Re: .:OFFICIAL "I was all wrong about Steve Sampson & Doogie isn't a douchebag" Threa That's our new mantra! or Hell, at least we don't have Rongen!
Re: .:OFFICIAL "I was all wrong about Steve Sampson & Doogie isn't a douchebag" Threa i'll post in this thread and after this season, it's a crime if this thread isn't full of US/MLS soccer fans across the country...despite thinking he'd bring down the Galaxy, i thought he would be so bad for the league that i would've preferred he not coach any team in this league.. however, my thinking concerning your team has done a complete 180 since then...i really think the acquisitions you guys have made make you guys a strong favorite before the season starts...granted, SS still has to demonstrate he can coach, but he and Doug are definitely responsible for putting together a nice-looking roster..
Re: .:OFFICIAL "I was all wrong about Steve Sampson & Doogie isn't a douchebag" Threa Remind me again what exaxctly Dougie has done! He still has Bo to atone for. SS on the other hand has used his Central American connections well, but its still about results on gameday. ......I'm waiting.
http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20050322&content_id=24526&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp With all the new players that SS is adding, it's becoming more clear that he's going to have the right to claim credit for victory, or be blamed for defeat in this upcoming season.
Pando looked really good tonight. We got Pando and Donovan. Doogie is God! Steve is a genius. I was wrong and Sigi is still fat.
I haven't posted in this thread yet, or the other one, but my initial though going into the season is that the rebuilt line-up is superior to any we've had in a long long time. It will be interesting how Sampson's tactics play out but I think we're strong this season. Here's hoping for a championship in 2005!!! Mike
On paper, the soccer websites are all saying we look good, and we'll all give Stevey a chance, but this was a less than illustrious start, and the man's strengths have seemingly never been to rearrange a roster and produce a winning team. I'm only going on his WC disaster, but he likes to play with personnel and formations (like any new coach I suppose) and he has done absolutely nothing in the past to show that he has any skill at it.... This team was totally overhauled and our first match is a blow out on a crappy night in an empty stadium.
Yeah, it's early in the season, and while we're 0 - 1 on the road, the G's are perfect at home after three matches. Steve's start to the 2005 campaign is starting to accumulate some luster. One of three things are happening: 1) Landon really is baby jesus, with the ability to repair a woefully dysfunctional team just by his mere presence. 2) Samps found a way to work out the communication barrier, the players held hands, singing "Kumbaya," implementing his system, gelling the team, and now the Galaxy are working on the cure for the common cold. 3) Bits and pieces of the above. Is Steve in control? Knowing that he prefers players who have a Latin flair in their playing style, consider the following: Two of the three Senior Internationals on the team are not starters. Pablo Chinchilla; reserve. Naldo; reserve. Pando; starter. Michael Umaña, a proud Sampsigning™ from the current Ticos team, was projected to be slotted immediately into the back four. Instead, he rides the pine, while Ugo Ihemelu improves exponentially in the centerback position. In Ugo, a Sampson SuperDraft pick, we may be looking at Rookie of the Year. Bringing in new players has forced Albright to find his game, knowing there's somebody who is ready, willing, and able to take his place. Umaña, a Senior Youth International who thanks adidas daily for the reserve team, is so desperate for playing time that he was glad to play 10 minutes at right back against Dallas. Considering that we have Paul Broome, our starting left back for most of 2004, and Sampsigning™ Pablo Chinchilla, did anyone envision Todd Dunivant playing the first four matches at left back? At the moment, the left back spot is his to lose. Pete and Cobi are seemingly inspired by Sampsignings™ Nagamura and Ramirez, and our midfield has a bite like a bear trap. Collectively, Pablo and Pando have shown to be a nice upgrade over Herzog and Saragosa. Andy and Marcelo seem like a distant memory now. Is Steve in control? I think so. Obviously, he doesn't seem to struggle with benching established players. Before Landon, almost all of the goals were scored by Pescadito. With Landon, 4 of the eight goals this season have come from Pete and Cobi. Our next chance to see if it's Landon making the team better will come duing a three match stretch when the G's play the Crew, CDCUSA, and the MetroStars; Landon, barring injury, will be unavailable to the team as he almost certainly will be called up to play for the Nats against England (May 28), Costa Rica (June 4), and Panama (June 8). The first 1/3 of the season is the second most important part of the season; whoever is in first is the team the rest of the league will have to chase for 21 matches. The next seven matches will complete the first 1/3. Looking at the schedule, the Galaxy really have an opportunity to seize first and put the rest of the West in a panic. Five of the next seven matches are at home, with one of the two road matches against the Chivitos. After the May 14 match at RSL, the G's don't play away from the HDC until a midweek match on June 15, which will begin a four match road trip that will see the team playing 4 out of six away from LA. So far, it's a nice start. It's better than being winless after four matches.
Re: .:OFFICIAL "I was all wrong about Steve Sampson & Doogie isn't a douchebag" Threa No one wants to admit that Steve might be doing something right. If the Galaxy are in first after the first ten matches, it won't make people place their axes down. Steve may have an easier time surviving a firing squad than getting away from the stigma of France '98.
Re: .:OFFICIAL "I was all wrong about Steve Sampson & Doogie isn't a douchebag" Threa Gotta be fair. We slag on the man when the team stinks like the city dump. It's time to give a morsel of praise for the man who has guided the Galaxy to first place after 5 matches. And with a match in hand. The team is playing a great possession game. Both sides of the midfield are major threats and we're spending more time with the ball in the opponent's third than we are in our own third. The guys are scoring on set pieces. Many of the things we complained about last year are becoming a distant memory. Furthermore, we were worried Stevo might not have the team mentally prepared for Colorado after playing two emotionally charged matches (Chivas USA and FC Dallas) and that the team was a prime candidate for a letdown. Yes, we gave up two goals (one was just quality) but they came against a team who always plays well at the HDC and was sitting on 4 points after five (now six) matches. Last year, we weren't scoring or defending. This year, we're scoring, and you can't win if you don't score. Somebody pointed out that Steve's teams typically don't defend, so maybe he needs to go back to his days as the Interim Head Coach of the US Nats when he employed a 5-3-2. It's hard to believe with Gato and the quality of centerbacks in Ty and Ugo, we're actually letting teams score more than once on us, but I digress when I look at the standings. Now we'll see if we can get a win wearing the Whites!