Galaxy, Chivas USA End Contrasting Campaigns
Major League Soccer ends its 13th regular season this weekend with both of L.A.'s teams at opposing ends of the success spectrum.
At one end, the Galaxy will find themselves watching the playoffs from home, despite of their high powered offense and a roster boasting names such as David Beckham and Landon Donovan. The Galaxy's season began to unravel after a convincing win over San Jose on June 14th. From that point forward, the blue-and-gold went from bad to worse, teasing its fans every now and then, such as when they took back the Honda SuperClasico trophy from Chivas USA and avenging an earlier loss to long time rival D.C. United with a 5 - 2 victory.
In the midst of all the chaos brought on by the dismall performances, first year head coach coach Ruud Gullit quit and General Manager Alexi Lalas was canned. Former U.S. National Team head coach Bruce Arena took over at both positions, but not surprisingly, he was unable to keep the team from missing the playoffs for a third year in a row.
While the timing could have been better, it is difficult to find a reason why either Gullit or Lalas should have continued with the team. Lalas, while a likeable individual, clearly was not fit for his job. During his State of the Galaxy address prior to the start of the season, Lalas addressed fans concerns that the team was being short sighted. Lalas acknowledged the critiques, admitting those fans would be willing to wait out some mediocracy on the field in exchange for long term growth and improvement, but also stated that said fans were in the minority. Whether the philosophy of win now, regardless of reality was his own or handed down by owning group AEG is unknown, but the bottom line is that the results have proven it to be a flawed approach. The team has only gotten worse under this philosophy and one has to wonder where the team would be today if they had listened to that minority three or four years ago.
Bruce Arena might be able to bring about a change in philosophy that is more conducive to success, but given his surprised reaction to the recent news of Beckham being loaned to AC Milan, it is beginning to look like a lof of the other issues might continue to plague the team next season.
The Galaxy's final game this season is on Sunday afternoon against FC Dallas, although nothing is at stake for either team, as both have been eliminated from the playoffs.
In contrast to all the drama of the Galaxy, Chivas USA has quietly built upon their successes of prior seasons.
Despite lacking the drama, the red-and-white also had their share of challenges throughout the year. The season started out a bit rough with the team registering only one victory in their first seven games. To make matters worse, countless injuries also hit the team, sidelining key contributors such as captain Claudio Suarez, Maykel Galindo and Jesse Marsch at various times throughout the year and further prolonging the team's return to form and consistency. Losing former 2007 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Brad Guzan on a transfer to English side Aston Villa mid-season certainly didn't help reassure fans either. Many of them were left to wonder what had happened to the team that just a few months prior had closed out the MLS season by winning its first Western Conference title.
Chivas USA head coach Preki Radosavljevic took the brunt of the criticism for the poor results, but refused to concede defeat in the face of the mounting challenges. Preki continued his work and the team responded with an impressive month of May, winning three out of five games, while only losing once.
Shortly thereafter, the team hit a bump in the road, losing two in a row, but then battled back to hold it together through the summer months with a close to even record. As the red-and-white approached the final two months of the season, things started to click on a more consistent basis.
Chivas USA has registered 6 wins in their last 8 games and secured a playoff spot for a third consecutive year. Their recent form seems to indicate that they are poised to make a serious playoff run.
Before they can begin their quest for the MLS Cup, Chivas USA will first need to contend with an old nemesis -- Houston Dynamo -- in their final regular season game.
The last time the two met, Houston delivered a 4 - 0 beating over the red-and-white. In addition, memories of the Dynamo ousting Chivas USA from the playoffs in the 2006 campaign are sure to not be forgotten in the minds of some of its players and fans. Chivas USA will be looking to exact some revenge and more importantly, maintain their momentum as they enter the playoffs next week against Real Salt Lake or Colorado Rapids.
A victory over Houston tonight could be that extra boost of confidence that will carry the team to the MLS Cup Final on November 23rd.
Game Details:
Chivas USA
Date: October 25, 2008
Time: 7:30 PM
Venue: The Home Depot Center
TV/Radio: FSC, FSE, 690 AM (Spanish)
Promos: Free soccer ball to first 7,500, Fan Appreciation Night
Galaxy
Date: October 26, 2008
Time: 12:00 PM
Venue: The Home Depot Center
TV/Radio: TeleFutura, FSN-W, AM 570 (English), 1330 AM (Spanish)
Promos: Fan Appreciation Day
Photo by xero79 via Flickr