View from the Booth: Turf battle
Galaxy looking for third straight shutout of Chivas in 2009
Did that loss sting? Of course. But when it was looked at in the bigger picture, it was not so bad. Yes you never want to lose a game, but taking 16 points out of a possible 21 is not bad at all. That is called perspective.
Yes that was a tough loss to watch in Carson. The game never really got into a flow for LA, 90 minutes that included a number of cards -- three of them red -- and at the final whistle, a 2-0 defeat. But anyone who has watched the Galaxy as closely as we all have this year knew that performance was more of an anomaly as opposed to a sign of things to come.
Fast forward one week later, and the Galaxy have produced one of their most complete performances of the year to date, beating Chicago 2-0 without the suspended Beckham and Lewis. They then followed that up with another point on the road against D.C. and everything is once again right in the world.
Again, perspective.
Which brings us to Saturday's game against Chivas USA.
As the old broadcast adage goes, "When these two teams get together, you got to throw the stats out the window". Indeed, that might be true for the third meeting of 2009 between these two in-stadium rivals. A derby match can produce a wide spectrum of results and in recent years, the results have been a series of emotional highs and lows. So far this year, The Galaxy has not given up a goal against Chivas. Donovan Ricketts shut them out in his debut on April 11 and three months later, it was Josh Saunders keeping a clean sheet as LA won 1-0 behind Edson Buddle's first half header.
Coincidentally, LA comes into this match without giving up a goal for nearly 220 minutes of league play, dating back to the last 35 minutes of the above mentioned loss to Seattle. Consistency is beginning to become an adjective used to describe the back four for the Galaxy. You probably have not heard that term for the past few seasons when I mention defense. The best results might be coming in the next few months.
Chivas is coming off a brutal loss in Salt Lake. Former Galaxy striker, Robbie Findlay did his former club a solid, striking twice in the second half to record perhaps the quietest 10 goal season in MLS this year. Safe to say, Chivas will be looking to put that result behind them and get the three points that would put them right back into the second spot in the Western Conference. Head coach, Preki, has made some moves in the past few weeks, and both attacking players Jesus Padilla and Maicon Santos are looking to spark things going forward. Sacha Kjlesten is playing in a more advanced role, allowing the U.S. international midfielder a bit more creativity. In addition, Preki's line-up could feature several former LA players, with Jazic, Nagamura, and Saragosa all likely to start the match and they'll be looking to put one over on their former club.
It may sound simple, but LA's ability to generate numerous chances in the offensive third of the field will be the difference in the game Saturday. The key word in that sentence is NUMEROUS. If the Galaxy don't get into a good tempo, and have movement off the ball, forcing the Chivas defense to track runners and open gaps, it will be a tough night. LA will need to be the aggressor, putting the Chivas USA defense on its heals. Kirovski or Gordon playing physical, Magee picking up the pieces behind them Beckham driving in balls to their heads, Donovan creating mismatches and set up chance after chance. If the Galaxy can do that, they should be successful. It would also be nice to see Landon running wild at the Chivas defenders on the counter or on a break like he did in Chicago. You don't see many moments like that in a derby, but if they come to pass I fully expect for the Galaxy captain to convert the opportunities that come his way.
Also, because it is a Galaxy home game, a few "colorful" chants and cheers might help the cause too!
After Saturday, the Galaxy will have six remaining games in the regular season, including four at home. A win against Chivas USA would not just secure SoCal supremacy, but also widen the gap with the teams below LA in the West. After the third installment of the Honda SuperClasico, the Galaxy will also have nearly two weeks to prepare for their next league encounter, September 12 vs. FC Dallas. One would imagine that although this might not be the first, second, or even the fifth thing the players and coaches stress heading into Saturday, it is something that they are all aware of. Three points after 90 minutes might mean an extra day off, time to heal injuries from the first five months of the season, maybe an additional round of golf, more time with a significant other (trust me- you usually get a few extra "brownie" points for that one)!
This could be the third consecutive game in a row that a National TV audience will watch the game and see just how far Bruce Arena has taken this bunch. And with this one coming against a Western Conference, I don't think that it is a stretch to call this perhaps the biggest game of the year for the Galaxy.
Should be a good one.
