July 30th, 2007 . 11:49 pm . By: Jason Benfield

INTRODUCING LOS ANGELES

The Galaxy have struggled all season in MLS play, and the poor run of form has extended into the US Open Cup and SuperLiga tournaments.  Across all competitions, LA have won just 3 of their last 15 games.  They are a desperate team making desperate moves and not even a certain superstar will be able to right this ship.

After Los Angeles got off to a slow start, management began to take some drastic measures in order to plug the leaking; in the process, they made two horrible trades.  The worst was trading Findley and Sturgis for Klein.  Both Findley and Sturgis are very, very good young players.  Sturgis has a rare versatility and can be used anywhere from outside back to defensive midfield.  His move was even more perplexing when you take into account the number of Galaxy defensive players who were injured at the time of the deal.  Findley has great speed and provided a spark off the bench.  In return, they got Klein; anyone who has been watching MLS this season will tell you that he has lost a couple of steps and was very ineffective for RSL.  Sure, LA were desperate for help on the wings, but Klein is certainly not much of an upgrade over what they already have.  In the other trade, Nate Jaqua, who was often used out of position and not paired with appropriate players, was traded to Houston for Kelly Gray.  Jaqua has turned his season around a bit with the Dynamo.  Gray, while a solid right back, has been used at defensive midfield.  He can pass well in the middle of the field, but doesn’t do the dirty work that it takes to shut the opposing team down.

As for the SuperLiga, Los Angeles were extremely lucky to beat Pachuca in the opener, as they were out shot 23 to 9 and did not have much possession.  They played poorly in the second game as well and lost, 2-1, when their valiant defense finally gave in.  Despite the three points in the standings, they are not expected to advance.

THE GOALIES

Cannon is an upper tier MLS keeper.  He has decent athleticism, but his strength is that he positions himself very well.  He is the only player to win MLS Goalkeeper of the year twice.  Cronin is the backup, and played for the US U-17 and U-20 teams.

For FCD, Sala should be the starter.  He gamely played through his knee injury against Pachuca, but is not 100%.  If he is not able to go after aggravating the injury late against Pachuca, Burse will most likely see the field.  The rookie had a very strong game against Chivas, and many fans are looking forward to seeing the athletic youngster take the pitch again.

Advantage: LA because Sala is not fully fit.

THE DEFENSE

Los Angeles plays a flat back four.  Jazic starts on the left; the Canadian international is perhaps the top left back in the league.  The left center back is Hardin, who has hit the rookie wall after a strong start.  A very physical player, Hardin can be beaten for speed and has been caught ball watching and losing his mark as the season has worn on.  EPL veteran Xavier is the other and has tremendous athleticism and reads the game very well.  On the downside, he will lose focus occasionally.  He is also not used to covering for an inadequate partner in the middle of the defense, so at times he is slow to cover when Hardin is beaten.  Neither player would rate speed as their best trait.  The right side has been a disaster so far in the SuperLiga.  Albright has been out for a while with his hamstring injury, and several players have been tried in his stead.  Harden has been pushed out wide before, Kirk has been used, and even Klein had a couple of games there.  Right now, they are going with Roberts, who has been absolutely torched the last two games.  He was finally pulled in the second half of the Chivas match and Gray was moved into his spot.  This is Gray’s natural position, but Yallop may feel that Roberts can handle MLS competition a little better and give him another shot.

Off the bench, Veris and Randolph provide good, young depth.  Veris was actually the first choice for a little while at center back and looked pretty good.  But his last game he really struggled and he has not seen the field since.  Klein, Gray and Kirk are also options on the outside.

For Dallas, they will get Moor back on the right side, who has emerged this season as one of the top right backs in the league.  He struggled a little bit with the speed of the Chivas players in the opener, but will not be matched up with a dynamic flanker against LA.  Gbandi is an above average MLS left back.  In the Pachuca game and the second half of the Chivas game, Goodson and Serioux have been awesome.  Goodson continues to show that he should have been a pick for the All Star game.  He is having a great season, showing speed and making good, hard, timely tackles.  He has even improved his game when he gets pulled and isolated on the outside.  Serioux is quickly rounding into form.  The past two games, the duo have been harassing the opposing forwards constantly, even following marks deep into the midfield in order to deny service and possession.  Right now, they would have to be considered one of the top pairings in the league.

Advantage: FCD

THE MIDFIELD

The Galaxy are trying to play a diamond midfield.  Beckham will normally play as the attacking midfielder, but he is out.  Donovan has taken his place at the top of the midfield so far in the Superliga, with Gray playing a holding role behind him.  LA really struggles with this combination in the center of the field.  It makes for some nice passing sequences, but they have nobody who will physically lay it on the line in order to destroy attacks up the gut.  Houston had the same problem when Gray filled in for Clark in that spot early this year.  Playing Donovan out of the midfield also allows physical players to deny him the ball and take him out of his game.  Donovan is at his best when he can check back into open space from a forward position.  When he floats in the middle, he doesn’t see the ball enough.  Donovan is a rhythm player, and if he doesn’t see the ball, he becomes much less effective.  On the left, Martino is normally the starter, but injured his groin against Pachuca.  His status for the Dallas game is uncertain.  He is not a natural flank player.  He passes the ball well in tight space and can be creative, but does not have the speed or the individual moves to be effective in isolation situations outside.  Klein normally starts on the right, but was moved over to the left to replace Martino.  As I stated before, Klein has lost a couple of steps and is not very effective at this point.  He works hard but really doesn’t add much to the game. If Martino doesn’t play, either Jones or Kirk will play on the right.  Kirk played against Chivas, in a very gutsy move by Yallop; however, the combination of him and Roberts on the right had the Mexicans drooling all night long.  Kirk has good athleticism, but fails to put his stamp on a match over 90 minutes.  At this point in his career, he should be coming off the bench.  Jones may have been saved on Saturday night for the Dallas game.  I would expect him to start if Martino can’t go.  Jones has lost a couple of steps as well, and really has been more effective this season when playing in the center.  Options off the bench in the middle of the field are Vagenas and Harmse, both of whom provide a little bit more bite defensively than Gray, and are more effective when pairing with Donovan.  Vagenas can come in at defensive or attacking mid.

Toja continues to star in the midfield for Dallas and has been one of the best players in the Superliga tournament as his stock continues to rise.  Ricchetti had a very good game against Pachuca, disrupting the Tuzos’ advance and also passing the ball better than he has in several games.  Saragosa is still starting, but is limited in the attack and should be coming off the bench.  It will be interesting to see if Dax gets a shot – LA will most likely bunker and counter, and Dallas will need to send the extra player into the attack if they are going to create chances.

Advantage: FCD.  LA have an extra midfielder, but that fourth player is not really of MLS starting quality.  Toja is as good a midfielder as Donovan, and Ricchetti is better than anyone else LA has to offer.

THE ATTACK

This is where LA have really struggled all season long.  Currently, they are going with two target forwards in Pavon and Gordon.  Pavon had a great Copa America, but has lost his scoring touch since he joined the Galaxy.  He has had open headers in front of goal each of the past two games and failed to put shots on goal; perhaps the spirit of Jaqua lives on.  Gordon, other than a moment of brilliance on the first goal against Pachuca, has been awful.  Yallop finally had enough in the Chivas game, subbing him out with five minutes left in the first half – never a good sign.  It will be interesting to see if LA makes a change here.  Buddle really looked good for the first several games after his move from Toronto, but has picked up a nagging injury and hasn’t seen time in any of the Superliga games.  Glinton could be given a chance for 90 minutes – he is a fast player, but not very refined and does not combine well.  More likely, Donovan may be pushed up top and Vagenas is inserted into the attacking midfield slot.  This would make the Galaxy more of a threat, especially on the counter, but I don’t think LA will make any changes for the final game of the group stage.

Ruiz continues to struggle for Dallas.  He did score against Pachuca, but is not striking the ball very well, and has been hesitant with the ball at the top of the box.  Alvarez and Ricardinho have both been fantastic individually, but have struggled with their passing, and the lack of service is part of Carlos’s struggles.  They are great to watch, however, when they are isolated on the wings.  They consistently broke down the outside defenders in the past two games and have generated numerous chances on goal.  Ricardinho in particular has shown a fantastic work ethic and has really defended well when the back line tries to link to the attack.  Alvarez dropped back in the last game and helped out Rhine quite a bit on the right side.  Consistency is still an issue, and none of the forwards pass very well.  But they are exciting to watch, that is for sure.

Advantage: FCD.  Pavon and Ruiz are both struggling.  If Landon plays up top, LA has an advantage here, but if not, it clearly goes to Dallas.

Possible Lineups

FC Dallas

In the second half against Pachuca, Dallas actually switched things up and moved to a 4-4-2.  Ricardinho and Ruiz (later Oduro and Ruiz) were pushed up into the middle, with Alvarez (right) and Toja (left) on the outsides.  We do not anticipate that change sticking for the Galaxy game.  There is a chance that some other changes could be made to the FCD lineup, as Sala is not 100 percent, Dax is itching to see time, and Serioux may not be able to make the short turnaround after the injury.

LA Galaxy

There could be some significant changes to the Galaxy lineup if Martino or Buddle are healthy.  Even if they are not, Roberts has to be on the verge of losing his spot, and Donovan could be pushed up to forward for Gordon, with Vagenas inserted into the midfield.

When Dallas attacks

It will be interesting to watch Xavier and Ruiz battle it out.  Ruiz has always had aspirations to play in Europe and he should be up for going against a player with Xavier’s experience.  On the right side of the Dallas attack, Alvarez will probably be neutralized by Jazic.  The huge match ups are on the left and in the central midfield.  Ricardinho will have his way with any player LA puts out there.  When he turns the corner, Xavier will come out to cover, leaving Ruiz isolated on Harden.  This is a match up that significantly favors Ruiz.  Another breakdown will come in the attacking midfield.  Gray is a good passer, but is not physical enough to handle Toja.  LA opens a lot of space up in the middle of the field, and Toja could really have a big game.

When Los Angeles attacks

Pavon and Gordon have not shown much.  The Dallas center backs are physical enough to handle both players, and they are definitely faster than both LA players.  On the outside, the Galaxy have had little flank play all season, and the FCD backs are good enough to squelch this threat.  The best player LA has to offer is Donovan, but the combination of Saragosa and Ricchetti will keep him occupied all night long.  FCD’s formation does not give a lot of space in the middle of the field, and countering in that manner is the only source of offense for LA.  I expect that the Galaxy will struggle to mount a consistent attack over the course of the game.

Final Analysis

The Galaxy surely realize the mismatches and will bunker in.  They probably only need a draw to advance, and that plays in their favor.  The outside midfielders will hold back, especially on their right side, protecting against the Dallas flank play.  Dallas has shown this season that they struggle to create chances against teams that play defensively.  FCD are not strong passers in tight space, and do not get the numbers involved in the attack that it takes to break down a defensive team.

The good news for Dallas is that they really should not have any problems defensively against the counter.  I do not expect LA to generate many opportunities; in fact, less than they created against the Mexican teams.  LA have two poor defensive players who will make a mistake over the course of the game and give up a bad goal.

Despite the advantage in talent, FCD struggles to generate chances as they play at a slow tempo and fail to break the Galaxy down.  Finally, the Hoops break through in the 70th minute, waking the game out of its doldrums and advancing to the next round.

FCD 1, LA 0

Categories: Match Preview.

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