Photos by ISIphotos.com
Maybe it was fitting that Ryan Cochrane, a player Alexi Lalas helped draft with the original San Jose Earthquakes four years ago, scored San Jose’s game-winning goal on Sunday. Better yet, maybe it was more fitting to see Frank Yallop celebrate a victory over the manager he was dumped for, a manager whose job is in jeopardy.
The Los Angeles Galaxy’s 3-2 loss to San Jose on Sunday wasn’t just a bad loss, it was a heart-breaking, last-minute defeat that leaves the Galaxy winless in its last six matches. How long has it been since LA won a match? Consider that when the Galaxy next takes the field it will be Aug. 14th, exactly TWO MONTHS since the team beat San Jose, 3-0, at MaCafee Coliseum.
TWO MONTHS! (insert voice of Henry Hill’s angry father in Goodfellas here).
Somewhere Abel Xavier is cackling like like Dr. Evil from a padded stylist’s chair in some Lisbon beauty salon, and somewhere Tim Lieweke is picking up glass from the television he shattered after Cochrane’s goal, knowing he is left with a decision to make.
Whose head will roll?
Who will take the fall for this awful run of form? I’m not advocating for someone to be fired, but after weeks of second and third-hand rumors and rumblings about AEG not being happy with the Galaxy’s performance you would think a loss like Saturday, and two months like the team has had, would merit a pink slip for somebody.
Right?
I can’t help but wonder if Lieweke and company remember the last time the Galaxy won MLS Cup. Steve Sampson was in charge and he was dragging the team through an awful season. Somehow Sampson’s Galaxy snuck into the playoffs and rode a hot streak all the way to an MLS Cup title.
You remember that right? The beauty of MLS’ playoff format was on full display as a thoroughly mediocre team got hot for a few weeks and helped make a bumbling coach into Alex Ferguson for a month. Of course Sampson didn’t make it through the next season before being replaced by Yallop.
SO what will LA do? Will the Galaxy stick with Gullit, or send him packing in favor of some interim manager with a tad more knowledge of MLS and a tad less contempt for his own players? Or will AEG finally cut its ties with Lalas, or will it stick by the man it has put in charge of ruining running three different MLS teams?
Maybe Phil Anschutz gets feds up and boots Lieweke, Gullit and Lalas in some Michael Corleone at the end of Godfather II sort of way. Maybe Anschutz makes the flight to Virginia to speak to Bruce Arena about righting the ship and Arena thinks about LA and the great golf courses and being reunited with Landon Donovan and decides the time is right to come back.
Okay, so maybe none of that is happening. What seems clear is something needs to happen because the "jewel" of MLS is tarnishing more by the week and the half a million people who bought David Beckham Galaxy jerseys are either starting to feel embarrassed to wear them, or are too oblivious of the situation to realize just what that Galaxy symbol on their jersey stands for these days.
It certainly doesn’t stand for "Sexy Football."
(What do you think of the LA Galaxy’s situation? Do you think somebody should be fired, and of so, who? Share your thoughts below.)
Amid all this criticism, I would at least like to offer Lalas some due respect for cutting his hair short and keeping it short.
Michael F: Lalas had nothing to do with either Quakes championships…Tom Neale was GM in 2001 and the incomparable Johnny Moore in 2003..
MattM
Who traded Cannon and brought in Ruiz and Pires, I wasn’t Gullitt. Just because they were brought in when Gullitt was there doesn’t mean he had a say in bringing them here (or in Cannon’s case, trading them away). Ruud probably never even of them until they stepped onto the pitch.
Granted Ruud should’ve played Dominguez against San Jose to see how he would fare in his second MLS game, but overall, Ruud has done a solid job with the personnel he’s had to work with.
It’s not Ruud fault some over-zealous rookie took a cheap-shot at Ruiz in the season opener and is thus not really in top form yet, or that Pires has proven to be a complete bust, or that Cronin is going through his trial by fire at GK.
lalas is a clown. Do you guys remember “The Ripper” Garipe?
Considering that Lalas has ruined three different franchises, he should be the one to go.
All in all, this is just so much fun! HAHAHAHAHA on LA and their three DPs! 😀
Will said: “American soccer fans are brainless.”
Proof – Will’s next comment re: AEG:
“It’s a miracle to have the business advantage they have with their respective overall quality.”
Uh, yeah, like, the language is called English. WTF are you saying dude? Put down the drink and think it through before you press “Post.”
Brant / Big D,
I don’t believe Gullit should be fired but lets not say he hasn’t had his chance to revamp the team.
He was around to bring in Ruiz, Domingez (or whatever his name is) and Alvaro. Only Buddle’s freak scoring spree (that is probably now over) kept them out of competing with San Jose for last place this year.
I believe he also was around for Cannon’s trade. Obviously Cronin isn’t ready. He may be someday as he does make some good saves but promptly follows up with a laugher.
I don’t know of any real good moves under Gullit’s watch. Only the drafting of Franklin comes to mind and I don’t know how much he had to do with that.
Tom,
Ruiz has a contract and can’t be summarily dropped. It’s questionable whether any other team wants to use up $400K of their $2.5 Mill salary cap on him either so a trade is unlikely.
I’ve never been enamored with Gullit. It may not be fair but anytime a big foreign coaching name shows up, they seem to expect the European rules: That they should be able to spend 10 times more than the rest of the league on payroll and then have everyone tell them what a great coach they are when they win.
That’s why few foreign coaches do well if they don’t have some background in MLS or the US system. Though they may be very smart soccer minds, managing with constraints is an alien concept.
Gullit always seemed to be hired not for his coaching skills but he fit Lalas’s “Sexy Soccer” image.
My guess is he will go the same way as Osorio. This year or next, he’ll go back to where he came from in frustration at the “backwards” American system that didn’t allow them to succeed.
Gullit isn’t to blame at this point – he’s only had half a season, and really wasn’t allowed to bring in any players due to salary cap issues. The real problem is the structure of the roster – the team clearly needs an athletic center back, and veteran defensive mid that can cover some ground, an experienced left wing, and at the very least another competent keeper to push Cronin for the starting position. A lot to ask for at this stage of the season. Lalas would seem to be the logical candidate to blame for this mess, not Gullit. If no one is fired this week, don’t forget that the Galaxy’s next game is the SuperClassico against Chivas USA – a loss in that game would certainly lead to some changes if the San Jose loss wasn’t enough.
Guillit can only do so much with a roster that seems worthy of the contempt he shows them. Outside of signing Beckham, Lalas has yet to make a move that I’ve heard anyone really defend in public.
Ruiz?
K-Mart?
Findley?
Albright?
Yallop?
Maybe the best move he’s made was how he handled the Cobi Jones farewell tour and started Cobi’s coaching career.
but I have to believe that someone’s looking at the Galaxy and wondering what happened to the players… and that’s *not* the coach’s fault.
At the KO of LA’s next game on the 14th, they could be in 6th place. This despite having the biggest payroll in the MLS.
I usually don’t call for coach’s heads as you need time to turn things around but if I were an LA fan (and I most definitely am not), I’d be demanding a change.
Is there some technicality that has prevented the Galaxy from releasing or trading Ruiz and freeing up some cap space to put together a back four?
And for comment number two, do you actually think AEG gives a f&*k if they Galaxy are winning? It’s a miracle to have the business advantage they have with their respective overall quality.
Considering the horrible team they have and the impressive standing they hold, Lalas should be fired immediately and Gullit should stay.
No brainer. And any of you half-wits who disagree are further proving your status as half-wits.
American soccer fans are brainless.
Ives,
You can’t make an Article on why Jeff Agoos should be Fired?
Can Anschutz and Lieweke fire themselves? They’ve worked their butt off to get the top of that roster, but painted themselves into a corner and can’t improve the team. They have no cap space and Ruiz is untradeable due to his contract and they can’t afford to give up a singe player that would have any value to another team because there are only about three of them.
So basically they can fire anyone they want and it doesn’t change a thing. They’re screwed.
If I were Anschutz I’d be in Beckham’s ear. I watch the gals when I can though not consistently and I feel like they’re getting about 15 minutes of solid play a match. He needs to step up.
Lalas. Save Gullit’s firing for another season when he actually has more than four MLS-caliber players on his roster
Im not so sure but if Lalas had any thing to do with the Chris Albright trade then yes he needs to go. I mean LA already has a sucky defense. albright was a veteran and all they had left was Xavier. and now hes gone too! there is a reason LA has let in the Most goals of any team in the league.
Lalas is the guy to fire. Although Gullit can be abrasive at times, I still think he’s doing a good job with a really unbalanced squad.
If I were in charge and wanted LA to win…I’d keep Gullit and get rid of Lalas assuming a competent GM is available. And then try to build a more complete team. And then beg MLS to raise the salary cap by a lot so I can bring in more players
Fire everyone. Then… I think Bruce Arena is available.
I’m not backing him and saying he should stay but didn’t he win 2 MLS CUps running the Quakes? What he did at RBNY was enough to get him fired then, sure. LA is a two palyer team right now, who else is there to blame? Later, Lalas.
You know, it’s interesting to me that with all this potential demand for Zach Thornton — from Chivas, from LA, potentially from DC — that NY couldn’t have made a better trade. “Future considerations” my ass. NY should have gotten a good player for Thornton or should have gotten the first spot in the allocation order so that they could have signed Gibbs.
Real poor trade by the NY front office. I think they will have to answer for this one by the end of the season.
Personally, I never thought the Galaxy’s choice of manager was a good one. No doubt he was a great player, but his managerial credentials were questionable, to say the least. The Galaxy (Lalas?) obviously wanted a “big name” hire instead of a more fit, lesser known coach.
That said, I think Lalas is the bigger problem here. Going after Beckham was admirable and I hope it has its intended effect in the end (soccer’s growth in America). But this club has become entirely about flash and name–not about fielding a top-quality, well-rounded MLS team. I believe Lalas is at the core of this problem and it’s time for him to go.
It comes down to one issue–while I think the Galaxy could have hired a better manager, Gullit could still prove to be acceptable. Lalas, on the other hand, is the GM version of Thomas Rongen–at one time promising, but turns out to be a black whole who destroys every club he touches. I guess that means he’s going to get canned by the Galaxy then end up as a USSF lifer…
Hey Steve, my facts are straight. The Red Bulls may have made the last 5 play-offs, but some of those were barely made. And the team doesn’t look like it’s making the play-offs this year. Furthermore, when they did make the play-offs they haven’t been a contender.
I’m a Red Bulls fan and I still think LA are doing better than NY this year. So what LA missed the play-offs last year. This year they are third in the western conference standings and are potentially 2 wins away from being in first. It’s not a disaster by any stretch of the imagination.
The offense is working, the midfield is ok, if they can lock down the defense and goalkeeping to stop bleeding goals they will get right back on track.
All teams go through streaks, its not like their lack of wins have hurt them in the standings. They have plenty of games and plenty of talent to turn the situation around.
My point about the Red Bulls is that LA is not a perennial underperformer. Last five play-off appearances or not, LA has two championships under its belt.
Without a doubt it’s Lalas and his ego.
I honestly think the Galaxy would have a winless season if it weren’t for Beckham, Donovan or Buddle. Steve Cronin sucks and sucks bad. It’s too bad Chivas were able to snap up Zach Thorton before the Galaxy were.
Dump Lalas, sell or trade Ruiz, and try and salvage a backline. This team is capable of scoring 3 goals a game if they had any semblance of a defense to allow less than two goals a game.
Nobody needs to be fired. If they can bring in a couple of midfileders, they are back at the top!
It is not the defense, it is the midfield!!!!!!!
It doesn’t matter who plays defense when you midfield is beaten all the time!
Make a move , FO!!!!!! Where is Nobby Solano??????????????
Thom…
The partying shots by Xavier were sentiments of Newcastle players that played for him.
Granted, Xavier is over the hill, but his comments are not off base considering Gullit’s past.
It’s not going to get any prettier when Donovan and possibly Beckham go off to world cup qualifying. They really need to fix the defense fast.
Ruud needs time as all managers do. Canning him would solve nothing. If anyone should be on thin ice it should be Lalas. He’s the man who pulls the strings and put the team together. LA has Becks, Landycakes and Buddle but that isn’t enough. A team needs to be built around them. Everyone seems to think that because the Galaxy has a few stars on the roster they should be on top of the league. That’s not how it works.
Lalas should go asap he along has ruing the red bulls now galacy isd next
Carlos Ruiz is crap. Scrap him and get some better defenders and put Vanney on the bench where he belongs. Getting rid of Xavier was only half the problem. Once you scrap Vanney too and pick up competant defenders, then u can move Chris Klein into the midfield where he will work his magic with Beckham and Donovon and SHAZAM you won. Chris Klein is hard-working but he’s not a defender and having him at Wing Back is a waste of his play-making talents. Also agree Cronin is pretty useless. Go get some experienced, cheap 40+ year old instead of this silly little boy in the net. And why is Ely Allen on the field at all? He doesnt even look like he knows what soccer is. Terrible. Randolph is way better than him.
If Gullit just started Troy Roberts , put Randolph on defense instead of Klein, and moved Klein into midfield in place of Ely Allen, he would have won that game with the Earthquakes 4-0
Make me coach now.
Lalas has to go!
Look at the team he took over and the team now. There isn’t near as much talent as when he arrived (especially if you take Beckham out of the equation). I won’t waste time going over all the horrible decisions he’s made (OK, I’ll just mention 1 of the 30…getting Klein for Sturgis and Findley…we could really use both of those guys right now!), but it is obvious he has to go.
I’d hang on to Gullit, though. Sure the Galaxy lost to an expansion team today, but Gullit made some nice adjustments in the second half. He is still learning MLS, but his soccer IQ is undeniable. He’s doing the best with the crappy hand that Lalas dealt him. Keep the Dutchman!
Lalas has to go. I’ll be pretty annoyed if Ruud gets axed, I’d like to see what he could do with a roster that wasn’t put together by a moron.
Dominguez didn’t play in today’s game, so he’s just on the hook for four goals.
Lalas is trash. I don’t think anyone that follows MLS will argue that point, but as a company man, I doubt AEG is going to outright remove him. He’ll stick around for a long time, delivering destruction whenever he flares up, sorta like a bad case of herpes.
Gullit hasn’t been all too impressive. As an MLS coach, he’s better than decent but not great. His best work this season has been Edson Buddle. On the other hand, he seems to have become fascinated with playing Landon on the wing, where we all know he doesn’t work. And for all the words written about how Gullit is one coach that can actually talk to Beckham without feeling inferior, he let’s DB get away with lots of unneeded and lazy crosses.
Too many soccer writers are all over Beckham’s performance this season. Considering his ability and the quality of players on the field for both teams, he should be the best hands down, but you’d be hard pressed to list more than three games where he’s Beckham’s been great.
Hey Eugene, the Red Bulls have made the playoffs five straight seasons. LA didn’t make it last year. Get your facts straight.
And as for those “defensive help” you’re talking about? The new guy Dominguez has been in the lineup for seven goals allowed in two games. With help like that, I can see how you’re so confident the defense will get “locked down.” More like locked up for fraud.
Alexi Lalas should be fired cause ever since he was GM they have not made the playoffs
Lalas has ruined how many franchises in MLS now? His time has long since passed in LA and he should be canned ASAP by AEG.
What has Lalas done to keep his job? Nothing. I mean, here’s a guy who got rid of Findley and keeps Gordon. That’s case closed right there.
Look at how bad thier left side is, while the Quakes (Alvarez, Huckerby) and DC (Guerreo) add quality left sided players. He can’t move RUiz and get defensive help. Lalas is horrible.
I think you have to give Ruud another year, however.
Honestly, all this panic is silly. The Galaxy are doing well enough in the standings to make a play-off spot. So what, they’ve had a run of bad form, but that can change over night. They’ve added some defensive help, and may get some more help from Cory Gibbs. It’s not like the team isn’t scoring. They’ll lock down the defense and their form will come back.
Really don’t see any reason to worry. It’s not like the team is name “NY Red Bulls.”
I have been confounded by the fact they have not signed a defensive midfielder, a reliable keeper or a center back. ( Cronin is horrid- that 2nd goal by San Jose would send any keeper to the bench in any self respecting league. He had the angle and all he had to do was “get big”. Surely there is reliable back up in the MLS who would not break the bank?)
GM or Manager? I would go with GM for only one reason: he only has one main responsibility and that is player acquisition. I think the team does ok on the field and is very attractive going forward so it isn’t a tactical problem; it’s a talent problem on the defensive end of the pitch. All I know about Gullit besides his stellar playing career and not so stellar coaching one is what you mention above about Xavier’s parting shots and I don’t believe any serious person would put stock in them.
On a personal note: I think Lalas is a slick, vacuous corporate charlatan in the classic sense and this comes from someone who has spent 20 years in corporate America. I have had the unfortunate experience to know too many like him and their self promotion never equals what they actually contribute to the end products betterment. He talks about metrics and marketing foot prints on non-soccer related shows when he should be engaged in far more serious endeavors like actually improving the product that the Galaxy is ultimately selling-not the packaging and bells and whistles it comes with. The product has lovely, eye catching bells and whistles but once you get past the glitz and pizzazz it is quite apparent it ultimately doesn’t function very well at all.
Last though: do you think for a minute that all the money invested in Guillit’s and Lalas salaries would have been able to lure Nichols out of New England? Now that would have been money well spent because the man has his finger on how to make things work in the wacky world of the MLS salary cap from both a talent mix and team chemistry standpoint.
I think Lalas should go. His moves (trading Chris Albright and acquiring Carlos Ruiz and his bloated salary along with bringing in Greg Vanney already serve as grounds for dimissal).
Gullitt should be given at least the rest of the season and perhaps next season to see if he’s adjusted to MLS. Granted he’s made some head-straching desicions (sticking with Pires until today, playing Vagenas even though he plays like garbage and not playing Eduardo Dominguez today to see if he’s shaken off the nerves of playing in his first MLS game), but Gullitt is simply trying to make the best of a bad situation that was started mainly by Lalas.
If I were AEG, I would clip Lalas, make assistant GM Tom Payne the team president and Paul Bravo the GM, both on an interim basis. Bravo is at least making an effort to improve the situation with his scouting trips and bringing in players like Mandou Bojang and the three Cubans (before the season) for trials.
I have no idea what Gullit is like as a coach, but I think, judging by his personnel choices and tactical adjustments, that he knows what he’s doing when it comes to game management.
I’ve not been impressed with Lalas, but, frankly, don’t really know how much power he’s ever had over player movement. If he has really been mostly responsible for all the moves since the Hartman-Cannon-Ihemelu-Gomez trade, then I’d personally to get him out of there.
There’s not a lot that can be done this season because of cap and roster restrictions and the fact that the G’s don’t have much to give up, honestly.
I’d give Gullit to the end of the season and at least half of next season and I’d can Lalas. Unless someone else is making all the personnel moves, in which case I’d fire that person.
Just came back from the game. The Quakes are a much improved team this time around. Shrewd acquisitions such as Huckerby and Alvarez (both of whom had a goal, and Huckerby ran roughshod down the L flank in the vacuum that DB leaves behind when he goes forward) really helped the team out. On the otherside, LA hasn’t done squat w/ personnel changes, other than admit that they made bad choices and cut folks (see Xavier and Barbayaro and maybe Ruiz?)
As you put it in your first draft – Lalas and run a couple of teams in to the ground, why did AEG expect any thing different?
I think Rudd needs some more time — Lalas has had enough and should be sent packing.
i think Lalas goes first, and if the team doesn’t pick it up by the end of the year Rud is gone also
Barcelona / Chivas friendly on FSC…
Barca up 3-0, but Jesus Padilla is playing for Chivas and looking pretty good.
Gullit listed his house for sale a few weeks ago.
http://www.latimes.com/classified/realestate/hotprop/la-rew-hotpropgullit17-2008jul17,0,2782546.story
Lalas should be canned, but Ruud better have his CV handy…since he decided to can Xavier and doesn’t know MLS.
Congrats to the Quakes!