I can't help it if I still think LA and Columbus are still the favorites
The LA Galaxy have reason to be upbeat and concerned. They are playing pretty well, but they are not remaining consistent as some thought they would (with vets like Donovan and Beckham and reigning Rookie of the Year Franklin.)
In a blowout loss to Dallas on the 12th the Galaxy allowed a pretty mediocre team to get under their skin and attack them at will. Then…they turn around and shutout a decent Toronto team a week later. I’m not sure what to make of it.
With the team sitting in 2nd place in the Western Conference with only 4 games to go I think it’s time they start thinking about playing on a more even keel. They close with Columbus, Chicago, Houston and San Jose (not exactly the easiest task ever) and that doesn’t include what will happen in the playoffs. The MLS season is very long and this is the point at which you need to start conserving energy if you’re already set and start relying on professionalism and consistency.
When the Galaxy meet Columbus on October 2nd they only have 2 choices: Run at a team that’s better than them, or sit back and let Columbus give them an opening. When two teams are fairly evenly matched it’s better to sit back and let the chips fall where they may,and I just don’t see how you can try to crush Columbus, then Chicago and THEN Houston. It makes no sense. They get blown out by a crappy Dallas team (who is not keeping their end of the bargain I made with them about a week ago) and then shut out Toronto. Gentlemen…keep it close to the vest!
Strategy becomes so important when you are getting close to playoff time. I just hope the LA knows its strengths and doesn’t go running around like mad men to end the season…it would be shamefully bad Soccer…
With Columbus in front in the East and looking to blank LA on October 2nd we have to wonder if they shouldn’t be doing the same as the Galaxy. With a Champions League match today against Cruz Azul the Crew need to start thinking about reigning it in and not allowing fatigue to catch up to them. They play twice as many games as the Galaxy before the end of the season and you know that heavy favorites are going to have a gigantic bullseye on their backs. However, they could easily view Champion’s League play as the top and MLS league play as the downhill coast…a rest period before they crank up the jets again during the playoffs. What is Columbus to do? It’s all in the strategy…and I think we’ll see alot of that strategy paying off (or not) come playoff time.
