Thinking ahead to Sunday's Galaxy-Real Salt Lake match, I can't say I have much faith in the Galaxy. Yes, Abel Xavier will play (at least, we're expecting him to play) and that could amp up the whole team but the Galaxy's biggest problem this season has been scoring goals.
Despite its last-minute breakdown on Thursday, Real Salt Lake's defense has been solid of late. RSL was moments away from its third consecutive shutout when Dominic Oduro scored in the third minute of stoppage time as FC Dallas won 1-0.
Coupled with an improving defense, the Galaxy will likely trot out Nate Jaqua and Edson Buddle against RSL. The two have combined for 12 starts, 18 games played overall and 1,117 minutes played with exactly zero goals to show for it. Such a forward tandem doesn't exactly send a jolt of fear into anybody.
Still, this game probably won't be as lopsided as RSL's first visit to L.A. a year ago, when RSL beat a hapless Galaxy team 3-0. Actually, many of the same problems still plague the Galaxy now as they did entering that game. A year ago, the Galaxy lost to Dallas and went home to face RSL without Landon Donovan. This time around, the Galaxy lost to Dallas and now go home to face RSL without Landon Donovan.
But that team was in the process of mailing it in. This year's team has a different mindset overall, despite their shortcomings.
2 comments:
Regarding last night's RSL game, why would espn choose THAT game?
Playing a game on artificial turf with football lines is bad enough for viewing, but you make RSL the home team and it's as bad as the MLS can get.
Dallas could have been entertaining but without Ruiz, Cooper and Nunez they are not the same team.
Just painful, and putting a game like that on National TV probably sets soccer back in this country
I also thought that was a strange choice of a game. I dislike watching games in American football stadiums in general. On venue alone, that game shouldn't have been on.
Had RSL been entertaining like the Red Bulls or Wizards, maybe you look past that but when it's a boring game like yesterday's, you kind of tend to notice things like the stripes and the field and wonder what the league was wondering when decided to put this game on.
Post a Comment