Ghosts of Joe Slovo

Folks, here's the link to my latest effort over at Soccer By Ives. (That's pronounced "Eye-ves" - it's Peruvian.)

The Galaxy lost at home to last year's worst team. Enough said.

Except I said this, to start things off:

Ugh.

Last week I said, "[A]ny team that can string together any sequence of passes in the midfield and has even half a striker will be big trouble."

I rest my case.

The fan trivia question at halftime (correct answer gets you a gift certificate for $25 in auto parts!) was, "When Cobi Jones scored the Galaxy's first ever goal exactly 12 years ago, what other current Galaxy player was also on the field?" The answer? Greg Vanney. Here's my trivia question for this past Sunday's game. "Which Galaxy player was beaten on every one of Toronto's goals?" You get one chance.

There were some bright spots on Sunday. The Landon Donovan – David Beckham connection is just coming into its own. If they both stay healthy and can deal with the disruption of international duty, they are going to give opposing defenses fits. Ely Allen was loads better this game than he was last week. Sean Franklin gave me no reason to wish for Abel Xavier or Troy Roberts to come off the bench.

Kick ass and put it in the net.

Faithful readers!

I am pleased to report that my first posting on Soccer By Ives, one of the biggest Major League Soccer-focuses blogs out there, has posted my first weekly article.

Here's how it starts.

I watched the thoroughly enjoyable, if not always compelling, LA-SJ game with one thought just lurking below all the action: "It's a really good thing San Jose plays like an expansion team." I loved watching the team play, especially after that mess in Colorado. But any team that can string together any sequence of passes in the midfield and has even half a striker will be big trouble.

On the one hand Thursday night's game showed a glimmer of what a Beckham – Donovan partnership can deliver; it was no accident that all the scoring came with them involved. On the other hand, if Alan Gordon is the other option up top with Carlos Ruiz injured, I'm getting flashbacks to 2007. Without the benefits of a misspent youth.

20 comments so far (and only 4 from me!).

Kick ass and put it in the net.

So, as my loyal readers know, I am something of a futbol junkie, with the perverse twist of being a futbol junkie for the domestic US-Canadian top flight league, Major League Soccer.

I've subjected both of you to many posts on this subject, but you can now rest easy on that score.

The owner of one of the biggest futbol blogs in the Unites States, Ives Galarcep, put out a call recently on Soccer By Ives, for 14 weekly correspondents to follow each of the MLS teams during the season, writing from a fan's perspective. I, who's obesession runs into such esoterica as actually playing the damn official MLS Fantasy soccer game, put in an application and a writing sample. And what do you know? Ives, who must have been suffering from a mild stroke or passing dementia, picked me to blog about the LA Galaxy.

So, starting next Tuesday you could be able to go to the site and see my 250-500 word musings on the beautiful game.

Kick ass and put it in the net!

I get riled up about sports reporting about once every millenia or so.

So as far as this thousand years is concerned I'm done.

Yesterday LA Times Sports section columnist TJ Simers had a Page 2 commentary that took on David Beckham, the Los Angeles Galaxy, and their parent company Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). While I'm not necessarily a defender of mega corporations (okay I'm NEVER a defender of mega corporations) this piece did get my goat.

Mostly because Simers usually writes on the NFL, NBA, and MLB and has never, to my knowledge, written a word about soccer in the US. Not. One. Word. So when he does take it on, he starts with Beckham and his injuries. Okay, fair game, but then instead of talking about how the internal dynamics of the team is affected or how idiotic the management of the season has been or the schedule or the personalities or ANYTHING that might be even a little bit relevant to ANYONE who does know and care about soccer (which is what he does when he covers other sports), he prattles on about how he'd have advice about how to wear underwear. (Read the article, its' too tiring to explain here.)

So I wrote him a little letter. Here it is.

Mr. Simers,

Here's what I don't understand. People who don't understand soccer writing about soccer. Although in your defense you didn't actually talk about soccer so much as you talked about celebrity, which is, I suppose, the point of a columnist such as yourself writing here in LA LA Land.

I can't say I religiously read your columns because mostly I don't care about Kobe Bryant's hissy fits about his GM and owner's commitment to winning or about how frustrating the Dodgers' recent play is. But the difference between what you write there and what you write when your editor holds a gun to your head and says "Write about Beckham, dammit!" is that those previous columns actually took on those teams places within the sport and those teams chances during their season. They were what you might call "analysis".

But your soccer "coverage" (and believe me I'm using the term about as loosely as I can and still be writing in English) is about (1) How you can't talk to Beckham and (2) if you did talk to him you'd ask about his underwear. Oh. My. God. It is unbelievable how blessed we are to have someone who can really get to the, umm, root, of the problem, as it were, with the Galaxy this season. Honestly I don't know how my own understanding and analysis of this MLS season would have been complete without your ground-breaking, insightful, and completely respectful column. You sir, are a genuine Los Angeles Angel of Anaheim.

Far be it from me to ride to the defense of AEG since they let Alexi Lalas destroy not one, not two, but three MLS teams, but I'm not sure someone who has faced the insanity of the press in the UK and Spain is really going to have all that much trouble with a sports columnist for the LA Times who doesn't even know what position he plays.

Notwithstanding all your outstanding analysis and prognostication on the LA Galaxy and MLS, of course. I mean, that nugget on the connection between Beckham, Simon Fuller, and Ryan Seacrest was pure gold, not just for piecing together the insidious web of connections, but for noting that big time stars in have agents who help promote and shepherd their careers. Breathtaking investigative journalism. And from a columnist! I can see there is a reason why you are on Page 2!

Please, Mr. Simers. I'm actually begging you here. Stop writing about soccer. You don't know the game, you don't know the league, you don't know the Galaxy. Giving us twaddle about Beckham's underwear is what I expect from, say, The Sun or TMZ.com. Go to Chavez Canyon and make it impossible for me to park in my own neighborhood. It'll keep you out of trouble and you'll actually write about something you care about and have some decent insight into.

But seriously, please stop writing about soccer. Just stop.



Regards,

Nathan

Kick balls and put them in the net.

So. Last week was a stellar 2-4, bringing me to 7-12 for the year. I feel a lot like Real Salt Lake.

Last week's results have made this week a bit more interesting to predict, what with the RSL No Name Defense stepping up against the Suckagy at home, Red Bull still looking for some magic and finally dealing with Guevara, and the intensity of the Dynamo-Dallas game. On to this week's predictions.


Houston Dynamo home to Chicago Fire
A week ago I would have been writing about the impending Dynamo blow-out, but Houston is really missing Ching up top and the potential loss of DeRosario leave the burden on Davis and Mullan. And while both players are really top-notch, without anyone to draw the defenses, they are going to be challenged to get the ball to Moreno and Cerritos. Losing Serioux doesn't help at all, but the Houston defense is rock-solid even without him. Chicago faces more dire trouble as Jim Curtain is out with a broken foot, leaving a young and slow defense to pick up the slack. Game 7 of the Chicago road trip is almost certainly bringing with it a struggle to maintain focus, so I expect that given the combination of Fire road fatigue and Houston stinginess, this will not be their breakout game.

Dynamo 1, Fire 0 (And I hope I'm wrong because I've got Rolfe on one of my fantasy teams.)


Fortified Chemical Sludge home to Chivas USA
Guevara's gone, which should be a plus for the team and help build some unit cohesion. It also gives Djorkaeff more room to maneuver as an attacking midfielder where his passing will be at its most dangerous. Look for Buddle and Peguero to be paired up top, which substantially improves the attacking nature of this team. Chivas has looked dangerous again after two byes in three weeks disrupted their rhythm, but still don't have the final pass down, while their defense continues to show it's fun mixture of youth and sloth. I'm not sure NY is ready to put it all together yet, while I think Chivas will only get better. I'm calling for tie number 6.

Sludge 1, Goats 1


Columbus Crew home to DC United
Well, the Crew keep getting better, schooling two teams that were, on paper anyway, better than they were. But the Suckagy have been the definition of ass this year, while somehow the goal always shrinks when the Rapids go on the road. So DC provides a real test for Sigi's young squad. DC, even with its storied MLS history, has rarely been this stocked with offense. Further, it is blessed with a consistent and hard working defense and an up-and-coming keeper. Eskandarian is looking like his late 2004 self and you still have Gomez, Adu, Moreno, and Gros. Columbus keeps adding pieces and the team looks better every time it takes the field, but I don't think they are there yet.

United 2, Crew 1


FC Dallas home to New England
Oh man I wish my computer didn't crash when I try to full-screen my MLSLive.TV feed because this is sure to be a barn-burner. It's not that the opposing defenses are bad. They aren't. Not at all. It's just that the attacks for both side are pretty brutal. The Hoops have the most goals in MLS with 15, while the Revs have scored 7 in the last two games. I think this is going to be a lot like the first meeting between Dallas and Houston: wide-open and high-scoring. FDC is about as full-strength as you can get, with Mulrooney rounding into shape and Ruiz is starting to look especially dangerous. On the other side, Twellman is making a statement, Ralston is back, Noonan is almost healthy, and Dorman is taking his game to the next level. This is the game that should be on ESPN2. I'm giving it to the Hoops because they are playing at home.

FC Dallas 3, Revs 2


Real Salt Lake home to Kansas City Wizards
See, before last week I would have said, the Wizards by 2. But RSL shut out the Suckagy at home with 4 guys no one ever heard of (granted the Sucks basically have no offense at the moment), and the Wizards are struggling to turn the ignition on their still-potent offense. If KC can turn it over, then all the anonymity in the world won't help RSL. On the other hand, forcing the Wizards to become frustrated will open the door for RSL to score on the counter, possibly off a Jeff Cunningham shot coming off the bench. I'm taking a chance on the worst club in MLS history and seeing them tie at home.

RSL 1, Wizards 1


LA Suckagy home to Colorado Rapids
Normally, I would be chastened by last week's still-inexplicable choice of the rapids to score on the road, even at Columbus. But this is the Suckagy we're talking about here. I'm thinking that the Rapids get at least one in the back of the net, while LA struggles again. I don't think they'll get shut-out, especially with Joe Cannon out or at least performing hurt, but I'm going to go with the high-altitude team playing at sea level because I hate LA that much.

Rapids 2, LA 1

Thoughts?

Run the give and go and put it in the net.

Last week I went 2-3 thanks to the Fire continuing to suprise me and the Rapids finding an offense against the league's best team. I gotta stop betting against the Fire. This makes me 5-8 for the year.

This week's predictions.

Dynamo vs The Hoops
The Dynamo have perhaps the most, well, dynamic midfield in the league (though United gives a run for the money), but they are losing their top (and the league's) top scorer in Brian Ching. I've never been impressed with the rest of the strike corps. Cerritos is beyond his prime and Moreno has yet to break through. Dallas' Ruiz is finding his touch and they are playing exciting attacking football, but they still have some questions to answer in midfield. They impressed against a lackluster Galaxy side on Wednesday playing a whole half a man down. I don't think it will be another shootout and I'm giving the home team the edge because although this is only the second game between the two ever, it already feels like a derby.

FCD 2, Dynamo 1


Revolution v Chivas
Chivas is totally underrated this year, but the Revs just found their engine. Ralston's back and I expect Noonan to be back as well. And Twellman's still pissed. The Goats need to play to get their rhythm back and and the Revs just got theirs back. The battle will be in the mid-field, though, and the teams are surprisingly balanced there. But they are at the Razor and I think Chivas, depsite Bradley's intimate knowledge of his opponent, will end up on the losing side.

Revs 3, Chivas 1


Red Bulls vs Fire
Oy. The Fire soldier on during their record-breaking road trip and must be starting to feel a little battered and nomadic. NYRB are in total choas and needed a break to stop the bleeding. I keep thinking that the Fire can't do it on the road, but they keep surprising me. I really think their striek partners are for real and I'm excited about that. Can they overcome the difficulites of the road? Well, their playing NYRB where the motto must be "Thank God for Real Salt Lake". Too bad. I love Youri Djourkaeff. But I like Chris Rolfe and Mario Ivan Guerrero better.

Fire 1, Enhanced Chemical Sludge 0


Crew vs Rapids
Umm, who expected these two teams to be exciting? Not me. They aren't elegant, that's for sure, but they've gotten scrappy and hard-working down to an artform. The Crew impresses with their youth and potential. The Rapids impress by virtue of scoring. Is Nicolas Hernandez for real? It could be a completely ugly game, but it should have suspense. I don't expect the Crew to lose 3-0 like they did on opening day. I also don't expect the Rapids to do well away from Invesco.

Crew 1, Rapids 1


United vs Wizards
The Wizards have gotten 8 goals from 8 different players but they just lost two offensive stalwarts and their defensive leader. United has been on a goal-soring rampage, but tripped hard in Denver. But they are at RFK, where DC is always tough (unless they are playing the Fire in the playoffs). Scott Sealy has something to prove after being left off the T&T World Cup roster and there is now more responsiblity placed on the midfield - Vicorine and Jewsbury espeicially- but they could open things up. DC's looking great excpet for whatever happend in the Rockies. Their midfield has been smoking and getting Adu, Gomez, Gros, Eskandarian, and Moreno on the field all at once is a handful for opposing defenses. I think the Wizards will struggle to score and ultimately DC will wear them down.

United 2, Wizards 0


Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake
If I were a Galaxy season ticket holder I'd pay someone else to sit in my seat for this one. LA is mediocre this year with Donovan and awful without him. Gomez is out for 2-4 weeks and he's overrated anyway. Glen IS with T&T. They only saving grace for them is that they play RSL on Saturday. If the Galaxy is awful, then RSL is putrescence personified. If they lose it will be an entire calender year without a victory, a new record for futility. Oh, and Eddie Pope and Douglas Sequiera are both on World Cup duty. If Cobi Jones and the rest of the LA midfield can't eat the RSL defense for breakfast, then, well, I'd be happy because I really hate the Galaxy. But it will also signal a long long long summer for the Green and Gold.

Galaxy 2, RSL 0

Thoughts?

Last week I went 3-3. I fugred out after I posted that I've really got a 1-in-3 chance of being right. Oh. Since I'm not a soccer genius I'm expecting that my record for this year is going to be dismal. So I'll take a first-time-ever score of 3-3.

Here's my predictions for Week 6.

Revs home to Galaxy
Gack. Two underachieving teams this season (thought given the Galaxy's form for the bulk of last, maybe this is a reversion to the mean), but it is being played at the razor with at least 3 Revs players who are probalby a bit miffed at being left off the WC roster. And outside of Salt Lake City, the Galaxy are horrible on the road.

Revs 2, Galaxy 0

Wizards home to Chicago
Chicago surprised me last week and found their scoring touch against a normally stingy New England defense. But the Wizards, even though they have yet to field the same defensive unit two weeks in a row, have been clicking and shutting down offenses. They are also getting scoring production from all over the place with 8 goals from 8 different players. This is a Bob Gansler team? The Fire's young guns up top are getting into the groove (Rolfe has 3 goals so far this year) and their defensive unit is fairly cohesive with Logan Pause quietly stepping up and winning a starting role after 3+ years on the squad. Still I don't think the Wizards are going to let the Fire walk out with a point.

KC 2, Chicago 1

Dynamo home to Dallas
This is either going to be a score-fest or a snoozer. Dallas is finally fully healed and the Dynamo beat the Wizards in KC. Whoever wins the midfield will win the game. I'm thinking Davis-Rosario-Mullan-Ching have a slight edge over Valakari-O'Brien-Wilson-Ruiz, but I'm fully prepared to eat those words. I'm going to go with a scorefest, rather then a repeat of last year's 0-0 ties.

Houston 3, Dallas 2

Real Salt Lake home to Columbus Crew
Ow, my eyes are bleeding. MLS' version of a USL match takes place this week in Salt Lake and I don't know what to think. RSL is scoring more than they did last year, but their defense is still leaking like a New Orleans cemetary. The Crew, on the other hand, made up of a crop of young players can put on a show or stink up the joint. I'm going to take the weasel's way out and predict a tie.

RSL 1, Crew 1

Colorado home to DC United
The Mile High Club is settling in nicely for another run of mediocrity, while DC is probably the best team in the league right now. Colorado is still difficult to score on, especially at home, but DC's been looking scary good. I'm looking to see Eskandarian, Adu, Gomez, and Gros all on the field at the same time and I don't see Mathis, Ben Dayan and Kirovski having much answer.

DC 2, Rapids 0.

Okay, so here are my Week 5 Predictions. Feel free to comment. Comments that tell me I'm out of my mind are especially welcome. Oh wait, no one on my Flist cares. Too bad, suckers!

LA Galaxy at Real Salt Lake
Pity the poor fans in Salt Lake. The only reason to go to RSL games is to see the other teams' stars. While they may have gained stability in the midfield and a new attacking presence, their defense just isn't up to snuff.

Over on Planet LA, things have been rough. 4 points from 3 home matches. But they have Landon Donovan and a rock-solid defense. Their midfield woes won't matter at Rice-Eccles. Look for Hartman to pick-up the clean sheet and for Donovan to run wild.

Galaxy 2, RSL 0

FC Dallas at DC United
Both teams have shown how to get it done so far this season, featuring explosive yet often gritty offense and something rare in MLS: precision passes into the forwards. DC looks very very confident right now and is getting production from players all over the field. Defense has more or less been steady and the midfield is only just beginning to live up to its potential.

Dallas is living on craftiness and grit, with Kenny Cooper proving to be a revelation so far this year and Ruiz finding a passing touch that would make Carlos Valderrama proud. The backfield has had some trouble (Clarence Goodson is reportedly taking target practice with a case of Coors Light), but boasts enviable depth. However, their midfield isn't as fluid yet as DC's and I looke to see their offence falter in the final 3rd of the field.

United 3, DC Dallas 1

KC Wizards at Columbus Crew
Is the youth movement at the Crew for real? Yes. Is it ready for the Wizards? No. Despite their thievery in LA last week, they won't be able to compete with the Wizards' attack. Eddie Johnson is dying to score some goals before next Tuesday and so is Josh Wolff. Throw in people like Jack Jewsbury, Davy Arnaud, the occasional set piece with Victorine and Sealy off the bench and it could get bloody. The Crew just isn't ready yet to compete, despite the real flashes being shown by its young stars (Martino, where have you been?) and the steadying influence of a not-quite-fit Rozenthal.

Wizards 2, Crew 0

Houston Dynamo at Colorado Rapids
The Rapids are always tough at home. Always. But they are still looking for all the pieces up top and play a brutally uninspiring brand of footie that is practically unwatchable. They do get Mathis and Ben Dayan back, to support the work of Kirovski, but I still don't see them cracking what was the best defense in MLS last year. Dynamo's offense is clearly humming, though if DeRo has an off night they struggle. Ching is desperate to send a message to The Bruce and he'll be hungry all night long.

Dynamo 2, Rapids 0

New York Red Bull at Chivas USA
So Amado Guevara is being quoted saying he's going to play like his old MVP self again. Unfortunately, NYRB is going up against Chivas USA, not RSL, so I don't look for him to make an instant turn around from whatever it was that he was doing last week while Eskandarian was spitting on his carpet. And that's bad news for Red Bull because without some cohesion in the middle they will never get the ball to Magee or Djourkaeff (hey, look! Two NYRB's who actually want to play some soccer).

Chivas, on the other hand, is looking fairly confident after their first 3 games, though they still have injury worries. O'Brien will probably play at least 45 minutes if not more, though reports say that he tweaked something in his calf this week and Razov is ready for bear. In fact, Bradley also has something to prove againt his former team, so this could be brutal. But Chivas' back isn't settled, dealing with the most injuries and a crucial international absence with Suarez in the Mexico camp. Still, I think Llamosa steps in and does enough to keep Reb Bull winless.

Chivas 3, RBNY 1

Chicago Fire at New England Revolution
Blame it on 8 away games in a row. Blame it on a new attack. Blame it on the weather. But whatever it is, the Fire aren't getting it done. And they won't again. Their offense is producing very few chances and their mids aren't controlling the game. New England, also fighting off numerous injuries, isn't going to let a home game drip away to the likes of the Fire. Twellman and Noonan both have something to prove and Dempsey is looking to maintain form. It could be ugly and it could be low-scoring, but it will be a win for the Revs.

New England 1, Chicago 0

Kick ass and run the give and go.

One thing that helps me keep my outsider status is my hardcore love of soccer. Now, you might argue that as the world's most popular game, this makes me so inside as to be indistinguishable from Tom DeLay, Karl Rove, and the Shrubber himself.

So let me gently remind you, my two faithful readers, that this is America where soccer is banished to the hinterlands of exurban sprawl and finds itself reduced to one-paragraph blurbs in the "digest" section of sports pages. Both roller derby and women's semi-pro football (both of which I heartily endorse) get more column inches in the Oakland Tribune (which, yes, is perhaps one of the worst daily newspapers on the face of the planet, except for its local coverage).

So my favorite sport is basically outside the consciousness of most of my fellow countrypeople, therefore keeping me safely outside the mainstream and in my comfortable outsider-sub-genre identity. Well, except for that pesky suburban identity the game has acquired, requiring as it does the kind of space afforded by purple mountain majesties and amber waves of grain.

But while it might be problematic for my revolutionary street cred to be identified with a sport that is so tightly associated with the suburban petite bourgeoisie (and is therefore also what we technically call a "honkie-ass sport" outdone in the paleness department only by the National Hockey League), I find that, rather, it creates charming internal contradictions that make me ever so much more awesome. And ain't it quintessentially American to be contradictory? I mean, just ask Walt Whitman, for was it not he who said, "Do I contradict myself? Well then, motherfucker, I fucking contradict my goddamn self!"? Or words to that effect?

So this, then, brings me to professional soccer in the United States. Yes, oh faithful readers, there is such a thing and has been in various forms for decades. However, I'm talking about Major League Soccer, which is the current and quite possibly strongest attempt to build a sustainable pro league here on a par with leagues around the world.

Specifically it brings me to MLS Playoffs which open today.

Specifically it brings me to MLS Playoff predictions.

Western Conference
Semi-Finals (two game home and home series decided by aggregate goals)
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Los Angeles Galaxy. SJ over LA 6-2
FC Dallas vs. Colorado Rapids. Colorado over Dallas 3-2.

Conference Championship
Earthquakes vs. Rapids. Quakes over Rapids 2-0.


Eastern Conference
Semi-Finals
New England Revolution vs. MY/NJ Metrostars. Revs over Metro 5-3
DC United vs. Chicago Fire. United over Fire 6-4

Conference Championship
Revolution vs. United. Revs over United 3-2.

MLS Cup 2005
New England Revolution vs. San Jose Earthquakes. Quakes over the Revs 3-2.

Discuss.

Kick ass and send in a sweet cross from the right flank.