P/I/P Covid Cup Game 3: LA Galaxy v Houston 7/23/20, 6:00pm PST

Discussion in 'LA Galaxy' started by TrickHog, Jul 23, 2020.

  1. pirozhok

    pirozhok Member+

    United States
    Jul 20, 2007
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Don't know if @Ghost meant what you meant. He could be sarcastic.
     
  2. MPNumber9

    MPNumber9 Member+

    Oct 10, 2010
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    OK, finally some kneejerks to this one:

    Overall, I thought this was probably one the best performances of the season so far. That's probably damning with faint praise, but the team to me felt more motivated in this match than in previous ones -- like they really wanted to get some result from this one (others observed they saw a more animated GBS in this game too). I saw a lot more individual commitment across the board, especially on defense. Defense was more organized, more committed in individual engagements and to recovery defense.

    The team still has some big mental problems, mostly concentration. We need a 10, obviously not just for the playmaking, but we don't really have a genius out there right now who was read the field and marshal the play.
     
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  3. skydog

    skydog Member+

    Aug 1, 1999
    Durham, NC
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    There are probably 4 or 5 teams in the world where the fans don't say this.
     
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  4. MPNumber9

    MPNumber9 Member+

    Oct 10, 2010
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, a genius may be asking too much, but at least a thinker. You could chalk it up to lack of leadership, which would be true overall, but it's a few qualities I'm looking for: maybe level-headedness? Judgement? Concentration? Those are qualifies, for example, I think Pontius had (and Magee before that). Our team seems kinda...dumb?
     
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  5. skydog

    skydog Member+

    Aug 1, 1999
    Durham, NC
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Agree on all points. Pontius and Magee were indeed high soccer IQ players, at least offensively speaking, and our current team is lacking a few IQ points overall.
    My remark was specifically about #10's and not directed at you. It's just my experience that wishing for "a true #10" is the most common refrain of soccer fans everywhere. True of this Galaxy team, true of the earlier versions, true of the USMNT. If you go to the Atlanta boards now you will see fans saying this, same with NYCFC and countless others. I think it's because we all have clear images of that player: the general at the center of the field who circulates the ball, pulls the strings, makes the killer through pass, runs the team. But in reality these players are extremely rare. Donovan had those skills but shied away from the job and seldom played in the center of the field. Juninho had many of the skills but was more defensive than a true #10. Sarvas played in the right areas of the field but he was more of a box to box hustler than an orchestrator of others. The US men used to have Reyna but he concentrated too heavily on "ball circulating" and was reluctant to pass the ball forward. ATL had Miggy very successfully running their team from the middle but no longer.

    A good question would be which teams in MLS have a true #10 now? I used to be able to answer such questions but with team expansion and rapid roster turnover I no longer have that familiarity with other teams. All I got is this start:
    #10's in MLS:
    Valeri - Portland
    Lodeiro - Seattle
    Nani (?) - Orlando
    none - LAG, ATL, NYCFC

    Anyone want to chime in?
     
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