Yogi Berra once said, "if you come to a fork in the road, take it." So in Yogi's way of thinking this Galaxy team has come to a fork, knife, spoon. Name the utensil and the Galaxy have come to it.
OK, lets talk about this fork in the road for the Galaxy. No wins outside of The Home Depot Center. They earned a grand total of one point of a possible 12. They lost to a team after having a two-man advantage for the final 30 minutes of play. Saturday night was the kicker. It proved to me the worst is over. Two own goals in three minutes has to be bedrock. I mean, I looked up and saw Fred Flinstone's feet; the whole road trip really was a comedy. I'm still trying to figure out whether it was Shakespearian or Jerry Lewis. Yes, the worst has to be over. What else can happen to this club on the road? Right, nothing.
Look, saying everything is great is obviously foolish, but running around in circles like Chicken Little is also silly. With the loss of Chris Albright, the recent injury to Pando plus national team callups, the Galaxy have gone sideways for a bit. Albright has been a horse for the Galaxy ever since he moved to the right back position. He sees the field well and combines nicely with Cobi Jones on the right. That's a big link that's missing and the fill-ins have not, well, filled in. With Pando gone at the left midfield it's the same problem only that Todd Dunnivant is left trying to catch his wind after making a run and not getting the return service. Suddenly and abruptly, the Galaxy machine has come to a halt without those two players. You could argue with me, but you'd be wrong.
Landon Donovan, Jovan Kirovski and Cobi Jones are all great players but without the links to move the ball up and down the field, they are not able to play to their strengths. I think Landon played all three forward positions and both wide midfield positions Saturday night. Jovan needs to create up top. He had to play in the middle for the injured Peter Vagenas, but he's best and most dangerous when he is making things happen in the offensive third and not when he's hovering around the center circle. And Cobi is busy teaching teammates what they need to do in certain situations. He's like a traffic cop out there. These guys are at their best, as most are, when they can play their game and right now they just cannot.
Like I said, fear not Galaxy fans, the worst is over. It has to be. This team will get healthy, will get rested and will get back on track. Boys, please, just hurry it up a little.
Fans, cheer this team on when they return to The Home Depot Center. They are a tired bunch and what has happened to them is not because of lack of effort. Two own goals takes a lot of effort and luck I might add. Horribly bad luck. It's time to right the ship and it's starts on the 4th of July. Matt Reis and the Revolution are in town. Get your duckets because it's going to sellout. 1-877-3-galaxy or www.lagalaxy.com.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE U-20s?
If you are going to give them a pat on the back, you have to call 'em out as well. It was very disappointing to watch the U-20s choke against Italy - and this is coming from an Italian/American. First, let's give credit where credit is due. The Azzuri's goalkeeper, Vivioni, came up big in the first half, thus giving his side a chance. Second, history should tell you, don't let the Italians counter. Freddy Adu was quoted prior to the U.S. run as saying something to the effect that he is a role player in D.C. right now, but with the U-20 team he is "The Man". Freddy is going to be a great player one day and is a really nice kid, but "The Man" was a ghost in the tournament and missed two penalty kicks. Young man, actions speak louder than words. I believe it's time to buy a muzzle. Funny, a decade ago this loss would have been marked as a great achievement for American soccer. Time flies. Expectations rise.
IF I WERE KING
I got to thinking about the National Soccer Hall of Fame between airports, delays and security checkpoints on the Galaxy's recent 4-game roady. I still like the decision to honor Fernando Clavijo, but it got me thinking about a lot of the players who are not honored. So I took into account a phrase from a good friend Peter King of Spots Illustrated and HBO fame. Says Peter, who has a vote on the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is the player among the elite of his era or really a member of the hall of fame of the very good? It's an interesting question. It brings me to my point. The last few classes to be inducted into the soccer hall are no brainers. Cobi Jones, Tony Meola and Mauricio Cienfuegos should be there. There are many from MLS on their way, but – and this is a big but, much bigger than even my own – 1) Do not make this into the basketball hall of fame where everyone who laced up a pair of Converse All Stars is inducted, and 2) it's time the greats of the NASL get their due. I know the Hall made an attempt to connect the eras a number of years ago, but the job is not complete.
This cannot be done by today's media covering the game. Most have not witnessed those players and to me you have to see the players. Voting by stats does not do them justice. I'm talking about players like Brian Quinn (he definitely fits under the Clavijo scenario), Kaz Deyna, once ranked among the best players in the world, Steve Zungul, 'The Lord Of All Indoors.' There is a reason for this. He wasn't allowed to play outdoors by his federation. Once he did, he led the NASL in scoring - yes, better than the great Giorgio Chinaglia, Juli Veee, 'Double Deuce, Triple E, The One And Only'. In my book Veee goes in because of his indoor exploits. A great player outdoors. An amazing player indoors. Branko Segota today would be one of the greatest players in North America. Kevin Crow was arguably the best American defender to play the game in the 1980s - maybe the first American player who earned his starting spot from talent and not just because you had to have a certain number of Americans on the field. Wes McCleod, he of the tassels on the socks of the old Tampa Bay Rowdies. This is why I ask you, the members of the Hall of Fame, Ron Newman, Eric Wynalda, Marcello Balboa, Rick Davis, Paul Caligiuri, Fernando Clavijo, etc., all of you connect with that era, some as youngsters growing up like myself, others as coaches and players. It's time to honor the greats of what was a great league and those who kept the game alive in this country. Maybe the NASL gets it's own wing. Bottom line, don't turn your back on the sport's history.
SAVE THE QUAKES
When I was leaving Spartan Stadium Saturday night I couldn't help but think of the character from the movie Back to the Future. You remember. The lady that was chanting Save the Clock Tower. In this case, Save the Quakes. And I certainly hope so. It's the best rivalry in the league. The club has two championships under it's belt and the Quakes have a great history to them, going back to the days of George Best. There has to be a community in this area willing to work with a potential owner on a facility for this club. It would be a shame to move them. Plus what are all those bitter people going to do with themselves if the Quakes leave?
Joe Tutino is in his seventh season as the English radio voice of the Los Angeles Galaxy. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of the Los Angeles Galaxy or Major League Soccer.
