Where should I start? Two sloppy and lackluster performances seems like the best place to start today. The last two games against the Houston Dynamo and the Vancouver Whitecaps were for the lack of a better way to put it: a mess. Does that mean to pull the panic lever yet? No, too early in the season to freak out but far enough along to not want to see this happening not once but twice, especially coming off of such a solid win over Real Salt Lake.

There are a lot of things that can be said, the normal, “Oh Keane and Dunivant were out” etc, etc but that doesn’t mean anything at the end of the day. Two men do not keep the other 9 cohesive. Dissecting both games come down to this: a small mistake created a huge problem.

The defense spread apart and Cudicini didn’t get to the ball quick enough is what the reasoning was ultimately. For the goals scored against the team. However, not finishing in the top third has been a perennial problem for the Galaxy. The team has struggled with getting the ball into the zone to work defensive sides of other teams and when they do it doesn’t take much for the ball to slide back to the midfield.

Does this present a problem? Of course it does. If you can’t get the ball into the net, then you won’t win. If you don’t win, you don’t advance. If you don’t advance you plateau and the plateau is boring. It doesn’t mean that this is where the Galaxy is headed but the issues they have had hint at that.

With Dunivant and Keane set to return this week, a sense of familiarity will help the senior team but moving players in and out of the starting XI should NOT have this big of an effect on the playing of the team as a whole.

The team needs to play cohesively as a unit and move together. If they play sloppy, they lose. It is that simple. The last two games prove that.

With that being said, this whole article isn’t meant to berate or badmouth the team, it is more of an observation on my part. I KNOW that the Galaxy can play fantastic soccer and all of the men on the team CAN work together well. Fatigue sucks but that is where their fitness is tested and we see some incredible things.

Moving on to the next couple games… Philadelphia will be the first chance at gaining some ground that the team has lost. The Union come off of a win and a draw in their past two games. They will look to make up some ground in the Eastern Conference and will be a test for the Galaxy that arrived in Philadelphia on Tuesday. The key for the Galaxy is what has been lacking: ENERGY. If the team starts out moving well, expect a good result. Also look out in the stands for the traveling supporters in the stands. They’ll be chanting loudly.

Here’s to a great game, until next time…

A dominating 1st half for the Galaxy that saw them control the midfield and get multiple shots toward goal ultimately came up short.

So the question should be what happened to the offense? The questions should be what happened to the midfield control in the second half? But ultimately this will come down to missed chances, poor finishing and a lackluster performance by some key Galaxy players.

You want to argue about Tally Hall not receiving a card for his tackle on Jose Villarreal? It’s going to get lost in semantics. The referee deemed the tackle by Tally Hall to not be reckless and not tactical in nature and therefore the cards stayed in the pocket.

Where are we now? An early season loss to a good Houston team is nothing to get too worked up about. But with three straight away games (Vancouver, Philadelphia, New York) this could be seen as a disastrous loss of points.

Robbie Keane needs to find his way back from injury and onto the pitch, and Landon Donovan needs to start finding the back of the net. This team needs a leader and Mike Magee can only score so many goals.

The young players like Jose Villarreal, Charlie Rugg, Greg Cochrane, and Gyasi Zardes need to develop quickly. They need to find a confidence that can’t be shaken by a poor performance and the Galaxy need to start attacking the goal from the inside out. Crosses that find nobody, poor service and no finishing will quickly see points disappear in this parity driven league.

Hopefully this is exactly the motivation that is needed going into a 3 week road trip. Hopefully the Galaxy learn some lessons and get some players healthy on offense. And hopefully the once untouchable captain finds the hunger he needs to find goals when the team needs them. It’s a long road back for Landon and his missed penalty kicks should fuel him toward newer heights. But he’ll keep leaving us asking questions until we see the “Old Landon” back on pitch.

Continued from Part 1
Snapped awake by a text message stating that we were meeting up at the stadium in 30 minutes wasn’t the best way to wake up from a nap, however, I heeded the advise and we got ready and headed out. The hotel was only a couple blocks from the stadium. You could walk outside and see the roof of Rio Tinto, which was pretty cool.

We arrived at the stadium after talking to a few locals telling them about LA and that we had indeed travelled to see the team, they were impressed and very friendly, kudos Utah. We hung out with ACB (as per normal) and got the rundown by Rio Tinto’s very well organized security. We got led into the stadium through the visitor’s entrance and proceeded to our seats. I had the large “war flag” in hand and as we walked we chanted. The RSL fans looked on, not with hate but with an appreciation that we travelled (as it should be, again kudos Utah.)

We sung along with the national anthem, louder than normal, and did what we do best, cheer for 90+ and screamed when the first goal happened at the 6’ mark and again at the 13’ mark. We carried on and had fans staring, definitely a good sign. As the game progressed and the sun set…

We watched the Galaxy hold off a very solid Real Salt Lake side and pick up a victory.

While at the game, during the half, I was approached by a guy asking if the group of us were local or had travelled from LA. This hadn’t been the first time I had been asked but I was happy to answer that we had travelled and explained that we did this frequently. He was impressed and said thanks. Everyone that we talked to that was local to the area was very nice and very friendly. It was a great trip that will be talked about for quite some time by those that went.

Does that mean it was “perfect”? No, a perfect trip in my mind would have been longer than a turnaround, so I could explore the area a bit and visit friends that live a few hours away, but for a quick weekend trip, it was awesome. If you ever get the chance to do a turnaround trip (San Jose away in June/July or thereabouts) definitely do it. You WILL be exhausted but it will definitely be worth it in the end. If you love your team and want to see different parts of the country, this is the way to do it. Support in style and hang out with good friends. It also helps when you visit a venue that there is a competent staff that is there to look out for you and makes sure that your safety is their goal. I have to give a lot of credit to Real Salt Lake and the Rio Tinto Stadium staff for a very enjoyable visit. I look forward to going again next year, hopefully I’ll get a little more time to spend in the area.

With all of that being said, our adventure ended and we headed home. A little over 10 hours of driving and we were back to the IE and glad we took the trip. Just remember that sometimes that its not the destination but the journey that makes it worth it…

Sunday, we’re back at it again at home. The LA Galaxy take on the Houston Dynamo. Be there. No need to tell you that an MLS Cup rematch is worth going to the game… Just go! Plus, Star Wars night. Do I need to say anymore?

Until next time…

I said I’d deliver a special two part blog on what its like to road trip for a Galaxy game. Simple enough, right? No, you have to remember the whole thing in order to tell a story, which because of the fact that I only slept 8 hours from Friday to Sunday, makes it a little more difficult but that’s the fun of road trips.

What do you get when you add 1300 miles, 20 hours in a car, smoke, a 2-0 win and general insanity? The short answer is: a great trip that will be talked about for a long time to come… But it’s not enough to say just that line… I have to get into more details because being vague doesn’t give you the sense of adventure.

This past weekend I travelled with my girlfriend and two other friends went to Sandy, Utah to see the Galaxy take on Real Salt Lake. I originally didn’t think this trip was possible. I work until 5:30pm daily and can’t take time off during the busy season. So I had to stick it out at work (which wasn’t bad, just had to stay busy to help time fly by) then come home before I headed out. I packed quickly, and tried to sleep but like a kid headed to Disneyland, I couldn’t because of anticipation

Our journey began late Friday night (early Saturday) at midnight. My two friends picked us up and we set off on what was the 650-mile journey (one way) up I-15 to get to the stadium by the early part of the afternoon. When you’re in a car for a long time, you find interesting ways to pass the time. Games are played, music is sung, and life’s mysteries are discussed. It’s like even though we’re so far advanced in the 21^st century, the life-blood of human interaction is still the same. That is something that personally makes car trips worthwhile. If you have a group of friends you want to spend time with, that’s the way to do it.

At about 3 am we reached the state line and crossed into Nevada. Primm, our first stop on the journey. Not much to say about it other than for it being late at night, it was still very bright. For those of you that get the reference, there’s a reason why they called it “The Other New Vegas” in Fallout. The desert that came before the stop included passing through Victorville, Barstow and Baker. The towns have grown in recent years but are still small in comparison to Los Angeles and the Inland Empire. Stretching the legs makes you remember why sitting in a car for so long isn’t exactly good for you.

3:30 am. After our stop in Primm concluded we headed towards the city that never sleeps. Las Vegas. If you’re on the road, and you’re like me, determined to get to where you’re going, you won’t stop. We didn’t and that was fine with everyone (slightly odd to be honest). Traveling farther we reached Arizona and then crossed into Utah came just as the sun rose. It had been a long time since I was awake to see that. It is definitely a sight to see and made me appreciate being up all night.

We made our first stop in St George for gas and yet another stretch, we were about halfway there (give or take) and were ready to see the city…
More driving and scenery, the reason for going to Utah, besides watching the Galaxy play RSL is for the scenery, definitely worth checking out. We finally arrived in Sandy, just over 9 hours from when we began. We were exhausted but excited. Fatigue set in and we checked into the hotel and crashed for a few hours before the game…

(More to come tomorrow in part 2)

This doesn’t mean that Sporting Kansas City laid over and let the Galaxy win. They put up a great defensive battle. Up until this last game they had only let 6 shots on goal during their clean sheet run. Sporting also had as good of chances to score. However the Galaxy’s strong defense kept it together to preserve a clean sheet. The Galaxy has had an issue giving up late goals this season and it has cost them more than once.

One could argue that because Sporting Kansas City travelled from playing the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday to play in LA on Saturday that the team was fatigued and didn’t play their best. If that’s the case and this wasn’t their best, I’d be worried if I was the rest of the Eastern Conference. The side was a little fatigued on Saturday but played a great game. As a fan, that’s all I could ask for in a team. Definitely no shame in the way they played. Kudos.

Both Galaxy goals were very well done. The first came in the 27^th minute off an assist from Landon Donovan, Marcelo Sarvas slotted in a quick goal beating the defense and Sporting goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen. The second goal came in the 74^th minute when Robbie Keane passed the ball across the penalty area to Landon Donovan who netted his first goal of the season. Both goals showed what the Galaxy are able to do when they break down the defense.

With a vital three points for the Galaxy they are now sitting at a decent 11 points in 6 games for a 3-1-2 record. As of this writing the Galaxy are sitting in 2^nd place in the Western Conference behind FC Dallas and their 19 points. The Galaxy also have 2 games in hand over FC Dallas.

Next Saturday, the Galaxy are on the road again. They will be travelling to Rio Tinto Stadium to take on Real Salt Lake. I expect a very competitive game from both of the teams as they have always produced great games when they play each other. This match is the battle for 2^nd place in the Western Conference. Real Salt Lake is coming off of a 1-0 victory over a much-improved Chivas USA (yeah, I said it, even though they still get red cards a lot.). Each team has a reserve game on Monday and then they begin to prepare for Saturday night.

Expect to see some blue, white and gold at Rio Tinto cheering loudly for the team. Yes, we’re on the road with the team. I will be bringing you a special 2-part special about the road trip from my home in the IE all the way to Rio Tinto and back. If you’re a fan that wants to travel with the Galaxy, this will give you a look into what exactly we do to travel. It will be a first time for me talking about it. I’ll have pictures and reactions. Until then…

I’m back and I’m pissed. Three losses… The two losses against Monterrey weren’t bad losses. In all honesty, I saw the best that the Galaxy had to offer but fitness/fatigue was their enemy. Does that mean the team is horrible? NO! This team showed me that they have what it takes to hang with the best team in the CONCACAF region and is poised to over take them when the cards are right. Does that mean that I am complacent with the result? Never. I always want to see the Galaxy win trophies, as a fan that’s what I want to see but the loss didn’t turn me off to MY team nor how they played.
I read a lot of pissed off tweets and Facebook posts after both losses to Monterrey and I agreed with them… a little bit that is. I know everyone wants the Galaxy to win but people were not rational with their responses at all. They placed blame on single players and said it was all their fault and if they weren’t there the team would have won. Since when was the internet community the voice of Bruce Arena and the Galaxy staff? Personally, I loved how passionate the team played and how well they kept Monterrey from scoring a lot more than they did. Does that mean that I don’t see any negatives? Not at all, I saw them, the team knows them. They will fix them and be a better team in the long run.
With that being said, the match up against FC Dallas had its pains and bright spots. The loss was a loss. It doesn’t mean much for the Galaxy in the long run. The FCD side has gained quite a bit since last season and a fatigued Galaxy side aided in this loss as did Leonardo getting a red card mid way through the second half. The late goal scored by George John was marred by a stupid FCD “fan” tossing a beer bottle on the field apparently aiming for one of the Galaxy players but striking John in the back of the head. As a fan, I find throwing of anything onto the field (besides streamers during tifo/goal celebrations) abhorrent and disgraceful. It is something that I feel as though is stupid and the “fan” that did that will pay the price for a moment of stupidity. My advice: don’t throw a damn thing onto the pitch. Period.
Saturday we see the Galaxy face off against Sporting Kansas City, whom come off of a win against the New York Red Bulls. The Galaxy have had a week to rest, recharge and train to get into playing shape to go against a very strong SKC side. I feel as though coming off of the hard losses, the team is motivated and ready to prove to MLS why they’re the back to back champions. With nagging injuries on key players such as Sean Franklin and Todd Dunivant and Leonardo serving a one game suspension because of the aforementioned red card, we will see a shift of some of the squad but the line up should be pretty consistent with what has been seen in the last few matches.
Until next time…

Chivas USA in its current form is NOT the team the Galaxy has played in the past. They play a different style of soccer. They play a very rough style that frustrates opponents and that proved to be effective against the Galaxy. With that being said, the team knows what to expect the next two games against Chivas USA. Does this mean write this tie off and move on? Yes, but there is one caveat. The team needs to keep that style of play in the mind regardless of their opponent and they need to keep focused on forcing the game their way.

The game could be analyzed and picked apart for pages upon pages of writing down to very minute details. However, the simple thing the Galaxy can pick up from that game is play their game. Play the way the Galaxy plays well. Do not let another team control that. If the opponent wants to push the game hard, push back. It is simple… in theory. I see the potential but the fruits of that theory remain to be seen.

With Chivas USA in the rearview for right now and Colorado on the horizon, the Galaxy needs to focus. This is potentially the last game before the semi final round of the CONCACAF Champions League begins. A Toronto away game is scheduled however, MLS Commissioner, Don Garber stated that the league would look at moving games for the LA Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders so that each team can focus on CCL play.

Colorado will be at the Home Depot Centor for the Galaxy. This game will be played on Saturday night. This is fantastic for the fans (like myself) that roasted on Sunday. A cooler evening will make the fans perk up and be louder. It is also where the Galaxy tend to excel. Games played in cooler temperatures and later in the evening seem to have the Galaxy play at their best.

The Colorado Rapids side is suffering with goalkeeper Matt Pickens out with an injury sustained on Saturday. Pickens will be out for about four months. This will have Colorado moving in a slightly different form. Their back up (possibly Clint Irwin, who replaced Pickens on Saturday) will be on deck for the next game and will be tested by the Galaxy’s strikers. The Galaxy will be without Captain Robbie Keane and Defender Omar Gonzalez as both have been called up for international duty for the Republic of Ireland and the United States, respectively. There has not been any chatter as to whom will be named captain for the team while Keane is on international duty.

Saturday will be a test of depth for the team and the first time in recent memory that there will be no Designated Player on the line up. I expect a few surprises but the core of the team will remain the same. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Mike Magee play up top with Jose Villareal. I’d be happy returning Tommy Meyer in the center back position based on his performance last season, however with his hamstring injury, he might not get the start but a substitution in the latter half of the game if he is fit to play.

Time will tell. Until then let the speculation continue…

With an impressive 4-1 win for the Galaxy in last night’s CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) Quarter Final Second Leg, the Galaxy are set to face back to back defending CCL champions, Monterrey of Mexico in the Semi-Final round of the competition. The game was played well with a couple of moments where the midfield and the defense didn’t connect but it was a solid game for the team regardless of the faults that were made.
What does the win mean for the Galaxy? The advancement to the semi-final round means they need to put all of their focus into CCL and with the home leg, keep Monterrey off of the score sheet and get goals. The Seattle Sounders showed that an MLS club can beat a Liga MX side (Tigres) in CCL competition, however, Monterrey has gone a lot farther than any other CONCACAF club in recent years. They finished 3rd in the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup. Does this mean the Galaxy will be bounced out of the semi-final round and have to start again next year? No, the Galaxy have a previous CONCACAF Championship having won the Champion’s Cup in 2000. The organization knows how to win and to win this round will not only show that this current roster is capable of big things, but it also elevates the MLS in the process. With that being said, the next round has not been announced as of this writing.
On the horizon for the team is the first round of the Honda SuperClassico against in stadium rivals, Chivas USA. This will be a test for the team’s fitness to see how prepared they can be with only a few days to rest and re-focus on MLS play. I expect to see a few of the younger players getting the start this weekend and playing most of the game. This will also be a test of the depth of the team as well. Last season we saw what a lack of depth could do to the team and because of that the Galaxy had two very painful eliminations from two tournaments. Do I feel as though the Galaxy should phone this one in? After seeing two losses to Chivas last season, I say not at all. The team knows the price of losing early in the season and they do not want to duplicate that. The Galaxy need to look to pick up 3 points this week against Chivas and focus on what is to come in CCL and MLS competition over the next couple of months.

If you watched the home opener on Sunday, which because you’re a fan you were there or were watching it on television, you saw Mike Magee net his first career hat trick and help the Galaxy defeat the Chicago Fire, 4-0. Captain Robbie Keane netted the fourth goal and because you watched it you heard this from ACB: Magee, Magee, Magee is on fire! Couldn’t sum that up better now could we? It was fantastic start to the very long, very busy season ahead.

My first player to watch from this last match was Goalkeeper, Carlo Cudicini. He was tested a few times and made a great save off of a free kick. He had one shot almost get by him when the defense didn’t catch the Fire attack quickly enough but his debut for the Galaxy was indeed successful and I expect to see him tested more and perform well.

My second player to watch from the game was Captain Robbie Keane. Do I think he performed well? One word sums up how I feel: YES! He netted the 4th goal of the match and assisted in the set pieces that got the other goals. With a faster pace being played by the team it shows him at his best.
Now, because I didn’t have either of them on the list of players to watch: Leonardo made his first start for the Galaxy since multiple injuries have kept him out of action for the better part of two seasons. His presence in the back compliments the height of Omar Gonzalez well and he showed how well he could play this weekend. The other of course is Mike Magee. If you would have told me last week that Magee would have his first career hat trick in a 4-0 win over Chicago, I’d be skeptical. Anything is possible but not probable. Magee went on the pitch with a purpose on Sunday and for that he won the MLS Player of the Week award.

Focus is now on CONCACAF Champions League play against CS Herediano in Costa Rica. The Galaxy have a tough team in Herediano to face in a two leg format. The team needs to focus on defense and pace. The altitude will affect each player differently and they are aware of what they need to do to push early and keep the pressure on. We will see what damage the Galaxy can do to the Costa Rican side.

So, with that being said, the season is officially under way and from Section 121, the view looks great. Hope to hear a loud stadium like this past weekend for every home game.

Until next time…

I will admit that I have been guilty of not watching what other teams have been up to in the offseason. Keeping up with the Galaxy’s moves has been more than enough for me to keep busy making sense of it all and piecing it all together.

With that being said, our opponent this Sunday is the Chicago Fire. This team has been labeled a team to watch in 2013 thus far. Do I feel as though the Galaxy should write this off? NO! This is game one. If you reach into the beginning of last season, a lot of people thought that the Galaxy would win again Real Salt Lake and command the Western Conference, just like 2011… We all know how that turned out. Chicago should not be taken lightly and will be the first test for the team in this form. A few key players have moved into the team and this is their first real test.

My first person to watch is Carlo Cudicini. He hasn’t let a lot past him and getting to know the defenders in front of him will definitely be a test. He seems to be moving and adjusting quite well. I will watch him move in the goal and direct the defense in front of him. If a clean sheet comes out of Sunday, I’d call it a complete success however, if he concedes any goals, it will not be a failure.

My second person to watch is Robbie Keane. Keane has been a beast in preseason to put it bluntly. He’s scored and played quite well. The defacto captain will continue to lead while Landon Donovan is still out. That leadership he brings to the field will definitely help going into this tough schedule to begin the season.

My third person to watch is LA Galaxy Captain, Landon Donovan. I know he’s not back yet but he will be soon. He will return to training in the next couple weeks and will be back in the lineup sometime before the end of April. How well he adjusts when he comes back will be a big deal as he has stated that he wants to play at the national level again.

Do I feel as though Donovan’s absence will affect the team? Yeah, it probably will but not in a visible way. Do I agree with David’s thoughts from last week? (See http://www.thesection108.com/2013/02/19/yeah-but-shes-hot/) To a point. I do feel as though Donovan should be back now but that’s my stubborn side. The Galaxy have to continue to perform without him there. Is his stock slipping? Right now I would say yes but before too long it will go right back up. We will see him soon and that is that.

Now for the fun part as they say… Sunday will be busy for everyone. If you’re in a supporter group, you will catch up with your friends. If you’re not, go early and mingle. Don’t be afraid to talk to any of them. They’re all great people. Or hang out with a group that you came with. Gates will be open early. Its going to be a fantastic opener.

I’m excited to see what this team can do. Sunday can’t come soon enough. If you can’t be there, find it on TV and watch. You won’t be disappointed…

Until next week…