My Galaxy Wish List for 2008
By: Laurie | December 28th, 2007Here’s my wish list for the upcoming season:
1. Joe Cannon in a Galaxy uniform. I didn’t realize how important this was to me until the trade rumors started flying. I think the defense can survive without significant expenditures, but only if Cannon is in goal.
2. A healthy Beckham. What’s the point of investing millions to build a team around one player if that player isn’t on the field? I’m guessing we wouldn’t see any 32- or 33-year-old player on the field 100% of the time, but if we could just get 75 or 80%… Well, wouldn’t that be kind of nice?
3. A consistent Donovan. Is this too much to ask? It probably is, isn’t it? But it would be great, both for the team and for Landon. He’d get to silence the critics at last, and he and Beckham could make beautiful music together.
4. The youngsters continuing to build on their potential. We saw great promise from players like Mike Randolph and Ty Harden and Josh Tudela last year. My wish is that they continue to head up that learning curve till they reach their full potential.
5. A goal scorer. I don’t know why I’m listing this fifth. It really should be number one, shouldn’t it? I’d be beyond thrilled to see just one player who can consistently get on the end of Beckham’s crosses and drive them into the net.
6. Synergy between Ruud and Cobi. Ruud has tactical and technical knowledge. Cobi knows the team and players. If they could combine in the right way and transmit their knowledge to the team… Well, it might not quite be sexy football, but it wouldn’t be that Borat porn film, either.
7. A(nother) successful draft. Last year we got Robbie Findley, Ty Harden and Josh Tudela. Not bad. A repeat would be even better.
8. Another solid year for Chris Klein. Granted, he’s not young. But that experience means something. And it would be nice to give him another year or two so that his name is not forever linked to that nonsensical Findley-Sturgis trade.
9. A sane schedule that doesn’t include tournaments the team hasn’t earned. But that’s probablly up there with “consistent Donovan” as way too much to ask, isn’t it?
10. Whatever changes are necessary in the front office. Fill in the blanks here yourself.
Did I miss anything?
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Okay, Laurie (and, faithful OffSide readers, of course) – Let me start by saying that as an ardent Galaxy fan myself… I hope/pray/wish/beg that 2008 & 2009 will be very, very good years for our LA Galaxy in standing, ranking, and improvement in style & on-pitch plays.
That being said – I believe I’m probably not going to be in the majority for a few of my comments compared with rest of the LA Galaxy faithfuls.
I’ll answer to your Listing/Numbering scheme accordingly:
1) I actually want to see our LA Galaxy with different goal keeper(s). Yes, I know how many different times Joe Cannon has saved Galaxy’s bacon! Yes, Joe was instrumental in many key Galaxy matches – but, Joe still eats up $200K from Galaxy’s allotted cap. I would much rather the $200K go towards two(2) very good Central Defenders. I just really think that USA has a good selection of other goal keepers that won’t cost nearly as much. But, a strong, energetic, superior Defensive Backline is so essential for our LA Galaxy.2) Yes, absolutely – No argument! Beckham, I pray stays 90 – 100% throughout 2008 & 2009 season. I am right now offering goats & roosters to the sorcerers and witches as I’m writing this!
3) A Consistent Donovan – Boy, Laurie – that’s asking more than what our earthly offerings can provide. Don’t get me wrong – Donovan is by far one of the most talented MLS product-players out there at present… but, his brilliance and goal-scoring happens in inconsistent spurts. I like Donovan better than Eddie Johnson/Joseph Ngwenya/Danny Dichio/Alejandro Moreno. But, he is NO Luciano Emilio/Maykel Galindo/Ante Razov/Juan Pablo Angel. The latter bunch I mentioned will take the opportunities and shots 85 – 95% of the time. And, that quickness, evasiveness, voraciousness, and quick action-reaction are what helped the teams that those players belong to advance in MLS conference standing (Yes, Yes – MLS also has problems with poor referees; I don’t want to get into that).
4) Yes, those 2007 season proven youngsters (Troy Roberts, Ty Harden, Mike Randolph, Josh Tudela, and Israel Sesay) all need to stay with teh Galaxy to allow and enable them to develop into outstanding, future MLS players.
5) A proven, skillful, tactically superior goal scorer or, even better, two of them would do our LA Galaxy wonders! But, as you already know – goal scorers of these calibre costs MONEY! Hence, this is why I believe that besides Beckham and Donovan, the six-digit income earning players in our LA Galaxy will most likely have to say “Hasta”. And, there are quite a few. I have listed a URL (at the bottom of my comments) of the blog I just started this month for the sole purpose of sharing my views regarding our LA Galaxy Team. In one of the posts (NO, there aren’t that many; I’m still very much a novice), I talk about how / from where the LA Galaxy will gain back a sizeable allocation to go towards acquiring new players.
6) This is what I believe each one of us fans are eager to see – how Ruud & Cobi get along… how they work with each other… how they help each other… but, also how they will disagree with each other.
7) I am really hoping that the LA Galaxy doesn’t squander the Draft Picks we have! (I think LA Galaxy has about 6 Draft Picks altogether?) But, I know that most of them are in one particular round (2nd round, I think?)
Chris Klein is a solid, decent, hard-working, respectable player – he tried his best in 2007 for the LA Galaxy… but, his age is catching up with him. There maybe still roles that Ruud wants and needs from him. However, keeping with 20-somethings on the pitch is not going to be Chris’s strong point. But, I do like and value his passes/assists and his tremendous work ethic to last all 90 minutes in games. 9) If MLS and AEG wants another profitable, cash-money year like 2007… then, we can kiss our schedule wishes for 2008 & 2009 good-bye. “Massa’ will surely want his sheckles and shillings come countin’ day!”
10) Dear God – our Front office… there aren’t words that I say nor write that will bring any of us comfort and changes we desire. There are plenty of emotions, though. Seriously, though… if you guys haven’t already checked it out… Go to the LA Galaxy Forum at BigSoccer.com; look for “The LA Galaxy wants you!” post. It is a post started by an LA Galaxy Ambassador nick-named Galaxy Steve. He is asking Galaxy Season Ticket Holders to please put their comments & suggestions to improving service, satisfaction, loyalty, and pride. Some regular Big Soccer bloggers put some excellent suggestions in there… it’s definitely a poignant read!
As usual, the science of para-phrasing and succintness are lost to me… My comments always end up being novellas. Sorry!
Here’s the URL of my blog – I’ll try to post my thoughts about our LA Galaxy Team once every week or so:
http://lagalaxy-soldiers.blogspot.com/Posted from
United States
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Yes, I agree with you.
Posted from
Brazil -
I’ll just make a couple of comments
1. I love Joe Cannon, but for the price the Galaxy pay for him, he’s not that much better than Cronin. My biggest gripe with Joe is that he is forever punting the ball to no one, whereas Cronin feeds the ball out to our defenders.
3. Donovan is consistent. He was consistently the best player for the Galaxy (and US Nats); but he was not consistently “brilliant.” But no player is. Charles up there compares him to Razov, Juan Pablo Angel, Mykel Galindo, Luciano Emilio and that’s an unfair comparison: They are pure strikers, while Donovan is not a pure striker. If you compare the total package – goals, assists, creation of scoring opportunities – there is no comparison: Donovan is far superior. He was consistently “in” just about every game this year, providing vision and creativity on the offensive side, as well as strong defense (I can remember several great defensive plays he made), and smart play, especially when trying to preserve a lead or a tie (that Donovan had just gained for us)… only for someone to do something stupid and give it up.
9. I don’t mind the tournaments. And I think the galaxy have gotten a bad rap for not having “earned” the ones they went to. They performed great in Super Liga – and earned their entrance because it was a brand-new tournament that needed publicity to get started to see if it would even work. There is no other team out there that generates headlines like the Galaxy and their presence was esential to get that tournament off to a good start. The Chelsea “tournament” (whatever it was called) – once again, the Galaxy earned their right to be there by hosting Chelsea; happens all the time throughout the world. The Galaxy (AEG) went out and spent the bucks; they deserve to reap some of the financial rewards.
What I’m hoping for as far as the schedule is fairness with regard to MLS. No more back-loading and giving precedence to the others teams so they can have their “Beckham” game and reap the rewards without the risk. Make a schedule that’s competitively air to the Galaxy – no more games every 3 days while traveling back and forth across the country.
Posted from
United States -
Cannon is not much better than most keepers than can be had for half his salary. Goalkeeping, with or without Cannon, would not be a problem.
Donovan is the best American player around. He only appears inconsistant because he has had to carry the Gals and the Nats. It’s just too much to ask of one player. Give him help and I believe he can tear this league apart.
Oh and one more thing to the list… I hope they treat the stadium like the soccer cathedral it’s suppose to be. In far too many games the pitch looked like crap last year. Please people! Fix that.
Posted from
United States -
I just wanna see good football and serious goals. I want less to complain about.
Ms. Jack says she wants to see Donovan go away but I confess, I secretly harbor lurid curiousity for his prematch & pre-PK rites (that finger-hand-turf kissin OCD thingy) so I can tolerate him being around… and if he scores more often, maybe I’ll even buy a season ticket.
Posted from
United States
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