For the Galaxy, It’s Shift of Focus

Galaxy starters Landon Donovan, Chris Albright and Guillermo “Pando” Ramirez have returned from their Guatemalan adventures, but the three have slightly differing agendas for the weeks ahead.

For Donovan, certain of a World Cup place barring injury or a catastrophic loss of form, righting Coach Steve Sampson’s listing ship is the first priority. The Galaxy is 10-11-5 and needs to win four of its last six regular-season matches to avoid finishing with a losing record.

The first of those games is tonight against the Colorado Rapids at the Home Depot Center.

“Now, it’s my only focus,” Donovan said after training Friday morning. “I don’t have anything else to worry about. I have no excuses. I’m not going to be tired. I’m not going to be traveling as much. Now it’s time to show up.

“We’ve been in a rut for probably 12 or 13 games,” he added. “We’ve won some games, but we haven’t played very well in a lot of them. Now we don’t have any excuses. Everyone is here, everyone is available, most everyone is healthy.”

Brazilian midfielder Paulo Nagamura is the only lingering injury doubt, but his knee is on the mend and he returned to training Friday.

For Albright, who helped his World Cup cause immensely with a strong showing in the U.S. national team’s 0-0 qualifying tie with Guatemala in Guatemala City on Wednesday night, the focus is on staying in U.S. Coach Bruce Arena’s eye while helping the Galaxy.

“I know I have to bring it every time I step out there, so for me focus is easy,” Albright said. “I’m constantly trying to prove that I belong” on the U.S. roster for Germany ’06.

For Ramirez, things are more complicated. His attention remains split between success in MLS and reaching the World Cup.

With the U.S. and Mexico already qualified and Costa Rica rapidly closing in on the third guaranteed spot from the CONCACAF region, Guatemala is trying to cling to fourth place to earn a playoff against either Bahrain or Uzbekistan.

“Your responsibility as a player is to shift your focus and attention from one thing to the other,” Ramirez said. “In this case, it’s from qualifying to league play.”

Absent Friday was defender Michael Umana, who was allowed to remain in Costa Rica one day longer after the Ticos’ victory over Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday moved them within reach of the World Cup.

Refocusing on MLS and on next Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal against the Minnesota Thunder can be tricky for national team players, Sampson says, but he believes the foursome can shift gears without a problem.

“I think it’s easier for them now that they’ve qualified,” he said of Donovan and Albright. “Everyone knows now that Bruce is going to experiment with the lineup and take a look at a number of different options.

“Now, instead of him focusing on 16 players or 18 players, now the group is 30 players. So that’s a positive for a lot of guys, but it’s also great for a guy like Landon who can now focus on the Galaxy.”

Sampson said keeping focus has been an issue in the past.

“But I think it will be less of an issue now,” he said. “They understand these games now are very important.”