The Los Angeles Galaxy have gotten off to an up-and-down start to their season thus far. A tough defeat in their season opener at Colorado was followed by a convincing win against San Jose. But the Galaxy failed to keep that momentum going as they suffered a disappointing loss to Toronto FC in their last game.
Despite the early season struggles, one player on the Galaxy has seen a steady rise in his performance on the field. Rookie Brandon McDonald has forced his way into the starting lineup the past two games, and has impressed the coaching staff thus far with his play. Playing alongside the likes of Landon Donovan and David Beckham hasn't hurt his progression at all.
"Sometimes it's like 'man, I'm playing with this guy or that guy.' Other times you just have to let it go and play," said McDonald. "(The veterans) are good guys. They give me a lot of good advice. They're really just here to make me better. It's a lot of fun really."
On several occasions, head coach Ruud Gullit has singled out the play of McDonald as a bright spot, both in matches and in training sessions. McDonald was surprised to hear that, but considering the source, he'll take the compliment.
"He's one of the best players ever, so that's really good," said McDonald. "At the same time, you don't want take too much of it into mind. You don't want to let it get to your head. I need to go out there and train every day like I could be gone tomorrow."
It's McDonald's attitude in training, and even in the locker room, that has garnered the attention of Gullit. Earlier this season, the Dutchman recalled a fun two-touch game the team was playing in the locker room after a training session. McDonald's competitive nature shone through in that game, catching the eye of Gullit, who would later call McDonald a "winner."
"Nobody likes to lose. I don't like to lose. You never get used to losing," said McDonald. "Especially here in LA, being the spotlight of the league, there's going to be a lot of eyes on us, expecting us to win. We've got to come out and do what we have to in order to get the W."
It's that competitive nature that has led McDonald to set some pretty lofty goals for himself and the team this season.
"I think starting most of the games and even being one of the best rookies in the league is one of my goals," said McDonald. "I want to win. Nothing less than a championship is acceptable."
Just three weeks into the season, it's already getting hard to imagine the Galaxy lineup without McDonald in the middle of the park. Gullit has shown that he isn't afraid to start rookies, so McDonald can expect to have a major impact on the outcome of the Galaxy's season this year.
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
