Galaxy 2-3 Crew

By: Laurie | June 23rd, 2007

Guess what! Robbie Findley scored two goals and won the game!

Oh. Wait. He doesn’t play for us anymore. He won for Salt Lake.

Our own game was 85 minutes of depressingly bad play and 5 to 10-ish minutes of Wow! There is an actual team here! I’m wondering if it wouldn’t be easier if they just completely sucked for the full ninety, rather than getting our hopes up occasionally before smashing them again on the rocks of incompetence.

Sloppy passing, sloppy defending, and a team that was completely worthless on set pieces — both offensively and defensively. And don’t forget that missed penalty, and the fact that we played up a man for 60 minutes but couldn’t do anything with the advantage.

Could we have done something if Beckham had been here taking all those free kicks and corners? Would somebody really have been there to finish them off? Or would they have sailed harmlessly away like they did tonight?

On the plus side, both goals were lovely. A fierce, diving header by Gavin Glinton off a Cobi Jones cross, and a lovely long, low shot straight through multiple defenders by Edson Buddle after a bad clear by the Crew. Other than that, though, there’s not much I want to remember.

The worst part of it, though, was that they didn’t play like a team. It was a lot of individual players running around the field. Lots of miscommunications and misdirected passes and players expecting a teammate to be in one place when he was heading somewhere else. This is probably to be expected with so many players being bought and sold, and coming in and out of injury and international duty. But the end result is a team that feels half-formed, when the Galaxy’s opponents have taken the first part of the season to become cohesive units.

I’m really not sure that the threatened more trades are the answer. I’m thinking a solid and set starting lineup could go a lot further toward getting the Galaxy an occasional good game than a million more switches in the search for that one perfect new player.

Until we get that, though? Get ready to stay depressed.

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Category: 2007 Games, League Game Recaps, Player News, Team News

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diane

Sometimes management forgets they are dealing with human beings (no matter how tough) and not just chess pieces. That's why its called MANagement, and I agree with Laurie that these guys need to do more to stabilize the team than tinker with it. If the player's heads aren't right, skill get's you nowhere -- they could even call Beckham and ask how well things went when he was playing with a demoralized group of the best players in the world (of COURSE that included Zizou, Laurie, how could you ask!).
nathanhj

You know, it wasn't just that the team was out of sync with itself, it was that no one wanted to be bold and step up. Time after time players did the short pass or the back pass, rather than looking for the run into space or changing fields. They were tentative and plying without confidence and when the did make passes they were to Crew players or to no one. It was embarrassing to watch. I actually forgot the Gals were up a man at halftime.

Oh and the officiating in general was awful. That's been the case across the league all season. Someone needs to give the USSF a swift kick in the googlies and the officiating up to speed with a league that actually is improving with every game.

Can't wait to see the horrible horrible shipwreck of a game the LA-Fire matchup will prove to be. Two teams on the fast-track to nowheresville with sloppy boring midfields and no offense.
I'm. So. Excited.

On the other hand maybe Pavon and Blanco will get into a fistfight in the 80th minute and give the game some excitement...
Michael

Hopefully no one answers "Santino Quaranta".
Wiz

Laurie,
I just want to say: THANK YOU LA! THANK YOU LA! WE LOVE YOU IN SALT LAKE!
Ian

Oh yeah, now that I am no longer involved with RSL, they're coming for you, Galaxy. Count on it.
Laurie

Doug, you know that normally I don't agree with you about Kyle Martino. And I'm still not agreeing that he should have been traded. But yesterday he played like a man terrified of making a mistake - indecisive and tentative and uncertain. (Exhibit A: That hospital ball penalty kick.) To a lesser extent, so did the entire team.

It can't be easy playing with an axe over your head, knowing that any mistake could be your last. I really hope that Alexi and Frank make their changes and then say, "Those are our final changes. Let's become a team." Because until that happens we're going to see games like this one.

Clint, thanks for the peptalk. I'm really hoping that the Pavon-Beckham combo will make a difference. That and having Landon back. If he's still on the team.
Clint

I wouldn't worry too much if I was a Galaxy fan. I'm not sure Beckham can make as immediate and significant offensive impact as Angel has in Nie. But even if it's close, check this out:

The Galaxy are averaging 1.3 goals per game this season.
They are giving up 1.4 goals per game.

Da Red Bulls were averaging 1.3 goals per game up to, and including, Angel's first start for the team (a confusing, bizarre loss to Colorado where the entire team looked lost and under the influence of some serious drugs. either that or they breathed in some of that Jersey air on the way to the match).

Since the Colorado game, Nie has averaged 2.66 goals per game. One guy, granted an incredible scorer and playmaker who was essentially left for dead at Aston Villa, made that difference. As long as LA has a finisher, Beckham can get him the ball in the right spots AND Becks can score from any spot around the edge of the box on free kicks, so just have Cobi run with towards goal and then fly through the air like someone machine gunned him down (for tips: See Toja). In MLS, those direct kicks will be like free throws for Beckham.

It could be the coach and surrounding players in Nie, but Angel has shown that a top notch player can step in and immediately dominate MLS (9 goals, 2 assists in 7 games). Beckham shouldn't be too far off that level, so long as the Galaxy has one dependable finisher.
Charly

Sucks, Sucks and Sucks again !!
Why ?? I don't know why !!

++
Charly
Doug

You're absolutely correct Brian. But about the game in question ...

Why didn't Kyle Martino get traded instead of Findley? It's a sign from God when Findley scores two and Martino misses two (the penalty kick and the open goal). And Cobi's crosses into the box (our only offensive option it seems) were so much better than Klein's. Why Chris Klein?

For all the stupid movements lately, I think Lalas and Yallop should both go! Up till now, I thought Beckham's move to LA was, overall, a good thing. Now I feel sorry for him.
Brian

You play.. in.. the MLS. You can win three games in a row and make the playoffs. It doesn't matter.
Kenny

"Get ready to stay depressed."

Sadly, so true....