November 13, 2009 90 MINUTES AWAY Galaxy one win from the MLS Cup final
Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
By Scott French
LASoccerNews.com contributer
CARSON, Calfi. -- The Los Angeles Galaxy stands 90 minutes, maybe a few more, from capping a quick and remarkable turnaround with an appearance in Major League Soccer’s title game. But to get there it must overcome a dynasty.
In Friday night’s Western Conference final at Home Depot Center (8 p.m.), the Galaxy take on the Houston Dynamo, which in its four seasons – and its last five in San Jose before relocating in South Texas – has set standards for excellence in MLS and is seeking a record fifth championship within the past decade.
The Dynamo, under former U.S. national team midfielder Dominic Kinnear, is looking for its third MLS Cup triumph since departing Northern California following the 2005 season, but its run of success stretches back to 2001, whether or not the league (or the club) want to acknowledge it.
Officially, the Dynamo was a new franchise when it arrived in Houston, but the ties to the old Earthquakes, and its successes from 2001 to 2005, remain strong. Ten of its players – including first-choice goalkeeper Pat Onstad, midfielders Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis and Brian Mullan, and striker Brian Ching – have been with the club since its San Jose days. Seven of them, along with Kinnear, were part of the 2001 and 2003 title-winning teams.
This kind of consistency is clearly desired by the Galaxy, which under Bruce Arena, who on Wednesday was announced as MLS’s Coach of the Year, has taken huge strides, climbing from the Western cellar to the regular-season divisional title.
“I think most people around soccer can see there’s a pretty clear blueprint for success in this league, and it starts with good coaches,” said Galaxy captain Landon Donovan, the pivotal player for San Jose’s championship sides and L.A.’s 2005 MLS Cup winner. “You see Dominic in Houston, you see Steve Nicol in New England, now Denis (Hamlett) in Chicago – you see teams that have been successful over a number of years not only had good coaches, but coaches who implement a style, a way of playing. They’re all different, all their styles are different, but when you have guys who understand the system and can execute, then you get success.
“We’ve had a lot of turnaround in coaches, and we’ve had a lot of turnaround in players. We now have Bruce here, who every day makes sure that we have a professional way of doing things as a starting point and players who follow that lead. Successful teams have a handful of good solid leaders that make the rest of the team better. We’ve found not only a handful, we’ve found a lot, maybe eight or nine guys who have helped us to do that.”
Arena took charge in August 2008, bringing to a stop the coaching carousel that had started the Galaxy’s spiral with the 2004 dismissal of Sigi Schmid with the club atop the West. In order, the Galaxy:
- Won the 2005 title despite poor regular season form under Steve Sampson, who was canned following a horrid start to the 2006 season;
- Accomplished little in a season and a half under Frank Yallop, architect of San Jose’s titles, which had more to do with administrative meddling than any coaching shortcomings;
- Endured a chaotic nine months under Dutch icon Ruud Gullit, whose attacking emphasis led to entertaining but defensively bereft soccer.
Gullit, whose management style and lack of attention to detail helped carve chasms within the team, departed and General Manager Alexi Lalas was fired heading into last season’s stretch run. The Galaxy’s turnaround began when Arena assumed both roles.
Sixteen players on L.A.’s 26-man roster have arrived since Arena’s appointment, including more than a half-dozen who played for him at D.C. (defender Tony Sanneh), with the New York Red Bulls (defender Todd Dunivant and midfielders Mike Magee and Dema Kovalenko) or during his tenure as U.S. national team coach (Sanneh, defender Gregg Berhalter, winger Eddie Lewis and forward/midfielder Jovan Kirovski).
He also brought in Jamaican goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, England-born Trinidadian midfielder Chris Birchall and Brazilian-born midfielder Stefani Miglioranzi, and drafted defenders Omar Gonzalez and A.J. DeLaGarza from NCAA champion Maryland.
The Galaxy, which last season finished tied with expansion San Jose at the bottom of the Western Division with a franchise-worst mark of 8-13-9, went 12-6-12, surrendered only 31 goals (after giving up 62 in 2008) and head into the match against the Dynamo with eight shutouts in their past 11 matches.
Engineering this turnaround required some heavy lifting. But Arena gives much of the credit to his captain.
“There were a number of things we had to do, but I think the starting point always has been Landon,” Arena said. “He accepted a lot of responsibility to make this team better. That required concentration and commitment on a daily basis. When your best player gives that kind of effort, it carries over to the rest of the team in the locker room every day and on the field.
“Leadership was critical, starting with Landon, and then it was picked up by everybody else. I’ll tell you, the effort we’ve had with players like Chris Klein, Tony Sanneh, Gregg Berhalter, Jovan Kirovski, Eddie Lewis has been fabulous.”
Berhalter, who arrived as the season began following 15 years in Holland, England and Germany, has been pivotal, both in the locker room – where his professionalism and positive demeanor have been massive – and in the center of the backline, where his presence has helped blood Gonzalez, the favorite for MLS’s Rookie of the Year award.
David Beckham, who struggled with injury in 2007 and disinterest in 2008, arrived in July with conviction following a productive loan spell at AC Milan, and his connection with Donovan turned the Galaxy’s attack into one of the league’s most feared.
Donovan, who scored a team-best 12 goals while splitting time up front and on the left flank, is considered by his peers to be the league’s premier talent. He scored twice, once on a penalty, in the 3-2 aggregate victory over Chivas USA in the first round of the playoffs. He was the key player when San Jose won in 2001 (scoring five playoff goals, one in the title-game win over the Galaxy) and 2003 (four, two in the title-game win over Chicago), as well as when the Galaxy won in 2005 (four).
“He’s always a threat to change the game when he’s on the field,” Kinnear noted. “You can’t say enough good things about him and what he’s done over the years. Especially come playoff time. He always seems to show up and score important goals.”
Kinnear was Yallop’s assistant when the Earthquakes won their championships, and he took over when Yallop departed to become Canada’s national team coach. In 2005, when Clark and Davis were added to a veteran side, San Jose went 18-4-10 but was stunned in the first round by the Galaxy, the lowest seed in the playoffs.
The next two seasons, as the Dynamo, the club topped New England in MLS Cup finals. Kinnear’s side was expected to battle Columbus in last year’s final but was upset in the opening round by the New York Red Bulls, who used Dane Richards’ speed and superb goalkeeping by Danny Cepero to win the second leg, 3-0, in Houston en route to an MLS Cup appearance.
Kinnear made alterations this season, adding rising U.S. national-teamer Stuart Holden to a veteran midfield quartet after Dwayne De Rosario departed to play for his hometown Toronto FC, and adding youth and pace to his backline.
Holden and Davis, the left winger and team MVP, played huge roles in generating the Dynamo attack, combining for 11 goals and 16 assists. Holden’s performances this year in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and during World Cup qualifying have put him strongly in the running for a World Cup roster spot next summer.
“(Holden) has been a huge part of our success, not only this year, but the past two years, as well,” said Ching, who led the Dynamo with eight MLS goals and 10 in all competitions. “For us to sit back and watch a player like that get his opportunity – first bide his time, then get his opportunity – and continue to grow as a player because he’s getting time on the field has kind of been a treat and fun to watch.”
Geoff Cameron, a second-year midfielder, had an enormous year, primarily teamed with veteran Bobby Boswell in central defense. He was a finalist – and, some believe, deserving winner – for the MLS Defender of the Year honor, which went to Columbus’ Chad Marshall.
Richard Mulrooney’s knee injury enabled Canadian Andrew Hainault, who had three seasons in the Czech Republic, to win the role at right back. Mike Chabala, who saw no MLS action in his first three seasons with the Dynamo, slowly supplanted longtime captain Wade Barrett at left back.
Ching remains the primary finisher. He can be partnered with speedy Dominic Oduro, who started both playoff games against Seattle, or Mexican forward Luis Angel Landin, who has struggled with fitness and acclimating to the physical nature of MLS soccer since arriving from Morelia.
Two Galaxy-Dynamo meetings this year produced just one goal, by Todd Dunivant in a 1-0 L.A. victory at Home Depot Center on June 28. The Galaxy’s defense has been superb, other than a couple of lapses -- the 6-2 debacle against FC Dallas in September and an error-filled 2-2 draw with Chivas USA in the first leg of their playoff series on Nov. 1.
Houston, which went 13-8-9, finishing even on points with the Galaxy, has surrendered just 29 goals, fewest in the league, but the Dynamo notched seven of its 10 regular-season shutouts in its first dozen games. A heavy schedule – the club has played 46 games this year, including eight in the CONCACAF Champions League – took its toll later in the season, but two shutouts against Seattle in the first round boosted confidence.
“The last two games was some of the best soccer we’ve played in a long time,” Kinnear said. “I think that schedule did catch up to us in August and September a little bit. Not only did we have our club commitments, but we had guys getting pulled in different directions with the national team for World Cup qualifiers. So it makes it hard to establish some sort of consistency.
“And I think that has all been put aside since we (were eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions League last month). We’ve just focused on MLS. I think that’s why we’ve been playing so well. And it also comes down to players knowing and understanding what they need to do to get ready for a game of this magnitude.”
The winner of Saturday’s Eastern Division final – the Chicago Fire or Real Salt Lake – awaits the victor in the Nov. 22 championship game in Seattle. The Galaxy understands the challenge ahead.
“Houston is arguably the best team in MLS and probably has been over a number of years,” Arena said. “I just think they’re an outstanding team, balanced all over the field.”
