Lalas Looks at Reverse Angle
One game into his Galaxy career, Alexi Lalas already is grabbing the headlines.
But Washington D.C. United, the team the Galaxy plays at the Coliseum tonight at 9 in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, isn’t buying Lalas’ assessment of his new teammates.
“Each new team I have played with in MLS I have felt had the potential of winning a championship, and most of those teams struggled to make the playoffs,” Lalas told the Washington Post.
“So to reverse the trend, let me say for the record, I feel the Los Angeles Galaxy is the worst collection of soccer players I have ever had the pleasure of playing with, and if we win one game this year it will require divine intervention.”
Someone must have been looking over the Galaxy’s shoulder Wednesday night when it tied Real Espana of Honduras, 0-0, then won on penalty kicks, 5-3, to advance to tonight’s game.
The semifinal winners will qualify for the third FIFA World Club Championship in Spain in July and both are guaranteed a minimum of $1 million for taking part in that event.
Also eyeing the prize are Olimpia of Honduras and Pachuca of Mexico. They play at 7 p.m.
Lalas ended a one-year retirement to join the Galaxy, and his play in his competitive debut Wednesday pleased Coach Sigi Schmid.
“I thought Alexi had a solid game for not having been in a big game for a while,” Schmid said. “A lot of people criticize Alexi’s passing. I thought his passing was pretty good. He kept possession for our team very well. He stayed simple and he won his battles. He did everything I wanted from him.”
Even more impressive was Greg Vanney, who is trying to decide whether to sign a four-year contract with MLS or play abroad.
Schmid’s comments after Wednesday night’s game suggested Vanney has made up his mind.
“I thought Vanney showed what I feel he is going to be able to show this year on a consistent basis--that he is one of the best passing defenders that the U.S. has,” Schmid said.
“Some of the balls that he hit out of the back were absolutely beautiful, finding people over distances of 50 or 60 yards. At the same time, [he was] spinning away and keeping possession. That’s what I want a lot more from Greg Vanney. I want him to orchestrate our game from the back.”
The Galaxy defense, also featuring Paul Caligiuri and anchored by goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, will be tested tonight by three-time MLS champion D.C. United.
Washington has speed on the flanks in teenager Bobby Convey on the left and Ben Olsen on the right, guile in the middle in Marco Etcheverry, and unpredictability in Jaime Moreno and Chris Albright.
Coach Thomas Rongen’s team endured a rough 2000 season, failing to make the playoffs, but Eddie Pope, D.C.’s captain, said the club is on the mend.
“We had a bad season last year,” Pope said. “Everybody is pretty much fed up, and this is an opportunity for us to prepare for our season, but also do something a little special.”
Finding a way past Pope and fellow U.S. national team defenders Carlos Llamosa and Jeff Agoos, along with right back Carey Talley, will be a challenge for a Galaxy offense that is having trouble scoring.
Tonight, though, the million dollars and the trip to Spain might be less motivation than recalling that D.C. United denied the Galaxy MLS championships in 1996 and 1999.
A Galaxy victory might erase those bitter memories.
CONCACAF Champions Cup
TONIGHT (COLISEUM)
* Semifinals--Olimpia (Honduras) vs. Pachuca (Mexico), 7 p.m.;
Washington D.C. United vs. Galaxy, 9 p.m.
SUNDAY (COLISEUM)
* Third-place game--10:30 a.m.
* Final--1 p.m.
