Four things to watch for in the countdown to March 15

One week to go.

One week to MLS First Kick 2011 and the opening of a do-or-die season for the Los Angeles Galaxy. I recently wrote that 2011 was Bruce Arena’s MLS Cup or Bust season.

But of all the teams that could be considered contenders for MLS Cup at this point, you have to like the Galaxy to bring it all home. Certainly Bruce Arena’s off-season moves indicate that he wants the Cup now, though I bet he expected to get back to the title game last year. For one thing, the long-rumored acquisition of Juan Pablo Angel up front announced his intention louder than anything else. The combination of DP-status, being top goal scorer in the league over the past four years, and being 35 means Angel is here to produce instant results. For another, bringing in another over-35 player in Frankie Hejduk means that same thing. He’s on the team to bring veteran wiles and bring the same positive locker room presence as a Chris Klein or Eddie Lewis (both retired after last season). For a third, Arena stocked up on strikers to partner Angel and find a replacement for Edson Buddle who left for Bundesliga 2 after a career year. (I, for one, am happy that he’s getting a big payday in Europe, even if he’s playing for team facing relegation to the 3rd division. He deserves it.)

Now if you read me regularly you know (1) you need to get out more and (2) I have a keen eye for the obvious. Which I’ve apparently employed once again since it seems that I’m basically in complete agreement with Phil Shore at The Bleacher Report who has this to say in a posing from March 7.

The front office has done extremely well drafting players the past few years and has a good mix of youth and experience on the roster. Make no mistake about it though, the Galaxy are in a win-now mode. Angel, Hejduk and defender Gregg Berhalter are all towards the end of their careers. Landon Donovan, arguably the best player in league history, has been flirting with a move to Europe for a few years now. Also, David Beckham, the league’s first Designated Player, is in the final year of a five-year contract he signed with the team.

Right. Like I said. Make or break. Do or die. Win now.

So a week before the season starts on a Tuesday in Seattle, here are four things to watch for.

(1) Can the Galaxy’s veteran additions go the distance?
MLS added two teams in the Portland Timber and Vancouver Whitecaps this year and lengthened the season by four games to 34. Combine that with the Galaxy’s participation in the US Open Cup and the CONCACAF Champions League and you’ve got a fixture congestion headache. Add in the USMNT’s drive for the Gold Cup championship which will get them a spot in the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2013 in Brazil and you’ve got the possibility of playing stretches this summer without your best player (Landon Donovan) and at least one of your better defenders (if Omar Gonzalez builds on his January camp experience). The aging vets Arena picked up are going to have to fill-in the gaps and show leadership over the course of the year or the Galaxy will sputter when crunch time comes. Frankie Hejduk and Juan Pablo Angel need to come through for the entire year.

(2) Can the second-chance striker corps replace Edson Buddle?
This is the $64 question my friends. The Galaxy have struggled to find a reliable second striker for years and the tantalizing possibility of a Buddle – Angel pairing faded when last year’s leading scorer and Golden Boot runner-up decamped for Germany’s second division to live the dream of European futbol. So new arrivals Adam Cristman and Chad Barnmisser were picked up to fill the hole. Add that to existing rosterman Mike Magee and there are a wealth of candidates for second striker. But the unifying factor among all these young gentlemen, aside from their current employer, is the fact that they are all looking for second chances. All showed early promise and none have flourished consistently. If the Galaxy are going to bring home the MLS Cup one of these guys needs to have a 10-goal year.

(3) Can the Galaxy find their missing midfield link?
If you were like me, seeing Juninho link up regularly with Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle, and Michael Stephens/Eddie Lewis was magical when it was working. Consistency as a creative spark ended up eluding the young Brazilian over the long haul, but considering it was his first time playing the playmaking role, I’m willing to cut him some slack. But in order to hedge the bets in the middle, Arena and staff have brought in some some other attacking midfielders like Paolo Cardozo and Miguel Lopez. If the Galaxy strike gold with their midfield, you might see the team experiment with unusual (for them) formations like a 4-3-2-1 or a 4-1-4-1 or even a 4-1-3-2. I suspect we’ll see mostly a 4-4-2, though.

(4) Can Chris Birchall take up where Dema Kovalenko left off?
Arena brought in attacking midfielders, strikers, and defenders. He didn’t bring in any obvious contenders for Chris Birchall’s spot as the d-mid operating in front of the back four. He’s played that spot when Kovalenko was injured, but now he has season-long responsibility and no obvious back-up. He’s got to stay healthy and perform in one of the most vital spots on the team. It’s no accident that teams keep picking up players like Brian Carroll, who just made his way to Philadelphia, or worry when a Shalrie Joseph gets in off-field trouble. These kinds of players give you a central spine, a way to control the middle of the park, and a means of stopping trouble before it starts. Birchall needs to be that player for the Galaxy this year in what is his biggest challenge yet in Los Angeles.

What about you? What are your four (or five or three or whatever) things to watch for as the season opens? Who has to step up? Who would you like to see up top with Angel? Who is in your starting midfield? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

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Category: 2011 Season