What do Frank and Alexi Have in Common with Saddam Hussein’s Son?

By: Laurie | June 26th, 2007

Uday Hussein, late son of the late Saddam, was the former president of the Iraqi National Olympic Committee. He kept a jail and a torture center at the national sports headquarters. Underperforming athletes were frequently beaten.

How did the Iraqi soccer team play?

Probably a lot like the Galaxy on Saturday night.

Okay, so I’m not saying that what the Galaxy guys are currently going through is the same as being physically tortured. But living with a metaphorical axe over your head can be psychologically similar to living under a real one. The Gals on Saturday were tentative, indecisive and uncertain. They weren’t playing to win, they were playing to not make mistakes. Playing as if any mistake could be their last. Which, given the way things are going with the team right now, it could have been.

Think about it. Who played an okay game? How about Cobi Jones, whose future with the Galaxy is certain? Or Joe Cannon, who’s probably not going to be sent away in the middle of his first season? Or Edson Buddle, who scored another goal, his second in his two games, after becoming the new arrival from Toronto?

And who played worst? One name coming to mind is Kyle Martino, whom I normally love, but who played an empty game completely devoid of skill and the passion we’ve seen previously. (Exhibit A: that hospital ball PK, straight into the keeper’s arms.)

But I don’t want to single out just Kyle. Everybody was playing scared. (And, ironically, they made far more mistakes than when they play all out.) Why is this happening, do you think? For ideas, let’s take a look at the Galaxy’s own website, at an article posted after the Klein-Sturgis-Findley trade:

The Galaxy roster is far from being finalized. David Beckham is expected to arrive in mid-July, and Lalas has hinted that he will still be looking to negotiate a few more trades and upgrade at certain positions should the opportunities present themselves.

Which sounds fine, in theory. But it doesn’t take into account what’s going on the minds of the guys who may or may not be sacrificed in those “upgrades.”

So what was Frank’s reaction after the loss?

Coach Frank Yallop said the team looked like a “hodgepodge” squad, failing to play as a unit and seeming to lack aggression.

“Sometimes a lack of confidence looks like a lack of effort for some reason,” Yallop said. “A lot of our guys lack confidence. I don’t know why. I’m trying to get to the bottom of it.”

Because yeah. Why in the world would any of the guys lack confidence? Gentlemen, do you want a history lesson? Take a look at what happened to Uday’s soccer team:

After qualifying for the 1986 World Cup, the team went into a tailspin, defeated early in most Asian and Arab regional tournaments. A group that was once the pride of the Arab nations plummeted to 140th in the world in the mid-1990s.

I’m not necessarily saying more cuts aren’t necessary. But make them fast and clean, and then let the remaining guys know that you’re done for now.

In other words, get rid of the axe. Or the next heads rolling in the dirt could be yours.