The Colorado Rapids had just about the worst offense in the league last season. They finished dead last in the West in goals scored. They also averaged less than one goal a game, a feat matched only by newbie Toronto FC.
It wasn’t just last year either.
The Rapids have played great D for years, but they’ve been plagued by a perpetual inability to score. No goals meant no success. All they needed was a playmaker.
2007 Record: 9-14-7 (5th in West)
Coach: Ruud Gullit (1st Year)
Key Players: Landon Donovan, David Beckham, Carlos Ruiz, Abel Xavier, Chris Klein
Key Pickups: Carlos Ruiz (from Dallas); Sean Franklin (Drafted 4th Overall)
Key Losses: Cobi Jones (Ret.), Chris Albright (to N.E. Revs), Joe Cannon (to San Jose)
2008 Outlook: Average
Lord. I have been dreading drafting this preview, and not because I don’t like David Beckham. I am just so sick of hearing about him.
The Galaxy are the most talked about team in all of MLS, and not because of their stellar play. In fact, last season was the worst in franchise history.
The inaugural Pan-Pacific Championship is currently being held in Hawaii, and the MLS have sent its best team and most famous player to the islands to mark the occasion. Of course, the most famous player did not fare as well as the nation’s best club.
On Wednesday, the Dynamo thoroughly dominated Australia’s Sydney FC, while Japan’s Gamba Osaka dispatched the Galaxy in a yawner.
The Galaxy game would have been nearly unrecognizable as professional soccer if not for Becks. Granted, Donovan was unavailable, but Gullit’s bunch looked absolutely anemic offensively. Defensively, the young back line actually held pretty firm, but overall the Galaxy looked overmatched. It took one score from the Brazillian Bare in the third minute to put the game away.
I am not an executive with a soccer club. Heck, I have no management experience at all. Yet, sometimes I have to think I could do a better job than some of the people managing teams in the MLS. Exhibit A? Alexi Lalas.
Seriously, Galaxy fans have to be wondering what Lalas is thinking these days. On Friday, Lalas traded midfielder Quavas Kirk to DC United in exchange for defender Greg Vanney.
LA Galaxy recently announced that they will play FC Seoul on March 1 before heading to Shanghai four days later as part of the club’s Asian tour. The Galaxy re looking to capitalize on David Beckham’s huge popularity in the Far East and are likely to add another Chinese date as well as games in Japan.
“FC Seoul will entertain LA Galaxy on March 1 at Seoul World Cup Stadium,” the Korean club announced on its homepage on Thursday.
The K-League team are expecting a full house to see the former England captain . LA Galaxy will then travel to Shanghai for a March 5 exhibition match against Chinese Division One club East Asia.
The British tabloids are full of rumors of David Beckham going to Newcastle United on loan. Sorry Geordies but it will not happen. Beckham is the face of MLS. They are not going to let him go and play somewhere else and potential get hurt.
Beckham’s injury from Real Madrid last season carried over to his brief MLS season and had a major impact on the Galaxy’s season. They are not going to run the risk of Beckham getting a season ended injury while playing in the Premiership every week. Can you imagine what that will do for ticket sales to MLS games if Becks is out for the season?
The LA Galaxy got much stronger this week when FC Dallas traded its leading scorer Carlos Ruiz back to the Los Angeles Galaxy. The Galaxy knows has three attacking players, David Beckham, Landon Donovan, and now Carlos Ruiz that are the class of the MLS.
Ruiz who was traded from the Galaxy to FC Dallas in 2005 scored 31 regular-season goals in 68 appearances and five additional goals in six playoff games. He is eighth in career goals in MLS history, with 81 in 140 games. Last year Ruiz led FC Dallas with seven goals in MLS games last season and 11 goals total, including SuperLiga and U.S. Open Cup games.