Now, on the verge of the nine-month campaign to retain their title, LA will have the added pressure of attempting to raise the CONCACAF Champions League trophy, while also looking to win an unprecedented third MLS Supporter’s Shield in a row, as the league’s best regular season team. Here is a closer look at a championship team that went from the verge of break-up just before the new year, to losing the leader of their league best defense, to now being tipped as a legitimate MLS “SuperTeam.”
Much of the talk around the Galaxy’s defense this season will revolve more on who isn’t there, as opposed to who is fielded for Bruce Arena’s side. As it were, that fateful day on a training pitch in Germany has had Galaxy fans on edge much of the offseason.
Of course, the reference is to the injury suffered by Galaxy center back Omar Gonzalez while on loan with FC Nuremberg, in his first day of training no less! And cliche as it may be, you simply don’t replace a guy like Omar Gonzalez. Gonzalez was last year’s MLS Defender of the Year and the leader of a recording setting 2011 defense, a like for like replacement would be nearly impossible. So, filling the void left by Gonzalez are three players: a rookie, a returnee from injury and a goat.
With the brilliant partnership that Gonzalez and Galaxy defender AJ De La Garza forged last season, little do people remember they were not Arena’s first choice center back pairing at the beginning of the season. It was actually Gonzalez and Leonardo fielded at the start of the season, that is until the Brazilian went down to a knee injury early in the 2011 season. Arena has said Leonardo won’t be ready until April at the soonest, and judging by the minutes in pre-season, the rookie from Indiana University, Tommy Meyer, might be thrown directly into the fire at the start of the season. If he can’t handle the daunting task, Arena does have former Chivas USA (hence, the goat) defender Andrew Boyens ready to step in. Whatever the case at center back, the team does return 3/4 of the league’s best back line, including their new #1 in net.
While goalkeeper Josh Saunders anchored the team throughout much of the season and during the playoffs after former LA #1, Donovan Ricketts, suffered with injuries, questions are still abound as to whether Saunders can prove to be a top shot-stopper for an entire season. Arena seems to think so, as he shipped off the aforementioned Ricketts to expansion side Montreal Impact for, as we would find out later, a pivotal amount of allocation cash. And while pundits can still question if Saunders can do it a full season, it’s not as if the new LA #1 hasn’t played in high pressure situations, having guarded the nets in crucial CONCACAF Champions League group stage away games, as well as playing every minute of the MLS Cup playoffs last season. Saunders has been known for the occasional bad lapse in judgement, but also proved, especially in LA’s first playoff match away to NY, he can come up with the big save at the big moment when called upon.
MIDFIELD
If the team’s center back situation seems to be its weakest facet, the midfield has got to be its saving grace.
David Beckham returns after we were all but assured by the media he’d be strutting his stuff down the Champs-Élysées with PSG in December (all the media, expect this guy). The Englishman had an MVP-caliber 2011, and speaking of players that were all but gone, Beckham’s running mate in the center of midfield, Juninho, returns after initially leaving the club to return to São Paulo in Brazil.
Making matters worse the for the opposition this season, LA added another Brazilian, Marcelo Sarvas, as insurance for both Beckham and Juninho in the center of midfield. The creative attacker can play centrally and wide on the left in midfield, and along with Galaxy captain Landon Donovan, the team could field arguably the most talented MLS midfield of all-time from right to left, if they so choose. However, look for Sarvas to spell Juninho and Beckham when needed, with fan-favorite and playoff hero Mike Magee on the midfield’s left wing and Donovan taking up the freer role on the right side of midfield.
FORWARDS
For a team that couldn’t find a consistent forward, let alone forward pairing, much of the season, LA now looks set up top in 2012.
After the arrival of Robbie Keane to the LA mix late last season, the Galaxy spent months trying to figure out exactly who to pair with the former Spurs’ man. A steady rotation of Adam Cristman, Paolo Cardozo, and Chad Barrett led to even Donovan having to move forward from midfield at times to provide Keane with an adequate partner in the LA attack. Although Barrett did catch fire late in the season, much of it happened with Keane out due to injury, and then Barrett was felled by a freak injury of his own just before the 2011 MLS Cup. But nevertheless, the team still triumphed over the Houston Dynamo, with Donovan again having to push forward from midfield to net the lone goal of the match.
Enter LA’s not so long-lost leading scorer of 2010: Edson Buddle.
Returning from his travels in Europe, Buddle is a serious upgrade at the forward position, and likely to waltz right into the Galaxy starting XI. In 2010, Buddle netted 17 times without the benefit of a healthy Beckham a majority of the season. The partnership of Buddle and Keane in front of the team’s marvelous midfield options has fans anxious to start the 2012 season.
Defense be damned! With a team this talented in going forward, the 1 – 0 affairs we were so use to seeing from the Galaxy last season (11 total last season) might just turn into some goal-happy shootouts around the Home Depot Center in 2012.
BEST IN THE WEST
It’s important to note with the addition of a 19th team this season (Montreal Impact), all of MLS will be playing an unbalanced schedule this season. Instead of home and away dates with each team in the league, teams will be playing every team at least once, but playing more in conference.
How does this affect the Galaxy? Well, the back-to-back Supporter’s Shield winners will benefit from less travel, as they will play more games against Western Conference foes, but in a stacked West, LA’s quest for back-to-back-to-back Supporter’s Shields might be a little more difficult than in years prior. With a team like Sporting KC on the rise, and having more games against weaker Eastern Conference competition, LA’s quest for the league’s regular season title might be even tighter than last season when Seattle faded towards the end. To reach the top, a team has to win the games in front of them regardless of the competition, but no team has captured three consecutive Supporter’s Shields, so it’s something to keep an eye on in 2012.
SUMMER TOURNAMENTS
With the London Olympics taking place in August and Euro 2012 set to kick off in Poland and Ukraine in June, the Galaxy will be without two, and up to four, players for a chunk of games in the middle of the 2012 season.
David Beckham was integral to London’s luring of the Olympics, and it is said a stipulation in his new contract provides him ample time to compete with Team Great Britain in the games this summer. And while it is not likely Beckham will see time during England’s Euro 2012 campaign, Robbie Keane will be captaining his Ireland squad in their first major tournament in 10 years.
Other than Keane and Beckham missing time, also likely joining Becks in London is midfielder Michael Stephens, assuming the U.S. can qualify for the games. Stephens has been called up to coach Caleb Porter’s U-23 squad in recent weeks, and would likely be a fixture in the teams midfield. With Olympic sides being allowed three overage players at the games, captain Landon Donovan has also expressed his willingness to play in London if called upon, and could be a very solid choice for Porter.
STRENGTH IN THEIR LEADER
Injuries, outside competitions, summer tournaments, unbalanced scheduling, Galaxy coach Bruce Arena has a tough task ahead in coming 2012 season. How far the Galaxy go will greatly rely on his man-management skills this season. The former USMNT coach is adept at plugging in players when needed, and after bringing LA back to MLS Cup glory last season, there is little doubt he is capable of doing it again in 2012 (Arena won consecutive MLS Cups with DC United in the 1996 and 1997 seasons). Like RSL in 2011, the Galaxy will have the “Quadruple” on their minds (MLS Cup, Supporter’s Shield, US Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League trophy), a feat justifying their “SuperTeam” status.
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