I’ve Got Five Words: Galaxy vs Chivas USA Post-Game Analysis

By: NathanHJ | August 31st, 2009

And those words are: That’s what I’m talking about!

Last week I was all about “No More Ties!”, not because i have a vendetta against neckwear (and a penchant for lame puns), but because winning teams know how to scratch out wins from adverse conditions at crunch time. The frustrating game in DC was the catalyst, though it was the third game in a week played in the aftermath of a hurricane at the end of August in DC’s home stadium.

This week, nominally a home game after a week of only the one game, the Galaxy faced a Chivas USA team just off a 4-0 pasting in Sandy, UT, but that has substantially revamped itself during the summer transfer window after a season-long injury epidemic had decimated its roster.

For the first 40 minutes or so, though, you wouldn’t know that the Galaxy were the home team and that Chivas had just been embarrassed by an inconsistent Real Salt Lake side. Chivas had the better chances, squandering a couple of wide-open looks on poor finishing, or getting robbed by excellent defending and goal-keeping. While the Galaxy, who just took 4 points on the road from traditionally superior teams, looked content to sit back, absorb the pressure and then dink it over the top to Mike Magee and Jovan Kirovski.

The new-look Chivas midfield, to go with the new-look Chivas backline (Marcelo Saragosa at right back? Really?), was much more dynamic in the first half than the Galaxy’s seemingly superior diamond-shape with David Beckham directing traffic, Stefani Miglioranzi cleaning up the messes, Landon Donovan marauding from the right and left, and Eddie Lewis playing the wing on the left and right. That midfield should really create a lot more possession and a lot more chances than it did last Saturday night. It showed what it is capable of in the finaly 25 minutes or so, when it played a lot of one-touch passes through the middles, deftly switching fields and then finding dangerous runs.

But for the first 65 minutes Chivas played as well or better using a resurgent Sacha Klejstan and newcomers Jesus Padilla, on loan from Chivas, Sr, and Maicon Santos. I cheated by putting Santos in there since he’s a forward, but that combo was much more interesting to watch then our own midfield combining with Mike Magee and Jovan Kirovski. Now, I have to say that Magee has been becoming a consistent contributor lately and provided his fair share of cheeky passes and moves to get free in the box. And Kirovski works hard and battles. But I am pining for Edson Buddle and Alecko Eskandarian. Fer reals.

But that brings me back to the “no more cravats” mantra. Did you know the Galaxy have lost only once in 10 games? For true! Did you know that seven of those games were wins? Also for true. And they’ve mostly been doing with guys who I constantly dog out, like Miglioranzi and Kirovski. This team, which decided early on that it would do whatever it takes not to lose, is starting to turn the corner in terms of doing what it takes to win. But, oh lordy, do they do it in the most inelegant and workmanlike ways. But then, we have to. We’re working with Kirovski, Alan Gordon, Bryan Jordan, and Magee. Magee’s the only one of that bunch that’s really a creator of any type and the guy who cleans up plays and starts attacks is Miglioranzi who is not known for his creative passing.

So during the game, the thing that really kept the Galaxy in position to absorb the Chivas attacks was really, once again. a defense that refuses to quit. On Saturday night Omar Gonzalez had numerous huge plays, but the one that really stuck with me was a play midway through the first half when, after a horrible giveaway by a midfielder down the middle channel of the pitch, Gonzalez, as the last defender back, steps up and sticks the ball away from Maykel Galindo or Santos or someone like that. He basically didn’t allow him any space, dinked the ball away, stopped the attack, and created a turnover all at once. It was a veteran move from the rookie.

And is it just me or does the intensity of AJ Delagarza’s stare remind anyone else of a coked-up lemur? He’s like the second coming of Mike Singletary’s eyes. He’s getting into the attack more these days, but I still wish he had more of that dimension. It would be a real boon, both because it would mean more quality service for a strike corps that can’t really create and because it would give Donovan that much more freedom to buzz around the field creating havoc.

I should note that Donovan Ricketts, who generally gives me the kind of confidence you get when you place mountains of granite between the posts, gave me heart palpitations when he did his best impression of a centerback in the first half. Yes, you are very good with your feet. Good show. Now stay inside the 18!

So what does all this mean? It means that the Galaxy are learning how to win as grittily and workmanlike as they earlier learned how not to lose. And they are going to need that. I know they look all pretty and shiny sitting there on second in the Western Conference, but they’ve played two more games than Colorado and Chivas, both of whom are only five points behind them. They have a bye week and then finish with six games that include Columbus, Chicago, and Houston, all in a row. Take points in those games and maybe a deep run in the playoffs isn’t out of the question. But those teams aren’t going to squander nearly as many chances as Chivas did last Saturday.

When are Buddle and Eskandarian due back?

Man of the Match: Omar Gonzalez

What others are saying:

Great post-game quotes and color from 100 Percent Soccer’s Nick Green
Grahame Jones in the Los Angeles Times
Quicky Galaxy Season Update from the blogs at the Wall Street Journal (!)
Andrea Canales at Goal.com on David Beckham’s 6 weeks back in LA
Angel Magana with the recap from The LAist
Zack Lee Rigg at Goal.com with the Chivas perspective
The AP by way of Google and The Canadian Press
Andrea Canales at Goal.com with the Galaxy perspective
Matthew Hall at The Examiner.com (This is a truly horrifying newspaper that exists mostly online – the amount of lies and distortions it prints as “opinion” is off the charts, it’s like a poor man’s Washington Times – but its futbol reporting is decent.)
Very deep analysis from the knowledgeable futbol crew at RadarOnline
AHN Sports wire report
Miguel Melendez at the LA Daily News
Luis Bueno at the Press-Entreprise (with podcast)
Simon Jude Semano at MLSNet.com with the game summary
Simon Jude Semano at MLSNet.com with the Galaxy perspective
The Party Line from the Official LA Galaxy blog
Post-game info and pics of the SuperClasico win from the same source