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LA's Ricketts delivers in clutch
Goalkeeper key cog in reconstruction of Galaxy's 2009 back line
By Jeff Carlisle / MLSnet.com Staff
Donovan Ricketts' brilliant stop in the West final helped his side earn a trip to MLS Cup 2009. (Getty)
SEATTLE -- Long, strange trips are part and parcel of a soccer player's existence. They can take a performer to the pinnacles of the sport, as well as down some blind alleys. The Los Angeles Galaxy can thank the latter of those two possibilities for having goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts in their midst.
Twenty months ago, Ricketts was plying his trade in England with League Two side Bradford City when he left the country to play for the Jamaican national team. But when Ricketts attempted to return to the U.K., he was stopped by immigration officials because his passport hadn't been stamped following receipt of his work permit in 2006. He was soon on a flight back to New York.
But what was thought to be a mere technicality then turned into a nightmare for Ricketts. Since the stamp wasn't obtained within six months of arriving in the country, the work permit was now considered invalid. And with Ricketts no longer Bradford's first-choice 'keeper, applying for a new permit wasn't an option either. He was released by the club two months later, forcing Ricketts to return to Jamaica, where he latched on with local side Village United.
Meanwhile, Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, who as coach of the U.S. national team had gone up against Ricketts, was attempting to solidify a defense that had given up a whopping 62 goals the previous season. Of particular concern was the goalkeeping position.
"We had good young goalkeepers, they just didn't have the experience you'd like to have in the goal if you're trying to be successful," said Arena.
Arena quickly decided that he couldn't pass up the opportunity to acquire a goalkeeper "with the wingspan of a 767," signing the Jamaican two days before Christmas. Given the alternatives, Ricketts jumped at the chance.
"My other option was to go to Sweden or to Norway, and I was trying to run away from this," said Ricketts, pointing to the rain clouds overhead at Qwest Field. "It came at the perfect time."
That move was perfect in other ways. Reconstructing the backline meant that the Galaxy would start two rookies in Omar Gonzalez and A.J. DeLaGarza for much of the season. And the other two components of the defense, Todd Dunivant and Gregg Berhalter, were also new to the team. It meant that Ricketts would be called upon numerous times while the defense developed the necessary chemistry to turn into a cohesive unit.
"Obviously, he's a beast," said Berhalter of the 6-foot-4 Ricketts, "But he has a good presence and is calm. And he comes up with the big save. I think that's the most important thing. There's a lot of goalies that can't come up with that save that wins you points, but he has done it time and time again."
Ricketts went on to prove his ability throughout the season, and was named a finalist for the league's Goalkeeper of the Year award. But his knack for delivering in the clutch was never more evident than in the second half of the Western Conference final against Houston. Ricketts' brilliant reaction save from a header by Dynamo forward Brian Ching kept the game scoreless, allowing L.A. to eventually prevail in overtime. Now he finds himself on the cusp of a league title.
"As my mama would say, everything happens for a reason," said Ricketts. "It was good playing [in England], but obviously, it wasn't for me because I came here and I settled in more quickly than I did there. Maybe this was my calling."
If Sunday ends with Ricketts and his Galaxy teammates at the pinnacle of MLS, then there will be little doubt.
Jeff Carlisle is a contributor to MLSnet.com
Goalkeeper key cog in reconstruction of Galaxy's 2009 back line
By Jeff Carlisle / MLSnet.com Staff
Donovan Ricketts' brilliant stop in the West final helped his side earn a trip to MLS Cup 2009. (Getty) SEATTLE -- Long, strange trips are part and parcel of a soccer player's existence. They can take a performer to the pinnacles of the sport, as well as down some blind alleys. The Los Angeles Galaxy can thank the latter of those two possibilities for having goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts in their midst.
Twenty months ago, Ricketts was plying his trade in England with League Two side Bradford City when he left the country to play for the Jamaican national team. But when Ricketts attempted to return to the U.K., he was stopped by immigration officials because his passport hadn't been stamped following receipt of his work permit in 2006. He was soon on a flight back to New York.
But what was thought to be a mere technicality then turned into a nightmare for Ricketts. Since the stamp wasn't obtained within six months of arriving in the country, the work permit was now considered invalid. And with Ricketts no longer Bradford's first-choice 'keeper, applying for a new permit wasn't an option either. He was released by the club two months later, forcing Ricketts to return to Jamaica, where he latched on with local side Village United.
Meanwhile, Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, who as coach of the U.S. national team had gone up against Ricketts, was attempting to solidify a defense that had given up a whopping 62 goals the previous season. Of particular concern was the goalkeeping position.
"We had good young goalkeepers, they just didn't have the experience you'd like to have in the goal if you're trying to be successful," said Arena.
Arena quickly decided that he couldn't pass up the opportunity to acquire a goalkeeper "with the wingspan of a 767," signing the Jamaican two days before Christmas. Given the alternatives, Ricketts jumped at the chance.
"My other option was to go to Sweden or to Norway, and I was trying to run away from this," said Ricketts, pointing to the rain clouds overhead at Qwest Field. "It came at the perfect time."
That move was perfect in other ways. Reconstructing the backline meant that the Galaxy would start two rookies in Omar Gonzalez and A.J. DeLaGarza for much of the season. And the other two components of the defense, Todd Dunivant and Gregg Berhalter, were also new to the team. It meant that Ricketts would be called upon numerous times while the defense developed the necessary chemistry to turn into a cohesive unit.
"Obviously, he's a beast," said Berhalter of the 6-foot-4 Ricketts, "But he has a good presence and is calm. And he comes up with the big save. I think that's the most important thing. There's a lot of goalies that can't come up with that save that wins you points, but he has done it time and time again."
Ricketts went on to prove his ability throughout the season, and was named a finalist for the league's Goalkeeper of the Year award. But his knack for delivering in the clutch was never more evident than in the second half of the Western Conference final against Houston. Ricketts' brilliant reaction save from a header by Dynamo forward Brian Ching kept the game scoreless, allowing L.A. to eventually prevail in overtime. Now he finds himself on the cusp of a league title.
"As my mama would say, everything happens for a reason," said Ricketts. "It was good playing [in England], but obviously, it wasn't for me because I came here and I settled in more quickly than I did there. Maybe this was my calling."
If Sunday ends with Ricketts and his Galaxy teammates at the pinnacle of MLS, then there will be little doubt.
Jeff Carlisle is a contributor to MLSnet.com
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