Here come the LA Galaxy cruising into tonight’s CONCACAF Champions League opener, seemingly running away with the current MLS regular season crown, a season after losing in the league’s championship game. They appear to have everything–star power, dominant keeper and league leading striker. Despite their starting point in this qualifying round, everything is in place for a deep run and Knockout Round appearance. But will the Galaxy team we’ve seen up to this point be the Galaxy team we’ll see in their first leg of this playoff with Puerto Rico tonight?
Obviously, there’s the Landon Donovan situation. Over the dismay of some, the Manchester City siren call keeps whistling, last week to the tune of a reported $7 million salary for the American star. This possible transfer has been a talking point for weeks now, and if you plan on forecasting any deep run in this tournament you almost have to ponder how the Galaxy would cope in Group Play this fall without the star midfielder. I think there’s enough leftover where they could still manage enough results in their favor to squeeze out of group play, but it could go either way. If they can swap in a talent like Ronaldinho in the wake of Donovan’s departure–something that even the owners of the other MLS teams are publically expecting to happen–then thats close enough to net zero loss, so all systems would be full steam ahead. The Donovan storyline will remain a constant until the transfer period ends later this summer. Since he can continue to play for LA, you wouldnt think it would impact the Galaxy tonight. It doesnt.
Who will Bruce play tonight, and for how long?
The allegedly exhibition MLS All Star game tomorrow night, however, is a different story. It could crater the Galaxy’s lineup tonight in the CCL. And how Bruce Arenas and surrounding brain trust juggles the lineup tonight against that backdrop would keep the line burning all day on sports radio in the leadup to the match. That is, if such a station that talked MLS soccer during their talk shows existed. Four Galaxy starters–Donovan, Edson Buddle, Omar Gonzalez and Donovan Ricketts–are starters for tomorrow night’s MLS All Star match against the travelling Manchester United squad. A nationally televised game on ESPN2, the suits at MLS would probably rather have those four players fresh for possible 90-minute efforts in an effort to get a result against a European club power. Arenas is also the All Star coach tomorrow night. How is this going to go down? Will none of them play in the CCL? Will they try to squeeze some run out of them and how much? I doubt the Galaxy are getting anything to close to 90 minutes out of either of them. Maybe the keeper Ricketts. Whatever the line is on total combined minutes, I’m banking on the under. That said, Arenas has claimed his priorities are in order and that the CCL game tonight ranks higher on the importance scale. We’ll see because if you’ve been following the MLS in recent weeks, the game tomorrow with Man U has been getting all the hype, while barely a mention of the CCL is whispered, even on Fox Soccer Channel who will be broadcasting the Galaxy/Islanders game this evening. I guess this adds some intrigue as one of the best teams this year in the MLS takes on what’s developed into one of the lesser D2 teams this season after a stellar season a year ago qualified them for this tournament.
How will LA fare if they limit the four All Stars playing tomorrow? The Galaxy played well enough to win in the MLS without Buddle and Donovan going 4-1-1 in the matches when the pair were off on their World Cup sojourn. They were also inconsistent, especially as time wore on and the quality of competition stepped up. They twice failed to score in key MLS games in June against legit playoff contenders Real Salt Lake and Toronto. Both clubs are also two of the other three league teams playing in this event. The Galaxy were at least able to nudge out a draw against Toronto. Earlier this month, they were smoked by Seattle in the second half, the fourth MLS team in this event, during a 2-0 US Open Cup loss without Donovan, Buddle and Ricketts. They also played that game without three other starters who will be in the starting XI tonight. Seattle sat several key players as well, so its hard to put a ton of stock in that outcome when analyzing anything. It does show another example of the struggle to score in recent games without Donovan and Buddle in the lineup. The Galaxy missed a golden chance to score when Alan Jordan missed a sure goal, a finishing problem he’s flashed all season long. He’s going to be playing a ton of minutes tonight and might even get his fifth start of the season. If you can promise a goal out of him, I’d give LA a better than average chance to at least notch a draw, and with full lineup next week for the final leg, push ahead with a winning result then. However, he hasnt shown much scoring threat in his time on the pitch this year, tallying just a single goal and no assists. In the US Open Cup against Seattle, he whiffed on an easy chance in the first half. And, last week in an MLS game against San Jose he was a non factor in 81 minutes despite the long stretches of the game played with the Galaxy on the attack.
We already have questions about the team’s scoring acumen without their World Cup stars. We’re going to find how
Omar Gonzalez, the key to the Galaxy's back line
they also play without their top defensive chips. In addition to the midfield star and high scoring striker, you’re limiting or outright supplanting the best fullback on the team with Gonzalez and the best keeper in the league, not to mention one of the best in this tournament, in Ricketts. The former problem probably makes the diehard Galaxy cringe. During a loss and tie in two of their last three games, breakdowns on the backlines have given foes the scoring chances they needed to earn those results. Minus Gonzalez would you bet on a clean sheet? I wouldnt, which is a far cry from how the Galaxy had performed thus far in 2010 with 13 clean sheets in MLS play. Gonzalez is an up and comer, approaching elite MLS status, was the Rookie of the Year in 2009 and could eventually crash the team photo of players who will look to solve the Americans Back Problems in international play. How will Leonardo play? He’s been the victim on two goals of late, but Bruce Arenas is bullish, lauding his solid play despite his breakdown last week that led to the early San Jose goal in a 2-2 draw with the Quakes. As for playing without their keeper Ricketts, do you even know who the backup goalie is for the Galaxy? How many guess would you need? I’m going Over all the way on that one, babby. Kidding aside, we might find out a whole mess of things about the backup. And, if rust leads to a poor game and a bad goal or two, the mighty Galaxy might be chasing bigtime come the rematch leg on the Island next week. Given the fact its been a month since their last clean sheet and they’ve had defensive breakdown and turnovers that cost them results in two MLS games and one US Open Cup game since they’re last shutout, this just doesnt sound like a good spot to limit your best defensive back and top keeper.
Despite their lowly current record, the Puerto Rico club has proven dangerous in this event. The Islanders are one of just seven clubs who are on a three-appearance streak in this event. In 2008, they advanced all the way to the semifinals. Last year, they beat Toronto of the MLS in this round, but couldnt get out of group play. They are determined to keep their Giant Killer reputation alive. Colin Clarke has proven an excellent manager since taking over a little more than three years ago. They have an American in goal with Dan Gaudette. Jamaican Nicholas Adderly will take a ton of shots of net and will lead the way in that department tonight. But, he’s not the Islanders top scorer. David John Foley is the only Islander in their league’s top 10 in goals and points and leads the teams with 5 goals and 10 points. Midfielders Sandi Hena Gbandi, one goal, four assists and Joshua Hanse, three goals and three assists are solid, reliable playmakers for the Islanders. Both have had small stints in the MLS in the past with Hansen actually playing for the Galaxy in 2006. Despite their perrformance in past CONCACAF Champions Leagues, the Islanders dont enter this event on any real high note. They sit in last place in the USL Conference of the first division of American professional soccer below the MLS. They’re record isnt awful at 5-7-5 and they’re just -1 in goal differential which is seventh best in the 12-team, 2 conference league. You could at least say they’re playing a bit better than what a typical last place team would look like. But they only have one win in nine starts on the road. They do have four draws, though. In fact, they’ve pulled four draws in a row in road games with all those matches taking place this month, so maybe they’re gaining some confidence away from homebase. And with the strong possibility of a makeship and disjointed Galaxy lineup, maybe the juicy +425 odds on a draw isnt worth a small flier or two. But, I wont go ahead and book that. Just tune in and enjoy some high stakes soccer.
[...] Edson Buddle would be paired together up top for most of the match, but as Jamie discussed in his Concacaf Champions League post yesterday, there are other factors at play. Donovan and Buddle both started in LA’s [...]