L.A. Galaxy Continue to Dominate MLS
November. 10th, 2009
There was a sense of inevitability about the Galaxy's Western Conference semifinal win in Carson on Sunday over rivals Chivas USA from the outset.
Not entitlement, mind you.
Not misplaced overconfidence.
But a reclamation of sorts by core supporters of an underachieving club that hadn't made the playoffs for three long years.
You could hear it by the explosion of passion and color by Galaxy fans in the sold-out 27,000-seat stadium.
You could feel it by the absence of youth soccer players on discounted tickets more intent on bashing parents and friends over the head with an inflatable Thunderstick than actually watching the game.
And you could see it by the new, massive banner the Galaxy placed on the grass berm at one end of the stadium for the occasion that read, "Our city, our home."
"You could feel it. There was a definite buzz in the air," said assistant coach and former player Cobi Jones, who has been with the franchise since its inception in 1996. "They wanted this bad and that resonated amongst the players and they played well and delivered.
"It's like I said to (AEG President) Tim Leiweke - `It's great to be back,"' Jones added. "It's a position this club deserves to be in every year, and not being there for so long it's very important this club and organization is back where we belong where we're competing back in the playoffs and potentially for a MLS title."
The past three years have been a humbling and, yes, bumbling experience for a franchise accustomed to calling itself the flagship franchise of MLS.
Management incompetence that led to bizarre hirings like former coach Ruud Gullit, who never understand the obscure machinations of MLS.
Desperate grasping-at-straw signings like that of former hero Carlos Ruiz, who was never able to recapture former glories.
And a razing of a chemistry, the gutting of the essence of the team that left coaches and players unsure of rules and roles that undermined the proud Galaxy heritage.
All that was washed away Sunday.
"You almost forget what it was like," veteran Chris Klein said. "It's a different culture inside the locker room (now), it's a different feeling when you step on the field.
"We know what we're trying to do, we've got a plan and that plan really started long before the season (began), long before we stepped out there for a real game, so it's good to see it come to this point, but we're not finished yet. We've got a big test (Friday) against probably the best (MLS) team over the last five or six years."
It's coach and general manager Bruce Arena who formulated that plan, articulated it and convinced players it could succeed.
Arena built from the back and reinstituted the Galaxy's defense-first philosophy with veteran goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts and a solid back four.
"We defended great tonight, y'know, because after the last game we had to work on a few things," said David Beckham, whose world-class cross-field pass to Landon Donovan led to the decisive penalty kick. "And I thought our back four tonight was exceptional. And when we defend like that there's always a chance we're going to win."
Gone is the ridiculous notion the Galaxy could win by outscoring opponents and never mind how many goals they conceded.
Now a veteran mix and match midfield provides the graft, the springboard for the creative Beckham and Donovan to unlock opposing defenses.
But questions remain.
An at times plodding central defense remains vulnerable, while the enigmatic Edson Buddle and underachieving Alan Gordon make one wonder who outside of Beckham and Donovan is capable of sparking the offense.
But out of necessity Arena has gone with players who are for the most part known quantities capable of playing their limited roles well.
Arena, burdened by the big salaries of Beckham and Donovan, had little room to maneuver.
He now has a 12-6-12 team in the Western Conference final against Houston at 8 p.m. Friday in the friendly confines of Home Depot Center .
The last time the Galaxy made the playoffs in 2005 with a mediocre 13-13-6 regular season record, they won the MLS title.
This team, as its record suggests, arguably is better.
The Galaxy are 90 minutes or so away from MLS Cup in Seattle . It's not something the Galaxy or their fans are likely to take for granted this time.
"I think what I realized is that it's not a given that you get in the playoffs," Donovan said. "My first four years (in MLS) I was in the playoffs. I kind of just assumed that that's the way it goes. When you're out of it for three years you realize how important it is. How difficult it is, but how important it is to get in the playoffs, especially for this team and this franchise.
"Our fans have been through hell the last three years. They keep coming out, they don't boo, they've supported us and it's rewarding for them. It's rewarding to our team, but especially for them, I think."
David Beckham: Sent Off for Wanting Kids to Have Fun (Yahoo! Contributor Network) Have you ever watched, played in, or coached a sports game where a referee went too far or did not go far enough? During a soccer match in Los Angeles, the home of the 2011 MLS Cup Champions the LA Galaxy, David Beckham sat with his son Romeo watching the match. Galaxy Defeat L.A. Blues, 7-2: Fan's Reaction (Yahoo! Contributor Network) The Los Angeles Galaxy started off their preseason matches with a bang, blowing out the Los Angeles Blues, 7-2. I know the Blues are a USL Pro side and that it was only a preseason match, but I don't mind one bit that the new offense was clicking. Los Angeles Galaxy Take Top Spot in Preseason Poll: A Fan’s Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network) Not long into the 2011 season, the Los Angeles Galaxy took the lead in the MLS Power Rankings. After that, they became the team to beat. It's only February. However, in a preseason poll, Major League Soccer has already projected the Galaxy as the top team in the preseason... Edson Buddle Returns to the Los Angeles Galaxy: Fan’s Reaction (Yahoo! Contributor Network) On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the defending MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy strengthened their squad by signing forward Edson Buddle on a free transfer. Buddle returns to the team after spending a year with Bundesliga 2 club FC Ingolstadt.
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The Galaxy opened their stadium, the Home Depot Center on June 7. But in order for their home to be ready, the team had to play a record 8 games to start the season and failed to win a game. In fact, the Galaxy finish the season without a win away from home the whole season. After the season's final game, the Galaxy had the final playoff spot in the West. In their aggregate series with the Earthquakes, they seemed well on to vindication for the MLS Cup loss 2 years earlier as they held 4 goals to 0 lead midway through the 2 nd game. A thing happened as the Earthquakes scored four unanswered goals to force a tiebreaker. In that session, the Earthquakes' Rodrigo Farina score to send the Quakes onto the next round.
In 2004 Looking to return to the top, the Galaxy would go through a mediocre 1 st half of the season before 3 straight wins over the summer. But from July 14 on, the Galaxy won only 2 more games, one in September and one in October. The Galaxy had a record of 11-9-10, good enough for 2nd in the West and the playoff, remaining the only club in MLS to have a playoff spot in every year of league in the playoffs, the Galaxy withstood an early challenge from the Rapids to win the aggregate goal series, 2-1, scoring 2 times in Game 2. In the conference final, the Galaxy's season would come to an end in Kansas with a 2-0 loss to Arnaud and the Wizards.
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