For each of the last two seasons, the Los Angeles Galaxy have looked like a team with their shoelaces tied together at the starting line. By the time they recovered to get back in the race, they were already too far behind to close the gap completely. The 2008 season has to be different if the Galaxy expect to enjoy a different fate and it all begins on Saturday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park against the Colorado Rapids.
There are still a handful of players who remember the slow starts from the past few seasons. Yet the Galaxy have also picked up enough new faces through the SuperDraft, trades and other acquisitions that the past isn't something that's been looming over their heads this offseason.
"Guys that have been here the last two years, it's definitely in our minds. But we've got a lot of new faces," said forward Alan Gordon. "There hasn't been a lot of emphasis on that. We haven't really talked about it. There's been a lot of hard work and dedication toward winning every game. It doesn't matter if it's the first game or the last game. That's more of the emphasis instead of focusing on the last two years."
Gordon is entering the season healthy for the first time since his arrival in Los Angeles. Along with him, the Galaxy have what on paper looks to be a very potent attack. Carlos Ruiz, Landon Donovan and David Beckham round out an offense that should give opposing defenses fits.
Head coach Ruud Gullit expects both Donovan and Beckham to play on Saturday, despite playing in international friendlies in Europe on Wednesday.
"Unfortunately there was this friendly for the internationals. I think they played well, therefore it's an extra thing for our players," said Gullit. "You earn your money here, so this is important."
Gullit wasn't prepared to divulge much else in regards to his starting 11 -- but Colorado poses an even larger question for the Galaxy staff. The Rapids have been running a lot of their younger players out onto the field in preseason, and with Gullit new to Major League Soccer, the Galaxy boss isn't 100 percent sure what to expect on Saturday.
"We don't know much because we haven't seen much footage from them this year, from training. We send out scouts to know something about them," said Gullit. "I have to get to know the league, so I have to depend on the people around me and what they say about (Colorado)."
One player certain to take the field for the Rapids is Christian Gomez. The former league MVP was traded to Colorado this winter from D.C. United and has been put in charge of revitalizing the Colorado attack.
"Christian is a great player, but Christian also had a lot of great players around him in D.C. For a playmaker, a lot of it is about who's around him," said Galaxy center back Greg Vanney. "He for sure shown that he has the right quality. Will the players around him be in the right places and make the right runs? That will be a bit more of a challenge. If they play the group that everyone is expecting, they're going to be very young, and that's the reason I say that."
Vanney spent time with both United and the Rapids in 2007, so he is aware of much of the Rapids squad. While he hasn't been leading strategy meetings in the locker room, he has been able to provide a bit of insight for his teammates.
"I have more insight on some of the players, especially if they play the younger guys that nobody knows. I'll have a better idea about them than most. I'd be surprised if they know a whole lot about what they're doing at this point," said Vanney with a laugh.
"They'll go out and they'll play. We'll go out and do what we're supposed to do and we'll see what happens."
