P/I/P Season 29 Game 2: LA Galaxy at San Jose, 3/2/2024, 7:30 p.m. PST Apple TV

There’s definitely a different vibe to this team, but I don’t think “we’re so back” just yet. Despite the bad and biased commentary (Rogo, is and has always been terrible) San Jose were never in this game; they look bad and their goal was very scruffy.

We looked good in stretches, but lots of ball watching, lots of turnovers/bad passes. Lots of new pieces to the team so it’s reasonable to think they’re getting used to each other and that will improve as the season progresses.

Vanney’s first subs were a huge gamble. I get the logic behind it, but that had all the hallmarks of backfiring. Chemistry, momentum all were off after those two exits. A better team would have exploited that and I don’t believe Vanney is wise enough to have seen San Jose were toothless. Struck me as a sort of rote “we’re up 3-0 in the 60th, we should rest players”, or maybe concerns over last year’s injury crisis.

 

I love when we get new players and they immediately buy into the Galaxy Kool Aid and arent afraid to be vocal about it..

Beyond the goals its that Paintsil just “plays” no pointing or head down after a turnover.. he made a bad pass, chased deep into our box, then wound up as an option for a pass prior to Joves goal..

So far so good, way ahead of last seasons pace, but I do wish we had kept some more pieces from last year.. I had hoped Sharp would still be here, would make. greta sub and brought in that “******** you” energy…

Anyhow, happy for whats shown so far, we have some weaknesses on defense and I still think Puig needs to pace himself and his workload but so far so good… as the Simpsons said.. not “pride” as much as “less shame” so far..

 

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we used to see Klein twice a year, tops.

 

LA Galaxy MUST take advantage of this and get in touch with Naughty By Nature to begin using their famous 90's jam O-P-P and get the whole stadium to chant "YOU DOWN WITH PPP? YEAH YOU KNOW ME!" :-D That would be awesome...

 

I thought I heard on the Apple Broadcast (but it could have been elsewhere) that Pec is getting/got married. I could see him requesting and getting time off from practice if he was getting married and he had family & friends coming in from Brazil for the wedding.

 

I really think it comes down to how you obtained your success, Kuntz grinded out a career in other sports and worked his way up and from what I can gather he wasn't handed anything, he has had to work hard, and I think his ambition drives him, a lot like Leiweke

klein on the other hand had an average soccer career, nuzzled up to the owner by sharing the same beliefs and shot up the career ladder, without really paying his dues or earning his promotions, dude coasted for years on his beliefs and not his front office experience and it took a fan revolt to get him out.

TLDR; Kuntz is a man of the people, klein is a corporate shill.

 

the same can be said about you, good sir.

 

This is fun! Although we are still incomplete as a team, we look like we can be deadly at any moment. Last year there were games where I just couldn't see us scoring, this year we have multiple weapons. Painstill making everyone around him better. Pec had a good hard shot as well - I can see those going in. Going to be a good season!

 

Remember the old days when I was the numbers person?

 

Well just remember that it was Becks that was always jumping on LD's back to celebrate whenever Landon would jack a team with a goal or two so my comparison is not that far off lol. Plus like Beckham before him, Riqui will likely create way more goals than he scores whereas LD could do both at a high clip. Let me dream!!!

 

true

but if Beckham scored the goal off an LD assist, would he jump on LD's back like LD scored?

There's something unique about the way Riqui is pumped for everyone else on our squad.

 

What is the over/under that Riqui remains a G for life?

 

Great game. Doyle also gave Yamane props, I agree.

Also feels weird to watch the entire 95 minutes.

 

I know right. The fear that teams and their fan bases would have when they saw the G's on the schedule. It was glorious. And the fact that we partied while doing it lol. I really believe that we are primed to create new days of glory. I know it's early but still.

 

From Doyle:

I noticed this too and was pleased to see Vanney's adjustment. On the other hand, it felt that we were falling into our old behavior in the second half. There was that one big counter from San Jose where we turned the ball over with everyone pushed forward and flat footed. You could almost see the players looking at each other and saying "we should probably not all be up here". Better teams will score on that.

 

Yeah I was thinking of this. All our goals are some version of transition goals this year. It seems to work a lot better for us than possesion tiki taki. Maybe we can do both with the new fire power but defensively i feel a lot more secure when we are sitting deeper and countering than pushed high an possessing.

I seem to recall, as well, that we have a better record last few years with less than 50% possession than when greater than 50% possession. That said, we did out possess SJ so maybe we're learning how to do both things decently.

 

Yamane feels like we got Araujo back.

 

Incomplete? yes! but not incompetent anymore which is a change a long time coming. We need to secure a couple depth dudes before this window closes and wait for the third DP in the Summer.

 

Except that Araujo used to get lackadaisical sometimes on defense. So far I haven't seen anything like that from Yamane.

 

I sensed a few times where it seemed Yamane was frustrated not getting the ball after making runs into the final third and not getting the pass.