Greg Lalas Says LA Doesn’t Deserve the Playoffs

By: Laurie | October 2nd, 2007

You need to check out this article from Greg Lalas, brother of Galaxy GM Alexi, on why it would be bad for MLS if the Galaxy make the playoffs.

I agree with him that LA probably shouldn’t make the playoffs. (When you can play well for only 10-20% or so of your season and move on to the post-season, something’s wrong with the system.)

But that’s where we part company. Or: What he says actually really pisses me off. Because Greg pretty much blames the Galaxy players for the ugly middle part of the season.

Because this is the new order in MLS: big names who bring big pressure. They bring klieg lights and paparazzi and reporters from far afield and silly Beckham cams. The players — and the coaches — have to figure out how to deal with it all. If they don’t, there’s always the USL.

The DPs that have come to MLS are here to make the league better. Beckham has done that. He’s a fantastic player who can help L.A. when he’s healthy. Cuauhtémoc Blanco has done the same thing for the Chicago Fire.

Difference is, Chicago’s players haven’t crumbled in the Blanco spotlight. They’ve stepped it up. For example, Chad Barrett has made huge leaps this season. He’s having a career year, with six goals so far, benefiting from Blanco’s visionary passing abilities and learning from Mexican legend how and when to make his runs.

Let’s see… Last I checked, Chicago was also struggling to make the playoffs and were having a worse recent run than LA without Beckham.

And their management didn’t trade off half the freakin’ team to get ready for him, leaving the team in preseason form in late July. And the powers-that-be at MLS didn’t rearrange the entire schedule around Blanco, overloading the team with a number of games that no physical entity could survive intact. And Blanco wasn’t played injured in order to save two other teams and their coaches.

Yes, everybody’s made mistakes, including the players. But I think that in the end, most of the Galaxy players and Frank Yallop have done and are doing better than most teams would, given the amount of crap that’s been thrown their way. Look at the young players who never expected to be starters — players like Mike Randolph and even Josh Tudela — who have had it thrust on them because of the actions of MLS and the Galaxy front office. They’re stepping up and getting the job done.

I think Greg Lalas is just blowing hot air for the joy of seeing his name in print.

Must be a family trait.

Some Related Galaxy Posts:

Category: Player News, Team News

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Diane

Maybe the O'Jay's "For the Love of Money" should be the MLS 2007 theme song. For example, this refrain is handy for answering B.D. Brad's initial question:
"I know money is the root of all evil
Do funny things to some people
Give me a nickel, brother can you spare a dime
Money can drive some people out of their minds"

For those (like me) old enough to be wishing they remembered the rest of the lyrics, they can be found here http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics...

In seriousness, I don't imply that this makes MLS different from any other game in the sports biz, there were just all those initial signs that it might be a little different...
Blue Devil Brad

Can I just pause for a second and ask a question about that schedule - but why did MLS think it sooo essential to get Becks to every city this year? I mean, I can understand team owners not wanting their team to miss out on the frenzy - but Beckham's here for 5 years! You can get your piece in 2008! The physical toll of the kooky schedule really weakened the product on the pitch for that stretch, regardless of Beckham's injury status during or prior. And it seems like there would've been no harm in saving a few markets for "Finally, Beckham Arrives!" headlines in '08, rather than the now inevitable "No, Seriously You Guys, We Think He's Gonna Play This Time" stories we're due for.

And this from a league that's going to (according to rumors) cancel soccer in the city of Seattle for a year to "build up anticipation for MLS?" They've got it backwards! The Sounders need to keep playing, and a few markets needed to build anticipation to keep the Becks gravy train running into 2008!

It's a been a rare example of shortsightedness in what has otherwise been a remarkably stable league. When you throw in Alexi's many moves, MLS 2007 could be required reading in Sports Management courses in just a few years' time.
Dina

Quite frankly, I just vote for duct-taping the entire Lalas clan's mouths shut and sending them off on the next Mission to Mars. I think they've been living there for quite some time already.

Underdogs sometimes come out in front and yeah, it'd be a bit unusual (understatement) if Galaxy made the play-offs but...wouldn't that mean they pulled together in the end (finally) and deserved it--the players, the coaches, the people who do the hard work--and the fans? Everybody seems to be in agreement Galaxy's gotten the raw end of the MLS deal this year in more ways than one (I'm a big Becks fan so I wouldn't say he is a raw deal, but the nonsense surrounding the transfer is...and primarily, things like injuries, etc.). And comparing Chicago and Galaxy, or really any team and Galaxy at this point, is apples and oranges.

I am dubious it'd hurt the league if they went on. I am, however, not in the least bit dubious that having the Lalas name officially removed from anything related to soccer for a cooling-off period would be beneficial to all of us. A suspension from the media for crap behavior, if you will. Book 'em.

Mostly I am excited to see what the Galaxy will pull off next year, whatever happens now.

$.02 deposited. And thanks for your continued great work here, Laurie.
Lane

Greg is simply trying to save face for his stupid brother. Alexi is the one who can't handle the pressure. If he'd have left the players alone, they'd have done fine.

And there is NO COMPARISON at all between what Chicago has gone through with adding Blanco and what the Galaxy have gone through with adding Becks - as you pointed out quite well, Laurie.
Laurie

Doug, I understand what you're saying, and what Greg Lalas is saying as well. But it think it's unfair to hold up the Chicago Fire as role models for "This is what your players SHOULD have done." It's not possible to say that Chicago has handled the pressure better because Chicago hasn't faced anything close to what the Galaxy players have faced this season.

The Galaxy guys were pinballs all year long, being whacked around by MLS "leadership", Galaxy management, the England NT, Real Madrid, the Brand Beckham bullshit, the press, and their own physical limitations. To blame the players by saying, "Chicago stepped up to the plate and the Galaxy didn't" ignores the much more complex reality of the situation.

(Plus Chicago has only four points in the past four games compared to the Galaxy's 13. Who's handling pressure better now?)
Doug

Laurie, I think Greg was trying to say that Chicago is doing a better job at handling the pressure of playing alongside someone who should make the team better. They've concentrated on what Blanco brings to the team on the field rather than being blinded by the media pressure. It wasn't about whether they were going to make the playoffs or not. You have to admit that, looking out at the whole season, Chicago has done pretty well and Blanco has been a big part of that. And, it does seem like the Galaxy, as a team, have played better without Beckham which we all know shouldn't be the case. He's right that if players can't handle the "professional" environment of playing alongside big name players, then they should be in the USL where they can develop into full professionals.

To add another point to "why the Galaxy shouldn't make the playoffs", if they were to make it and do well, it would make the league look really Mickey Mouse. To be honest, there were games when I think my high school (GGHS class of 89!) team could have done well against them.

But, what the heck ... GO GALAXY! Do it for Cobi!