Saturday, March 29, 2008

Head Coach Ruud got a RUDE awakening today!

Unfortunately, for our LA Galaxy - it was an AWFUL, UGLY first day opening!
LA Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids @ Dick's Sporting Stadium in Denver...
Clearly, Colorado got the better of us. As I predicted they were successful in frustrating and over-running us! Why? Because, our LA Galaxy was too busy trying to figure what to do... we had HUGE gaps in placement, positioning, ball-control, and experience! This is the HUGE risk that I'm sure Head Coach Ruud took away from today's match. And, Colorado totally capitalized on our inexperience! We tried to play a 4 - 3 - 3. It went horribly wrong! Why? Because our players with the exception of David Beckham, Carlos Ruiz, Alvaro Pires, and Abel Xavier - do NOT have the soccer field vision and memory-burnt in. To play 4 - 3 - 3 takes 3 - 4 years of playing in 4 - 3 - 3. We have too many young players in our team. Having young players is NOT a bad thing. It's NOT! I absolutely like Ely Allen, Sean Franklin, Julian Valentin, Michael Gavin, Brandon McDonald, and Bryan Jordan. But, they have GOT to be played in FIRM, BOUNDARIED 4 - 4 - 2 or 4 - 5 - 1 formation in this stage of their game & development! Head Coach Ruud decided to take a HUGE GAMBLE by trying to test this team. And,, by the outcome - it was clearly evident that it WILL NOT WORK! Please... Please... Please... I am begging you Head Coach Ruud, and LA Galaxy Management... Please REMOVE Peter Vagenas, Alan Gordon, Edson Buddle, and Steve Cronin from our 2008 team. It needs to be done. We have to bring in very good, hungry, fast, skillful/crafty players. We absolutely need an ATTACKING CENTRAL MIDFIELDER, LEFT-WING MIDFIELDER, LEFT-WING BACK DEFENDER, and RIGHT-WING BACK DEFENDER!!! Please get these players from Brazil / Argentina / Ecuador / Colombia. Please do it! Do it before things get any more worse! Stop playing Chris Klein in Right-Wing Back (Defender)... He cannot keep up with the current MLS attackers! Stop playing Landon Donovan on the Left-Wing... He just does not score and get the confidence to attack from LEFT. Landon Donovan should be in CENTER... and maybe on the RIGHT. Sorry, but three years is enough time to prove if you have what it takes to be a good goal keeper. Come on - experimentation OVER!

Here's a formation that will work for our Galaxy in 1st Half (45 - 55 Minutes):

RUIZ

ELY MICHAEL LANDON CHRIS DAVID

ALVARO GREG ABEL TROY

JOSH

Here's the formation to use for our Galaxy in the 2nd Half (55 - 100 Minutes):

RUIZ

MIKE ELY LANDON BRANDON CHRIS

ALVARO GREG JULIAN TROY

JOSH

By the final score of that game (our first away game in 2008) : Colorado Rapids WON (4 - 0).

2008 MLS Season got underway today!

Some observations on three MLS opening day matches that I got to watch. And, I am so glad that MLS season is finally here. This will be an exciting year for many teams, I imagine!

Match ONE : Columbus Crew vs. Toronto FC @ Columbus
Once again, Sigi Schmid showed that he has the "where-with-all" to make good, solid choices when it comes to forming his team. He used steady, solid dependable players. More than that he knows he has players on his team that are FAST, FLANK RUNNERS. And, he will position them wisely to get the most out of "break-out plays". The opposition needs to have pacy defenders to keep up with these fast, flank runners.
John Carver is new to this league - has coaching experience in England... but, still new to this league. I believe that Toronto FC is still not there yet. I believe they need a good five games or so before they find their form. But, Maurice Edu, Marvell Wynne, and Brian Edwards peformed well for this match.
Columbus WON (2 - 0).

Match TWO : Chicago Fire vs. Real Salt Lake @ Rice-Eccles in Salt Lake City
Dennis Hamlett should be happy with his defenders. They showed to be solid and composed. And, they played like they understood where they have to play & hold. But, the Midfielders and Forwards needs more work, I believe. Diego Gutierrez, Bakary Soumare, and Justin Mapp all played well.
Jason Kreis's team looks more potent in offense... but, the key thing that stands out is how good Real Salt Lake's offense is in capitalizing on turn-overs and fast-breaks.
The problem for a lot of MLS teams playing Real Salt Lake at Rice-Eccles will be the stadium itself. It's artifical turf! This surface is not good for players who are trying to fight off old injuries. Also, it is very hard to control the ball on passes. Typically, the ball rolls off faster than many players can reach or catch up.
Played to a TIE (1 - 1).

Match THREE : Houston Dynamo vs. New England Revolution
Houston played like they normally do... like what we expect out of a 2-X MLS Cup winning team. The players in Houston Dynamo are experienced, well-positioned, well-controlled, and confident. But, today they found out that this season is NOT going to be as easy as last year. There's a lot more experience and talent in other MLS teams this year!
Steve Nicol and Asst. Coach Mariner should be very proud of their New England team. With just the addition of two or three younger players... it made a HUGE difference in New England's offense! WOW!!! Nyassi & Mansally are FAST!!! And, they play very well with the rest of the New England team. Mauricio Castro is a very good addition to the LEFT-FLANK! Once again, Shalrie Joseph EASILY proved why (in my mind) he is the BEST CENTRAL OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE midfielder in MLS. If New England can continue to play the way they did on opening day... Watch out Houston... Watch out DC-United... Watch out Chivas USA!
New England Revolution WON (3 - 0).

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Mar. 3rd - Deadline for MLS Teams to be Roster & Salary Compliant

Well, it has been a long while since I posted. And, a LOT has happened with our LA Galaxy. A lot has happened for the GOOD, in my opinion. I believe that Head Coach Ruud Gullit, Asst. Coach Cobi Jones, Director of Soccer Paul Bravo, and, even, David Beckham involved are making good decisions for our LA Galaxy. Way to go, men... Keep it up - Do NOT falter! Ruud Gullit wants ALL of the team members to be very physically fit. He even mandated a more healthier diet for all of the players. I like it! Our LA Galaxy has been involved in spectacular pre-season matches to shape up our guys before the 2008 MLS season starts. So far, our LA Galaxy team has only won one of those pre-season tournament games. However, we have many youngsters in our team, now! I like that, too! Basically, Ruud wants ALL of the players on our LA Galaxy team to be able to play multiple field positions. Excellent! This makes for a better, more adaptive team especially in times of injuries. David Beckham is looking and playing determined, solid soccer. His passes and crosses are excellent. And, he's been playing all 90 minutes for almost all of the pre-season games. He really, really wants Fabio Capello (England National Team's Head Coach) to pick him and play him in an England national match so that he can earn his 100th National Team cap. I hope and pray that he gets that opportunity.

Okay, in my opinion, the following list of players should get WAIVED (let go)... Our LA Galaxy team needs to be salary compliant. Here are the players that have NOT impressed me... and, keep struggling to maintain good performance and distribution in games :
Kelly Gray (Midfielder/Defender/Center-Field) ; $ 88,000
Peter Vagenas (Midfielder/Defender/Center-Field) ; $ 132,000
Alan Gordon (Forward/2nd-Striker/Center-Field) ; $ 33,000
Kyle Martino (Midfielder/Left or Right Winger) ; $ 55,000
Kevin Harmse (Defender/Midfielder/Center-Field) ; $ 42,000
Ante Jazic (Left-Center Defender/Left-Back Defender) ; $ 110,000
Edson Buddle (Forward/1st & 2nd-Striker/Center- & Right-Field) ; $ 144,000
That will make seven (7) players that should be waived. By waiving these players , the LA Galaxy will save (will reduce) $ 604,000 from their salary cap. Now, how many remaining (active & staying) players are the LA Galaxy left with? The answer is : Twenty (20). These twenty (20) LA Galaxy players account for $ 1,811,000 in terms of Salary. That means, our LA Galaxy has $ 389,000 to use for attaining four or five more players that are hungry, eager, and would love to play for the LA Galaxy. These players must be willing to work hard, work together as a team, following strict diet, exercise, drills, and practice regimens, and be willing to play multiple field positions.

As the title of this post states... Mar. 3d is the MLS deadline for ALL MLS teams to have their total roster count under 28 individual players and also be salary compliant (Total <= $ 2,222,000) . Our LA Galaxy needs to bring players that can play these roles/positions:
Central Midfielder/Attacking Midfielder/Passing Midfielder
Left-Midfielder/Left-Winger/Passing Midfielder
Left-Forward/Left-Striker/1st Striker
Center-Fullback & Defender (Good speed, Good Organizer & Communicator)
Center-Forward/1st & 2nd Striker

I am really looking forward to our LA Galaxy play this 2008 season. I want all of the players to stay physically fit, sharp, healthy, and practiced. This year our LA Galaxy has to be top in Conference Table & Standing. Go GALAXY !

Sunday, January 27, 2008

What is our Galaxy 2008 Team looking like, so far...

I haven't been posting anything for about two to three weeks now... No, not because I was on vacation or didn't have anything to write... But, because it has been a real challenge to get timely information from the official MLS channels. I think several journalists on the West-Coast are feeling very frustrated that they cannot get the information they need in order to be able to give feedback to all the fans. I feel for them - I do. I know what it's like to be so desperate for information and updates, because I am just so passionate and so into that thing. Don't give up journalists - don't give up... as with everything else in American Capitalistic Society... "Something paid = Something given". Sorry, folks - in the end, it is about the dollars, the "chedda' ", if you will! LA Galaxy Management's primary concern is to make their Money Parents (AEG) happy! And, to that - they have to ensure that they mold, shape, and behave as if they are always protecting AEG's interests. Okay, enough about that... Let's move on - shall we!

The MLS Super-Draft 2008, the MLS Supplemental-Draft 2008, and several MLS trades have took place up to now. And, our LA Galaxy has brought in ten (10) young, fresh, eager players - YES!!! Honestly, I was getting very concerned that our LA Galaxy was going to become the "Retiring-Ready MLS Team"... Thank you Ruud, Paul, Cobi, Trevor, & Alexi for not letting this happen! Speed, Strength, Pace, Possession, Dribble-Control, and Tactics - keep saying these necessary characteristics over and over again... Our LA Galaxy must embody these characteristics. I am going to list below the players in the positions that "I THINK / HOPE" that they can play well in... Please understand that I have not seen our new draftees play on-field yet. Also, there are KEY POSITIONAL PLAYERS that our LA Galaxy still need to get.

LEFT-FORWARD/STRIKER :
_______________ (we must acquire a Natural Left-Fwd/Striker)
Ely Allen
Israel Sesay

RIGHT-FORWARD/STRIKER :
Landon Donovan
Edson Buddle

CENTRAL-FORWARD/STRIKER :
Carlos Ruiz
Alan Gordon
Brendon McDonald

CENTRAL-MIDFIELDER/ATTACKER :
______________ (we must acquire a Natural Central Midfielder & Attacker)
Chris Klein
Josh Tudela

LEFT-MIDFIELDER/WINGER :
______________ (we must acquire a Natural Left Winger)
Mike Randolph
Kyle Martino
Daniel DeGeer

RIGHT-MIDFIELDER/WINGER :
David Beckham
Greg Folk

CENTRAL-MIDFIELD DEFENDER :
Sean Franklin
Julian Valentin

CENTRAL-FULL BACK/DEFENDER :
Ty Harden
Matt Hatzke

LEFT-BACK DEFENDER/WINGER :
Celestine Babayaro

RIGHT-BACK DEFENDER/WINGER :
Troy Roberts
Michael Gavin

GOAL-KEEPER :
Steve Cronin
Charles Alamo
Matt Allen

That means we should end up with a twenty-seven (27) man roster in 2008... where each member will train, practice, drill, scrimmage, and help each other to get better as a stronger, more potent team. So as you may have noticed there are several 2007 Galaxy roster members that our LA Galaxy management should trade out for younger players and/or allocation monies. As I see it, the following 2007 players should be a welcomed, good fit for the following destination MLS teams:

San Jose Earthquakes :
Kelly Gray (MID-DEF) , Kevin Harmse (DEF-MID) , & Ante Jazic (DEF-RGHT/DEF-LEFT)

Columbus Crew :
Quavas Kirk (CNTRL-FB) , Peter Vagenas (MID)

I am also "assuming" that Clint Mathis & Abel Xavier are NOT returning back to the LA Galaxy in 2008. Although these individuals have tons of experience, they are also too slow for the fast-paced games of MLS.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Yr. 2008 Galaxy Team Squad that I would form...

Well, it's officially 2008. In Europe, January brings transfer window openings for the new year... and, this January in Europe the transfer rumors are whirling and starting to pick up tremendous speed and force. Back here in the US, we have the MLS Combine, MLS SuperDraft, and MLS Team Trading taking place from 2nd week of January 'til the MLS Season opens. Officially, for 2008, MLS season opens on March 29th.


As I have been saying in all of my previous posts... our LA Galaxy must make good, solid, reliable acquisitions and trades this coming January 2008. Our LA Galaxy team really needs Depth, Fast-Pace, Strength, Tactics, Posession & Dribble Control. We cannot be "sacrificial lambs" laying at the bottom of the MLS Conference Table anymore. Check out my post on Thursday, Dec. 27th on which group of guys I like and want that are eligible for the MLS Draft. But, being eligible doesn't mean that these guys will want to enter into MLS League plays/contracts... If they are serious about soccer and their skill-building... they may opt for playing soccer in the European arena (England, France, Holland, Germany, Spain, Norway, Sweden, or Scotland). So, because of this uncertainty both with players' options and choices - plus, since there are also at least nine other MLS teams competing for Draft Picks besides LA...

So, I'm going to construct a Galaxy Team Squad with tested and proven MLS players I've come to watch and study within MLS League Games since 2006. I know that in order to make up this "fantasy" team of mine... I'm going to assume that practically most of the 2008 LA Galaxy MLS Draft picks, plus player trades included would have to be carried out in order to form this team. So be it... Here are my picks :


Power/Center Forward : Jovan Kirovski (6'-1"; 175lbs; 32 yrs old; 4 yrs in MLS)
Right-Field Forward : Carlos Ruiz (5'-9"; 180lbs; 29 yrs old; 6 yrs in MLS)
Left-Field Forward : Clint Mathis (5'10"; 175lbs; 32 yrs old; 8 yrs in MLS)
Power/Center Forward : Landon Donovan (5'-8"; 155lbs; 26 yrs old; 7 yrs in MLS)
Right-Field Forward : Dave Vandenbergh (6'-3"; 180lbs; 32 yrs old; 2 yrs MLS + 11 yrs INT'L)
Left-Field Forward : Dema Kovalenko (5'-8"; 162 lbs; 31 yrs old; 7 yrs in MLS)


Power/Center Mid : Stefani Miglioranzi (6'-1"; 165 lbs; 31 yrs old; 1 yr MLS + 5 yrs INT'L)
Right-Field Mid : David Beckham (6'-0"; 165lbs; 33 yrs old; 12 yrs INT'L [EPL & La Liga])
Left-Field Mid : Carlos Marinelli ; (5'-8"; 160 lbs; 26 yrs old; 1 yr MLS + 6 yrs INT'L)
Power/Center Mid : Ned Grabavoy (5'-7"; 155lbs; 25 yrs old; 4 yrs MLS)
Right-Field Mid : Chris Klein (6'-1"; 180lbs; 32 yrs old; 9 yrs MLS)
Left-Field Mid : Eloy Colombano (5'-8"; 160lbs; 25 yrs old; 1 yr MLS + 5 yrs INT'L)
Right-Field Mid : Ronnie O'Brien (5'-10"; 165 lbs; 29 yrs old; 5 yrs MLS + 3 yrs INT'L)
Left-Field Mid : Carl Robinson (5'10"; 165 lbs; 32 yrs old; 1 yr MLS + 9 Yrs INT'L)


Center-FB Def : Facundo Erpen (6'-0"; 180lbs; 25 yrs old; 2 yrs MLS + 3 yrs INT'L)
Center-FB Def : Ugo Ihemelu (6'-0"; 180lbs; 25 yrs old; 3 yrs MLS)
Right-SB Def : Troy Roberts (5'-11"; 180lbs; 25 yrs old; 3 yrs MLS)
Left-SB Def : Mike Randolph (5'-7"; 155lbs; 23 yrs old; 1 yr MLS)
Center-FB Def : Jean-Martial Kipre (5'-7"; 155lbs; 23 yrs old; 1 yr MLS + 4 yrs INT'L)
Center-FB Def : Kevin Goldwaithe (6'-1"; 170lbs; 26 yrs old; 3 yrs MLS)
Right-SB Def : Ty Harden (6'-1"; 190lbs; 24 yrs old; 2 yrs MLS)
Left-SB Def : Josh Tudela (5'-9"; 160lbs; 24 yrs old; 1 yr MLS)

Goal-Keeper : Steve Cronin (6'-2"; 195lbs; 25 yrs old; 1 yr MLS)
Goal-Keeper : Justin Myers (6'-2"; 205lbs; 23 yrs old; 0-1 yr MLS)
Goal-Keeper : Chris Konopka (6'-5"; 215lbs; 23 yrs old; 0-1 yr MLS)

Midfield-Fwd : Israel Sesay (5'-7"; 145lbs; 17 yrs old; 0-1 MLS)

This would then be a 26-man roster. I know in my previous post(s), I had tried to come up with a more acheivable 24-man roster. Keep in mind that this above is my "fantasy-team squad". As you can immediately notice, I have placed the guys who have the most soccer experience as forwards and midfielders (the 'play-makers)... while the younger guys as the stoppers/passers/interference-runners. Remember, folks... soccer games are won many at times beacuse of a smart, quick, expert play put out on the pitch that took altogether a matter of several many seconds. That's all you have out on the soccer pitch to turn the tide of a game!

So, using the numbers from one of my previous posts... twelve (12) non-waived 2007 Galaxy Players had to be traded and exchanged out to free up $1,275,000 that can now go towards the 2008 "fantasy-team squad's" MLS Salary caps. In my opinion - I've constructed a 2008 Galaxy team above that with pre-season practice, drills, fitness-training, and team-work can give the 2007 MLS Conference Champion, finalist, and semi-finalists a tough, worrisome challenge in 2008!