Galaxy Post-Game
New England Coach Steve Nichol believed his team deserved to win, Galaxy Coach Ruud Gullit said L.A. deserved at least a draw tonight.
Coaches always say stuff like that of course, but who do you believe?
Gullit said midfield was the biggest problem for the Galaxy tonight:
"People panic under a little bit of pressure and give the ball away to the opposition," he said. "That is the main problem at the moment for this team. It's not that we don't defend. It's just that at vital moments on the pitch we do something unnecesary."
Defense is not the problem? Is he noticing how Abel Xavier plays?
Well, Gullit wasn't about to single Xavier out for criticism:
"It was his man who scored the goal on the corner kick," was about as far as Gullit would be drawn. "He knows that it's his responsibility."
New England's Adam Cristman summed up Xavier's play (or lack thereof) on the second goal:
"I was trying to keep on the other side of Abel and keep him turned around so he didn't know where I was," he said "I guess he lost me."
I guess. Xavier lost me a long time ago.
Here's David Beckham on the effect Landon Donovan had on the game:
"When he did come on he changed the game. ... It put us on the front foot and gave us more space to create chances."
Edson Buddle agreed:
"In the second half we were able to possess the ball and Landon is a good runner with the ball. With the pace that he had he was able to break them down and free up - everyone."
Donovan's influence was all the more remarkable considering his rather nasty sounding bout with the flu meant he couldn't train for two or three days this week.
Gullit was asked straight out whether Carlos Ruiz, who made a perfunctory appearance in the 84th minute will be traded. Reading between the lines, the answer was, yes, considering the 10 goals in 11 games Buddle has scored:
"Every week (Edson) shows how good he is and how important he is to the team. He holds the ball and creates chances. So for Carlos it will be very hard (to start) for those reasons also."
In other words, as Gullit has complained previously, Ruiz doesn't hold the ball or create many chances.
He won't be going to the Columbus Crew in a trade for Frankie Hejduk, though. Gullit said has no idea who the national team defender is. Really. As one colleague observed, he didn't notice Frankie when the Galaxy played the Crew a couple of weeks back?
By the way, Donovan has no idea whether he will be called up as one of three over-age players into the Olympic team and has not talked with U.S. Coach Peter Nowak.
"If asked I'd love to go and if not I'd love to be here," he said. "That's the simplest way to put it."
Quote of the Day goes to the always genial Mike Randolph, who tried to downplay the fact his two chances from Beckham crosses in the first half (that both went wide) constituted virtually the entirety of the Galaxy's offense at that stage of the game: "I have no attacking skills whatsoever," he said.
That's OK, Mike, neither do some of your teammates.
Game story is here.
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About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
Nick, first, given the incredible shrinking soccer coverage in So Cal, I'm glad you are still on the job. I read this blog several times a week and read your column on-line every week.
Second, regarding defense. I agree that Xavier has his weaknesses, chiefly his three major mistakes every game. He's still good in the air, when not making one of his errors and he bring grit. I wouldn't cry if there was a player on the roster who could outplay him.
But I think the defensive problems really start in the midfield with a bunch of players who can't hold the ball, can't dribble, and make abysmal passes. This lack of midfield control just puts incredible stress on a defense and when the defense is the make-shift back line of the Galaxy, it just enhances their deficiencies.
I'd trade Ruiz for someone (or multiple someones) who is (are) as close to Shalrie Joseph as the G's can get.
What's really astounding is that, when asked whether the Galaxy would trade for Frankie Hejduk, Gullit said that he didn't know who that was!
This man coaches the ostensible "jewel of MLS" and doesn't know one of its bigger players, someone who played in three World Cups for the U.S.?
Then again, I'm not surprised. Gullit's comment shows just how little communication there is between him, Bravo and Bozo the Mad Genius when it comes to player personnel. I mean, Gullit signed Franchino because he liked what he saw on a YouTube video! This is any way to run a professional soccer team?
Then again, who said the Galaxy was "professional"?
Compare Gullit with Juan Carlos Osorio of the Red Bulls. Osorio came into MLS in the middle of last season, yet he seems to understand the vagaries of the salary cap and not only work within them, but sign a bunch of players despite having two DPs on the roster: Angel and Reina. And Osorio is on his second team in less than a year!
I realize the Galaxy did Gullit no favors by putting him in charge of a group of players whom he has to train from scratch, mostly. That wouldn't happen in Europe. OTOH, he can't be bothered to learn about a league in which he's supposed to win the championship under orders from Der Fuerher Anschutz and Reich Marshall Leiweke?
Osorio knows those vagaries well enough to have put together a horrible team that he's ready to gut already.
"I can't wait for the 15th of July, when we can sign some players and make a very competitive team," said Osorio. "Because at the moment, I think all of our players have had the chance to shine and stake a claim and a lot of them refuse to do that."