As Los Angeles coach Bruce Arena contemplated the reasons for the Galaxy's 2-0 home defeat to Kansas City on Saturday night, he focused on one glaring issue.
“We were outcompeted,” Arena told reporters after the match. “I wouldn’t say it is a lack of nfl jerseys
effort. I think there is an edge an athlete has to have and tonight, at too many positions, they made a few more plays that add up to make a difference over 90 minutes.”
The answer fit the tone and tenor of this particular match – one rather markedly tilted in favor of the Wizards from start to finish – and the overarching theme of the past two months perfectly, but it doesn't comprehensively address the growing concern around the Galaxy's form as of late.
After rampaging through MLS prior to the World Cup break, Los Angeles has stumbled to a 3-4-2 mark since the league returned from its two-week interlude. While it isn't altogether unexpected to see the Western Conference frontrunners stumble a bit as the summer progresses, the pervasive nature of the Galaxy's problems registers as a considerable surprise.
Much of the attention rests upon the Galaxy's sudden inability to keep the opposition off the board in the opening stages of the contest. In four of its past five games, Los Angeles has conceded the opening goal within the first 12 minutes. A record of 0-3-1 in those matches (and the 0-5-1 overall mark after conceding first) betrays the Galaxy's general inefficiency when playing from behind and suggests a fair bit of complacency within the ranks, but it does not altogether explain away Houston Texans jersey
the issues or show how interrelated the concerns are at this point.
Like most sides designed to thrive on the counterattack, the Galaxy relies on a firm defensive core as the basis for its success. The defensive solidity exhibited earlier in the campaign has yielded to a somewhat rickety rearguard plagued by a lack of concentration at points and a lack of communication on the whole. Gregg Berhalter's absence certainly hasn't helped matters and his eventual return from a virus should improve matters, but the rather soft goals conceded on Saturday night and in recent weeks should serve as a source of concern.
Similar issues permeate through the midfield ranks. Los Angeles isn't a side constructed to treasure possession, but the Galaxy midfield passed the ball significantly better and provided more cutting service earlier in the season. The lack of cadence has blunted the counterattack, limited Los Angeles' ability to create space and opportunities in the attacking third and reduced the Galaxy to a more direct approach far too often. The stumbles in possession have also led to a reduced measure of support for the back four.
With the defense cracking and the midfield flailing, the Galaxy has relied far tooGreen Bay Packers jersey
much on Edson Buddle and Landon Donovan to bear the burden going forward. The tactic may have worked earlier during the scintillating start to the campaign, but Los Angeles truly thrived when other players assumed some of the attacking responsibility. Such help has gone absent during the recent downturn. In its past seven games, the Galaxy has scored seven times with Donovan notching four times and Buddle tallying the other three.
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