news and stuff and especially since Beckham is here, I think everybody is going to follow it.
"It is definitely getting better. Celtic came here last year and played DC United and they got beaten, so the league is getting better and better."
But he added: "You always want to win, no matter what team you are playing. You want to be the best team."
Celtic have also had to contend with intense heat since arriving at their base in Denver.
Strachan admits it has come as quite a shock to the players and they will have to adopt a more patient game at the large Dick's Sporting Goods Arena venue as a result.
"I look forward to it, although it is a bit warm," Strachan said. "There is no sun in Europe whatsoever - trust me I've been everywhere in Europe this summer and there is no sun whatsoever - and then to suddenly come out here, wake up this morning and it's 100 degrees.
"There is a different strategy because it is so warm and the place is so big. When we played on Sunday, it was 70 degrees - raining, overcast, where we could move the ball about quickly. But here it will be a slower game.
"It's unfortunate that it will be a slower game because the quicker soccer played the better and we try and play a quick tempo, but we are only human in these conditions."
The game will see Strachan's team take on a side led by countryman Steve Nicol, the coach of the New England Revolution whose strong record earned the former Liverpool player the honour of picking the team.
"He's a friend of mine,'' Strachan said of Nicol. "But I coach and play against friends regularly, so it's not a problem.''
Nicol's squad comprises 11 players voted for by fans, five selected by the coach himself, and two - veterans Eddie Pope and Cobi Jones - added by MLS commissioner Don Garber.
The spotlight is currently on the MLS following former England captain David Beckham's move to Los Angeles Galaxy and Brown expects to face tough opposition as he tries to impress Hoops boss Gordon Strachan.
Brown, a recent £4.4million signing from Hibernian, said: "We don't really follow it [MLS] but you see it on the news and stuff and especially since Beckham is here, I think everybody is going to follow it.
"It is definitely getting better. Celtic came here last year and played DC United and they got beaten, so the league is getting better and better."
But he added: "You always want to win, no matter what team you are playing. You want to be the best team."
Celtic have also had to contend with intense heat since arriving at their base in Denver.
Strachan admits it has come as quite a shock to the players and they will have to adopt a more patient game at the large Dick's Sporting Goods Arena venue as a result.
"I look forward to it, although it is a bit warm," Strachan said. "There is no sun in Europe whatsoever - trust me I've been everywhere in Europe this summer and there is no sun whatsoever - and then to suddenly come out here, wake up this morning and it's 100 degrees.
"There is a different strategy because it is so warm and the place is so big. When we played on Sunday, it was 70 degrees - raining, overcast, where we could move the ball about quickly. But here it will be a slower game.
"It's unfortunate that it will be a slower game because the quicker soccer played the better and we try and play a quick tempo, but we are only human in these conditions."
The game will see Strachan's team take on a side led by countryman Steve Nicol, the coach of the New England Revolution whose strong record earned the former Liverpool player the honour of picking the team.
"He's a friend of mine,'' Strachan said of Nicol. "But I coach and play against friends regularly, so it's not a problem.''
Nicol's squad comprises 11 players voted for by fans, five selected by the coach himself, and two - veterans Eddie Pope and Cobi Jones - added by MLS commissioner Don Garber.
Copyright (c) Press Association
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