I will be trying out a new format this week, with a general analysis of what I expect to see in tomorrow’s match-up, followed by a side-by-side comparison of the teams.  This contest against the Red Bulls is the most anticipated of the year, simply because it’s our first chance to see Huckerby, Lima, and Sealy in action.  Quakes fans have pinned their hopes on this trio.  If not the playoffs, we are at least hoping that they can lead us to some more exciting soccer.  With the coming of new players, there has been the exit of others, with Joe Vide waived after disappointing in his few appearances, and Kamara traded to Houston in exchange for a draft pick and allocation money.  The theme of tomorrow will be hope, however, and moving towards the future.

 Of all opponents to try out our new look squad against, it seems like the Red Bulls are the perfect choice.  They sit at the bottom of the eastern conference, and appear to be doomed to yet another year of mediocrity and failure (sorry RB fans, but it’s the truth).  Then again, its never wise to underestimate any opponent, especially given our own cellar-dwelling status. 

The Red Bulls will most likely match up a 4-4-2 against our own, with the difference being that they tend to more clearly position an attacking and defensive mid, while Yallop favors side-to-side central midfielders who can either defend or go forward.  The key danger man for New York is of course Juan Pablo Angel, so the Quakes need to cut off his service and dominate possession in the midfield, both of which are possible given that the Quakes probably have the better personnel now. 

Jeff Parke is a good defender, so Sealy needs to make good runs and keep him occupied, opening up space for the likes of Huckerby.  Expect the Quakes to line up something like this:

                   Sealy-Johnson

Huckerby-Lima-Corrales-O’Brien

Denton-Garcia-Cochrane-Hernandez

                        Cannon

For the most part, it looks good, but I can’t understand why Yallop has decided to keep Denton on the field instead of putting Guerrero in at the left back spot.  While Denton has been surprisingly solid, Guerrero has been one of our best performers this season and can provide an attacking punch from that position.  Perhaps Yallop feels that Denton has developed more of an understanding with the rest of the backline, but I still think Guerrero should get the nod.  Similarly, given Cochrane’s struggles, I would keep Garcia and Hernandez in the middle, and hand the right back spot to Kelly Gray, who has played with heart. 

The Quakes are sure to be fired up and full of optimism given their new look, while the Red Bulls are at a low point mentally.  I see this as a Quakes win.  Lima definitely impressed me last week with his ability to actually look calm and comfortable in the middle (something I haven’t seen all season from this Quakes squad).  This allows Corrales to settle and find some good passes and through balls to the forwards and Huckerby. 

Team Comparison

SJ                             NY

***      Keepers      *

**        Defenders  **

***      Midfield      *

**        Forwards   ***

***      Coaching    **

 Key Man: Francisco Lima

Nope, not Huckerby.  I think Lima can change the game if he is able to calm the rest of the midfield, hold possession and distribute well.  This will allow the rest of the team to find space and make runs, especially the forwards.

Verdict: Osorio is losing this team quickly.  I thought he might actually turn this franchise around, but it’s official.  That team is poison.  They could make Mourinho look like McClaren in the space of a season.  For the Quakes, optimism has reached its highest point since the start of the season.  But if the results don’t start coming, things may turn ugly. 

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.

How sweet it is to enjoy a win once again. My whole week has been a little brighter, and I’ve found myself smiling for no apparent reason in the middle of the day (which is probably disturbing to those around me). But in soccer, as with most things, joy doesn’t last forever. Another weekend means another match, and whether the next week will be bright or dark will be decided on Sunday.