Once the Alan Gordon Project (similar to the Allen Parsons Project but suckier) was mercifully put to an end Saturday night, the Galaxy showed the teams real potential. I’m not sure what compromising pictures Alan Gordon has of the last two Galaxy coaches, but they must be pretty juicy to get the kind of play he has been given lately. Hopefully the second half turn around will put his midfield career to rest for good. Credit to Gullit for properly diagnosing the problem and not being afraid to use two vital subs early.

I gave Joey Franchino a hard time here in my pre-game column, but I have to say he served a needed purpose against the Dynamo. The tandem of Rico Clark and DeRosario was having the Galaxy any way they wanted through the middle. The Galaxy needed a player to get stuck in and disrupt the rythem of the Dynamo offense. In this respect, Franchino served his purpose. He did, however, tire noticeably towards the end of the game. This was to be expected, since he has seen very little game time in the last year.

This game exposed two positive traits for the Galaxy to take into their Super-Classico this coming weekend:

1. The Will To Win- For two games in a row the Galaxy have battled back from deficits twice in each game. Gullit’s boys are already developing that “Never Say Die” attitude synonymous with winning clubs. The next step? Stop digging holes for themselves. Playing from behind further exposes the Galaxy’s porous defense, as the team must push forward for equalizing goals.

2. The Donovan-Beckham Pairing- With every game this combination grows in confidence. It is not unthinkable for Donovan to win the Golden Boot with the type of service he is receiving every week. Of Donovan’s league leading five goals, three have been assisted by Beckham. In addition to their offensive production, their leadership by example lifted the whole team’s play in the second half.

On a final note, it must be mentioned that for the third straight week Michael Randolph and Sean Franklin set the tone for all the young players on the team. This is extremely important, because every young player on the bench sees the effort of these two and believe that when their name is called on to contribute, they too can excel. And with the Galaxy’s current roster they will definitely be called upon at some point this season.

Post-Script:  I called this game to have at least four goals.  I am now officially looking for a bookie….