v. LA GALAXY vs SEATTLE SOUNDERS StubHub Center, Carson, CA April 12, 2015 (WEEK 6, MLS Game #54) 4 p.m. PT (FOX SPORTS 1) http://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2015-04-12-la-galaxy-vs-seattle-sounders-fc/preview At one point, which seems so long ago now, Clint Dempsey was one of my favorite players. Then there was the pouting, and the diving, and the whining, and the grabbing, and the complaining, and the moving to Seattle, and now I can't stand the guy. Please, please Galaxy, take care of this douche this weekend. And, from last week - never had a chance:
By the way, we need to start winning so I can look for some happy gifs! Also, did I mention I hate Dempsey? The look on his arrogant puss just pisses me off.
Don't forget the free rings for the first 15k in attendance! This the way Seattle finally gets a ring...
Gee Shelbo, maybe if the Gs don't get a result this week, I may have to start these again. I AM 1-0 for the season
Please! I put it off in the hope someone else will step in. Then Cadaver starts wondering where the new thread is, and, well I don't want the guy to get any more ornery than he already is!
As much as I dread the game Sunday, it's the sounder boys coming here to gloat post game that really I don't think that's possible.
The Galaxy will lose. There will be much gnashing of teeth and rending of garments. Put simply the Sounders are basically unchanged from last season and were just about as good as LA. They are much better at starting the season in form and MLS history is replete with the prior year’s heartbreak loser in the playoffs crushing the winner. I remember humiliating DC United in 2000 and sending them in to a spiral of misery. I remember New England destroying us once away and beating us at home … I don’t quite recall which year was which. I think Houston beat us both year’s after we beat them in the final. Handing out replica rings pretty much guarantees a loss. I shall be grudgingly satisfied with a valiant effort and respectable score line.
we will suck till July and then click and take MLS Cup again... would be nice if we can be good throughout the season
I've seen you scared just on the opponent's set pieces. Does this mean you're gonna tuck in like a turtle and not watch?
There are times I leave my living room and pace around the house because I can't watch. This might be one of those games.
Ha ha, actually she is more positive about this team right now than me. She also asked me if she should start growing her playoff beard. I asked her to "please wait!"
If Mika Vayrynen is healthy enough to start on Sunday, here is the line-up that I’d like to see the Galaxy start on Sunday against Seattle: -------------------------------------------Penedo------------------------------------------- Gargan------------------Gonzales--------------------DeLaGarza-------------Dunivant --------------------------------Juninho--------------Vayrynen---------------------------- Ishizaki------------------------------------------------------------------------------Rogers ----------------------------------Zardes------------------Keane---------------------------- 1. Right Back and Left Center-Back If Leonardo is not healthy enough to start on Sunday, then I would start A.J. DeLaGarza at left center-back and Dan Gargan at right back. I believe that the combination of DeLaGarza at left center-back and Gargan at right back likely would give the Galaxy a better chance of winning – or at least drawing – against Seattle than the combination of DeLaGarza at right back and Tommy Meyer at left center-back. Last season, Gargan was, overall, as good – or at least nearly as good – at right back as DeLaGarza was. They both had good seasons at right back. They were good defensively and passed the ball well. And, up until the end of last season, Gargan probably was a little better at going forward when playing right back than DeLaGarza was. Also, Gargan has been solid at right back so far this season. I remember him playing at least reasonably well in each of the Galaxy’s first four games. He played 83 minutes in the first game (a 2-0 Galaxy win against Chicago), 90 minutes in the Galaxy’s second game (a 2-2 draw at Portland), 86 minute in the third game (a 1-1 draw with Houston) and 33 minutes in the fourth game (a 1-0 Galaxy loss against DC United away). Over the course of those games, he passed the ball well and played well in terms of his defensive positioning. Although he was outmuscled by Chris Pontius on DC United’s winning goal, Pontius may have committed a foul on the play. Moreover, even if Gargan was partly at fault on the play, that is the only clearly problematic defensive play that I can remember him making over the course of 292 minutes played. That’s a solid ratio for a defender. Meanwhile, I believe that right now DeLaGarza is a better center-back than Meyer. Across all competitions, DeLaGarza has started 100 matches for the Galaxy at center-back, and I can’t remember one game in which he started at center-back where he didn’t play at least solidly. Furthermore, as recently as November 1, 2014, he played well at the position in an important game, namely against Real Salt Lake in the first leg of the Western Conference semifinals, a game that the Galaxy drew 0-0 in very difficult conditions. He also played well over 90 minutes at center-back when the Galaxy beat Houston 1-0 in the 2011 MLS Cup. Overall, Meyer has been less good at center-back than DeLaGarza. For one thing, he has been far more mistake-prone at the position. Just last week, Meyer didn’t close down space well enough on Vancouver’s first goal. In comparison, DeLaGarza had a good game last week and (as I remember) was flawless defensively, including when the Galaxy moved to a 3-5-2 and he had more center-back responsibilities. DeLaGarza also is quicker, is a better passer, and has a better positional sense. DeLaGarza also is quite a bit more experienced at center-back than Meyer. In his career, DeLaGarza has started 100 matches for the Galaxy at center-back across all competitions; Meyer has started 36 matches at center-back across all competitions. DeLaGarza also has a bit more recent experience at center-back than Meyer. DeLaGarza started 13 MLS matches at center-back last season; Meyer started 10. Although Meyer is better in the air than DeLaGarza, the latter’s positional sense is so good that his limitations in the air rarely lead to chances or goals for the other team. Also, in deciding who to start at center-back, one should weigh positional sense, the ability to avoid mistakes, one-on-one defending and passing more than aerial ability. For instance, LA Clipper power forward Blake Griffin may well be better in the air than DeLaGarza. But if Griffin were on the Galaxy’s roster, one should, prime facie, start DeLaGarza over Griffin at center-back. The Galaxy coaching staff could see starting DeLaGarza at center-back on Sunday as an experiment. If his lack of height is a problem, then they could start someone else at center-back next game. But why not give it shot? His lack of height has never kept him from being a good center-back in the past, and he has played the position since he was a boy. Finally, even if Leonardo is healthy enough to start on Sunday, I probably would start DeLaGarza at center-back and Gargan at right back. Leonardo will be coming off an injury, so it’s not clear whether he will be in form at the moment. Also, over the course of their careers, DeLaGarza has been a better MLS center-back than Leonardo. He has been a better passer and significantly less mistake-prone. Although Leonardo played well at the end of last season and has played well so far this season, so has DeLaGarza. And DeLaGarza is, in my view, a more proven MLS center-back at the moment than Leonardo is. DeLaGarza almost never has made important defensive mistakes; Leonardo – though he has improved significantly over the last couple years – has made many important defensive mistakes in his MLS career. 2. Left Back, Left Midfield and Central Midfield If Vayrynen is healthy enough to start, one option would be to start Robbie Rogers at left back and Baggio Husidic or Jose Villarreal at left midfield. But I would prefer to start Todd Dunivant at left back and Rogers at left midfield. Right now, Dunivant (when fully healthy) probably is as good – or nearly as good – an MLS left back as Rogers. Dunivant is less mistake-prone and probably better at defensive positioning. Dunivant also played well at left back on Saturday against Vancouver. Meanwhile, Rogers probably is capable of being a better left midfielder right now than Husidic or Villarreal. Rogers is faster, more explosive and better at beating people off the dribble than the latter two. Rogers also is a better crosser with his left foot than Husidic and probably capable of being a better crosser with his left foot than Villarreal. Rogers has struck many excellent crosses with his left foot in his club and national team career. Though he doesn’t always take advantage of it, he has a cultured left foot. In addition, Rogers has significantly more experience at left midfield than Husidic and Villarreal. The latter also is coming off a hamstring injury, so it’s not clear how healthy or fit he will be for Sunday’s game. If Vayrynen is healthy enough to start, I would start him over Husidic. This season the former has turned the ball over less frequently than the latter and seems calmer and steadier on the ball. However, if Vayrynen cannot start, I would start Husidic at central midfield, next to Juninho. Another option would be to start Kenney Walker there. But Husidic is more experienced and probably better at recovering the ball than Walker is. Walker is also coming off a groin injury. 3. The First Offensive Substitution For the first offensive substitution that the Galaxy make on Sunday, I would be inclined to put in Alan Gordon. Over the last two seasons, Gordon has been more productive in MLS than Edson Buddle. Buddle had 2 goals and 1 assist in 18 appearances last season and has no goals in 3 appearances this season. Gordon had 5 goals and 1 assist in 29 appearances last season and has 1 goal in 5 appearances this season. Gordon also seems to turn the ball over less frequently and plays better defense. Gordon also has been a clutch player recently. For instance, his 1 goal so far this season was a game-tying goal in stoppage-time. However, it should be noted that Buddle played fairly well in the Galaxy’s last game. He was pretty active and had two shots.