With four games gone in the 2006 season the Los Angeles Galaxy are still trying to sort out their starting lineup. After opening up with two disappointing home results, Steve Sampson changed his starting 11 for the next two games -- but the results weren't markedly better, needing two late goals to beat Chivas USA before falling 1-0 to the previously winless Columbus Crew last weekend.
Heading into the Week 5 encounter with Real Salt Lake in Utah on Saturday afternoon, the Galaxy still haven't settled on a lineup to carry them through the season. After Monday's training session at The Home Depot Center Sampson admitted that he was evaluating every position on the field to determine the right pieces to the puzzle.
"(The starting lineup) is undefined and the reason it's undefined is because right now we're not playing the kind of soccer we want to play," said Sampson. "Even when we find that starting 11, the next thing will be can they do it consistently?"
Galaxy captain Pete Vagenas is one player who almost certainly will be on the field when Sampson does determine the lineup that he's looking for. For Vagenas, he believes that the squad is very close and just needs to iron out the details to get over the hump.
"We have to stick with the guys that get it done on a consistent basis. Anyone can step in and do it for us one time or two times," said Vagenas. "You need to identify those players, which I think [Sampson] has done, and let them work through it."
Whether or not the team that has taken the field for the last two games will be able to turn things around for the Galaxy remains to be seen. Right now the Green-and-Gold are faced with problems on both sides of the ball.
Defensively the Galaxy have shown mental breakdowns that have cost them valuable points already this season. Problems that plagued the Galaxy last season have reared up again, in the form of the team taking late goals and giving up goals on dead ball situations.
With that having been said, the Galaxy are still giving up an average of only a goal a game. With that kind of defensive effort the Galaxy should be enjoying a better record than 1-2-1, exposing the glaring deficiencies on the offensive side of the ball.
The Galaxy have managed just three goals in four games and have been shutout twice already at home. Teams have come in and played the Galaxy tough, and have forced them out of their comfort zone, making the L.A. attack one dimensional and ineffective.
"Something's got to change. No rival that we come against should expect us to play the same way," said Sampson. "We're going to have to do things differently to get the kind of results that we need. I will not stop until I find the solution."
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
