Galaxy Stays Loose for Run at MLS Title
A message to Los Angeles Galaxy fans: If you had made the trip to Kansas City, you could have “trained” with your team Saturday.
This, of course, would have consisted of playing “foosball” at a local tavern with Eduardo Hurtado, Jorge Salcedo, Guillermo Jara and Brad Wilson.
Or playing darts at the same establishment with Dan Calichman and assistant coach Octavio Zambrano.
Or placing a few friendly wagers with John “Book” Garvey on who would score the first goal, get the first yellow card or net the winning goal in the Tampa Bay Mutiny-Washington D.C. United showdown at Tampa Stadium.
While other patrons in the downtown restaurant-bar Saturday afternoon were focused on the Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals, the Galaxy players were having fun. Or as much as they could have on lemonade and iced tea.
It had been the same way at Arrowhead Stadium earlier in the day. On the road again, the Galaxy is exhibiting all the signs of a team that is loose, confident and ready for today’s Major League Soccer playoff game against the Kansas City Wiz.
Even on the field, the Galaxy, which leads the best-of-three Western Conference finals, 1-0, was acting “giddy,” as one player put it.
When Coach Lothar Osiander ordered the goals to be moved, the players pitched in and did so. But Jorge Campos sat on the crossbar and got a free ride.
When Wilson, Garvey and Chris Armas, the goal-scoring hero of Thursday’s 2-1 victory in Game 1 at the Rose Bowl, got into a juggling contest, the other players yelled abuse and encouragement. But mostly abuse. Calichman and Jones cavorted like madmen after scoring goals in the scrimmage.
It was a day of sunshine and laughter.
“I think it should be that way, guys should be relaxed,” Calichman said. “Even if we had lost on Thursday, I think you would have seen that kind of atmosphere. Everyone’s just trying to get their bodies into [today’s] game. It was good, we ran, worked up a sweat and got ready for tomorrow. You don’t want to leave too much out on the training field.”
Osiander was not about to discourage the light-hearted antics, even on the eve of a match that could see the Galaxy advance to MLS Cup ‘96, the league’s championship game.
“We are a loose team,” he said. “In fact, it’s always a question of [getting] 100% concentration on game day. If we accomplish that, then we are a difficult team to deal with.
“I like them loose, especially today, because now tomorrow they have to buckle down. And they have to do it themselves, it’s no good me beating it into them. Players such as [Mauricio] Cienfuegos and even Campos, they’re outstanding at that. They’re very good at that. If our American players ever accomplish that, I think we’ll have very good soccer players.
“Concentrate when you have to. And there are times in training when you have to concentrate. Campos is remarkable at that and Cienfuegos is always like that. Once you can channel yourself into the important parts of the game, when they happen, then you have a good team.”
The Galaxy did that Thursday, when goals by Greg Vanney and Armas brought a deserved win, even though Preki managed his third goal in four playoff games for Kansas City.
The Wiz practice was dour Saturday, with Coach Ron Newman and the players trying to discover and correct what had gone wrong two days earlier.
One reason for Kansas City’s loss was the play of the Galaxy defense, anchored by Calichman and Robin Fraser. Apart from the one time that Preki escaped to score, the defense, backed by Campos, shut down the Wiz.
The importance of that is obvious by looking at the statistics. Kansas City is 8-0 in games in which Mark Chung scores and 9-1 in games in which Digital Takawira finds the net. Neither scored Thursday.
“It doesn’t matter who scores,” Preki said, “as long as we win. Hopefully, someone will step up tomorrow and score a few goals. That will take a lot of pressure off me.”
With Washington having beaten Tampa Bay, 2-1, on Saturday, D.C. United now has a week to prepare for next Sunday’s MLS final. That makes a victory today crucial for the Galaxy, Osiander said.
“If we have to play [Game 3] Thursday, even winning Thursday we’ll be dead on Sunday,” he said. “I’d rather be dead tomorrow night after the game and have almost a week to recuperate.”
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TODAY’S GAME
* Who: Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Kansas City Wiz
* What: Major League Soccer Western Conference finals
* When: 10 a.m. PDT
* Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Mo.
* Situation: Galaxy leads the best-of-three series, 1-0. Game 3, if necessary, Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Rose Bowl.
* At stake: A place in MLS Cup ‘96, the league’s championship game, against Washington D.C. United next Sunday at Foxboro Stadium, near Boston.
* TV: Univision (Channel 34)
* Radio: KTNQ (1020)
* Season series: Kansas City leads, 3-2.
