Saturday was full of action in the MLS. As the New York Red Bulls were wrapping up a 2-0 win over San Jose, we at ONELOVE were gearing up on the sideline for a fixture between the LA Galaxy and the Kansas City Wizards. It was not an easy night for Landon Donovan and company. An early goal by Davy Arnaud set the tone for a game that was largely dominated by three key players on the visiting side. MLS vet Jimmy Conrad had a goal in the second half and never missed an opportunity to do work on defense.
Kei Kamara created opportunities at every turn (Alex V./OLFC)
Arnaud and Conrad most defintely showed up to play, but man of the match honors go to Kei Kamara. He assisted Arnaud’s goal and proved to be an unstoppable force in the KCW buildup. Both Leonardo and Todd Dunivant tried and failed to keep the wiry Sierra Leonian in check.
The pundits were saying that an early goal would decide the match. This may have explained the win, but it hardly addresses a few problems that Bruce Arena will need to solve before a wildly successful 1st place run is compromised. The Galaxy displayed very little creativity in the attacking 3rd and showed us why absentees like Beckham and Juninho will be necessary to the club’s long term success. Conceding a goal in the 12th minute ought to inspire creativity, the way it did for team USA in South Africa, and not infect the team with a crippling sense of panic. The frustration was evident after Arnaud’s goal. Passes weren’t connecting, bodies were colliding and tempers were rising to unnecessary heights. This is where leadership comes into play.
What did you think of last nights match? Who was your MVP?
For our Galaxy fans out there, what can be done in the coming weeks to get things back on track?
Dr Eliyantha Lindsay White, personal physician to Sri Lanka president Mahinda Rajapaksewho, has publicly offered his services to David Beckham, ensuring that he can have the Galaxy midfielder’s Achilles back to full strength in 3 days.
The doctor was recently quoted by the AFP: “I am ready to treat him…His condition can be easily treated and within three days he will be able to go back to playing. His case is simple. I can treat him. He can play again.”
Yesterday’s injury proved to be a torn Achilles tendon, which means 5-6 months before Beckham can even run around. The midfielder will most likely not play again at the international level.
There is plenty of speculation as to who will take his place in the lineup, but no decisions have been made.
We expected Manchester United to win today, but 4-0 was an upset by anyone’s standards. Rooney, Fletcher, and Park made the score sheet, thanks to brilliant supporting play from every square inch of the field.
Rooney (now with 30 goals in all competition this season) was being compared to United great Dennis Law today. The truth is that he was simply being his own legendary self.
Beckham, whose game has actually gotten better since arriving in Milan, complemented Ronaldinho at midfield to make for some of the most beautiful plays we’ve seen all year in the Serie A.
The final result was 3-2 in Milan’s favor.
Milan has a chance of catching up with Inter, but I think everyone is more interested to see what happens in the Champions League. Can Milan out-scrap/out-shine/out-play Manchester United? It’s a tough call. Let us know what you think.
David Beckham played a critical role in Milan’s 5-2 romping over Genoa on Wednesday. The English midfielder started in Pirlo’s place and earned a standing ovation from supporters when he subbed out in the second half.
Conspiracy Theory: Beckham has returned to AC Milan for special treatment in the club’s “LAB” which is rumored to possess the secrets of eternal youth. Well, close enough. Unless you are Ryan Giggs, there is no place like Milan for middle aged footballers.
We love him. We hate him. We love him again. This sort of rollercoaster is a huge building block for American soccer culture. We care. We got through to a player who was, for a while, bigger than the MLS, and he responded by giving us his best season since arriving at Los Angeles. The Beckham experiment felt doomed for a while, but it seems we’re headed in the right direction.
How will the MLS grow in the next five to ten seasons? Will we be included in a Champions League-style tournament of the America’s? Will we introduce a relegation system? What about new investment dollars to change the salary cap rules? After watching guys like Landon Donovan and Jeff Cunningham, it’s clear that we need more American standouts, more goals, and more opportunities (like tomorrow’s final) to create unforgettable moments. It feels more real than ever.
The Red Bulls will begin next season with a brand new stadium and, perhaps, the addition of a world football deity to the roster. Thierry Henry could easily give New York three seasons of healthy play which would qualify as the city’s most important signing since Pelé.
Beckham’s arrival in Los Angeles came with equal amounts of praise and criticism for a deal that many consider to be unnecessarily rich. Beckham has been great for the Galaxy. From the moment of his late start against Chelsea at the Home Depot Center in 2007, Beckham has elevated the likes of Landon Donovan (and all of Bruce Arena’s new talent) to new heights. They had some growing pains to overcome, and investors may lose money on the deal, but it’s clear that Donovan’s world class performance this year has come in part from a productive onfield relationship with Beckham. Henry will bring this sort of stewardship to New York if he finds a few young players to mentor, but this begs a deeper question about the future of the MLS.
In order for aging superstars to be effective mentors and advocates in the MLS, there must be a new class of young players to benefit from their leadership. Like Beckham, Henry brings a Kobe Bryant sized ego to an American sport that isn’t yet on par with the NBA. LA Galaxy seem to have found the perfect solution to this problem in Landon Donovan who has retained the captain’s armband throughout Beckham’s time in the States. Again, it took some time, but Beckham grew comfortable with his own celebrity and was able to allow Donovan a shot at being front and center. When this happened, the two became a dominating force. We are seeing a new side of Donovan. He is a great big American soccer star. Maybe we’re jumping the gun a little bit, but he’s headed in that direction.
Cruyff & Beckenbauer in NYC – 1978
The NASL made the mistake of overspending on foreign stars and underspending on young American talent, which has created a stigma among MLS teams who are fearful of Beckham-sized deals. One wrong move of this magnitute could easily ruin a franchise, but we have to consider the upside. Cosmos players like Beckenbauer, Cruyff, and Carlos Alberto had similar effects on then-USMNT captain and teammate Rick Davis. If the MLS can find a balance, we are headed in the right direction.
LD scrambles with Stephane Auvrey (Alex V./OLFC)
Kei Kamara created opportunities at every turn (Alex V./OLFC)
