Once again, not much to read into a preseason match against a French 4th division side, but hey, anything positive is always good. http://www.lagalaxy.com/gamesummary.php?id=328 We weren't playing with any of our big guns either, besides Herzog and Kirovski splitting time. Sounds like it was kind of a rough game, but that's probably the best way to get ready for a tough season.
So the Galaxy were a missed penalty kick away from drawing with a French Fourth Division team? After that team presumably played a league match over the weekend and could have used it's reserves against LA? The French Fourth Division by the way is an amateur league. I know it's still early in preseason but looks like the Fat Man doesn't have his team clicking yet. Any truth to the story Zak Abdel took out Carlos Ruiz in a practice with a two footed tackle?
I realize it's pre-season, so I won't read too much into this, but come on, bruthas! A French 4th Div side? What next, the UCLA women's team? Why was it necessary to spend a load of money going to France for this crap. The dollar is weak, stay home! Serisouly, could one of the better-connected people on these boards tell us what the team is getting for it's money, why this trip to France is such a great idea? Is there really nothing better to spend the money on? How about performance bonuses?
As last year should have showed us *PRE SEASON MEANS NOTHING*, not one little bit, not a single thing, so don't worry, it's simply time to get the players into shape and build up some teamwork, if we lose every game to Joe Blows Fat Out of Shape 11 every week before the season starts, it doesn't mean a thing. We kicked ass in La Manga last year, and what did we get out of last season, a whole lot of SUCK. Sure it would be nice for them to beat on a bunch of frenchies, but having trolls from other boards trying to come in here is pretty pointless.
Response Heres a comment- 4th !!! We barely beat a 4th division french Amatuer league team, f***king Ouch. 4th by the way rok is the place that the Galaxy finished in the la manga tournament last year, and we didnt kick ass last preseason either. And No we dont have to fly to france for team cohesion, what we do need is a coach and a game plan this team can get with. I hear The ole Wanderlay Luxemburgo is available these days.. wonder if he could make a team of this group? Believe me this team cant go far under Sigi Schmid, neither can his pants !!
Trolling? Who are you refering to? Did I say anything about worrying or making a big deal about pre-season results? I am a long-time Galaxy fan who thinks it's ********ing ridiculous to spend the money it costs to take the whole team, support staff and equipment to France so they can play a French 2nd and 4th Division side and a mid-table 1st division side that only committed to play the Galaxy after the boys were already over there. Dig? This trip does not make the Galaxy a better team than if they had scheduled a few pre-season matches with MLS and/or Mexican sides. It just cost a lot of money. Motivating the boys with some extra dinero for every goal, assist, save, clearance and steal would have been better spent.
The reason many MLS coaches like to play on foreign soil in the pre-season is the team building and bonding that occurs. When teams are abroad, the players do not have to deal with distractions caused by family and friends. When they play abroad, the players and coaches only have each other to turn to. This is why you will see many MLS teams scheduling games in Europe and South America during the pre-season.
Re: Response since we're being snarky... my how short some memories are, we finished third in la manga last year, scoring 11 goals and only giving up 1 goal (gato was not the keeper in that game either) in 4 games. don't know about you, but if i put any faith in pre-season results, i'd say that 2.75 GF a game and 0.09 GAA is a damn fine pre-season. fwiw, and just to further illustrate exactly how little pre-season actually matters, san jose finished 7th out of 8 teams, going 0-2-1, giving up 6 goals and only scoring 2. i didn't care last year when tearing up european teams in preseason and i don't care now that we're not tearing up euro teams. it's all irrelevant.
Re: Re: Response Totally agree. Which is why the team should have boarded the Catalina ferry for a few matches with FC Avalon, just to make the preseason EXTRA irrelevant. Lots o' good bonding out there and cheap -- with VERY few distractions, eh?!! Hey, I'm kidding! Wouldn't want anyone to think I was worried and making a big deal about the Galaxy's pre-season performance -- or lack thereof.
Fine, another comment so we can bump up the count of posts in this pathetic forum. It's the preseason. We barely beat a 4th division side. I'm not going to panic because it's the preseason. As guamster stated, these trips help build a bond between the players, so I'm going to stand by my theory that it's a psychological way to learn to depend on others in time of need. We could have traveled somewhere else, but maybe the Galaxy got sweet deals & incentives to come to France. As dashiel pointed out those facts from La Manga last year, some people thought we were going to roll over the league; I bet the team did too. And we all know what happened. So we may not be doing hot in the preseason, but so what? This is the time to find out who can play what & build that team chemistry.
Last year San Jose lost a lot of players from the previous season and were using the preseason to look at new players and integrate them into the team. The Galaxy last season had the same team that won the title the year before and that helps explain how LA performed a lot better in preseason that San Jose did at the LaManga Cup. This year the Galaxy are coming into the preseason with essentially the same team as last year (minus Elliott and the reserve Lalas). They've added likely starter Kirovski, possible starter Herzog and two young Brazilians who are coming off the bench. In other words the vast majority of LA's team already know one another from last year and should be acquainted with how each other players. The fact they are achieving mediocre preseason results, while not alarming, should be of some concern because a team which already knows one another, and which has been practicing together for over a month should be performing better than barely beating a 4th Division French club a day or two after the French amateur club played a league match.
Enganche, you're right that the veterans should know each other by now, but perhaps they don't like each other. I know it's not professional and they should set aside differences once on the pitch to work together for a win. There were rumors last season that cliques formed and tend to practice with each other and did whatever they wanted, which is a big problem Sigi should've addressed, that is if all that was true.
So let me get this straight: they have 'essentially the same team', but added Kirovsk, Herzog, a couple Brazilians and a handful of draft picks...I'm counting SEVEN new faces (on an 18 man roster)....that's 'essentially' the same team?
Would you feel better if it was phrased "the MAJORITY of the team is the same"? Dudes, chill. Let them at least start the season before we blow off. San Jose might very well finish third in La Manga, so get karma going on that one. I'm less concerned with results right now and more with the team's ability to figure out who is hungry. Does Ruiz really want it, or does her just want to be transferred. Which of our over-30 crew has the heart and will that Lalas had right to the end? Is Memo ready to step on the field for us? Those things concern me - I'm probably posting in the wrong thread, I realize.
Maybe has something to do with the fact that it was a game NOBODY on this list has seen. Whether we win or lose, any comments about games nobody saw are sort of futile anyway.