Galaxy vs. RBNY Preview (and Cobi’s Last REGULAR SEASON Home Game)

By: Laurie | October 18th, 2007

I’ve been thinking all day that if I don’t write my au revoir to Cobi Jones post, he won’t leave. Alas, I don’t think it’s going to work.

It’s funny, isn’t it? A couple of months ago the Galaxy sucked so badly that he was talking about staying. Now that they’re winning, he can leave with his head held high. And that seems to be the plan. Almost makes you wish the team still sucked. (But don’t get any ideas before tonight’s game, guys.)

And so I write this last post before Cobi’s last home game, and I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t point you towards some excellent Cobi articles that have appeared in the past few days.

First my favorite, from Billy Witz at the LA Daily News. (He’s become my favorite Galaxy writer because he gets the personal details I find most interesting.) Galaxy’s Jones Has Made a Big Impact.

And then we have the also good Grahame Jones’ LA Times article. Before There Was Kobe, There Was Cobi.

As I find more, I’ll pass them on to you. And I think that tomorrow I’ll dig up that Cobi-in-his-whities video, just for old times’ sake.

But anyhoo. Tonight’s game. We currently have the shortest injury list we’ve had in ages. (It’s amazing what playing only one game a week will do for a team.) NOBODY is listed out “OUT.” We start at “DOUBTFUL.” Isn’t it funny the things that cheer us at this point in the season?

Most news sources are still reporting that Becks will at least be on the bench and available, so perhaps that ankle tweak wasn’t too bad. Expect to see him as a late sub if the Galaxy aren’t winning.

Oh, and Alan? I’m so thrilled that your groin is doing better.

Giggle.

Oh, come on, if I suddenly went all mature on you, you’d be hugely disappointed.

Well, fear not.

INJURY REPORT: LOS ANGELES GALAXY – DOUBTFUL: DF Ty Harden (L hip); QUESTIONABLE: DF Chris Albright (R hamstring); MF David Beckham (R knee); DF Quavas Kirk (L foot); PROBABLE: FW Alan Gordon (L groin); DF Abel Xavier (L knee) …

NEW YORK RED BULLS – OUT: DF Kevin Goldthwaite (L knee injury); QUESTIONABLE: MF Claudio Reyna (L toe sprain); FW Mike Magee (R knee injury)

SUSPENDED: NY: Dema Kovalenko (five cautions; through Oct. 20)

Game is tonight on ESPN2 and at the HDC at 8:00.

(Dude. That’s late. I’m so glad I’m not an east coaster.)

And speaking of East Coasters, my brother-in-blog Dave Martinez at Red Bulls Offside has responded to my RBNY Galaxy limerick with a couple of his own. How should I respond?

Some Related Galaxy Posts:

Category: 2007 Games, Player News

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Diane

Distracted from Cobi...the various columns and last night's insane fans made me cry too. Inside and out beauty. Heart, soul, mind, sense of humor, and a fierce set of feet, what more can anyone ask for.
Diane

Thanks Ian, I was going to say he looked TOO gimpy to have been sent on last night. YankRev, look at the man's history, he's criticized for playing through just about anything if he can stand upright, but what use is that? His power and delivery come from being able to plant his left (injured) foot solidly enough to support whatever he wants to do with an 80 - 90mph strike. Don't care what his face looks like, I'm not really interested in seeing him play at half-speed, half-mended, or at risk. Watched him at the top of his game too few months ago, it's worth the wait. I'm sure his teammates feel the same about the service he provides when fit.

More than playing for England, leading La Liga in assists two out of his four years at Real Madrid is no mean feat considering how much space the competition takes up on the various top ten lists.
Ian

YankeeRev - I can't believe I'm about to defend David Beckham, but come on. Believe me when I say that an ankle doesn't have to be broken to put you out of playing football for a while. It's a pretty damned ankle-intensive sport. And as for the comparison between how the Gals are doing now vs. their time with Beckham, they never really had him at his best. I have been really impressed with how the Galaxy have climbed their way into the playoffs, but anyone who thinks they are a better team without David Beckham (and I mean a healthy Beckham) hasn't seen the man take a free kick, or pass a ball into the box. I hate the hype around him, and I think the MLS would be better to tie their marketing to someone like Juan Pablo Angel or Jozy Altidore, but that takes nothing away from Becks as a player. If he's good enough to play for England, he's more than good enough to play for the Gals, and even if it's just for the marketing, they'd be completely stupid to send him back to Europe.
Laurie

Thanks, Jack. Link is fixed. I would have caught it before, but my power went out right after I posted and just came back on. I missed the first half of the game because the frickin' baseball playoffs were playing down at our local pub, but I got them to switch it to soccer for the second half. Sigh. But the playoffs are still theoretically in reach.
JustJack

The Grahame Jones link is here:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/...

Both made me cry. Thanks, Laurie. Off to watch the match on DVR (unless ESPN2 fragged it up again).
JustJack

Martha, thanks for those Drogba-Jose photos!
JustJack

I wish I'd had a camera cuz my cellphone cam sucks. There were banners outside Westlake High (Cobi's Alma Mater) begging him to go one more season. And the perennial "Marry me, Cobi" sign hanging sideways off the fence. I've never known the Galaxy without Cobi and he's always been our hero, always will. Solid, persistent, fearless, always quick with the F-word (hee hee), the anchor upon which this club was built, Cobi, Cobi, COBI!
Yankee Revolution

Beckham is such a waste! At first, I thought this guy can help the Galaxy create a dynasty. But, in retrospect he's useless, a pretty face and nothing more. Most of the Galaxy players aren't well known and they're winning, which is something they couldn't do when Beckham was actually playing. He either should be traded, sold back to Europe, or forced to be a man and play with a minor injury. For the amount of money he's making unless something is severely broken (not just a little broken) he should be playing.
Martha

Look, Dane is using that Randolph guy up again!

(Here are the best Drogba/Jose pictures -- scroll down. They're fulled clothed, but it's the best I can do.)