Galaxy Tries to Regain Balance After Slow Start
This is relatively uncharted territory for the Galaxy. It has been four years since the Major League Soccer team, winless after two games, got off to such a poor start.
Last season began with a 6-0-5 run and it was May 24 before Los Angeles lost its first game.
The last time the Galaxy opened the season with a losing streak was in 1997, when it lost three in a row before turning things around with a victory over the Colorado Rapids.
Fortunately, perhaps, it’s the Rapids who will be at the Rose Bowl tonight as Galaxy Coach Sigi Schmid seeks to patch up his porous defense, which has given up a league-worst five goals in two games, and inject some life into his offense.
On the latter front, there is a chance that Schmid will call on his top 2001 draft pick, former Creighton forward Brian Mullan, who helped the Blue Jays to the runner-up spot behind Connecticut in last year’s NCAA tournament.
Mullan, who has recovered from left knee surgery, is from Littleton, Colo., where he was the state’s high school player of the year in 1997.
He was the ninth player chosen overall in this spring’s MLS draft.
“There’s a chance that Mullan for sure will play in this game,” Schmid said Friday. “At this point I don’t know if it’s going to be as a starter or as a sub.
“He’s what I’d call sort of a slasher. He’s a forward who seems to find those seams. He’s got good quickness, good speed, he’s aggressive and he’s very comfortable with the ball.”
Los Angeles is coming off a 2-1 loss to the defending MLS champion Kansas City Wizards in a rain-drenched game at Kansas City, Mo., in which Wizard winger Chris Klein created the first goal and scored the second.
Klein does not believe Los Angeles’ woes will last long.
“The weather conditions really did play a factor in the game,” he said this week. “Also, though, I felt that we were able to get out and attack them. The Galaxy is a team that if you sit back and let them come at you, they’re going to do well.
“They’re off to an 0-2 start, but we’re under no assumptions that the Galaxy is going to struggle this year. We feel that this is just a slow start for them, and when it all comes down to it they’re going to be battling it out to go to the MLS Cup. We have to be aware of them as they try to do that. That’s why it was such a pivotal three points for us.”
Colorado is coming off a 1-1 tie with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, whose goalkeeper, Tim Howard, on Tuesday warned the Galaxy of what to expect from the Rapids.
“They’re real tough in the air,” he said. “They’ve got two boys up front [Neathan Gibson and Junior Agogo] who like to battle. They like to go forward. I think it’s a team that is going to get tremendously better as the season progresses. They’ve revamped and have some new players. They’re a good side.”
TONIGHT
vs. Colorado, 7
Fox Sports Net
* Site--Rose Bowl.
* Radio--KRLA (870) KTNQ (1020, Spanish).
* Records--Galaxy 0-2, Rapids 0-1-1.
* Record vs. Rapids (2000)--2-2.
* Update--Defenders Greg Vanney and Danny Califf rejoined the Galaxy on Friday after spending the week training with the U.S. national team in St. Louis. . . . Defensive midfielder Danny Pena returns minus his wisdom teeth after sitting out last Saturday’s game because of the oral surgery. . . . The Galaxy will be without striker Luis Hernandez for an additional few weeks because his Mexican team, Club America, qualified for the Mexican league playoffs with a 3-0 victory over Atlante on Thursday. . . . The Galaxy will travel to Mexico this month to play Atlante or Chivas of Guadalajara in the first game of a home-and-home exhibition series. . . . Colorado midfielder Wes Hart (left Achilles strain) and defender Robin Fraser (abdominal strain) will sit out tonight while defender Keyeno Thomas is listed as questionable after suffering a broken left hand. . . . Los Angeles leads the all-time regular-season series against the Rapids, 13-7, and is 9-1 against Colorado at the Rose Bowl.
* Tickets--(877) 3GALAXY.
