Two weeks ago, Santino Quaranta went from tops in the East as a member of D.C. United to the bottom of the West in a trade to the Los Angeles Galaxy.
If that was all there was to it, an outsider might consider it a raw deal for the 22-year-old forward to go from a sure playoff team to one fighting for a postseason slot.
Nothing could be further from the truth however. In his two weeks with the Galaxy, Quaranta has appeared in three games, starting one. In four months with D.C. this season, Quaranta appeared in just four games, none of them starts.
Quaranta has made the most of his time in Los Angeles, already netting two goals -- immediately endearing himself to Galaxy fans.
"I'm enjoying myself and smiling on the field," said the six-year MLS veteran who was acquired in exchange for a partial allocation and a conditional 2008 SuperDraft pick. "When that happens, it's good for me."
Quaranta attributed much of his happiness to his new head coach. Frank Yallop is known to be a players' coach, and it is well documented that his style has initiated an attitude change in the Galaxy locker room this season. Quaranta is just the latest player to enjoy his brand of coaching.
"(Yallop) has been the best coach I've had so far in terms of giving me the freedom to do what I want," said Quaranta. "That's helped my game and my confidence."
Freedom was something Quaranta wasn't given at DC. Peter Nowak, his former coach, plays a strict 3-5-2 system where every player has a strict role on the field. While that system has obviously worked for the better in D.C., Quaranta was unable to crack the lineup with established players performing well in their roles up top.
Quaranta is already flourishing under Yallop, and is returning to the form that earned him call ups to the U.S. national team. His form on the field indicates that the soccer part of his transition has already been a smooth one. Off the field, friends have also helped Quaranta adjust to life in Los Angeles.
"(Galaxy defender) Chris (Albright) has been phenomenal just in terms of helping me find a place out here and just being a friend. We were together in D.C. my first year," said Quaranta. "I've known (Galaxy forward) Landon (Donovan) for awhile just from Bradenton, Fla. These guys have helped a lot. They've made the transition that much easier."
So far, the addition of Quaranta to the Galaxy lineup has been a win-win situation for all parties. Based on his form so far, if Los Angeles does make the MLS playoffs, Quaranta will have a lot to do with it.
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
