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Bueno's Views: Shadows Of MLS Giants Meet In Carson
DC United and the Los Angeles Galaxy used to set the standard in Major League Soccer. As the teams prepare to open the season against one another, each side faces challenges in restoring their past glory, says Goal.com's Luis Bueno.
Mar 21, 2009 7:24:33 PM
By Luis Bueno
CARSON, Calif. - Of all the Opening Day matchups in MLS this season, there is no more fitting encounter than DC United-LA Galaxy.
In the early days of the league, this was a clash of MLS powerhouses. As recently as 2005, these teams each had their way within the league and DC-Galaxy games were always given top billing.
From the league's inception in 1996 through 2005, DC United and the LA Galaxy combined to win six MLS Cups. Twice the teams met in the final, including MLS Cup '96, a thrilling 3-2 extra-time DC win that set a high bar for MLS Cup matches. Along with San Jose, DC United and the Galaxy set the standard by which others tried to follow.
Things change. Players and coaches come and go, other teams around the league improve and the powerhouse clubs simply cannot sustain such a high level of play, at least not in MLS.
That reality has hit both clubs hard. DC United and the Galaxy have fallen far from glory, for from where clubs who claim only championships matter typically fall. For each, 2009 will be a test to measure up against their former selves and try to once again stock the trophy case with league titles.
While the sobering reality struck each team, it whalloped the Galaxy first.
Early in the 2006 season, when the Galaxy were the defending champions, the club's regular-season struggles caught up to them. The Galaxy had finished with the ninth-best record in '05 despite their title and that mediocrity bottomed out. Galaxy coach Steve Sampson was sacked, and the Galaxy have been trying to find the right formula ever since. Incoming coach Frank Yallop came and went, as did Ruud Gullit, and now Bruce Arena is in charge trying to restore the Galaxy to its former glory.
David Beckham's arrival seemed to be the first step in the Galaxy's resurgence but it has in fact neither helped the Galaxy turn around their franchise or sunk it into a further abyss.
DC, meanwhile, entered the 2008 season with legitimate hopes of claiming their fifth championship. Having won the 2007 Supporters' Shield, DC seemed a favorite to not just reach the postseason but make a deep run in the playoffs. But after an offseason of change that saw key players such as Christian Gomez and Troy Perkins move on, DC struggled terribly. No longer were United's black uniforms feared. No longer was DC a favorite for anything in league play.
Still, perhaps as a way of showing their entrenched ability to find glory, DC won the 2008 US Open Cup title. So even in dark days DC can still collect a trophy.
But with a new year comes new hope. Everyone starts at zero now, even teams who allowed the most goals in the league (the Galaxy yielded 62) or those who had double-digit road losses (DC lost 11 on the road). Now, when DC United and the Galaxy measure up against each other, it will be in an attempt to start anew, to restore once-proud franchises to their former state.
Each side may struggle. DC brought Gomez back from exile in Colorado, but the 34-year-old lost his form with the Rapids and was clearly not the same player he had been. The defense has been overhauled and the club is trying to squeeze another season out of Jaime Moreno.
The Galaxy's defense is nearly all new as well. Veteran Tony Sanneh is partly responsible for helping keep the Galaxy's defense tidy once again. But injuries have been as much of a distraction to the Galaxy's preseason efforts than Beckham's absence, though much less publicized. Beckham won't be around until July, and presumably he will come back interested and focused after having supposedly re-discovered himself abroad.
As the 14th MLS season kicks off, few are predicting success for both DC and the Galaxy. "Last place" or "out of the playoffs" or "in contention for a playoff spot" are typically phrases thrown around when placing expectations on both teams, when in the first decade championship discussion began with DC and was followed quickly by the Galaxy.
Perhaps then if each team has hopes of getting back on the road towards league superiority, it will start with a meeting against each other.
Luis Bueno is the Mexico editor for Goal.com and has covered the Los Angeles Galaxy and MLS since 1998.
CARSON, Calif. - Of all the Opening Day matchups in MLS this season, there is no more fitting encounter than DC United-LA Galaxy.
In the early days of the league, this was a clash of MLS powerhouses. As recently as 2005, these teams each had their way within the league and DC-Galaxy games were always given top billing.
From the league's inception in 1996 through 2005, DC United and the LA Galaxy combined to win six MLS Cups. Twice the teams met in the final, including MLS Cup '96, a thrilling 3-2 extra-time DC win that set a high bar for MLS Cup matches. Along with San Jose, DC United and the Galaxy set the standard by which others tried to follow.
Things change. Players and coaches come and go, other teams around the league improve and the powerhouse clubs simply cannot sustain such a high level of play, at least not in MLS.
That reality has hit both clubs hard. DC United and the Galaxy have fallen far from glory, for from where clubs who claim only championships matter typically fall. For each, 2009 will be a test to measure up against their former selves and try to once again stock the trophy case with league titles.
While the sobering reality struck each team, it whalloped the Galaxy first.
Early in the 2006 season, when the Galaxy were the defending champions, the club's regular-season struggles caught up to them. The Galaxy had finished with the ninth-best record in '05 despite their title and that mediocrity bottomed out. Galaxy coach Steve Sampson was sacked, and the Galaxy have been trying to find the right formula ever since. Incoming coach Frank Yallop came and went, as did Ruud Gullit, and now Bruce Arena is in charge trying to restore the Galaxy to its former glory.
David Beckham's arrival seemed to be the first step in the Galaxy's resurgence but it has in fact neither helped the Galaxy turn around their franchise or sunk it into a further abyss.
DC, meanwhile, entered the 2008 season with legitimate hopes of claiming their fifth championship. Having won the 2007 Supporters' Shield, DC seemed a favorite to not just reach the postseason but make a deep run in the playoffs. But after an offseason of change that saw key players such as Christian Gomez and Troy Perkins move on, DC struggled terribly. No longer were United's black uniforms feared. No longer was DC a favorite for anything in league play.
Still, perhaps as a way of showing their entrenched ability to find glory, DC won the 2008 US Open Cup title. So even in dark days DC can still collect a trophy.
But with a new year comes new hope. Everyone starts at zero now, even teams who allowed the most goals in the league (the Galaxy yielded 62) or those who had double-digit road losses (DC lost 11 on the road). Now, when DC United and the Galaxy measure up against each other, it will be in an attempt to start anew, to restore once-proud franchises to their former state.
Each side may struggle. DC brought Gomez back from exile in Colorado, but the 34-year-old lost his form with the Rapids and was clearly not the same player he had been. The defense has been overhauled and the club is trying to squeeze another season out of Jaime Moreno.
The Galaxy's defense is nearly all new as well. Veteran Tony Sanneh is partly responsible for helping keep the Galaxy's defense tidy once again. But injuries have been as much of a distraction to the Galaxy's preseason efforts than Beckham's absence, though much less publicized. Beckham won't be around until July, and presumably he will come back interested and focused after having supposedly re-discovered himself abroad.
As the 14th MLS season kicks off, few are predicting success for both DC and the Galaxy. "Last place" or "out of the playoffs" or "in contention for a playoff spot" are typically phrases thrown around when placing expectations on both teams, when in the first decade championship discussion began with DC and was followed quickly by the Galaxy.
Perhaps then if each team has hopes of getting back on the road towards league superiority, it will start with a meeting against each other.
Luis Bueno is the Mexico editor for Goal.com and has covered the Los Angeles Galaxy and MLS since 1998.
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