Another in-conference match. Against a team that can be impressive at times. (Who does that remind me of?) Let's hope that Bruce's theory in using Leo was that he was resting AJ and saving him for the tougher match. On the one hand, I think Ishi has played badly enough to justify sitting him. On the other hand, the midfield bench players are sufficiently weak that Ishi is the only one who might add to the attack. If Gyasi were not so valuable up top right now, he could go back to the midfield and we could start GorDON. But there is no good reason to break up the growing Zardes-Keane combination. I don't like Bruce's options. Unless he were ready to start bringing Mendiola along...
That last game gave me a heart attack. Let's win the first half AND the second half this time. (And… I hope we win.)
Carl Robinson means business. Rosales is a good pickup for them. http://soccerly.com/article/gof/carl-robinson-explains-nigel-reocokers-vancouver-whitecaps-exit Vancouver has every reason to go for it in this game. We'll have to play our best, esp on defense.
From Knave's thread, we lead the league in ppg at home but are middle of the pack when away. I believe the same is true for G2. I wonder if we get soft always playing in good weather.
Gonna be a tough match. VAN comes in rested, or maybe they never left, after a 0-0 draw against chivas a week ago. We need to have that fire constantly from here on out all game, every game. I know, easier said than done but, if anyone can bring it out of the boys, it's Bruce. 3 points! GO GALAXY!
If Robbie Rogers is not healthy enough to start tomorrow, here is the line-up I tend to think the Galaxy should start: ---------------------------------------Penedo-------------------------------------------- Gargan----------------Gonzales-------------------Meyer---------------DeLaGarza -------------------------------Sarvas-------------Juninho------------------------------- Ishizaki (or Zardes)-------------------------------------------------------Donovan -----------------------Zardes (or Gordon)-----------------Keane--------------------------- 1. Left Back and Center-Back If Robbie Rogers is healthy enough to start tomorrow, I think the Galaxy should start him at left back and A.J. DeLaGarza at center-back. Rogers has played well at left back this year. Also, he played zero minutes on Wednesday compared to Todd Dunivant’s 78 minutes, so Rogers likely would be fresher tomorrow than Dunivant would be. In addition, Dunivant struggled some at left back on Wednesday. He was caught ball-watching on Colorado’s first goal, and he had a number of errant passes and clearances. He also seemed a little sluggish and has just returned from an injury that had kept him out since April 6. However, if Rogers is unable to start, I tend to think Bruce Arena should start Tommy Meyer at center-back and DeLaGarza at left back instead of Dunivant. As mentioned, Dunivant struggled some on Wednesday. DeLaGarza also played only 12 minutes on Wedensday. So, DeLaGarza likely would be fresher for tomorrow’s game than Dunivant. Also, I thought DeLaGarza played better than Dunivant when he came in for him on Wednesday. When the former came in, there were fewer problems and less space on the Galaxy’s left flank. However, if DeLaGarza starts at left back, then either Meyer or Leonardo has to start at center-back. And I don’t have confidence in either of them right now. But unless Dunivant looks very good in practice and would convince me that he is fully fit, I still probably would start DeLaGarza at left back. On Wednesday, the left back position seemed to me like somewhat of problem area for Galaxy before DeLaGarza replaced Dunivant. If DeLaGarza does start at left back, should Meyer or Leonardo start at center-back? I would start Meyer. Leonardo has been highly mistake-prone since returning from his serious knee injury. My impression is that, over the last two seasons, he has been partly responsible for, on average, about .5 goals per game that he has started. In addition, against Colorado, he shanked a clearance that resulted in a corner kick. He then was beaten by Edson Buddle on the ensuing corner kick. I’m not convinced that Meyer would play better than Leonardo tomorrow. We don’t have that large a sample-size of games in which Meyer has played in MLS, and, overall, he has been mediocre for the Galaxy since his rookie season ended. But I think Meyer would be less of a risk tomorrow than Leonardo. Meyer had a good string of games this spring and summer. I remember him playing reasonably well in 8 of the 9 games he played from May 17 until July 19. And I would say that he has made fewer important defensive errors per minute played than Leonardo since the latter returned from his ACL injury. Also, in terms of the skill-set for a center-back, Meyer seems at least as good -- and in some cases better -- than Leonardo at everything but physicality and heading. Neither has particularly good speed. They both are a little clumsy, though Meyer probably less so. Meyer is at least as good a passer, and maybe a better one. Meyer probably has a better positional sense and may be less mistake-prone. They both seem to be good teammates. Finally, I don't think it would be unreasonable for Arena to start Dunivant at left back and DeLaGarza at center-back. Dunivant wasn't that bad on Wednesday, and DeLaGarza is a much safer option at center-back than Meyer or Leonardo. 2. Midfield and Forward Against Colorado, Baggio Husidic played decently at central midfield. But I think Juninho is more of a difference-maker. Juninho also played only 16 minutes on Wednesday compared to Husidic’s 74, so Juninho likely would have more energy tomorrow. Stefan Ishizaki was okay on Wednesday. He didn’t make any major mistakes, and he drew the free kick that resulted in Omar Gonzales’ goal. But he hasn’t done anything offensively over the last three games or so that has made a major impression on me. He also has played 135 minutes over the last week (70 versus Columbus and 65 versus Colorado). So, maybe Arena should start Raul Mendiola or Bradford Jamieson at right midfield instead of Ishizaki. Mendiola and Jamieson would have lots of energy tomorrow. And both have looked okay in the very limited minutes that they have played for the Galaxy. But they are so inexperienced that I probably would start Ishizaki over either of them. Mendiola has played only 57 minutes and Jamieson only 23 minutes for the Galaxy’s first team. And at least Ishizaki doesn’t seem to make mistakes that result in goals getting scored on the Galaxy. As The Cadaver mentioned, another option available to Arena would be to start Alan Gordon at forward and Gyasi Zardes at right midfield. Gordon played very well on Wednesday. Not only did he score the game-tying goal, but his hustle and smart play in midfield started the sequence that led to that goal. He got the ball to Marcelo Sarvas in midfield with space to operate. Sarvas then passed the ball to Robbie Keane, and Keane assisted on Landon Donovan’s goal. Here is a link to Pete Vagenas' analysis of the Galaxy's third goal against Colorado, including Gordon's contribution on the goal: http://www.lagalaxy.com/video/2014/...-landon-donovans-game-winner-access-sportsnet The relevant commentary begins at minute :31 of the video. But if Zardes starts on the wing, then he can’t start at forward. And he has been a very good goal-scorer at forward for the Galaxy this season. In addition, if Gordon starts, then the Galaxy likely would be fairly limited as far as proven options for offensive substitutions. At the same time, Gordon has played only 45 minutes over the last two games compared to Ishizaki’s 135 minutes. So, the former might have more spring in his step tomorrow than the latter would. I could go either way.
I am the last one to count chickens before they're hatched, but if we win the next two games, we are going to be in solid running for the supporter's shield.
Obviously Seattle and RSL are threats, but SKC is the biggest threat for the SS. They have the easiest remaining schedule (by far) of any of the 6 teams in the running for the shield...
Any half-way decent team in the East has a HUGE advantage in the SS race this year. If Chivas were in the East, I bet they'd be competing for a playoff spot. Thank goodness Seattle isn't in the east. They would be insufferable.
When you think about the points we squandered on missed PK's, dominating but tying anyway, we could easily be up another 6 points or so..... but anyway, don't get me started.
This season, last season, the season before that … a couple of seasons ago it seemed the East might be catching up, but then it all fell apart. It will be interest to see which team(s) MLS moves west. Technically it should be Houston not geographically and for MLS' attempt to foster rivalries with the 3 in conference games, but you never know they could make the West the 11 team conference in preparation for Atlanta when SKC will for definitely join the West (unless MLS goes back to a three conference league) The east next season: Montreal New Jersey New York New England Chicago Orlando Toronto Philadelphia DC Columbus Kansas City or Houston Compared to Los Angeles Seattle Salt Lake Dallas Portland San Jose Houston LA II Vancouver Kansas City and/or Houston
Juni needs to have a good game for us. Beginning to end. We still haven't seen the best of him. Actually, we haven't seen too much of the team at its best, either. We have to start playing at the top of our game consistently. Let's go, boys! Get it done.
Vancouver has a lot of speed up front, it's necessary to have AJ at CB tonight. Hope Dunivant can recover from his bad game at Colorado. We always won against the Caps at StubHub Center (6-0). Remember a game in 2011 where Bryan Jordan had two assists and a 2-0 win in 2012 where Juninho scored a beautiful long-range shot and Becks scored a free kick. And the playoff game in 2012 when the Magee saved us with a volley of a corner kick and we won 2-1. We beat them earlier in the year with a goal from Keane off an Ishizaki's cross.
I am severely bummed that I can't be at game tonight. My selfish, old father wants a birthday party just because this one ends in zero. Bah! And, I'm super bummed that I can't even sneak in and grab a lunch pail when gates open and sneak back to party because they're doing a voucher system. Bah! 3 points would cheer me up. Go Galaxy!
I hope the last game taught these guys that when you don't put in the effort, you lose, and when you work your ass off you can win. You would think that as professional athletes they would have learned that lesson by now, but this season shows that some of these guys are slow learners.
I agree start Meyer in the middle with Omar and put AJ outside. Omar really needs to step on d though. I am bummed RR is not quite ready but there are lots of important games coming up and a healthy Rogers in the final run will push the team over the line IMO. Hopefully Keane has an on night.