I’ve Got Two Words: Galaxy vs. Revolution Post-Game Analysis

By: NathanHJ | August 9th, 2009

Photo by C.J. Guntner

And those words are: Getting there.

In the normal MLS scheme of things I wouldn’t be so cautious about a win on the road over the New England Revolution, but the fact is that if not for the Red Bulls’ epic FAIL of a season, New England’s struggles would be much bigger news. Still, they have a quality midfield and a stingy defense, so taking three points from them at Gillette still counts as a solid win.

And, if you look a little deeper, the win is a bit more impressive since it game from a Galaxy team fielding what is essentially a second-string offense depending on Jovan Kirovski and Alan Gordon. So, to crib from reader David in the comments from the game preview, what’s changed?

Umm, jeez, let me think. It couldn’t possibly be the return of the Galaxy’s 6 (and a half) million dollar man, could it? And perhaps his combination with a Landon Donovan who is palying the best futbol of his entire career? Could that possibly have an impact on the team’s quality? Gosh, I may only be a defensive MLS fan with a knee-jerk “nativist logic” when it comes to Euro-snobs, but even to my naive and unsophisticated futbolling eyes, I think the answer is a hearty Midwestern “You betcha!”

No matter what kind of media and handler circus the man brings with him off the field, on the field David Beckham is still one of the top midfielders in the world and a top 5 player in MLS. Though last night he continued to show his frustrating tendency to drift way back into the defensive third in an attempt to see more of the ball. I understood this from last year’s debacle of a team/season, but the quality on the field is now much better and Becks would do better to let the defense do its job and get him the ball in the middle of the park so he can launch counterattacks.

This is a quibble in the face of a satisfying victory, though. Landon Donovan’s golazzo from about 20 yards out put an exclamation point on the game and shows how dangerous the Galaxy can be even without a legitimate front line on the field. Games like this depend on the midfield dictate the game and at Gillette the 4-man team of Eddie Lewis, Stefani Miglioranzi, David Beckham, and Landon Donovan got the job done. Eddie Lewis did especialy well on the left, hitting cross and after cross into the box and causing all sorts of problems for Matt Reis, including the second goal, wher Reis came out to deal with the cross, made a hash of it and feel victim to Kirovski’s scrappy second-chance effort. On the other hand, I’m still waiting for Chris Birchall to take the job from Migs, since I think he brings an offensive and ball distribution component that Migs lacks while maintaining Stefani’s high workrate and tenacity. But, again, quibbling in the face of victory.

But, heck, quibbling is what bloggers do best! So let me focus on the backline for a minute. For a team with the 3rd fewest goals allowed in the league, we don’t have enough clean sheets. In an otherwise strong performance, the defense gives up a late penalty kick on a trip in the box. Unfortunate, but clearly a penalty. On the other hand the backline continues to go about its work in a fashion that gets the job done with a minimum of fuss. Omar Gonzalez and AJ Delagarza continue to put in performances that should catch the eyes of the Rookie of the Year voters and no one else since good defenders are generally invisible during matches. Gregg Berhalter and Todd Dunivant continue to bring a veteran presence to the pitch. Donovan Ricketts, back from his injury at Kansas City, continued to dominate the box. It’s just steady, expert work at the back and for the first time in years, I’m just not worried about penetrating runs by opposing offenses. The defense will step up.

Passing the New England test was definitely a step forward for the team, which has used that and an away loss by the Sounders to jump into second in the West, putting an automatic playoff spot into its hands. (But beware – only five points separate second from fifth.) The team needs to build on this and quickly. The next opponent is Seattle, which has made itself a top tier MLS team in its inaugural MLS season. And there is a chance that the Galaxy will miss both Donovan and Becks from at least a portion of the game since they both play international matches on Wednesday. (Landon, bring some of that golazzo magic with you to Estadio Azteca, please. Thanks!) Further, it’s unlikely that both Eskandarian and Edson Buddle will be ready to go the fully 90 on Saturday, so the attack could be especially anemic.

After Saturday, the Galaxy plays Wednesday the 19th away at the Fire, then Saturday the 22nd away at DC United, then home on the 29th to Chivas USA before getting a week off. Do well in this stretch and a post-season run looking increasingly likely. Stumble and all the doubts from the beginning of the season come back.

For today, though, I’m happy for the six game unbeaten streak, the away win and second place.

Man of the Match: Landon Donovan

What others are saying:

Kyle McCarthy with the MLSNet game summary
Kyle McCarthy with the MLSNet Galaxy perspective
Kyle McCarthy with the MLSNet Revolution perspective
Howard Ulman at the Associated Press
John Connolly at the Boston Herald
Ben Collins at the Boston Globe
Angel Magana at The LAist
Jeff Bull of The Carey Talley Fan Club
AP at The LA Times
Quotesheets from the Official Party Line
Jaime Cardenas with the game recap at the Official Party Line
Allan Ramsey at Goal.com

What about you guys? What did you see? Who did well? Who didn’t? How are you feeling about the 6-game unbeaten streak? What about the offense? How will international duty affect the team? Leave your thoughs and reactions in the comments below.