WANTED: Central defender under 32 years old for emergency backline upgrade.  Perks include sunshine, superstar groupie leftovers and a free copy of Alexi Lala’s new CD.  Crazy hairstyle preferred but not mandatory.

For the second home game in a row the LA Galaxy saw their hard earned goal differential slip away due to sloppy defense and mental lapses.  Normally you won’t see me call out Chris Klein in my breakdowns here at ASR.  No one out works this guy.  His endless overlaps and two way play really fuels the Galaxy’s dangerous right flank.  But he needs to be called out for what can only be defined as a senseless penalty Saturday night.  Now it is true that Robbie Rogers was probably not going to get to the ball, and to some that makes the call controversial, yet if we all knew he wasn’t going to get there, Klein should have as well which makes his foul that much worse.

While we are riding the blame wagon a few more people need to be piled on.  Steve Cronin’s “save”, the rebound from which resulted in Columbus’ third goal, was not what is expected of a starting keeper in MLS.   Cronin has two options, hold the ball or punch it WIDE.  Simply parrying the ball down into the middle of the six yard box is never an option and the Galaxy was justly punished.

But let’s give credit where credit is due.  Edson Buddle’s goal on the night was absolutely clinical.  It was the type of goal that shows a striker oozing with confidence.  For the second home game in a row Buddle has finished side netting from acute angles.  This bodes well for a Galaxy attack that is already the most dangerous in the league.   His continuing hot streak furthers my suggestion that the Galaxy should unload Carlos Ruiz in the upcoming transfer window in order to bolster their defense.

One Liners:

-How bad is Landon wishing he had chosen to hit that sitter with his left foot now?

-The call and response chants back and forth between LARS and ACB is now one of my favorite parts about home games.

-Maybe Beckham should not be expected to convert that last shot Saturday night, but he should definitely be expected to put the ball on frame.

-I am convinced the guy that sits in front of my season seats is the exact look-a-like of the captain of the Wizard from the Deadliest Catch.

-There is a 50/50 chance my fiance would leave me by my wedding day if Ante Jazic asked her out.

Coming up this weekend is cracker of a game.  Galaxy vs DC United.  It is the first MLS rivalry.  Every Galaxy fan remembers the feeling as Eddie Pope’s rain soaked head put the winning goal past our 96 team.  It is the Man U vs Arsenal of our little league.  The best part about this years matchup from a fans point of view?  NEITHER team can play a lick of defense and both are capable of dropping 5 goals on you.  It is the perfect game for a nationally televised network broadcast.

Like the Galaxy, I am on the road this weekend so check back in later this week for Julian Valentin’s blog to get your Galactico fix.

Popularity: 25%

Apologies for being late this week, but it was an intense weekend of sports here in So. Cal. You had our favorite Galacticos visiting our most storied rivals The Smurfs, the Lakers making history in all the wrong ways, and the US showing the rest of CONCACAF that they are, indeed, the biggest fish in this small pond.

God, I wanted to be on that bus to Oakland this weekend, but alas when you have a month till your wedding you don’t get to go away for many drunken weekends of debauchery, besides the bachelor party. For those who may not know, the Riot Squad in conjunction with the front office organized the fantastic opportunity to travel with 300 other Galaxy fans up to Oakland via bus to support the Galaxy. My hat is off to you guys. By all accounts, including mine on the Biggie HD (Yes I name my TV), you guys did great. Through the whole game chants of “L-A Galaxy” could be heard to a nationwide audience. Congratulations to the Riot Squad, Angel City Brigade, Galaxians and all the other Galaxy fans who represented.

The Galaxy’s 3-0 win was the type of performance that makes you feel, maybe it is finally safe to trust this team again. The shutout alone should hopefully do wonders for the defense’s confidence. The good news? They now have two shutouts on the year. The bad news? They both are against expansion side San Jose. The good news? They are both against expansion side San Jose. So while it feels good to beat those little Smurfs, it’s kinda like the bully beating up the kid at school with the helmet on… It’s just not very fulfilling and kinda sad.

In terms of team analysis I really have one question for the Galaxy fans. Does this team need Carlos Ruiz? By that I do not mean to trivialize the man’s talents. His career speaks for itself. But consider the following, with no contributions from Ruiz this team already possesses the #1 offense in the league. Yet it lacks strength in defense. So is Ruiz’s max salary slot being used to its utmost potential? There are plenty of teams out there in need of strikers, with an unused DP slot available in trade. Both Real Salt Lake and San Jose could easily trade their DP slot for Ruiz, assuming that either team is willing to try to spend the money to resurrect their playoff hopes. The Galaxy could then turn that DP slot into a quality central defender.

In other So. Cal soccer events I had the pleasure of sitting with Sam’s Army for the United States’ thrashing of Barbados on Sunday. What a day. 8 goals and every time this was my view of the field.

I don’t know if I can ever go back to a regular seat again. Plus that flag provided the only shade on a brutally hot day. The best part about the 8-0 win for Galaxy fans is that this means Landon Donovan will be back in town for the return of Sigi and his Columbus Crew. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to getting a first hand look at Robbie Rogers. The kid has looked good so far this season.

Exciting announcement this week here at ASR. Julian Valentin has signed on to do a weekly blog. My question to him… Are there any interesting prop bets going on revolving around player’s Euro picks?

Lastly, a moment of silence for my fallen Lakers. I’m afraid in this scenario LA was the kid in the helmet.

Popularity: 23%

Rivalries are one of the true joys of fandom. Nothing beats the feeling of absolute loathing pumping through your veins as the opposing team takes the field. I can say with true sincerity that there are few things on Earth that I hate more than the L.A. Galaxy. I know that there are consistent attempts to pump up the Chivas U.S.A.-Galaxy derby as the number one clasico in the country, especially in the absence of the Quakes, and I appreciate the rivalries among other teams in the league, both new and old, but let’s be real here. Those who have been watching this league for awhile know that the Quakes-Scum…I mean, Galaxy, match-up is the premier organic rivalry in MLS. It is an outgrowth of true grassroots hate and mythology. As such, it is absolutely beautiful and to be celebrated.

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It’s a chance for redemption. The 4-0 thrashing by Colorado on opening day must still be lingering on the collective minds of the LA Galaxy. They were embarrassed that day and subsequently torched in the the media world wide. There is no altitude to use as a crutch Saturday night, so the Galaxy need to show the West why they deserve to be the #1 team.

Back from international duty will be David Beckham, Carlos Ruiz and Ante Jazic. Of those three, only Beckham’s absence played any role in LA’s loss in Toronto. With Landon Donovan away with the USA in New York, this needs to be the game where Ruiz shows the league he is back. He went the full 90 minutes for Guatemala midweek, so we know he is back to near full fitness. What remains to be seen, however, is if he still has his scorers touch. To make the storyline even better, Ruiz could get his first start since returning from injury against the very team that blew out his knee with a terrible tackle. I suspect that El Pescadito will have no problem finding motivation for this game.

Colorado are not without their own player absences. With Mike Petke out through injury, and both Bouna Coundoul and Pablo Mastroeni away with their respective national teams, the leagues most potent offense is going up against a defense with large holes in it. Mastroeni’s absence denies Christian Gomez every attacking midfielder’s greatest asset, an enforcer doing the dirty work in midfield. Gomez will have a difficult time getting free to press forward if his defensive duties are increased.

My most exciting matchup to watch Saturday night? Herculez Gomez vs everyone. The Galaxy faithful have not forgotten what Herc meant to us in 2005. He took a lot of pride in that season, and he will be keen to show the Galaxy what they lost by trading him. If you go by stats, the Galaxy haven’t missed much, but every team would love to have a passionate player such as Herculez in their clubhouse. My bet is that Fernando Clavijo will find some way to get Gomez on the field Saturday night, whether as a sub or starter.

From a fan’s perspective, another interesting sub-plot Saturday night will be the “official” return of the Bacon Wrapped Hotdog. A Galaxy street vendor staple since the days of the Rose Bowl, and banned in LA County. The Galaxy Front Office has arranged for the sale of these illustrious items at two grill locations inside the HDC. My hope is that the concession stands can make them with the same taste as those wonderful people in the parking lots on shopping carts. Full report to follow on this breaking news…

Also, on the rumor front… Clint Mathis was seen on the sidelines of the Galaxy practices this week. Rumor has it that Ergotelis, his Greek club, has not renewed his contract. I believe the Galaxy still own his MLS rights. Could Cletus be looking for both a teammate and drinking partner in Joey Fanchino? We’ll see. I, for one, hope he comes back.

My Homer Prediction: 2-1 Galaxy

My Homer Lineup:

Cronin

Klein - X - Franklin - Vanney

Beckham - Pires - MickeyD - Randolph

Ruiz - Buddle

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This was their chance. To prove that, at least for one game, they were not just a star’s supporting cast, but players deserving of the leagues respect. With Beckham away on national duty, and Donovan nursing a groin injury, the Galaxy’s lesser knowns were going to have the spotlight. What happened? Stage Fright.

Let’s be honest about this game, it was ugly. Both teams were missing big names. The result was a sloppy game where neither team could string any quality combinations together. The difference however, was that TFC seemed to work harder.

The first half ended scoreless, with the rain starting to poor. The Galaxy had a really tough time adjusting to the wet Field Turf of Toronto in the second half. Every ball seemed to require an extra touch to control. Everyone knows that Toronto has the best home field advantage in the league, but Saturday’s game showed it isn’t only because of its fans. Toronto seemed to understand the pitch and how it would react to the rainy conditions. The Galaxy were left befuddled.

Let’s talk Abel Xavier for a sec. The guy had two decent games for LA leading into Saturdays contest. But can the Galaxy afford to keep a guy around that either cannot or will not play on artificial surfaces? In a Galaxy back line that already is one of the worst in the league, can they really risk the inconsistencies this brings to the team? Roughly 25% of teams in MLS play home games on artificial turf. I don’t see how the Galaxy can expect their defense to improve when the back line will be changing week to week, especially on the road. What this defense needs is some consistency.

Give credit to Toronto. They battled and scrapped for their two goals, with their first coming from a nice aerial effort from James. The Los Angeles strikers, however, could not produce. What became quite apparent in this game, was the lack of creativity through midfield, when both Beckham and Donovan go missing. You cannot expect to start three holding midfielders in Franchino, McDonald, and Pires across a four man midfield and see offensive results. It is my same complaint of Bob Bradley at the national team level. Too many holding players and not enough creativity. And that statement really sums up the Galaxy’s performance this weekend.

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In my pre-game analysis of this matchup I missed out on what would be it’s most pivotal breakdown.  Coaching.  This game really did come down to that.  What we all saw on the field that day were two teams, one who is buying into their coach’s ideals and one that has given up on them.

With every game you get the sense that the Galaxy is building.  Even the defense allowed less than their average amount of goals (Credit to Cronin).  More than that, however, is the rhythm with which the Galaxy seems to be developing.  If you compare the style of play LA tried to force early in the season, it was very direct, with long balls and counter attacks.  In the last three to four games LA has adopted a possession and first and second touch passing through midfield that reminds me of the great DC United teams of the last two years.  For this the credit must go to Ruud Gullit.

Ruud came to the team saying priority one needed to be fitness.  To play the style the Galaxy currently are takes a tremendous work ethic off the ball.  Making runs into space to create passing lanes and developing triangles for one touch passing is a tiring process.  Yet even in the stifling heat of Pizza Hut Park the Galaxy was able to impose their style onto the game.  Credit Ruud’s commitment to conditioning for Sunday’s success.

Now in a fitting tale of two cities we have to look at FC Dallas.  This team was never in the game after Cronin made that great kick save on Kenny Cooper.  Once they got behind they gave up.  Their body language said it all.  Sluggish movement of the ball forward and stagnant passing spelled a slow painful death for Dallas fans.  It deserves mention that the only two people who seemed to not give up were Cooper and Oduro.  They kept pressing and never stopped believing that if they worked hard at least they could leave with their dignity in hand.

Steve Morrow, the Dallas Coach, really is in trouble here.  He doesn’t seem to have the confidence of his players anymore and the TV shot of him with his head in his hands said it all.  He wasn’t on his feet trying to breathe some passion into his players, but instead he was postured in the international sign for surrender.  As much as I have always liked Morrow for his dedication to sticking up for the American game every time he is interviewed, something has to change in Dallas.  And it may have to start with him.

One last note regarding Gullit.  His use of Franchino in the left mid slot was bothersome to me when I first saw it in the lineups.  But once the ball started rolling what I saw was a very nice compliment to Vanney.  Having Franchino out wide allowed Vanney to freely overlap and get forward, because Franchino can easily cover the left back spot.  This makes me even more happy for Ante Jazic’s immanent return, because he is more potent going forward than Vanney.  While Franchino may not be much of an offensive threat from left midfield, on a team with plenty of offense it’s good to see a nice defensive adjustment.

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So your team loses a nail biter to New York and you want to get the team back on track. What would you do if you were the Galaxy? How about play a pointless exhibition game in Canada, in order to ensure that your players are tired for their important division game on Sunday. It seems over the last two years that the Galaxy front office has put off the field success before on the field results. Decisions such as the Vancouver Whitecaps exhibition game and the grueling pre-season tour are evidence of this. FC Dallas have to like their odds coming into this game.

Priority number one for the Galaxy this weekend: Stop Kenny Cooper. The Kenny Cooper match up should be treated similar to the Jozy Altidore one from the week prior. Both strikers boast large frames and good pace. The difference? Cooper is on form, Jozy is not.

The best way to stop Cooper is to deny him service. Unfortunately for the Galaxy there is a lot of talent in the midfield for Dallas supplying Cooper. Juan Toja had a great start to the season before picking up a knock a few weeks back. He should be back to full form this week, which means Joey Franchino will have to step up and slow the ball every time Toja gets a touch. Look for Joey to get physical early with Toja and try to get his head out of the game from the start.

The other midfield threats are Arturo Alvarez and Dax McCarty. McCarty is out with a hernia injury, and that is huge for the Galaxy. This FC Dallas team has fed on McCarty’s energy through the beginning of this season. He really is the engine of the midfield. So if McCarty is the engine, what does that make Alvarez? He would be the 22″ rims, flashy as hell, everyone wants some, but they don’t necessarily improve the ride. No player finished last season with more upside than Arturo Alvarez. Yet to start the 2008 campaign, he has struggled to find a way to impose his style of play on opponents as he did last season. His two goals and 2 assists are nothing to scoff at by any means. But there is no reason, that on a team that has him surrounded by quality like Toja and Cooper, that Alavarez shouldn’t have similar numbers as Robbie Rogers in Columbus. He has that ability. On a day where he could match up against a slow footed Greg Vanney, Alvarez may see a fun afternoon.

For the Galaxy the biggest question mark going into this game is Landon Donovan. The league’s leading goal scorer didn’t make the trip to Vancouver and is listed as questionable on the teams injury report. The fact that he is making the trip to Dallas at all, is probably a sign that he will play. Also perhaps making an appearance Sunday is Ante Jazic. He saw time against the Whitecaps and may see some time off the bench against Dallas. This is a welcome sight for Galaxy fans who have watched their defense concede a league’s worst 15 goals.

My Homer Prediction: 2-2 Tie

My Homer Lineup:

Cronin

Klein - Roberts - Franklin - Vanney

Beckham - Mickey D - Fran-drink-o - Randolph

Donovan - Flash Gordon

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I’m back from the brink. The brink of debauchery that is… I missed last weeks Galaxy coverage due to my pressing need to be in Vegas for a bachelor party. As any guy knows, it is against Bro Code to turn such opportunities down. Let me tell ya, I partied like I was Joey Franchino at a midget tossing competition serving a free Schlitz for every bulls eye. It’s all good anyway, because I spared my eyes the fugliness that is the Rice “Kankles” Stadium. Seriously, is there an uglier field anywhere else in the country? In my opinion the fact that his goals happened on that field, probably cost Beckham goal of the week.

Anyway, onto the New York game. The Galaxy return home after a tough earned draw on the road last week. I have one word that describes my feeling going into this week’s game: Nervous. You have the league’s worst defense in LA. Going up against an under-achieving NYRB offense that is looking to finally explode. The Angel-Altidore tandem has not met expectations yet, but you know it is there, just waiting to come out. And Saturday at the HDC may be their opportunity.

The matchups don’t look that bad on paper for LA. The one place Abel Xavier has looked good this season is in the air, so hopefully he should be able to negate some of Angel’s stellar play from his head. Along with this, Sean Franklin’s speed can definitely keep pace with Altidore’s, but where Altidore gets him is in size. Franklin has great hops, but he’s giving up at least 25-30 pounds to Jozy. Luckily for Franklin his counterpart is coming off a week that saw him miss two days of training due to an allergic reaction, so he may not be 100%.

LA has caught a few other breaks this week as well, with both Claudio Reyna and Seth Stammler not making the trip to the Golden State. The good news? The loss of these two players will make New York far weaker through the middle of the field. The Bad News? The Galaxy doesn’t have the personnel down it’s own center to take advantage of this. Unless, of course, Ruud chooses to slot Donovan into the midfield, but his league leading eight goals makes that highly unlikely.

Los Angeles instead will have to try to work from the wings, just like New York. This week we are treated to some of the best wide players in the league going head to head. The Galaxy’s combination of Klein and Beckham has been potent all season so far, and their ESP gets stronger every game. Klein’s ability to get forward, however, will be severely hampered by his need to keep Dave Van Den Bergh honest on NY’s left side of midfield.

On the other side of the field the Red Bulls have to love the idea of watching Dane Richards torching the stone feet of Greg Vanney. Look for Ruud to adjust by giving Michael Randolph a lot more defensive responsibilities so that Vanney gets help. He is going to need it.

Finally, don’t forget it is Mother’s Day this weekend. I’m taking my momma to the game, so don’t let her down G’s! Let’s keep this train rolling.

Popularity: 19%

As first reported on the LA Galaxy Blog, Ante Jazic has obtained a United States green card. By now holding dual citizenship Los Angeles has freed up a Senior International slot on it’s roster. Granted, they have no salary cap space, but the SI slot is not the true worth of this acquisition. Jazic’s league wide trade value is now at an all-time high. Just as he no longer counts as an SI for the Galaxy, he also does not count on any other teams roster. This greatly increases his trade possibilities.

But should he be traded?

LA is looking deep at left back with Mike Randolph and Sean Franklin both excelling at the position. Let’s not also forget that both Greg Vanney and Michael Gavin can play on the left side as well. OK, maybe we can forget that… But it still begs the question, how many left sided defenders does one team need? The answer? Less than this…

Look for the Galaxy to start making phone calls around the league shopping for defensive improvements. Specifically, center back. Perhaps the combination of one of the afore-mentioned defenders and Edson Buddle to a team like Houston who is struggling for goals in exchange for Bobby Boswell. Houston would gain an additional offensive option while still retaining a defender.

No matter who comes calling, the Galaxy just gained a valuable piece of trade bait. And I expect them to use it.

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I have to give it up to Alex, the Chivas USA columnist here at American Soccer Reader. He is professional and his writing style could fit seamlessly into any publication. I, however, have no such lofty aspirations. I am a Blogger, plain and simple. I post my opinions and am in no way unbiased. That’s why I can say, I hate Chivas USA. Everything from their fans, to their players, to the fact I have to see their banners in the parking lot. Now that that’s cleared up, lets take a look at tonight’s 5-2 Galaxy win.

You’ll have to excuse Chivas’ early 1-0 deficit, they were still in shock of seeing what a full Home Depot Center looks like. Better take note Goats, because rent is due on the first and you can’t pay it in empty seats. There were no empty seats tonight though. What an atmosphere at the HDC. It must be said that all the supporters groups showed great spirit. Having both the Angel City Brigade and The Riot Squad at separate ends really fills the stadium with sound. In the last 15 minutes even the soccer moms started picking up the chants.

The Super Classico always brings out the best of these two teams and tonight was no different. Every ball was fought over and as usual there was controversy. Landon started it off early with an intentional hand ball to try and create a goal scoring opportunity. He was rightly carded, but what a great way to start the game off… instant animosity. Speaking of Landon, what a great month the Inland Empire native is having. Eight goals in five games is good enough to put him atop the league goal scoring list. Best of all he did it with grit tonight. It was a very Taylor Twellman like effort, scrappy. He fought for every goal and was rewarded with a hat trick.

Another person enjoying a great first month of the season is Sacha Kljestan. His curler into the far 90 was a superb strike. What I didn’t enjoy however was his taunting of the Galaxy supporters groups and fans afterwards. Haven’t players learned yet not to piss of Landon Donovan? Once you do, you bring him into the game. Donovan’s response? Two more goals. It felt so good to see Sacha make the walk of shame past the Riot Squad with the scoreboard reading 5-2 above him.

Not everything was rosy with the Galaxy however. Another defender goes to ground, another goal scored by their opposition. When will the Galaxy backline start staying on their feet? Abel Xavier had no need to go to ground to clear the ball that would eventually result in Chivas’ second goal. The Galaxy insist on playing a crazy style of soccer that is both absolutely infuriating and entertaining as hell.

I guess I owe Alan Gordon a bit of an apology after his two goal performance tonight. But in my defense, tonight, he was playing where he should be, up top as a target man. And credit to him for not giving up on the third goal. His desire to will that ball into the net completely eclipsed Guzan’s routine approach to a very dangerous ball.

In all, the Galaxy sent this fan home happy tonight. My belly is warm with a Bacon Wrapped Hot Dog, my heart is full of pride for my team and my mind is at ease that perhaps my team has turned a corner from the dark memories of last season.

Popularity: 21%