A little wrong…and very wrong. (Remember, we’re all about accountability to predictions here.)
Becks playoff performance in Game 2 against Red Bulls the key to LA's Cup march...
The Los Angeles Galaxy (4 to 1) was one of TSG’s odds-on favorites to win the MLS Cup. They trailed however the Sounders.
It was Seattle (3 to 1) with a healthy Mauro Rosales that was the selection to run the playoff board. Alas, even sans Rosales, it was Seattle’s leaky defense that probably would have done them in against the Galaxy.
The Galaxy took out the feather dusted and cleaned Real Salt Lake’s clock. It was a valiant effort by the crew from Rio Tinto, especially centerback Jamison Olave who was clearly not his dexterous self in leading the backline.
The Galaxy essentially attacked RSL incessantly on the counter. They sucked themselves deep to invite the attack and then sprung David Beckham–like a point guard receiving a fast break pass just short of the halfline and near the sideline. Before RSL could recover the ball was up the field–usually into space for Robbie Keane (BTW, did anyone notice how Chad Barrett started to get frozen out by Beckham and Keane after he made one poor decision after another?). Keane either bought time and distributed or created space and fired. Kyle Beckerman and the midfield could not recover in time to help on the closeouts and it was curtains for Jason Kreis’s club.
It was Galaxy’s lack of depth and meager minions in attack that were the Achilles heel of the team going into the second half of the season. The Galaxy went out and brought in the established Keane and Mike Magee continued to find a partnership with Beckham. Chad Barrett became merely a 4th starter–an AJ Burnett if you will–eating innings and taking punishment from centerbacks.
He may fire a gem one game, but he was more than likely to “just hold up.”
Where I was impressed with the Galaxy was in Game 2 against the New York Red Bulls. Sure Teemu Taino was forced to leave the game early, but the Galaxy’s steel in midfield has always been in question.
Juninho made fantastic strides in that role this year–the MLS version of Pirlo if you will. Devoid of the up-and-coming Brazilian, would the task fall to just who versus New York in the home match.
David Beckham stepped up. While Landon Donovan rightfully is applauded for guiding a sure chance to Luke Rodgers out of harm’s way, it was somewhat ironic that Beckham’s defense in perhaps the most critical game for Los Angeles would actually be just the salve needed for the missing Juninho.
Lack of forwards, solved. Lack of depth, solved. The Galaxy are on to the Cup final.
No caption needed...
A bigger mea culpa for the Dynamo. TSG got taken to task last night with a bevy of comments for those that didn’t appreciate the 14 to 1 odds made on Dom Kinnear’s squad entering MLS’s second season.
One trick pony was our commentary as for Houston it was Davis-to-big-guy-running-in-the-box all season long. If a team could run at Houston and keep the bulk of the game in their defense side of the field, it would be very hard for the Dynamo to score.
And that’s where Dom Kinnear’s master stroke came in with three changes as the MLS campaign was winding down. New man Luiz Camargo was added in the midfield. He took pressure of Brad Davis and enabled more of a counter attack through none of than (change #2) Calen Carr pulling a Robbie Findley routine and able to stretch the defense.
Now, the Dynamo could counter quickly as another option. It wasn’t the big bones of Brian Ching or Will Bruin unable to beat the backline or Cam Weaver trying to be serviceable. Carr is not wondrous, but he is precisely what Kinnear needed.
Change number three, Geoff Cameron moved to centerback should’ve happened a long time. Cameron’s game is face up and tracking and using him as a pivot, receiving the ball with his back to the basket completely diminished his strengths and effectiveness.
Now shepherding in the back, it enabled Houston to do a few things: (1) play a higher backline with the speed of Cameron shutting down over-the-top runs. (2) keep opposing defense’s honest when they went outside to contain Davis and (3) enabled Corey Ashe and Andre Hainault to venture forward more frequently into the attack–adding yet another dimension to the Dynamo attack.
From a one-trick pony to a solid backline and multiple scoring looks in less than eight weeks.
Houston took care of Philly, who took care of themselves really with Piotr Nowak’s bewildering tinkering and they survived a first half blitz by Sporting KC who could just not breakdown their well-disciplined back four.
From 14 to 1 to perhaps worse today with Brad Davis’s injury, but that hardly matters.
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Posted by kaya on 2011/11/07 at 2:50 PM
Houston don’t have a prayer in hell as the LAG actually look motivated. Why is Donovan making Beckham and Keane look chipper and spry? Did he start aging in dog years?
And can someone explain how/why it is the Dynamo left San Jose because of the SSS issue and they end up getting it only 1 year sooner?
Posted by Gazza on 2011/11/08 at 12:43 AM
San Jose has finalized their stadium plan?!! Really?
I thought they were still looking for money
Posted by kaya on 2011/11/08 at 10:55 AM
I believe it’s under construction, though I haven’t been to the site to see for myself: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Earthquakes_Stadium
Posted by Kay20 on 2011/11/08 at 12:59 AM
To answer the LD question – he’s still working off a quad injury. You can see how bad it was for Olave – LD is still kicking his.
And as for Barrett/Keane/Beckham – it’s a weekly occurrence them freezing him out. I am an LA fan, and I cannot believe the new ways in which Chad Barrett misses. Bless his little heart. LA fans get so frustrated with him. When LD moved up top with Keane, even playing at 75% he was about a 300% upgrade versus Chad. So much so I’m wondering if with all the factors at play for the MLS Cup, Bruce goes with Cardozo at RM and LD behind Keane in the final.
Posted by John henry on 2011/11/07 at 6:12 PM
I kn
Posted by kaya on 2011/11/07 at 11:55 PM
I’m a neutral and want LAG to win because I prefer decent soccer. Sure, they may have bought their way to it, but it’s still nicer to watch. It’s just not the same analogy when you talk about EPL teams. I also have also never cared for Brian Ching.
My question about the stadium may not be directly related, but it’s an earnest one: why would the ‘Quakes leave to Houston and the stadium take almost as long as the new SJE stadium (3 year SJ hiatus inclusive.)
Posted by Kevin S on 2011/11/08 at 12:09 AM
I have no idea how San Jose got theirs so fast, unless the city was just scared about losing the team again, but in Houston what took longest was trying to get the Sports Authority to sign off on the lease. All stadiums like this in Houston have to be a lease and the Houston Sports Authority, for whatever reason, does not meet very often or something strange. I had heard back in like 2007/2008 that the Dynamo already had the land it just took a while for everything to be processed I guess. Another part of that is that there were quicker options to get the stadium built in the suburbs somewhere, but Oliver Luck, former Dynamo President, was adamant that the new stadium should be built downtown.
Posted by kaya on 2011/11/08 at 11:01 AM
Thanks for the reply. I’m still pretty shocked Houston swung the deal to purchase the old Quakes and took this long to build the SSS without anyone bitching. I was beginning to think I was taking crazy pills because no one said a word.
I don’t know the first thing about the business side of sports, but I really thought the fly by night deal to bring the now-Dynamo to Houston was something that would’ve been isolated to the NFL or NBA.
Posted by matthewsf on 2011/11/07 at 7:42 PM
Nothing. One game is one observation.
Houston is a good team that has gotten better as the season has gone on–not thanks to Davis, but thanks to their defense.
Davis is a huge loss and probably insurmountable for this game. Stranger things have happened.
Posted by Martin on 2011/11/07 at 9:04 PM
Why would anyone outside of Houston want to root for the Dynamo?
Posted by GeorgeCross on 2011/11/07 at 8:12 PM
I understand “one game is one observation” and that’s fine for statistical analysis. But you Americans talk about clutch plays, but this isn’t some money-grabbing best of seven series. It’s one game and you had better turn up, and deliver.
Posted by Kevin on 2011/11/07 at 8:20 PM
I’ve said before that, while Davis has had a great season, I thought the team could survive without him. So far so good in KC, but this is where we really put that to the test. Don’t forget that Houston will work their ass off. It’s long been our trademark and it’s reflected in our team name.
I think you left out the most important change for the team though… MOFFAT!!!
Are you going to do any sort of feature or preview to the game besides the norm? I just can’t help but immediaty think back to the last time we played LA in HDC in the playoffs.
Posted by Kevin S on 2011/11/07 at 9:31 PM
Because everyone loves a good underdog. The reason to dislike LA in MLS is very similar to the reason to dislike City in the EPL.
I, for one, despise the wanna be galacticos (look at their jerseys and name) for a number of reasons.
1. They do whatever the hell they want in the transfer market and get away with it because “MLS needs a successful team in a big market”.
2. AEG will spend money on them, but not their “red-headed step child, if you will.
3. I still haven’t forgotten 2009 Western Conference Finals… (Me? Hold grudges? Nooo!)
4. At the beginning of the season, the talk was about LA going for it this year or possibly some big changes. (Guess what city was awarded the right to host the MLS Cup this year?)
It’s not a surprise that MLS wants LA to succeed, but, with players like Beckham, Donovan, Keane, Hejduk, it should be expected.
Posted by Martin on 2011/11/07 at 9:39 PM
Well that is fine but, as a neutral I’m rooting for LA for one simple reason, Frankie Hejduk is one of my favorite all time players.
Posted by Andrew M. on 2011/11/07 at 9:50 PM
No offense intended my friend, I like the Dynamo, but I’ll give you one reason that trumps every single one of those you listed above.
It would be an absolute shame for the league, not to mention LA, for a team nearly 20 points points below the leaders in the regular season to come away champions after one match. It just wouldn’t be right. LA deserve the cup because they were the best team in the league by a mile. I know it has happened before (see Colorado 2010), but that doesn’t mean it needs to happen again.
Posted by Kevin S on 2011/11/07 at 11:00 PM
I didn’t say LA didn’t deserve to win… I simply listed reasons as to why people might not want them to. It only makes sense for the the supporter’s shield winner to be the MLS Champion, but that wasn’t really where I was getting at. If the playoffs were about who deserved to win, then why even go through the trouble of playoffs.
To be fair, it’s already a shame that Beckham hasn’t won an MLS Cup yet. However, if you’re talking about shame, it would be a shame if the winner were pretty much set up by MLS. Kind of a lose lose for pessimists, but regardless, it should still be a good game.