Galaxy v. Revs Preview

Charles, I'm so pleased to be thought-provoking! Probably wasn't fair to compare anyone to Spain these days though... just watching Villa and Silva on Valencia yesterday was thrilling.

Thanks for all of the observations, I don't get all of the games and you guys do better match reports than soccernet!

(Although, come to think of it, this one does have some interesting quotes from Khano Smith: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/c... not quite as interesting once I read JustJack's mention of the earlier Smith foul, but a Nichol's quote is worth reading any story and there's one at the end).

Diane - thanks for your well-thought-out, rational, thought-provoking comments. I appreciate it (No, I'm not being sarcastic, honest!). Yes, you are correct - Spain (even though did not have tall men against giants like Germany or Sweden or Italy)... Spain worked their darned hardest and pulled off an ultra-impressive Euro victory. They deserve every bit of honor and joy out of that competition. However, that's the Spanish national squad... and, my thoughts while I was typing were around MLS club-level play. I believe that at an MLS club-level our LA Galaxy is at a disadvantage this year. And, you're right - David's crosses and free kicks have not been as pin-point accurate as the many he's had throguhout his earlier club careers. I do agree, I do believe that David does not need to take every single cross. There should be other players who should step up for that. But, I feel like age is slowly catching up with him... and, I see him grab the back of his thighs and left ankle more often. He knows how much he should exert... the man has gone through some awful injuries.
JustJack... good to read your impressions of this past LA Galaxy match. So, this match actually raised your blood pressure and got you feelin' alive inside about our LA Galaxy again. I'm glad. I'm still trying to keep my total emotion and passion in check... We still have several improtant away games left. I'm trying not to give myself ulcers :)

I just finished watching the match on my DVR. Wow. I'm spent. My throat is hoarse... where's that beer I left on the table back around minute 10....

Really solid comments above me and I'm inclined to agree with much of it. I'm not sold on Arena yet, to me, the guys left it on the pitch because they're sick of taking it every week. They showed up, as they did when The Ruud was sensei. However, I will give him major props for that unusual combo of the two V-boys in defensive mid. I absolutely didn't expect that level of play from them. Of course, it did break down @ 59th through 76th minute... When Vanney went out there was definitely a lag and a deadening sensation in midfield. (I hope he can recover sooner, age blows and if he can play like the first half against RSL, I'll personally send him some well earned homebrewed suds!)

I loved how Edson kept at it, even though he was double, triple and sometimes back-alley busted up by four guys at times. That's why I love him. He works hard and keeps going. I want him to tie Landycakes' goals... he deserves way more respect from the media clowns than he gets.

Okay, I don't want to cause a panic here, I know this is really uncharacteristic of me to say..... Lando, my son, I am so f-ing proud of your work toda...yesterday! Worth every ritual finger kissin', every bit of hype about you... I loved nearly every play and move you made. The second goal... I was standing there beside myself. Then I did a happy-happy dance in your honor. Brilliant, boy-wonder, brilliant.

Whelan's refereeing... it's his choice to let play roll as rough as he was allowing. When bodies are coming off the pitch injured though... I feel uncomfortable. Yes, it's the players' game but when there is THAT much line crossin'... I'm thinking a little more responsive match management might be in order. That whole lunacy with Becks and Smith seemed damned preventable with an earlier yellow (I forget the really ugly foul on our guys by Smith exactly but just that it was really ugly and I was hard pressed to believe otherwise when he wasn't booked right then and there). The cards are there for a reason, and there was a lot of dirty back alley shirt going on...

But I thoroughly enjoyed myself, even though it was only a point. But it felt like a start. Now, RSL.... come on my sons, fight on!

charlesj27, I agree with your assessment of both the team and Arena, although I'm not sure about the height advantage--Spain looked like school kids lined up against grown-ups when they filed out with Germany and we know how that ended.
Regarding Beckham, agree again, basically. I think he would feel as competitive with the Galaxy whether a call-up from Capello was on balance or not...and he's experienced losing streaks this long on much better teams. However, he is playing strangely--and obviously not in a good way. His set-ball pieces have been poor all season and his drive has been erratic, something usually dependable if all else failed. It was interesting seeing the intensity he played with in the All Stars game.
I don't think he got demoralized about the losses, but possibly about the lack of fruition from his distribution--and a shortage of options re how else to contribute? Ruud was pretty specific about positioning, and about tactics. I wish there was more time to see what Arena might do. Becks may be an experienced war-horse but he's also always been a coached player (Fergie's upbringing).
Finally, the air miles. Maybe too much finally? Capello doesn't think so and, as I mentioned in another comment, AEG and MLS would send him to the moon for the kind of "exposure" the league gets every time he plays for England or takes a jaunt to China for 8 minutes seen round the world (and smack dab in the market they hoped Becks would give them access to).
Anyway, hopefully just a slump, for whatever reasons.

Guys, I know we showed phenomenally against the Revs, but consider what Steve Nicol was saying - which is that his team was travelling back & forth not just with MLS games but just recently with Champions League games as well. This fact worked to our advantage here. There is NO doubt about it - this is a massive & grueling undertaking that Bruce and Dave have embarked on with our LA Galaxy. It is definite that we need more quality, expertise, grit, and power (height advantage would be a real plus too, I think).
To me - Eduardo is still a "Many chances/Many subs" work-in-progress. When Ruud put him in the line-up for the first time against FC Dallas in an away game - and, both Kenny Cooper and Dominic Oduro were playing... that's it - he got a bitter, jabbing reality into the strength, physicality, and more-over the speed advantage that many teams have in this league. To me, Eduardo is a skilled, knowledgeable player - but, not yet ready for the "junkyard, pitbull, gang-style" soccer playing that our current MLS league has transformed into. May be, he will get traded in the off-season with his $192K price tag. Personally, I think he'll be a better fit in Colorado (next to Erpen) or DCU (next to Peralta).
Glen - I believe Beckham is a true sports competitor who absolutely hates to loose. That being said - he had to have mustered immense patience and zen to have put up with these many losses on our LA Galaxy. But, give him credit adn the benefit of the doubt. He is a clever & smart player even still - he knows that if he conitnues to train, and battle, and play both offensively and defensively - he'll continue to have great odds at being called up by Capello for national team duty.
So far, both Arena and Dave have earned a grade of B+ from me... I need to see how our team plays against Houston, Dallas, and San Jose again before I make up my mind totally!

I forgot this, The thing with Becks is if you notice he was playing more defense last night and that is good, but his corners and free kicks are suffering lately. I think we need to start standing and letting other people take them while he is standing there. Every team knows what is coming when Becks stands over the ball no surprises I did see a corner last night where he kicked it short to someone instead of whipping it into the box, more things like that will help.

Well we will be missing Four players Jazic will be gone next week also so... Anyways with Eduardo Dominguez he is still learning the league and on one of those last corners he was right there for the header and a defender came in between him and the ball, he will be a role player on this team and that is what we need I bet he starts next week. With those four players gone Klein will move up and Franklin will move over. My man Roberts with Dominguez.

Back to the Midfield though Vanney and Pete were good together and the assist from Pete on the first goal was great!

I have to agree, Arena did a good job with player placement. Greg Vanney & Pete Vagenas actually played well together, who would guessed it.

We looked like the better team (against the best MLS team) for most of the game and should have won it, so things could be looking better for our beloved Galaxy!

Dominguez didn't really show me anything so he'll get his walking papers at the end of the season probably.

Beckham, made some nice crosses and runs but seem to vanish in the 2nd half, do you guys think he's getting burnt out on the MLS/Galaxy? or just having some mediocre games.

Donovan looked dangerous and put away some great goals, awesome to see him blow past the Rev's defenders. Player of the week and goal of the week honors should be his.

I'm feeling better about our chances to get into the playoffs this year with Arena at the helm and Lewis looking good in this game.

Wow! That looked like a different team out there. I feel good about their chances. The next game against RSL will be a nightmare with the big three MIA (why can't they be gone during away games). I don't think Wicks is the answer for Cronin, he looked slower to get down than Cronin. I think they need to sign a better GK. But then again, Guzan was shelled his first season and he turned out well.

On a side note, did anyone catch the Beckham reference in the movie Tropic Thunder? Pretty funny.

Wow. God bless Bruce Arena. He has transformed this team into an actual soccer-playing team. We went toe to toe with the best team in the league and we were actually the better team. Bruce knows how to position players to succeed...who would have thought that a midfield pairing of Pete Vagenas and Greg Vanney would have performed so wonderfully!!

Dare to dream, but I'm actually thinking Bruce will know how to get us into the playoffs this year...and he's going to build this team to be a solid team again for the future. Eddie Lewis was a wonderful addition. Sadly, though he just got a few minutes in the game, but Eduardo Dominguez looks like he's going to be a bust. I wasn't impressed with him at all.

Landon was amazing - his first goal has got to be goal of the week. That was a beauty. I hope Edson isn't losing his confidence. He seemed to have his head down...but Edson, you battled hard in there! Keep your head up. Oh, and Becks...you really need to pick up your game. Please, please, please, for once just go for goal on a free kick. Please.

Glen / Frank / Justin / Jen ...
Was I inhabiting an alternate universe or was Greg Vanney & Pete Vagenas ACTUALLY a decent Midfield combination? Wait... both of them actually managed to compact the offensive space and maintain posession while MOVING FORWARD??? Huh? Well, none the less - I would definitely love to see much more of that! This LAG team did a whole lot better tonight against one of the strongest Eastern COnf MLS teams. There was about 8 - 10 minutes in the 2nd half where I actaully believed that we were going to pull off a win... but, then a pissed 6'-3" Grenadian just shot me down with poo' from that dream cloud. Okay, tell me guys/gals... Don't you think that much of our current MLS teams have a CLEAR HEIGHT ADVANTAGE in their player make-up than ours? Right?
Anyways - it was a gritty, action-packed, mouth-watering, eye-opening, grudge match at Gillette stadium where nearly 40,000 attendees got their money's worth!
If our LA Galaxy can manage to play as tough, as together, as compact, as hungry like tonight... we may still have a chance this year.

All you need to know is we should have won, Cronin should have saved that goal, Vanney was damn good as a CDM, Lewis is a way better fit for the team than Carlos was, they were all over Buddle through out the game, Beckham needs to step his game up, and lastly Donovan is the man.

Those are the main things, the second goal was a big mishap on the back line. Franklin moved up on the Twell and left Joesph and then he buried it past Wicks. Not to sure about Wicks back there didn't seem any worse than Cronin so.... We will see what happens!

I'm in a hotel with crap internet access and no good TV. Glad to see that I can tell what happened by reading your comments. :-)

Is this feeling like last year or what?

Well crap, we almost won that one. A point is good though. It won't be good enough for long, but it's okay for now. I think if we had played a different team tonight we were looking good to win.

Yeah 1 point is ok but we need to get a win!

good game for donovan and the galaxy but no win. 1 point is good on the road against the best team in MLS.

aaaaaah! damn, no one picked him up

Galaxy are looking good right now, good passing and movement and lewis is playing well. twellman's got quite a bump on his face :p

donovan GOAL!, beautiful

damn, this ref won't call anything. mls needs some quality ref's brought in from somewhere

hopefully wicks shows well, like we think he can

Alrighty, Wicks is in. Let's see what he can do. Fingers crossed.

Cronin blew that first Revs goal. He really should have been able to punch or handle that ball into the box better, but his slight hesitations are killing the G's. Will he improve? Who knows? Nevertheless we are stuck with Lalas' decision to jettison Cannon to make room for Ruiz, and we all know how that experiment went. If Cannon were still with the G's they would be in a slightly better position for a playoff push. I hope Cronin proves me wrong, but so far this season, he has been an extremely dissapointing keeper. So it goes...

Wow, good stuff!

I love having Lewis on the left side. Have you noticed how much more possession we have on the left now? And also, we have great scoring chances coming from the left side.

The passing looks great. Great one touches. Great control.

Not as much stress on the defense this game. I wonder if Cronin will come out due to injury, or if they will wrap/tape it in the locker room and keep him in.

But boy, the offensive movement of the team is just beautiful. And NE has the #1 defense in MLS (or is it the conference? Almost the same thing since the West is sucky).

Yeah the kick on Lewis was pretty bad, and Smith is just reckless remember the final last year when he got lucky with the headbutt. lol

smith deserves a yellow card or two

wicks is warming up right now they said, Cronin looks like he hurt his right hand with twellman, interesting to see if he comes in

galaxy are out playing the rev's right now, moving the ball nicely at times

You got that right, Glen.

this ref is sh*t!

Galaxy need to get rough, since the ref is allowing it from the rev's

PERFECT, what a strike!

donovan GOAL!

wtf no foul, sh*t ref

have to see it again

should that have been a foul

damn.

Never mind they must have had it messed up before now he is RB

Have you seen the lineup yet Klein at CB. WTF!!!

What are they going to do next season if Donovan plays overseas?

Hopefully Bruce will get the team turned around for the playoffs and start showing some gel'n. Lewis is a great addition, the only bad thing is 3 players will be out for national team duty, 4 if Buddle gets a call up. oh yea, we need to work over Queensland Roar :p

Looks like you guys are coming down to Aus, for a hit out against one of our teams Queensland Roar. The Beckham appeal brought out around 80k when you got smashed by Sydney FC ;) so hopefully you can do the same again in Queensland

http://au.fourfourtwo.com/news...

Eddie Lewis & family enjoying a nice day at Palacio de Beckham?

I'm really looking forward to the game tomorrow. I think Lewis will really change the dynamics of our team. And so sorry to hear about the bushes, Jen. Any legal action you can take? Sue for "undisclosed emotional damages..."