Looking bright

Defending champion Galaxy gearing up for another title run

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By Ridge Mahoney, Soccer America

Not always are the top teams in MLS waylaid by the salary cap.

Defending champion Los Angeles won't need to worry about tearing up its squad for at least two seasons. Most of its squad is under contract until 2004.

If anything, the Galaxy looks stronger through the additions of former South Korean captain Hong Myung Bo and 2001 league MVP Alex Pineda Chacon. It looks younger and deeper, having drafted U.S. under-17 midfielder Guillermo Gonzalez and under-23 defenders Ricky Lewis and Scot Thompson.

And with capacity crowds possible at the Home Depot facility for every Galaxy home game, as well as the All-Star Game and MLS Cup 2003, Los Angeles may lead the pack off the field as well.

So what's the downside?

"Complacency is something you always have to fight, but I would hope we'd be able to avoid that," coach Sigi Schmid said. "I think the excitement of knowing that MLS Cup is in our city and wanting to do better than the team did in '98 when it was in Los Angeles is a motivating factor."

That year, when Chicago captured the MLS Cup at the Rose Bowl, the Galaxy, under Octavio Zambrano, had scored a league record 85 goals but fell in the playoffs.

By contrast, the Galaxy has ridden a strong defense to reach the last two MLS Cups. In 2002, it had the best record (16-9-5), and keeper Kevin Hartman led the league with a 1.09 goals-allowed average.

In preseason, Hong, a defender in the last four World Cups, played midfield stopper in front of Alexi Lalas but can replace Lalas at sweeper or step in at marking back for Danny Califf or Tyrone Marshall.

"Last year, our defensive trio operated fairly well, and they have a good understanding," Schmid said. "Bo can jump in there without a problem, but maybe we have to find a way to get all four of those guys on the field."

The Galaxy often plays a 3-4-3 formation with two forwards shifting as Cobi Jones roams free. If Mauricio Cienfuegos and Simon Elliott are both in midfield, Jones can play as a second forward with league MVP Carlos Ruiz, whose 24 goals was the fourth-highest season total in league history.

Unless he sits on his laurels, Ruiz will again torment and infuriate defenders. Speedy Gavin Glinton played 22 games as a rookie before a fractured ankle ended his season, and Schmid has stayed loyal to Chris Albright, who has just four goals and three assists in 71 career MLS games.

Schmid sees Chacon as yet another option at forward, and not the man who couldn't find a role in New England.

"He's not a playmaker type," Schmid said. "Our team is run by Cobi when he's on the field or Mauricio. When Mauricio's not on the field, we don't really play with a true playmaker. Our playmakers [Elliott and Pete Vagenas] lie deeper."

Tempering all this positivism is a punishing schedule the first half of the season.

The Galaxy start with an eight-game road trip prior to the June 7 opening of its stadium. Los Angeles was 5-8-1 on the road last season and took a 4-1 beating in Kansas City during the playoffs.

Then there's a stretch of five games in 14 days during the Confederations Cup in June, and the Peace Cup in South Korea in July.

"With a couple of players missing and a couple of injuries, the door opens up," Schmid said. "I think there's going to be enough playing time for everybody. It depends on the right mix."

At a Glance

Worth Your Money: Carlos Ruiz. Flails and flops and fights relentlessly to put balls in the net.

Make or Break: Alex Pineda Chacon. MLS MVP for the Revs in 2001 and an afterthought last year.

Best Youngster: Guillermo Gonzalez. U.S. under-17 should be fun to watch.

Underrated: Tyrone Marshall. Tightened up and sped up the "D" when moved to marking back.

Overrated: Chris Albright. Has a lot of rivals for playing time up front.

Roster

Goalkeepers: 22 Kevin Hartman (USA), 1 Dan Popik.

Defenders: 23 Danny Califf (USA), 17 Ezra Hendrickson (St. Vincent & Grenadines), 30 Alexi Lalas (USA), 29 Ricky Lewis (P40), 14 Tyrone Marshall (Jamaica/GC), 18 Hong Myung Bo (South Korea/GC), 3 Scot Thompson.

Midfielders: 10 Mauricio Cienfuegos (El Salvador/GC), 6 Guillermo Gonzalez (P40), 13 Cobi Jones (USA), 26 Jesus Ochoa, 9 Alex Pineda Chacon (Honduras/SI), 8 Peter Vagenas (USA), 11 Sasha Victorine (USA).

Strikers: 5 Chris Albright (USA), 7 Isaias Bardales (P40), 12 Simon Elliott (New Zealand/SI), 2 Gavin Glinton, 15 Alejandro Moreno (TI), 20 Carlos Ruiz (Guatemala/SI).

Head coach: Sigi Schmid (MLS record: 61-35-16, 4 seasons).

(Countries for which players have been capped (through March 25) are in parentheses.)

Ridge Mahoney is a senior editor at Soccer America magazine.

 

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