The statistics show the Los Angeles Galaxy finished with the third-lowest goal total in Major League Soccer a season ago. But if it wasn't for a five-goal outburst in the regular season finale against FC Dallas, the Galaxy would have ended even a position lower in the rankings.
Lack of finishing played a huge role in the Galaxy missing the playoffs last year, and it's something the club's front office has tried to address this offseason.
General manager Alexi Lalas and head coach Frank Yallop made it a priority to re-sign offensive-minded players such as Santino Quaranta and Kyle Martino, both of whom came to the club during last season. While the addition of David Beckham should also help, he won't arrive until late summer. In the meantime, the Galaxy will also count upon newcomers Nate Jaqua and Gavin Glinton, as well as draft pick Robbie Findley.
Yet so far this season the Galaxy have managed just one goal in two games, and that goal came late in their last game from the head of Findley in a 2-1 loss to FC Dallas.
Still, it's not as though the Galaxy attack has been stagnant. In the loss to Dallas they controlled the run of play for most of the game and outshot the Hoops. But it's a theme that goes back to last season.
Last year the Galaxy often outplayed their opponents but gave away cheap goals and failed to convert their easy chances. The pessimistic view puts the Galaxy back on that path this season, but veteran Pete Vagenas is confident that this year will be different.
"Scoring had more to do with this team hitting a drought. We've proven over the years that we can score," said Vagenas. "We've added players like Santino, Martino, Jaqua -- guys that all they do is the offensive side of the ball. It's important that those guys get off to a good start."
Looking simply at the bottom line the Galaxy offense hasn't gotten off to a good start, but it has been hampered by injuries. Quaranta has been nicked up for the first two games, and even Vagenas hasn't managed to find the field due to injury. But the Galaxy have a long layoff between games and the team is starting to heal.
Another thing that is slowing down the progress of the attack is adjusting to a new system. Still, it isn't completely foreign, which is why the Galaxy feel they can turn things around quickly.
"I made (the system change) in mid-August (last season). We went to D.C. with (a 4-3-3) and scored five goals," said Yallop. "We beat Dallas at home and scored five. That suits our players. It's up to me to build around that system."
Once the Galaxy are at full strength it will make Yallop's job of engineering a successful unit much easier. Los Angeles will have a pretty good measuring stick to gauge just how much the return of a Vagenas or Quaranta will provide to the attack when they take on Columbus and Chivas USA in their next two games. Those two teams have combined to give up just one goal in four games so far this season.
Opponents haven't seen the 2007 Galaxy with all their weapons yet this season. On paper the attack is as formidable as anyone's in the league. They just need to bring everything together to prove it on the field, and Yallop says that's only a matter of time.
"I feel once we get embedded in and settled as a team we'll start to play some attractive soccer, and obviously score when we need to," he said.
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
