Which team do we get this weekend - the team that beat up on a top team in the East or the team that embarrassed itself against the worst team in the West? Can we avoid giving up 3 goals in the first half for the 4th time in 5 games? And are Chich or Delgado cleared in time to play? Find out tomorrow!
And so it begins,... ----------------Chicha--DeJan Cabral---------------------------------Costa -------------Raveloson--Delgado Edwards--Williams-----Sega-----Araujo ------------------------Bond or if Chicha and Delgado can't go --------------------DeJan Cabral------------Efra-----------------Costa ----------Raveloson--Aguirre Edwards--Williams-----Sega-----Araujo ------------------------Bond First Choice Subs: Grandsir, Leerdam, DePuy, Zavaleta, Dunbar, Saldana Same two commandments. #1: Feed DeJan Like We Fed Zlatan #2: No Dumb Turnovers Make it happen Vanney!!!!
This games screams for a Galaxy loss : - we're in a bad streak, coming off two losses against our Californian rivals. - Colorado is a tough place to play for everyone, and we are no exception. - maybe no Delgado and no Chicha. Even if Chicha has struggled recently, I like more our chances with him than without him. - their style of play exactly matches our weaknesses : the Rapids play ugly soccer, all about defense and stay compact in the middle of the field, leaving possession to the other team, and try to catch them on a counter with long balls for Zardes, Barrios or Rubio. We are not a possession team, we'll struggle to create chances through the wings and I can predict we'll concede another PK after one of our defender will make a foul from behind after being caught by a through ball. - Colorado are excellent on set pieces, we aren't. - obviously, and more importantly, Zardes will score on us.
For what it's worth, the Galaxy instagram photos and short video of the players getting on the plane to fly to Colorado don't show Chicharito or Delgado. They don't show all players anyway, but usually they would show Chicharito if he was there. I suppose he could fly up tomorrow morning though. https://www.instagram.com/p/CgDMu7fPOD1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
If anyone needs proof that we aren't good against counters, see this article (about how Toronto FC is so bad at them that the only team worse than they are on the counter is the Galaxy): 1548079445499469825 is not a valid tweet id
The 352 people have been recommending and Vanney has been spurning would have solved the problem. Our outside backs, especially Raheem, play more like mids anyway. Raveloson isn't really a dmid and Vanney pushes Delgado up to do the "8" stuff he used him for in Toronto. In any case, with Brugman about to start playing in a week's time, we'll have a 6 with Delgado not having to be everywhere at the same time and Raveloson can concentrate on getting us some goals.
As someone who recently walked around Rocky Mountain National park I don’t know how anyone can play soccer at altitude. that said I’m old and out of shape.
Yep, I went rock climbing at a local crag at 9000 feet over the weekend and was winded just putzing around. But old and out of shape too...lol
9000 is high but its all in the pre-conditioning you engage in or don't. You can't just go there and start climbing or you are gonna get slammed. I always do my climbing before hand in local mountains for a couple weeks to a month. I rather get sick here and prepped than at my outing location. Young pro athletes of course are fit to the gills. It affects them much less but you can also train differently to allow for red blood cell increases to help you out. There are things you can take that will also boost your cell count. Of course if your older (Vazquez, Sacha) all bets are off. Denver is 5000ish tho. Much lower and I don't feel it there as when I actually hit 7K. Of course I am just hiking with a light pack. Imagine Mexico City. That is 7000+. The bolivians would have you play in La Paz. That's almost 12,000. For that you'd need to go probably a week early and acclimate before you cough up a lung. Ok, here we go.
Vanney is a very rigid coach for being a relatively young coach. You see how long he hesitated before trying out the 4-4-2. He should employ whatever formation best fits the opponent and have some flexibility. Or whatever system best fits the able players he has available at the moment. I think the problem is at the one system he wants to play, he still has not got his team to be good at so he dismisses any other option until he can see they got his main one down. How long that takes is anybody's guess. Not with all the bad players we have acquired in any event.
In my late teens/early 20s, I was pretty fit for near sea level as I ran regularly and played hours and hours of pickup basketball. One summer, I was fortunate enough to spend it in the altiplano region of Peru to do some surveying work. Let's just say the first week was tough and I almost had to go home because I wasn't acclimating. However, I luckily adjusted, and by summer's end, I was giving the locals a run for their money up this local hill that we'd race up on. Shortly thereafter, I got a forest service job in a town a mile up in elevation. It was a field job so all I did was hike for 8-10 hrs a day 4 days a week. These two periods were likely the most fit I have ever been and I felt unstoppable. I can't imagine the fitness levels of pro athletes or even amateur athletes who regularly train/play in high elevation. And oh yeah, gameday!!! I wonder if young coaches who's had success are more adamant about keeping their system and less willing to change. Maybe they find success early on and the mentality is to make the opposing team adjust to them and not vice versa.
Definitely getting the feeling of Vanney's LA as a "mirage". (Getting thirsty?) Any case, go to 51' mark of ET on MLS dot com. They've just spent forever talking about SJ and one guy asks if they should talk about Galaxy ......well, have a listen, it's hilarious. https://www.mlssoccer.com/video/big...gest-all-star-snubs-our-xi-to-take-on-liga-mx
I was in Denver last weekend, and the altitude ain't bad. 1 mile above sea level shouldn't really affect these players minus costa. I'm hoping for the 3-5-2 tonight regardless if Chicha and Delgado can play. If Chicha is out, you can stick Cabral up top with Dejan, or go a 3-4-3 like Chelsea play and have Costa and Cabral as wide forwards.
I was in Denver last weekend also! We didn't plan it very well to go to the game. I'd like to hit the Colorado stadium someday.
Looks like MLS stats rank LA 21st in passing stats but I can't for the life of me figure out how it squares with the stats they are listing. Anybody know how this is done? MLS Club Stats | MLSsoccer.com
When I was 10 my family took a train trip over the Andes (Arequipa to Puno). The highest point was about 14,000 ft plus and I'm running around the train having a great time and notice that everybody seems asleep. I go back to my famliy's section and I see my sister is half asleep, my dad is collapsed on the table and my mother across from him is trying to point to something. So i look more carefully and notice my dad's cigars are starting to emerge from his breast pocket and rolling around the table (the train was shaking a bit) and lo and behold here comes the wallet stuffed with cash just behind. So I stuff it all back and head on off down the aisle to have a good time. About ten minutes later the train descends just a few hundred feet and eveybody wakes up. The next day in Puno we're leaving the hotel to catch the train to Cuzco and bellhop's got all the luggage and he's peeling off down the street and my family huffing and puffing are yelling "excellency, excellency, run after him...". Gotta say, some outta shape fam I had.
Completely digressing now, but Puno was my home base. I'd stay in other towns during the week, and then head back to Puno on the weekends to shower, process findings, etc...I had grand plans of going back and opening up my own pizza place and calling it, Dos Hornos....lol
When we pulled into the hotel at Puno my dad headed to the dining room and we had a delicious dinner of trout from lake titicaca but I bet that stuff isn't edible these days. (It was actually not a native fish but had been seeded and was doing quite well). So I guess you didn't find the gold, huh? Edit for relevancy's sake: What I noticed in Colorado games is that around the 80' mark the balls begin floating higher and wilder, especially for visting teams. Maybe the teams are more fit these days. It's like altitude affects the brain first without the body knowing what's happening.
I guess Edwards is playing at LM today Presenting your LA Galaxy 💙🤍💛#COLvLA x @ModeloUSA— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) July 17, 2022
It is common for players to way over-hit crosses and long aerial passes at altitude. The air is thinner, the ball flies farther. Galaxy players have done this for the 15 years I've watched them. I always wonder if they are even aware they need to consciously put a bit less power into these passes. I'm sure some are, but I promise you will see a lot of way overhit balls tonight. Of course that isn't anything new, but I predict the percentage will go way up.
Oh my god. They said in three sentences what we've repeated in hundreds of posts. I wish I could just move on like they did...