photo by Isaiah J. Downing/USA Today Sports
By FRANCO PANIZO
The LA Galaxy have made a habit in recent years of kicking things into another gear during the second half of their seasons. Like a light switch that they just turn on, the Galaxy tend to find results on a more consistent basis, make a deep playoff run, and usually find a way to lift an MLS Cup trophy when the games get more intense and important.
LA is hoping history repeats itself this season, and there’s undoubtedly a chance of that happening given the star-studded cast that has been assembled out near Hollywood.
You need only to look at the biggest names on LA’s roster to see just how powerful the club can be. Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane, Giovani Dos Santos, Omar Gonzalez, Gyasi Zardes are players that comprise a championship-level core in MLS, but it is not as if the Galaxy’s talent stops there.
From MLS All-Star Juninho in center midfield to goal-scoring midseason acquisition Sebastian Lletget to reliable veteran defender A.J. DeLaGarza, the Galaxy boast arguably the most talented team in the league right now. Throw in the fact that it is the incomparable and savvy Bruce Arena that is leading the charge and you have a recipe for success.
Still, that is all on paper, and, as we know, matches are not won on paper.
There is no denying that the Galaxy have an envious crop of riches as far as their roster goes.
There’s a star-studded cast befitting of LA, a cast surrounded by a dependable group of role players, a serviceable bench that consists of both proven veterans and promising prospects, and a legendary head coach that seems to know exactly what buttons to push and when to push them. By most accounts, the Galaxy are one of the favorites right now to not only make it to the MLS Cup final, but also to win it.
A major challenge does, however, lie ahead for the club in the coming months: Figuring out how to make it all work.
Steven Gerrard has stepped in and – a questionable red card this past weekend aside – has made a real positive impact on the club. He has looked deserving of his Designated Player deal despite being 35-years old, and added another dimension to the Galaxy.
Fitting him in might have come easy, but now Arena needs to figure out how to do the same with Dos Santos. The Mexican international might be better off physically than Gerrard since he is still in his prime at just 26-years old, but where Dos Santos fits in the scheme of things in LA could go a long way to determining how the season pans out.
Make no mistake, Arena and the Galaxy brass has probably gone over this ad nauseam. But talking about it and planning for it is different than executing it, and Dos Santos will need to avoid the type of slow first few months in MLS that other skillful players like Clint Dempsey and Thierry Henry have endured.
Whether the Galaxy completely change their system or alter it slightly to fit Dos Santos remains to be seen, but the latter approach seems most likely given how deep we are into the MLS campaign. Even so, Dos Santos is a player who demands the ball and thrives when he has it as his feet. Keane, while a different kind of player, similarly needs to be on the ball often, and how the two work together and mesh will be something to watch for.
For the Galaxy, there is also the matter of seeing if goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts can still produce on a championship level. The departure of starter Jaime Penedo could prove to be a big hit to the club, but it all depends on how the recently-reacquired Ricketts performs in the Panamanian’s place.
Ricketts, 38, showed this past weekend in his LA return that he might have enough in the tank to help it find the promise land once again. That was just one match, however, and he will surely have his number called upon even more in the coming weeks and months as LA tries to move into the top spot in the competitive Western Conference.
Even with there being question marks with regards to Dos Santos and Ricketts, the Galaxy should still enjoy a strong second half to the MLS campaign. There is enough quality, experience and depth on the squad that LA should have no problem reaching the playoffs. That said, simply making the postseason will not be satisfactory for the Galaxy and their fans.
With a squad like this, the goal is winning another MLS Cup. But not even having the most talented group of players or a strong finish to the regular season can guarantee that.
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What do you think about this talented Galaxy team? Are they currently your favorites to win MLS Cup? What will be the biggest challenge the club faces?
Share your thoughts below.
It would be a shame for this team not to get to the cup final at the very least. If anyone can manage this roster in the MLS its Bruce Arena. I believe Gio will have no issues fitting right in, just as Gerrard has.
I know rickets is acquired, but any long term solutions for Galaxy at goalkeeper? I wonder who they will pick up
If the Galaxy do have a weakness, it’s on the back line, nore explicitly in the fullback positions, both at the right and left backs.
Consider the players:
Todd Dunivant: Once a rock, he has had more injuries and missed games than minutes played in the last 2 years.This may be his last year.
Dan Gargan: Not as many missed games, but his lack of speed, his age and proneness to injuries, make the backline vulnerable when he makes runs into attacking positions.
Robbie Rogers: Youthful and quick, he has adapted to his new position, but he is still learning the position and his mistakes have cost the Galaxy several games. Her is good in the attack and Arena like to use him going forward, but his lack od positional awareness many time leave the center backs exposed.
Oscar Sorto: Has great potential, speed along with good skills,, but is only 20 y.o. and needs a lot more experience. His red card on Horst against Houston made his debut inauspicious.
At times Arena has had to put De La Garza and even Tommy Meyer out on the corners, a make do situation that is not conducive to a a strong back line.
While the Galaxy may be exposed when it’s fullbacks go forward, The strength of the Galaxy’s midfield, may alter Bruce Arena’s tactics to not throw Gargan, or Rogers into the attack as much, leaving the fullbacks in a more defensive posture.
If there is light on the horizon it has been the play of some of the Galaxy II defenders, who held off Club America, and performed well against Barcelona. We might see Arena bring up some of these players of the future, onto the bench for some opportune minutes in the second half of the season.
Great point. Pretty easily solved by putting AJ next to Omar. I understand Bruce’s attraction to tall center backs, but the results are pretty clear. When AJ plays in the center next to Omar, the goals against drops and the championships roll in.
Everything about that pairing makes the team better: 1) play a higher line reducing the area the midfield needs to cover. 3) Outside back get forward more easily because they are less likely to be caught in transition. 4) Midfield takes up better spots (probably because AJ communicates so well). 5) Omar gets and wins more aerial battles because AJ allows him to get into better positions. 6) Better passes out of the back from the center backs (particularly from Omar, not sure why). 7) Juninho seems to play at a higher level.
Bruce. Please establish your championship center back pairing and leave them alone. The fullback situation will sort itself out.
Tommy “Barca Slayer” Meyer! I think he’s a better 2nd choice than Leo.
Concacaf champions league or bust.
_____________Keene
___Zardes_____________dos Santos
_____________Gerrard
________Lletget_____Juinho
_Rogers__DLG_______Gonzalez__Gargan
______________Ricketts
I say this 4-3-3 attack because it removes some of the legwork Gerrard has to do, and puts dos santos (a left footed player) and zardes (right foot) in a position to cut inside and flood the penalty box. Juniho still runs the midfield and Lletget does what he wants. The defense stays solid, and another MLS cup looks realistic
Don’t think I’ve ever seen Bruce play a 4-3-3. I’ve seen three versions of the 4-4-2 (empty bucket, Y and diamond). I’ve seen the 3-5-2 in two different forms, and a 3-4-3 of sorts. Can anybody recall a Bruce Arena team playing a 4-3-3?
i would be very surprised if they don’t win the playoffs.
——Keene————–Zardes——-
—————-dos Santos————–
—-Lletget—————-Gerrard——
—————-Juninho——————
-Rogers-DLG—-Gonzalez-Gargan-
—————-Ricketts——————
subs: Gordon, Buddle, Villareal, Jamieson
Sorto, Dunivant, Vayrynen, Husidic
I think maybe we should play a 4-2-3-1. This lineup could be very formidable :
————Keane——–
–Lletget—Dos Santos——Gyasi
———-Juninho–Gerrard———-
Rogers-DLG—-Gonzo—-Gargan
————–Ricketts—————–
We don’t typically see Keane up top alone. He’s said in the past he prefers to play alongside a target forward or in a more withdrawn position behind the #9. In any case, LA is flush with attacking possibilities. Now Bruce just has to make a great on-paper squad into a great real-life squad. Can’t wait for this weekend vs. Seattle.
Anybody who thinks this team wouldn’t dominate in the Championship needs a set of glasses.
As it is, at full strength, I don’t know how anybody remotely stops them. That’s just an insane roster for MLS, and one frankly I thought we were probably 5-10 years away from seeing. Some of it was fortuitous – like getting Lletget when nobody knew how good he was, keeping Gonzalez after Europe came calling mostly because Gonzalez tore his ACL, and seeing the likes of Zardes, Jameison, and Villareal emerge from the homegrown ranks, but regardless, that is a STRONG bunch, at least until you get to keeper, and even at 38 Ricketts isn’t terrible.
International call-ups will gut this bunch, of course. But come playoff time, if they’re healthy, I don’t see anybody they won’t mow down.
True-true, yet…. soccer IS a crazy game… tactics, heart and a few lucky bounces can make up huge gaps and we’ve all seen that truly anything can happen. They certainly do have a very deep, talented roster, but between late arrivals, call ups etc, they’ve had little time together so the big question for this year is how quickly they can gel in order to maximize it. Like many….. I can’t help but see the potential for this group to challenge for a CL title.
What else needs to be said? Great team, great coach, an owner that’s not afraid to invest…..should make MLS Cup or very close to it.
I hope they can finally win the Concacaf Champions league.