Donovan Ricketts Wants Your Vote! (For The All-Star Team)
By: NathanHJ |
2 Comments
Donovan Ricketts has been making huge stops all year long - All-Star caliber stops. But just being good doesn’t mean you are going to get what you deserve. Sometime you have to pimp yourself a little. Press the flesh. Get the word out. Bribe people with food. Ricketts shows how to make it happen on the field and off.
Galaxy Guaranteed Contract Day Moves
By: NathanHJ | 3 Comments
As has been widely reported in the futbol blogosphere, the Galaxy made a trade today with Chivas USA, sending a conditional 2010 draft pick and allocation money down the hall in return for striker Alecko Eskandarian. To make space on the roster, the team cut holding midfielder Josh Tudela on the day his 2009 contract was to be guaranteed.
Eskandarian has been hobbled by injury for the past few years, and has yet to match the tantalizing promise of his 2004 season when he scored 10 goals for DC United and was the MLS Cup MVP. He was slowed by injury again this season with Chivas USA. He joined Chivas in January 2008 and has only appeared in 18 games, scoring six times in the process. This year he’s only started twice and seen the field in seven games.
Josh Tudela has been with the Galaxy since 2007 when he was drafted out of Indiana (Dema Kovalenko’s alma mater) and only recently moved off of the developmental roster. He was one of the survivors of the horrific 2007 campaign that saw a few games late in the season when only 14 players could dress because of numerous injuries. He held steady in the middle during the team’s improbable late season winning streak that almost saw them sneak into the playoffs. I thought he was improving this season, though I was never ready to label him ready to start regularly. I hope that some team picks him off the waiver wire - some place that needs a developing holding midfielder. The kid has heart, that’s for sure.
As for Eskandarian, I’ll take him over Jovan Kirovski in a minute, even if he can’t stay healthy, even if he’s been having trouble being dangerous since he was shipped out of DC. If nothing else he’ll bring personality. I will forever remember him scoring against New York after the rebranding as Red Bull, grabbing a can of the stuff from the sideline, swigging it, and spitting it back on the field. More of that please.
But this isn’t the last roster change in the offing. With David Beckham (and you saw this note about our sneak peek at the new book about the Beckham Experiment, right?) the current roster lists 25 players. The roster limit is 24 and it still seems like Chris Birchall is coming on July 15th. That leaves two more players to get the ax. I’ve been chatting with some folks over email about possibles. Names mentioned include: Yohance Marshall, Tristan Bowen, Julian Valentin, Leonard Griffin, and Kyle Patterson. I think that the rules say you can’t cut someone who is on the Disabled List, so Marshall is safe until he comes off. Valentin is recovering from a broken foot, so he’s on the DL. Tristan Bowen is Generation Addidas and thus doesn’t count against the salary cap, so there’s value in keeping him.
So, what do you guys think? Was getting Eskandarian the right move? What about Tudela? Will you miss him? And, finally, who are your candidates for the cuts needed for Becks and Birchall to be on the roster? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Landon’s Brazil Goal — Not PMS
By: jen | 4 Comments
You need to know what I did when he scored the goal. It’s embarrassing, but as you know your verbose blogger has to share these things.
First, a little recap.
First, I screamed. I scared the crap out of my seven-year-old daughter who was scrapbooking in the kitchen.
My husband screamed too — but in a more manly way. He never watches soccer with me, unless it’s a big game like this one, or unless it is highlights of EPL goals.
Then I sat up in my chair and I started crying. Not boo-hoo crying. Just tears-welling-up-in-my-eyes-and-not-stopping-so-they-spilled-over crying. And I said to my husband, “Oh wow. I can’t believe I’m crying.”
And it didn’t stop. So I started thinking:
1. Am I PMSing? (quick mental math) No, I am in fact NOT PMSing.
2. Am I pregnant? The last time I cried like this was when I was pregnant with the above seven-year-old and found out the Raiders had signed Jerry Rice after the 49ers let him go. (no math necessary) No, I am NOT pregnant!
3. Did Landon just score the type of goal I think he did? Against the team I thought I saw? Yes, he did!
You guys know that I love LD. I mean, love, love, love the guy. He’s poetry in motion. He can pull balls out of the air as well as any other world player. He is an exciting player. And he plays best when surrounded by talent.
So I cried because that goal was the perfect exhibition of his talent. I cried because that goal was on the World Stage. I cried because I knew that in that moment Landon could not have been happier.
And thanks to Laurie for pointing out Andrea Canales’ article: Landon Donovan’s the Same — Others Change. It is exactly what I think.
Category: Player NewsThe Beckham Experiment: A Teaser
By: jen | 6 Comments
Little did you know, but Nathan and I are in The Loop! We will be receiving advance copies of Grant Wahl’s The Beckham Experiment: How the World’s Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America. It looks to be a very interesting and possibly controversial book.
A few excerpts have been released in advance of the advance copy mailing, which is in advance of the book going on sale July 14th. Did you get that?
This excerpt is from Sports Illustrated:
Beckham’s side made sure he became team captain, and later they engaged in a behind-the-scenes takeover of Galaxy management. Yet L.A. failed to reach the MLS playoffs both years. By the end of the ‘08 season Beckham was barely speaking to his teammate Landon Donovan, MLS’s leading scorer, who questioned the Englishman’s commitment to the team.
Hmm, does that whet your appetite?
Our copies will be mailed out on Monday, July 6th. So expect some quick reading (if family time permits) and comments late next week/end.
Beckham returns to action with the Galaxy on July 16th at Giants Stadium against the Red Bulls.
(More from Nick Green’s 100 Percent Soccer)
Category: Player NewsI’ve Got Two Words: Galaxy vs. Dynamo Post-Game Analysis
By: NathanHJ | 5 Comments
And those words are: Pleasantly Surprised.
I watched this game twice, once in person (commenting from the stands on Jen’s pre-game posting) and once on the MLSLive.tv stream and both times I was impressed at how the Galaxy ended up playing their game and made the Dynamo adjust to them. How unusual! How pleasant!
From the time the game started through Todd Dunivant’s goal off of Mike Magee’s cross/shot in the 24th minute the run of play belonged to the Galaxy. The midfield seemingly won every 50-50 ball, the backline gave Brian Ching and Kei Kamara endless trouble, and both Alan Gordon and Edson Buddle got into dangerous positions, challenging the Dynamo backline and making Pat Onstad fairly nervous.
On the Galaxy side of the equation, the style of play was perhaps the best execution of what Bruce Arena has been pushing since he got here: short, quick passes that emphasize possession, patience in looking for the through ball or long pass and tough defense that calls on everyone on the field. The personnel also performed, in some cases much beter than I expected given the opponent. For example, Stefani Miglioranzi playing what we used to call the “stopper” roll in high school, caused no end of problems for the Houston midfield. Not generally known for his footwork or soft touch, he won balls and got off linking passes all night long. (And no, I wasn’t suffering from beer goggles from the $1 beer - you can only get so drunk on Bud Light.)
And as I’ve been emphasizing all season long, when Magee plays well, the Galaxy does well. Just watching the game on Sunday you could see this. Magee had a worse second half and the team’s possession was much choppier in the final 45, though perhaps the most fluid attacking sequence came in the second half. As David put it in the comments on the pre-game post, “AJ slides in and alights with the ball. Crosses it out to Lewis who drops it back in to Buddle, whose header goes just wide. Finally some style and excitement.” Indeed. The rest of the half, though the Galaxy continued to frustrate the Dynamo, the missing presence of Landon Donovan loomed large. Final passes weren’t on target enough, incisive runs didn’t quite happen, and Edson Buddle went wanting for dangerous service.
On the Dynamo side of things, Dominic Kinnear tried to compensate for his missing starters (Wade Barrett, Craig Waibel - both injured - and Ricardo Clark who put in a dynamite performance at the Confederations Cup) by putting attacking midfielder Stuart Holden in the Ricardo Clark role, counting on his touch and passing to link with Brad Davis positioned in the middle as the playmaker. While the Galaxy was able to put everything together, a sense of calm and purpose forged through all the ties in the first half of the season, this central combination for the Dynamo just never came together. On paper there is really no way a Galaxy midfield of Jovan Kirovski, Miglioranzi, Mike Magee and Eddie Lewis outplays Brian Mullan, Davis, Holden, and Corey Ashe. But that’s what happened Sunday. When the Dynamo midfield sputters their entire team misfires. Sunday, they were dangerous only in spurts. Even when Omar Gonzalez went out with about 25 minutes to go, replaced by Tony Sanneh, the Dynamo had nothing to answer with.
The final pleasant surprises were AJ Delagarza, who played his most error-free game of the season, kept his calm, and pretty much kept Corey Ashe in check all night, and Alan Gordon. Sure Gordon tried to beat people a couple times with this feet when he should know better and blew a wide open look in the first half, but he worked his way into open spaces numerous times, fought for every ball and had his chances. Oh and I would be remiss to say that for once I was not completely annoyed by Kirovski’s presence on the field.
So the team that dropped a home game to Real Salt Lake and got thoroughly outplayed in Oakland by the San Jose Earthquakes managed to take the best team in MLS out of its game and take three critical points at home. Sure, we’re still in 6th place on 18 points, but we’re within 3 of a tie for 4th. And there’s a good possibility that we can get those crucial points on July 4th. First, we get Landon Donovan back who played an amazing Confederations Cup and scored a beautiful goal against Brazil, which just jolt the offense into wakefulness. Second, we play New England. Normally that’s not a plus, but the team is struggling as they try to find a replacement for the injured Taylor Twellman. They’ve won only once on the road this year (3 ties) and they’ve actually got fewer points (16) than the Galaxy. Third, they’ve got a growing self-confidence, while the Revolution has nothing but frustration and doubt. It should be a tough hard-fought game, but the Galaxy have the ability to prevail.
Man of the Match: Todd Dunivant - not just for scoring but also for playing a steady solid game at left back.
What about you guys? What did you think? What did you see differently? Who did well? Who needs to improve? How do you feel about beating the top team in the league? What about the subsitions of Bryan Jordan for Alan Gordon and Chris Klein for Eddie Lewis?
Category: 2009 Season
Tags: 2009 Season, AJ DeLaGarza, Alan Gordon, Brad Davis, Brian Ching, Brian Mullan, Bruce Arena, Bryan Jordan, Chris Klein, Corey Ashe, Craig Waibel, Domminc Kinnear, Eddie Lewis, Edson Buddle, Jovan Kirovski, Kei Kamara, Mike Magee, Omar Gonzalez, Pat Onstad, Ricardo Clark, Stefani Miglioranzi, Stuart Holden, Todd Dunivant, Tony Sanneh, Wade BarrettOh Yeah, the Galaxy Plays the Houston Dynamo Sunday
By: jen | 27 Comments
You know, after that other game I heard about. Something about Brazil being in a final . . .
Our Galaxy hosts the Houston Dynamo on Sunday — game time 7pm, shown on ESPN2 and Deportes.
The Dynamo sits atop the Western standings with 28 points, and whoops every Eastern team on points as well.
The Galaxy are in a bit of a slump, having lost their last two matches. They are clearly missing Landon Donovan’s presence.
But don’t assume the game is lost just yet. Houston is missing two of their top starters to injuries suffered last week: Defenders Wade Garrett, and Craig Waibel. In addition, they are without Ricardo Clark who is in the Confederations Cup Final against Brazil with Landon Donovan.
With it being a home game, and Houston being without three key players, we should be competitive.
Category: Player NewsOh, Copyrights Be Damned!
By: jen | 6 Comments
I just HAVE to share this photo that reader, elle, brought to my attention. It’s too, too funny.
And lately when I see these photos, taken at justherightmoment, I think of The Queen’s policy never to be photographed while eating.
Category: Player NewsWhere Is The Looooooove??
By: jen | 9 Comments
Remember that song from your (parent’s) AM radio?
Well, The Love was all over Landon Donovan yesterday. Take a look:
Category: Player NewsI’ve Got One Word: Galaxy vs. Earthquakes Post-Game Analysis
By: NathanHJ | 5 Comments
And that word is: Punchless.
One shot on goal, seven shots overall, despite controlling the game for decent stretches over the course of the afternoon. Punchless. One shot on goal despite fielding an “offensive-minded” lineup designed to counter the improved San Jose Earthquake defense and attempt to victimize the leakiest defense in the league. If the TFC game made you think the team could pressure opposing defenses without Landon Donovan, then the last two games have been a reality check. The team sorely misses his vision, passing acumen, and incisive runs. If he’d been on the field, then I think the Galaxy could have come away from the Oakland Coliseum with three point. Instead… punchless.
This is the kind of game that is especially frustrating for Galaxy fans because when victory counts on making the most of limited chances those chances seem to be almost profligately squandered. In fact, that’s been the story all season. While the team has taken great strides in slamming shut the floodgates that swamped the defense last season, taking the team from worst defense in the league to seventh overall in goals allowed, it has regressed significantly in goals scored. Only two teams have scored fewer goals so far, New York and New England. To be sure, the lingering pre-season injury to Edson Buddle and the absence of David Beckham have had their impact, but the clear lack of depth in the offense has been brought into focus with Donovan’s absence with the National Team.
At the beginning of the season I said that two players especially needed to step up for the Galaxy to have a successful season: Mike Magee and Bryan Jordan. Thus far this hasn’t happened. Take yesterday’s game. Mike Magee turned in a much better performance than he had over the previous or so, but it’s obvious from this game that being adequate isn’t enough when there is no Donovan or Becks to spark the offense. And while Jordan always brings fire and boundless energy, his skill level is still climbing up to MLS level. And like Magee’s improvement just shows us how much we really do miss Donovan, Jovan Kirovski’s goal, a product of veteran smarts and tenacity, just shows me how much he’s much better as a late game sub who can take advantage of tired legs and poor positioning. Other than that, I don’t see much upside from him.
As for this game in particular, the defense was uncharacteristically shaky. There is starting be a bunch of grumbling over Gregg Berhalter, given his two reds and giving away the penalty kick last night. I personally tend to appreciate Berhalter’s veteran smarts and his calm as well as his ability to facilitate good communications with the rest of the back line. But I wonder if he’s hitting a mini-wall here. He hasn’t really had any time off since he was cut loose by his German team this Spring. He was clearly at fault on the Campos penalty and he really didn’t have to be given how Donovan Ricketts was coming out to smother the play.
Speaking of Ricketts, one of the knocks on him has been perceived weakness on crosses and the play that led to the second goal could have been snuffed if he’d come off his line and taken the cross off Campos’ head rather than letting him get to it. I’m not enough of a goalkeeper coach to say this definitively, but it is worth considering.
On the midfield, the team was feeling the loss of Eddie Lewis to red card suspension and Dema Kovalenko to a training injury on Friday. Kyle Patterson is still not MLS ready. He has speed, yes, but lacks just about all the rest of the package you need to be a successful left mid at MLS level. His first touch is often errant, he holds the ball too long, his passing lacks crispness and his crosses are weak. And yesterday he was out of position about half the game, pinching into the middle of the field and leaving the Galaxy without a left wing option. Despite that, the team was able to maintain control of the midfield for decent stretches, largely due to Chris Klein’s workrate and a very steady game from Stefani Miglioranzi.
I’ve said this a million times over the course of the year, but it was obvious once again that the midfield lacks the creative connection between winning the ball and distributing it into the attack. I had hoped that the addition of Eddie Lewis might give us some of that, but I think it will require another piece (really two - the return of Beckham and a good center mid - supposedly what Chris Birchall is going to provide). Just think about this. How much better would this team be if it could put, say, Jesse Marsch into the middle? ‘Nuff said.
The attack, which was supposed to come from Kirovski, Buddle, and Magee was, what was the word? Right. Punchless. Buddle’s just about back at full fitness, but the last two game show how much he depends on quality service to play his game and yesterday the passes in the final third of the field were lacking. It’s just not acceptable to control possesstion and not pressure the opposing goal. One shot on goal. The late insertion of Alan Gordon made the team better in the air and resulted in the lone goal on the night, but Jordan added little on his side.
These last two games have put the Galaxy in a serious hole in terms of making the playoffs. With the opportunity to take 6 points off of the two teams in the West playing worse futbol, the Galaxy came away with zero, including dropping three points in a precious home match. Those six points would have put the Galaxy at 21 points on the year at the halfway mark, on pace to hit the magical 40 generally accepted as being needed to make the playoffs. Instead the team sits at 15 with 15 games to go, meaning it needs 25 points from those games. That’s 9 wins, or 8 wins and 1 tie or, possibly, 7 wins and 4 ties. But in any of those scenarios it means taking three points from a minimum of basically half the games. Oh, did I mention that six of the next nine Galaxy games are on the road?
True, after three of those games Becks comes back and Birchall comes in and by the July 4th game Donovan will be back, but the team’s put itself in a pretty big hole. It’s unrealistic to expect that Birchall and Becks will smoothly integrate by their first games on the pitch, cutting the margin even further. And there there are the fall World Cup qualifiers… It’s not looking good from where I’m sitting.
Man of the Match: Mike Magee (and I’m surprised myself that I just wrote that).
What other are saying:
Pete Ratajczak at MLSNet.com
Nick Green at 100 Percent Soccer
AP in the Los Angeles Times
The Sports Network in the Miami Herald
Elliot Almond in the San Jose Mercury News
Jennifer Dawson at Goal.com
The party line over at The Los Angeles Galaxy blog
What about you guys? What did you see? Who did well? Who didn’t? What changes need to be made? Can the team hold on long enough for Birchall and Becks to make a difference for the playoff picture? Leave your thoughts and comments below.
Category: 2009 Season Tags: 2009 Season, Alan Gordon, AP, Bryan Jordan, Chris Birchall, Chris Klein, David Beckham, Dema Kovalenko, Donovan Ricketts, Eddie Lewis, Edson Buddle, Goal.com, Gregg Berhalter, Jesse Marsch, Kyle Patterson, Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Mike Magee, New York Red Bulls, New England Revolution, Nick Green, San Jose Earthquakes, San Jose Mercury News, Stefani Miglioranzi, The Sports Network
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