If I told you at halftime of the game two weeks ago against the Houston Dynamo that the Galaxy would come out in the second half and beat the two-time MLS Cup Champions in the second 45 minutes (2-1 in the 2nd half) and then carry the moment over into the next week for the first installment of the Honda SuperClasico... you would probably call me "crazy," not Rogo! Lets be honest, it has been a while since Galaxy' fans have been able to smile this brightly.
Los Angeles has put together their best 135 minutes of soccer in quite sometime, and now has a golden opportunity to make it three straight unbeaten and two wins in a row against Western Conference opponents. BUT, before we get to far ahead of ourselves, know this term: "trap game."
Why would I mention this? After a very emotional win over Chivas USA, there is the possibility of a letdown. One would expect that after a very positive showing, the Galaxy should not have any trouble taking care of business in Utah. However, Real Salt Lake will be playing in front of one of the biggest home crowds they will see all season (thank you Mr. Beckham and Mr. Donovan), RSL has some good pieces in place, and head coach Jason Kreis seems to be shaping his roster with some very good talent. Just ask D.C. United, who went from beating Pachuca, the recently crowned CONCACAF champions, and went to Salt Lake three days later, only to lay an egg and head back to the Nations' Capital after a 4-0 loss.
As a result, the first 15-20 minutes of the match will be very important (this will be one of my keys to the game on the FSN West broadcast beginning at 5:30 p.m. with "Galaxy Live"). Specifically the midfield will need to control the tempo and put together some quality possession. This not only will put LA back into the groove that has them unbeaten in their last two matches, but also will take the crowd down a notch or two. It is fair to say, a very vocal and energetic crowd is to be expected at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday and taking them out of the game early on will go a long way in helping Ruud and the boys pick up three points.
One match up that will be very important to keep an eye on will be the Galaxy's back four against the Real Salt Lake combination of speed and strength up front. Robbie Findley and Yura Movsisyan are beginning to form a dangerous duo. Findley is the key to this because of his speed. This means that rookie Sean Franklin will have to have another stellar performance, by limiting the touches of the former Galaxy forward. Movsisyan is more the target player, but he is also quite crafty with the ball at his feet. Steve Cronin will have to be on his toes and ready to come off his line quickly, because the space between Cronin and the last defender for the Galaxy is where Robbie Findley will try to put his stamp on the match.
Joe Franchino will again play a vital role in this match as well. Kyle Beckerman is coming off a great performance against the Earthquakes in the U.S. Open Cup Play-In Game. When given time and space in the middle of the field, Beckerman is a dangerous player. He has the ability to shoot from outside the area, and to play diagonal balls into the feet of Findley and Movsisyan causing havoc. Franchino will spend a lot of time shadowing Beckerman and just making life as difficult as possible for the dread locked central midfielder of RSL. A few Franchino challenges on 50-50 balls in the first half should be just what the doctor ordered!
Working on the national games with Fox Soccer Channel I get to hear what everybody thinks about the Galaxy and it can be tough to listen and even turn the other cheek to. Since I have been a part of the Galaxy' broadcast team for the past four years it has been a roller coaster ride of emotions from week to week, and many people have called me "crazy" for saying some of the things I have said. I tell them that I am a former goalkeeper and that is part of my make up... but to be honest, I still do prefer if you call me Rogo.
