The Galaxy have yet to play a preseason game against an MLS opponent, making tomorrow's game a good test to see where the team is — especially with D.C. United starting its campaign to defend the 2004 MLS Cup title.

"I think, obviously, it's not going to be the competitive nature of a league match, but there is going to be a competitive nature just because of the history between D.C. and Los Angeles," said Jones, 34. "There's always going to be that little extra something every time we step on the field and play each other."

Both MLS teams are here for the week for preseason training — usually practicing twice a day — which isn't affording Jones much time to hit the beach.

With his trademark sun-kissed dreadlocked hair that has grown to his shoulders, it is apparent Jones spends much of his time in the sun. But even the native of Southern California hasn't spent much time on the beach.

"I lived my whole life in Southern California, (and it's been) soccer, soccer, soccer, so I have a great opportunity now to try to get up on a board and catch some kind of wave while I'm out here," said Jones, who has been to Hawai'i twice before, the first time when he was 11.

He said he enjoyed Hawai'i more than previous preseason stops in La Manga, Spain, Guadalajara, Mexico, and Asia.

"We're on a hotel at the beach," he said.

Jones, who was named an All-Star in each of MLS' first nine seasons, was a member of the U.S. World Cup teams in 1994, 1998, and 2002 and led the Galaxy to their first MLS Cup Championship in 2002.

It puts the midfielder in a position to disperse knowledge and advice to aspiring professional soccer players.

Playing soccer in Hawai'i can limit the amount of exposure to coaches on the Mainland, and Jones said it is important to try and be seen as often as possible — which means traveling to Mainland tournaments.

But while there, he said, "one thing you have to realize is to be a team player. You can't be an individual. If you are an individual and you want to shine, but your team gets kicked out in the first round, no coach is going to look at you."

He is the only player in MLS who has been with the same team in each of the 10 seasons since the league's inception in 1996, and understands the concept of being a team player.

"If you're a team player, and you help the team out, the team becomes successful. You win when you go to this tournament, people start noticing," he said. "Coaches will start looking at the team. If the team does well, all the players on the team do well.

"That would be my advice, and it's definitely a warning as well. You can't be a prima donna and try to do it yourself. Don't alienate the others on the team. They won't want to play with you; everything will go downhill."

Jones said another way to improve is to treat every game like a practice for the next level.

"If you're in high school, your games in high school are like a practice in college," he said. "And games in college are like a practice at the next level. And it's just going on and on until you reach the select teams, and then that's where your games there are a practice at the professional level."