It's Bruce Arena's Galaxy Now
Here's Bruce.
Photo by Sean Hiller
It was a more relaxed-looking and less intense-sounding Bruce Arena who was introduced as the Galaxy's new general manager and coach this morning at Home Depot Center.
The former U.S. National Team coach and two-time MLS Cup winner with D.C. United was under no illusions about the scale of the task facing him to get the Galaxy into the playoffs.
"There's a lot of issues we've got to deal with on the personnel side," he said.
"We're not in a great position right now," he added. "We can turn this around. (Galaxy owner AEG) realizes it's not going to happen overnight."
"I told the team the team is not about Landon Donovan or David Beckham," he said. "It's all of us."
Also:
*Cobi Jones will stay with the team as assistant coach.
*Former Chicago Fire coach Dave Sarachan has joined the team as "associate head coach."
*Arena said he is looking at bringing in Eddie Lewis.
The new Galaxy coaching regime: Sarachan, Arena and Jones.
Photo by Sean Hiller
No prizes for guessing my column topic Tuesday.
Back with more later.
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About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005. 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.
Good digging about Cobi = assistant coach and Lewis coming in (adios Ruiz?).
What is a associate head coach?
Nick replies: I had the same question. Near as I can tell, it's a title they give if you've already got an assistant coach and head coach and don't want to call him the deputy coach. I still think it sounds like someone who works at Wal-Mart.
So the "chain of commands is":
$ = AEG & Team DB*
Bruce Arena (GM)
Tom Payne(GM Assistant)
Bruce Arena (Head Coach)
Sarachan (Deputy Head Coach)
Cobi (Assistant Coach)
Trevor James (Assistant Coach / Galaxy Youth "Rios")
Bravo (downgraded to scout only ?)
He better bring in Eddie Lewis or this season is OVER.
Gilbert, I don't think Lewis can save the season. First, he's too old. Second, he can't play at all the positions where the Galaxy needs help. Third, even if the Galaxy signs him, would he come back, given the salary-cap limitations?
I had said that Arena would not take the job unless he received control over all soccer operations. That what he got as President and GM. I was right about that but I was wrong to assume that Leiweke wouldn't give anybody that much control.
Then again, Leiweke wants to survive. If Arena doesn't work out, Leiweke's gone. Count on it.
BTW, I like this hire, if only for the fact that if Leiweke tries to mess with Arena the way he did with Yallop, Arena will tear him limb from limb -- subtly and rhetorically, of course, but tear him up nonetheless.
I hope Leiweke tries to mess w/Arena. He deserves the consequences
I'm with JD'H. Arena may bring in Lewis, but it won't be to "save" the team or the season.
Arena may find some space under the salary cap if Ruiz has a good game Weds vs the US, and the Galaxy can find somebody in the MLS willing to gamble on him (who, Nick?). Ruiz is definitely disposable -- he hasn't had any impact on the Galaxy since his arrival. If they dump him, Arena may be able to convince Lewis to play the final six weeks.
Lewis has played for Arena on the national team, and could help reinforce the "team defense" focus Arena used in the early part of this decade. But the emphasis in that has got to be "team." Rather than looking around for some player(s) who can save the team, Arena's job will be to pull together the players he has.
I think there's enough to work with. The back line can't improve its speed, but the skill level is certainly on par with most of the league. And Arena has been good in working with goalies, which could help Cronin.
The players they have are good enough to beat some winning teams and make the playoffs this year. That would satisfy me. Next year is next year.
Forget evaluation of talent...the off-season can be used for that. The team is not that far from first place or even top tier in the league.
Eddie Lewis would make a huge difference! Don't give up on the season, Galaxy!
Making the playoffs would satisfy you? Anybody can do that in this league. What has happened to Galaxy fans?