CARSON, Calif. – Most of the attention goes to Robbie Keane, Landon Donovan, Gyasi Zardes and Omar Gonzalez, but the LA Galaxy have been MLS’s hottest team because so many contribute all over the field – often without much recognition.
Such is the life of Baggio Husidic, a thinking man’s midfielder whose performance the past few weeks is among the reasons LA (14-5-7), are on a five-game winning streak, have climbed within two points of Western Conference/Supporters’ Shield leader Seattle and are No. 1 in the league offensively (2.08 goals per game) and defensively (1.04 goals allowed per game) heading into Wednesday’s away matchup with the Montreal Impact (7:30 pm ET; MLS Live, TSN in Canada).
Husidic has scored some big goals, including a pair in Friday’s 6-0 rout of Colorado, and he’s been vital to the Galaxy’s domination of so many opponents, especially in the past two months.
“He’s just a very good soccer player,” Donovan said. “In a lot of ways, he’s similar to the way Mike [Magee] played when he was here. There’s obviously for good reason a lot of attention paid to other players on the field, but when you have a good, quality soccer player who knows the game, he’s going to take advantage of all that.
“He gets himself in great spots, he’s calm on the ball, he keeps possession for us, he defends well, he runs a lot in the game, and then when he gets in front of goal, technically he’s very good.”
The Bosnian-born veteran, who joined the Galaxy this year after two seasons in Sweden with Hammarby that followed three years with the Chicago Fire, doesn’t have much pace – “I’m probably the slowest player on the field,” he says – and isn’t tremendously athletic, but there are nuances to his game that make a difference.
“He’s a guy that from the outside, you get little glimpses,” associated head coach Dave Sarachan said. “Some people don’t see what we see, so he can fool you, because he’s not going to necessarily run past you with great pace, he doesn’t show great athleticism, but what’s clear is his soccer IQ and his brain and his ability to slow the game when it needs to be slowed, make the pass that needs to be made, all those things that, as a teammate, you love having.”
He’s started 19 of 29 competitive appearances with LA, playing key roles when head coach Bruce Arena was trying out a diamond midfield in the spring and with the flatter 4-4-2 he’s now employed. He finished two of the Galaxy’s better buildups this year, in wins April 6 over Chivas USA and two weeks ago over D.C. United, then scored the second and sixth goals against Colorado – he also hit the post – and had an assist on one of Zardes’ two goals.
“His natural position isn’t to be out there on the wing, but he does a great job of coming inside and keeping the ball,” defender Robbie Rogers said. “His composure in the midfield is what I think separates him from a lot of different people. I enjoy playing with him because he’s the kind of player you can pass the ball, he keeps it, you can get around him, he finds you. He’s a good player.”
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Husidic, who saw time on the backline at Hammarby under current Columbus coach Gregg Berhalter, said he “values” his defensive work more so than what he adds to the attack.
“But I’ve been trying to find kind of a balance in there,” he said.
That balance is showing, especially in starts on the left side of midfield the past five games.
“I think I’m playing well,” he said. “I’m definitely enjoying it the most I’ve ever enjoyed it, and I think that’s a big factor in the way I’ve been playing. If you enjoy yourself, you feel confident and you try things that you don’t try. And that’s all part of getting the confidence from the coaches and giving you the rights to play your style. It’s been working out.”
