A year ago, the Los Angeles Galaxy got off to a horrible start, dug themselves a huge hole, then failed to climb out of it, missing the playoffs for the first time in club history.
While the passing of club president and general manager Doug Hamilton was a shock before the season began, Steve Sampson was never able to regain the magic of the turnaround of 2005, when the Galaxy slid into the playoffs as the final team to qualify -- then sailed through the playoffs before capturing a second MLS Cup.
Partway through the 2006 season, Frank Yallop was brought in to try and turn things around and managed to bring the Galaxy to within two points of the a playoff position. But the postseason without the Galaxy present was yet another shock.
This year, Yallop will be in charge of the club from the start. But nevertheless, the Galaxy could again face a potential split season of sorts.
Much of the media attention surrounding the Galaxy this winter has focused on the arrival of David Beckham. Beckham doesn't arrive in Los Angeles until July however, once his tour of duty with Real Madrid has been completed, and the Galaxy need to remain focused in the early part of this year's campaign to avoid a repeat of last season.
"We have to get ready for our season coming up. April is important," said Yallop. "We have to make sure our players, with or without David, play well."
Yallop has spent the preseason instilling that frame of mind in his players, and it seems to be sinking in. The start to the 2006 season is all the Galaxy need to realize they must get off to a good start.
"There's only so much Beckham's going to be able to do once he gets here if we're in the cellar," said veteran right back Chris Albright. "We have to get off to a good start so when he shows up he can help us get even better, not make us good."
Beckham's arrival could coincide with the busiest part of the Galaxy's schedule. The Galaxy begin SuperLiga play in late July, play five of six games on the road in August, then tackle a minimum of nine matches in September. Throw in U.S. Open Cup play, should the Galaxy manage to advance far enough, and Los Angeles will need all the reinforcements it can get.
"With the schedule that we have we need to make sure that everyone is fit, everyone is healthy and we're all on the same page," said midfielder Kyle Martino. "We have to make sure we're all one unit. Everyone needs to be switched on because people are going to get a lot of playing time this year that they might not have gotten before."
The Galaxy's depth will certainly be tested this season. On the offensive side of the ball the Galaxy are loaded with talent. It's the defensive end that could be stretched thin come summertime.
Los Angeles has a solid back four, but both Albright (USA) and Ante Jazic (Canada) are likely candidates to miss time on international duty. Both Nathan Sturgis and Quavas Kirk are expected to join the U.S. under-20s for the FIFA World Youth Cup in Canada at the same time, further thinning the options.
The Galaxy know it will be difficult, but welcome the opportunity to try to win multiple trophies. Yallop admits that the number of games on the schedule will test every man on the roster, but reveals that it's not the only thing his team will have to overcome this season.
"It's a lot of fixtures. You chuck the travel in, it's going to be really nasty for the players," said Yallop. "But we're going to meet it head on. We want to start well, get things going and look forward to the games we have on the schedule."
It's a daunting task but that isn't keeping the Galaxy from setting their sights high this season. It's a club that expects to win championships every year, and 2007 is no exception.
"The MLS Cup has to be the only goal we have," said Martino. "It's always the MLS Cup you put as your goal. We're going to set our sights high; we're going to make the standard high."
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
