I’ve got three words: Galaxy vs. Chivas USA post-game analysis

By: NathanHJ | November 9th, 2009

Donovan v Shavar Thomas Playoff 2nd Leg - November 8, 2009

And those words are: Meeting the challenge.

Right. So before the first playoff leg I predicted a series score of 2-1. Then before the second playoff leg, seeing the kind of chaos the two teams were creating and the resulting goals, I predicted 2-1 for the game on Sunday.

So, looking at a 3-2 aggregate and a 1-0 second leg scoreline, you can see that I bloody well can’t predict anything when it comes to these two teams. Good thing this is a post-game analysis, then, right?

One things was clear from the opening kick-off: the Galaxy were ready to take the game directly to Chivas USA and planned to play attacking futbol all night long. Within the first two minutes they had a legitimate attack on goal, though it needed with a relatively soft diving header from Landon Donovan that Zach Thornton bobbled a bit, but safely controlled in the end. And that was most of the story of the evening. For the first 35 minutes or so, the Galaxy had the better of possession and the attack, utilizing superb performances from Donovan and David Beckham. Chivas clawed their way back for the final 10 minutes of the half, relying on youth and speed to carry the day. But whereas the Galaxy forced Thornton to earn his Keeper of the Year award, the Goats were done-in by poor finishing. And that was pretty much the story of the second-half as well.

Okay, maybe I cheated a bit by simplifying the story. First, the Galaxy took almost twice as many shots as Chivas (17-9) and had three times as many on goal (6-2). And that differential comes from a Galaxy defense that shook off an embarrassing performance from the week before to live up to the reputation it has put together over the course of this year. Omar Gonzalez especially put his forgettable performance behind him and stood tall for 90 minutes. It’s not the he didn’t get beaten, its that he tracked back and threw his body on the line. He had an amazing sliding block in the second half that seemed like a sure Chivas goal until he broke thing up.

Second, the Galaxy superstars came through the way they are supposed to. Both Beckham and Donovan gave performances that were a level above what they accomplished on the first leg. The epitome of that partnership was the sequence that led to the penalty kick when Beckham, from beyond the center stripe on the right found a streaking Donovan in the final third on the left. Then Donovan made a superb pass to Mike Magee, alone on the far post. Who took a horrible first touch but was nailed by a gnarly knee to the nargiles from Yamith Cuesta for the penalty.

And that points out one of the weaknesses on the Galaxy side. Magee was only adequate – he made some good runs, but could never get the ball off his feet, botching most touches and passes. Edson Buddle was much better this game, but continues to show a disturbing tendency to dribble himself into trouble. I love that he takes on defenders. But I want him to do it smartly. Taking on three at once when an easy pass to the wing for the cross into the box is an option is just not good futbol.

On the other hand, the number of outstanding performances on the field was far greater than those that failed to meet expectations. Dema Kovalenko was everywhere all game long disrupting build-up after build-up in the middle and causing no end of trouble. Both Todd Dunivant and Sean Franklin held their sides of the field and contributed smart offensive thrusts. Chris Klein looked fantastic, offering more offense from the right than Chris Birchall normally does. Gregg Berhalter was steady, marshaling the backline with veteran savvy and determination. And Donovan Ricketts came up with two massive saves to preserve the victory.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the night from a tactical standpoint was the switches the offense went through as it worked to unsettle the Chivas defense. Donovan played on the left, then he played as a withdrawn striker with Magee on the left (these two seemed to dominate most of the night), finally he ended up on the right when Beckham came out after suffering back spasms and a twisted ankle. No wonder Donovan gets the big bucks.

Overall, it was a deserving victory over a tough opponent. One made sweeter because of who that opponent was. Once again, the Galaxy own Chivas USA.

Friday at 8PM the Galaxy face Houston in the Western Conference championship match. This one’s going to be even tougher.

Man of the Match: Landon Donovan (and not just because of the penalty kick)

What others are saying:
Larry Morgan with the MLSNet game recap
Matthew Hall at the Los Angeles Examiner
Steve Davis at ESPN SoccerNet
Larry Morgan again, this time with the Galaxy perspective
Eric Altshule at MLS Talk
Luis Bueno at Goal.com (who is on Facebook bragging about wearing his Dynamo jersey around town this weekend…)
Goal.com player ratings
Scott French at LA Soccer News
Jill Painter at the LA Daily News with a feature on Landon Donovan
Phil Collin at the same paper (well, part of the same chain)
Damian Calhoun at the OC Register
Jeffrey King with the Chivas perspective at MLSNet
Randy Kim at Fanhouse
Grahame Jones at the LA Times
Nick Green at 100 Percent Soccer
AP at SoccerNet
A host of good stuff from the official LA Galaxy blog: game notes, game quotes, and some video reactions, too.