The 2012 MLS season is upon us, and it’s a safe bet that I’m not the only one buzzing with excitement.
Fans across the U.S. and Canada are preparing for their favorite team’s opening match, stocking up on food and beverages for tailgates, gear to wear to the game, and of course, analyzing every off season move made by their team.
For the reigning MLS Cup Champions, the off season was tumultuous. Immediately after winning the cup, rumors were flying that David Beckham would sign with a European team. Then Omar Gonzalez tore his ACL during his very first training session while on an off season loan to FC Nuremberg. To top it all off, breakout star midfielder Juninho went back to Sao Paolo, since his loan with LA had ended. The 2012 season was not looking bright for the defending champs.
Suddenly, things started to turn around. Beckham resigned for another two years, Juninho was sent back on loan, and coach Bruce Arena picked up a few good options to help replace the giant hole left at center back with Gonzalez’s absence. Plus the surprise addition of Edson Buddle, and suddenly the Galaxy look nearly unstoppable.
Fans across the U.S. and Canada are preparing for their favorite team’s opening match, stocking up on food and beverages for tailgates, gear to wear to the game, and of course, analyzing every off season move made by their team.
For the reigning MLS Cup Champions, the off season was tumultuous. Immediately after winning the cup, rumors were flying that David Beckham would sign with a European team. Then Omar Gonzalez tore his ACL during his very first training session while on an off season loan to FC Nuremberg. To top it all off, breakout star midfielder Juninho went back to Sao Paolo, since his loan with LA had ended. The 2012 season was not looking bright for the defending champs.
Suddenly, things started to turn around. Beckham resigned for another two years, Juninho was sent back on loan, and coach Bruce Arena picked up a few good options to help replace the giant hole left at center back with Gonzalez’s absence. Plus the surprise addition of Edson Buddle, and suddenly the Galaxy look nearly unstoppable.
While 2011 was an incredible year for LA, 2012 has the potential to be the most successful yet for the Galaxy. Not only do they have a stacked team for MLS, they are competing in the CONCACAF Champions League tournament. Having played their first game of a two leg quarterfinal with Toronto FC, the Galaxy are well on their way to breezing through to the next round.
The 2-2 draw at Toronto gives the Galaxy a great advantage as they head back to Carson, CA for the second leg. All LA needs to do is draw with a score of less than 3-3. Or, they could just win and not have to deal with the aggregate goals.
Wednesday’s CCL game gave us a first look at what LA’s starting line up might look like for the MLS season. I know I wasn’t the only one practically drooling over the insanely stellar starting 11. Josh Saunders, Sean Franklin, AJ DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant, Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Juninho, Mike Magee, Robbie Keane and Edson Buddle. It’s not even fair.
The only question mark for the Galaxy is filling the open center back position. Not an easy task, as the player absent from that spot was the 2011 Defender of the Year. Without Gonzalez holding down the fort, who will step up to fill the gap?
The 2-2 draw at Toronto gives the Galaxy a great advantage as they head back to Carson, CA for the second leg. All LA needs to do is draw with a score of less than 3-3. Or, they could just win and not have to deal with the aggregate goals.
Wednesday’s CCL game gave us a first look at what LA’s starting line up might look like for the MLS season. I know I wasn’t the only one practically drooling over the insanely stellar starting 11. Josh Saunders, Sean Franklin, AJ DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant, Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Juninho, Mike Magee, Robbie Keane and Edson Buddle. It’s not even fair.
The only question mark for the Galaxy is filling the open center back position. Not an easy task, as the player absent from that spot was the 2011 Defender of the Year. Without Gonzalez holding down the fort, who will step up to fill the gap?
During preseason, rookie first round draft pick Tommy Meyer seemed to be Arena’s solution. He played the majority of minutes alongside DeLaGarza. But, when it came time to choose in Toronto, Arena went with the more experienced Andrew Boyens. Boyens wasn’t spectacular, and was caught napping on Toronto’s second goal, but overall he was a decent filler.
Once Meyer gets more minutes on the field as a professional, I have a feeling Arena will start choosing him over Boyens.
While whoever ends up in that starting center back position has huge cleats to fill, the player who must step up the most this season is surely DeLaGarza. As the other center back, he will inevitably end up leading the backline. His role will be crucial in making sure the defense stays together as a cohesive unit. From everything I saw in preseason, and in the CCL match against Toronto, DeLaGarza is already becoming a leader on the field.
Enough about the defense, let’s talk about the Galaxy’s midfielders and forwards. This is an attacking line that is going to score goals this season, and a lot of them. Keane and Buddle paired up front, backed by Donovan, Beckham, Juninho and Magee is a force to be reckoned with. I would not want to be a defender having to deal with that kind of offensive power.
Once Meyer gets more minutes on the field as a professional, I have a feeling Arena will start choosing him over Boyens.
While whoever ends up in that starting center back position has huge cleats to fill, the player who must step up the most this season is surely DeLaGarza. As the other center back, he will inevitably end up leading the backline. His role will be crucial in making sure the defense stays together as a cohesive unit. From everything I saw in preseason, and in the CCL match against Toronto, DeLaGarza is already becoming a leader on the field.
Enough about the defense, let’s talk about the Galaxy’s midfielders and forwards. This is an attacking line that is going to score goals this season, and a lot of them. Keane and Buddle paired up front, backed by Donovan, Beckham, Juninho and Magee is a force to be reckoned with. I would not want to be a defender having to deal with that kind of offensive power.
Not only does LA have the talent to win big and often this season, I noticed something in the CCL game against Toronto that stuck with me. In the final minutes of the game, when LA was down 2-1, Arena made a strategic move unlike any that I saw last year. He brought on Chad Barrett and Michael Stephens, replacing Andrew Boyens and Juninho, a clear sign he wanted the team to push hard for the tying goal.
I was truly shocked to see him take Boyens out. Arena is well-known amongst Galaxy fans for his beloved “park the bus” strategy. Yes, LA was losing, but a 2-1 loss wouldn’t have been completely unmanageable in the two leg series. Instead of settling for that, Arena took a risk, one that could have ended with Toronto scoring a third goal.
Luckily for LA, the gamble paid off when Donovan scored shortly after the substitutions. If this is attack-minded strategy is something that Arena deploys in every game: watch out, MLS. LA is on a mission to win, and win big.
I was truly shocked to see him take Boyens out. Arena is well-known amongst Galaxy fans for his beloved “park the bus” strategy. Yes, LA was losing, but a 2-1 loss wouldn’t have been completely unmanageable in the two leg series. Instead of settling for that, Arena took a risk, one that could have ended with Toronto scoring a third goal.
Luckily for LA, the gamble paid off when Donovan scored shortly after the substitutions. If this is attack-minded strategy is something that Arena deploys in every game: watch out, MLS. LA is on a mission to win, and win big.
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