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Friday's Daily: Playing Ricketts
With J Hutcherson -- Late show for those of us on the East Coast tonight, with LA hosting Houston (11pm - ESPN2) in the latest edition of best in the West. Surprising no one, the Western conference ended up taking three of the four slots in the Conference finals. That's courtesy of Real Salt Lake's wild card slot in the Eastern bracket, and all the indication you need for which Conference is stronger in '09. Houston might consider themselves the media underdogs, but they've already established a template for dealing with Los Angeles. Against Seattle, they kept the game even away and won it at home. Overshadowed by the support for the Sounders at Qwest, Houston put 27,465 in Robertson Stadium for round one's finale. That's a little more than the Home Depot Center holds.
Unlike Seattle, the Galaxy won't be heading into the second-leg unaware. They'll expect a big partisan crowd and a solid contender for worst field in the League. That gives the two advantages. One is downplaying Houston's home field by knowing what to expect. The other is realizing how important winning tonight's game becomes.
Yeah, I know. That's one of those pundit statements that someone in business attire says on camera to look insightful. Meanwhile, the viewing audience wonders when it's ever a good thing not to win the first-leg in a two-game playoff series. To put a little more weight behind the statement, LA can't rely on that second-leg. Seattle had enough time to consider the following at Robertson Stadium. The field conditions are such that getting a quality shot on frame when the ball is moving seems unlikely. We can defend headers. Therefore, we can get this game through the overtime and into penalties. The ball isn't moving when we shoot in penalties. That's our best way forward.
Then Brian Ching scored the game's only goal with the ball in mid-air.
Here's another suit statement. At the Home Depot Center, LA needs to avoid a scenario where their offense works, but they still end the night even. That's what happened against Chivas USA in the opener. Though I thought the Galaxy was by far and away the better team in the second leg, they could have very easily been the better team losing the game.
Over 120 minutes, the Chivas USA - Galaxy series never really became about Zach Thornton vs Donovan Ricketts. Instead, it was the inability of Chivas USA to get their offense going in Game Two. The goalkeeper matchup in the Western Conference final favors LA, but Houston has the better defense. It's almost a situation where letting Ricketts have more of a look might actually swing things in favor of the Galaxy.
Too often, the Galaxy defenders don't know when to let up so Ricketts can do his job. One of the reasons Bruce Arena is Coach of the Year is that he brought in a keeper like Ricketts. The simple point he made with that move was going out and getting a guy that frustrated him as National Team coach. If you've got a player with a history of showing well against the US National Team, he can probably succeed in the US domestic league.
At the same time, Arena has had to revamp a defense, starting a first-year defender in every game who now also happens to be the Rookie of the Year. That's still not a completed project.
LA has a tendency to close space too late, crowding their box with bodies but leaving attacking players unmarked. At times, they're also too concerned with holding the line and getting the flag rather than making sure they're covered if that flag isn't waved.
Chivas USA ran out of ideas last week, but they still had their opportunities. More than a few times, LA's defensive spacing freed up an attacking player. A sharper attack will take advantage.
On TV
With J Hutcherson -- Late show for those of us on the East Coast tonight, with LA hosting Houston (11pm - ESPN2) in the latest edition of best in the West. Surprising no one, the Western conference ended up taking three of the four slots in the Conference finals. That's courtesy of Real Salt Lake's wild card slot in the Eastern bracket, and all the indication you need for which Conference is stronger in '09. Houston might consider themselves the media underdogs, but they've already established a template for dealing with Los Angeles. Against Seattle, they kept the game even away and won it at home. Overshadowed by the support for the Sounders at Qwest, Houston put 27,465 in Robertson Stadium for round one's finale. That's a little more than the Home Depot Center holds.
Unlike Seattle, the Galaxy won't be heading into the second-leg unaware. They'll expect a big partisan crowd and a solid contender for worst field in the League. That gives the two advantages. One is downplaying Houston's home field by knowing what to expect. The other is realizing how important winning tonight's game becomes.
Yeah, I know. That's one of those pundit statements that someone in business attire says on camera to look insightful. Meanwhile, the viewing audience wonders when it's ever a good thing not to win the first-leg in a two-game playoff series. To put a little more weight behind the statement, LA can't rely on that second-leg. Seattle had enough time to consider the following at Robertson Stadium. The field conditions are such that getting a quality shot on frame when the ball is moving seems unlikely. We can defend headers. Therefore, we can get this game through the overtime and into penalties. The ball isn't moving when we shoot in penalties. That's our best way forward.
Then Brian Ching scored the game's only goal with the ball in mid-air.
Here's another suit statement. At the Home Depot Center, LA needs to avoid a scenario where their offense works, but they still end the night even. That's what happened against Chivas USA in the opener. Though I thought the Galaxy was by far and away the better team in the second leg, they could have very easily been the better team losing the game.
Over 120 minutes, the Chivas USA - Galaxy series never really became about Zach Thornton vs Donovan Ricketts. Instead, it was the inability of Chivas USA to get their offense going in Game Two. The goalkeeper matchup in the Western Conference final favors LA, but Houston has the better defense. It's almost a situation where letting Ricketts have more of a look might actually swing things in favor of the Galaxy.
Too often, the Galaxy defenders don't know when to let up so Ricketts can do his job. One of the reasons Bruce Arena is Coach of the Year is that he brought in a keeper like Ricketts. The simple point he made with that move was going out and getting a guy that frustrated him as National Team coach. If you've got a player with a history of showing well against the US National Team, he can probably succeed in the US domestic league.
At the same time, Arena has had to revamp a defense, starting a first-year defender in every game who now also happens to be the Rookie of the Year. That's still not a completed project.
LA has a tendency to close space too late, crowding their box with bodies but leaving attacking players unmarked. At times, they're also too concerned with holding the line and getting the flag rather than making sure they're covered if that flag isn't waved.
Chivas USA ran out of ideas last week, but they still had their opportunities. More than a few times, LA's defensive spacing freed up an attacking player. A sharper attack will take advantage.
On TV
- T.K.
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