The Los Angeles Galaxy currently sit in sixth place in the Western Conference, with 21 points on 14 games. Many have claimed that this is one of most talented roster in MLS. The Galaxy expect to compete for championships.
However, this season has been underwhelming to say the least.
The Galaxy crashed out of CONCACAF Champions League in the first stage of the knock out round against Tijuana. They did so with one of the worst first half performances I’ve seen as a fan of this team. They lost to the Carolina Railhawks in US Open Cup, again. In league play, the Galaxy haven’t played badly, but they continue to have defensive breakdowns and mental errors lead to conceding goals. Their high powered offense of Donovan, Keane, and a quality supporting cast have been lackluster at times.
Statistically, they have not been bad. 13 goals against on 14 league matches, and they are unbeaten in six league games (3-0-3). But look at the tape. A botched defensive throw in lead to the goal in a 1-0 loss to Houston. The offense sputtered against Chicago and Chivas, while the back line was putting out fires left and right. Three of their five wins have come against teams who are currently outside the playoff picture. The other two came against Vancouver and an FC Dallas without Mauro Diaz.
Regardless of how they’ve played thus far, there is confidence and expectation that the offense will turn itself around. They have lots of weapons, many of which are versatile and experienced. Give it some time, and goals by committee will come.
The greater issue comes in the defensive issues. Dan Gargan has been an excellent fill in, but occasionally has mental lapses that hurt the team (see the throw in goal against Houston). The center back play continues to be a big talking point, as Bruce Arena continues to play Leonardo regularly, despite being prone to big mistakes. With Omar Gonzalez injured and then off with the national team, the center back options thin out. AJ DeLaGarza, who has been mainly a center back, has been a jack of all trades. Injuries have forced him elsewhere. That leaves second year Kofi Opare and third year Tommy Meyer. The addition of LA Galaxy II has been paramount to their development as pros. I think both are ready for bigger roles with the first team; neither are quit ready to start regularly.
With Todd Dunivant and James Riley out for awhile with injuries that required surgery, the Galaxy were forced to put AJ DeLaGarza at LB. I love AJD. He’s one of the most underrated defenders in MLS, and he fits the Nate Robinson build: small guy playing a big man’s game with heart and will. He was a life saver at LB. Recently, Robbie Rogers has returned to the lineup at LB, and done better than expected.
While none of the individual parts have looked that that bad, the unit as a whole has been awful.
Omar Gonzalez is the best defender on this roster, and is one of the best defenders in the league and the country. He can regularly go toe-to-toe for 90 minutes with the Bash Brothers, Thierry Henry, Saborio, and others and can limit them, sometimes shut them down entirely. His presence relieves pressure on the rest of the defense to shut down big players and gives them confidence that they have a star who has their back. Without Gonzalez, I’m not sure the Galaxy would make the playoffs in the Western Conference. If they do, it’s with Keane and Donovan going off and we win games 3-2. But that’s the Seattle Sounders formula for success and we all know how that story ends.
There is a chance Omar could be leaving. There has been interest from Europe in the past. He had a great showing at the World Cup. He says he wants to go at some point in his career. Jurgen Klinsmann wants him to go. While this would gut the defense, the Galaxy would probably get around $5 million for the Maryland Terrapin and would have an open DP slot. Not an ideal mid-season change, but if the front office has a solid new DP lined up, I could see it happening. For now, Omar’s departure is just hearsay.
The team also needs to get healthy. Rogers has been serviceable at LB, but Riley is more experienced and Dunivant is the first choice when healthy. Combine this with Gargan cleaning up the few mistakes he makes, and you have an upgrade across the back four. I would even reunite Gonzalez and AJD at center back. Yes, the squad gets a bit shorter, but lack of chemistry has been a problem this past two years. With Dunivant-AJD-Gonzalez-Gargan, that chemistry and quality returns.
Hopefully, the wins return as well.
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