Here's some post-match reaction from today's match.
LA GALAXY HEAD COACH RUUD GULLIT
On the result…
I would say disappointment. We played so well. You could bury this game in the first half. The chances we had in the first half were incredible. They had three possibilities and they scored three. Sometimes football is unfair but you have to deal with it if you don’t do the things you need to do. We made it so difficult by not burying those chances. I think we lost because of Toronto. They played better in the end. We wasted so many chances. We lost more of ourselves today.
On the defense…
You saw how the game developed. We aren’t going to talk about defense. We played well. We were in front of the goalkeeper three times and couldn’t bury it. They had one chance, and we made a mistake. It was immediately a goal. It’s frustrating. It was unnecessary goals. It makes it hard to accept, especially because we were so much better.
On Sean Franklin…
I think that Sean played well today also. He wasn’t involved in any of the balls that resulted in goals. He did his job. If we scored all the possibilities we had, we wouldn’t even be talking about this. The goals that we gave away were incredibly sloppy.
On Beckham taking down Cunningham…
I think we were lucky there. It was the only luck we had the whole game.
LA GALAXY FORWARD LANDON DONOVAN
Thoughts on the match…
We are obviously disappointed. I’m disappointed in myself. Having three chances like that could changed the game, would have changed the game. We did well to get back in it—twice. I think we were just a little naïve at the end. We probably should have just settled and taken that point.
On losing…
You always want to win at home, but given the circumstances. They were playing better and coming into the game, I think the mature thing to do was to have just said at worst we get a point of out the game. Instead of throwing caution to the wind and going for it, leaving ourselves exposed in the back.
On the heat…
It probably played a big role. They came back into the game late. They didn’t give much in the first half or the beginning of the second half, but it seemed that they found their energy in the end and it was visa versa for us. We put out a lot more in the beginning of the game and normally with better finishing the game is over by then. With the heat and trying for us to push forward was a combination of what happened at the end.
LA GALAXY MIDFIELDER DAVID BECKHAM
Overall thoughts on today’s match…
It was a tough game. It was hot out there. It’s not an excuse because it was hot for both teams. We are disappointed to lose the game, of course. The first half we had many chances. When it stays like it does, there is always a chance a team is going to score, and they did. Congratulations to them. But, we’re disappointed.
On the heat…
It was the same on the both teams. It was extremely hot out there. With the heat like this, it’s tough. But when you don’t keep the ball or pass the ball well, it brings all sorts of problems. We lost our shape in the second half. That’s where the problems started, and then they started passing the ball around us. They created chances.
On the team’s chemistry…
It’s only three games into the season. That’s going to take time. We have a relationship with the forwards. In the last game, I scored one and had an assisted with Landon. There is always chances being created. Three games into the season, we can’t panic too much. We are disappointed about today.
On taking on Cunningham…
Maybe it was a foul, maybe it wasn’t. Sometimes they give them, sometimes they don’t. They didn’t for that one. Thankfully, we got away with that one.
On creating chances…
That’s what it’s all about. Creating chances and having the confidence of finishing them off. As long as I’m creating chances and Ely on the left is creating chances, at some point we are going to score. It’s about putting the goals away, and hopefully that will start soon. We still created a lot of chances today. Landon got two. It just wasn’t enough in the end.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
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5 comments:
I appreciate the fact that Head Coach Ruud recognizes and accepts and takes accountability for what went wrong and where our team made their mistakes against Toronto FC. And, he is definitely right in characterizing it as "SLOPPY", "UNNECESSARY", "DISAPPOINTING". But, does it stop there. No, of course not - these were mistakes made against Toronto FC. Now, please imagine what would happen if our team made these kind of mistakes against Houston Dynamo or DC United or New England Revolution??? They would come back and "massacre" us and the goal deficit would not be 1 or 2 goals - more likely five or six!!!
Both Landon and David are experienced, talented, seasoned, tried & tested players... but, they got to where they are today... because they worked at it over and over and over again... plus... plus, they are ALWAYS AWARE & ALERT at what goes on around them on the pitch. A soccer player gets more confidence and knowledge when they constantly pay attention to the state of the field during play. It is important to watch out for the "tell-tale" signs of your opposing team's players - which one of them runs more, which one prefers which side, which ones tackles more, which one is fighting off just coming back from an injury, who do they like to pass to??? Once on the pitch, our LA Galaxy players should so confident and understanding of their roles and positions that they only have to focus on opposing team players. This is why Landon kept stressing that it was critical that the younger players fully understand their roles, positions, and knowing when to run; when to hold & wait; when to pass; how quickly to pass; etc.
well..at least Becks didn't blame it on the heat for their part. good for him for accepting their defeat and ready to go on. i hope that other players follow his attitude and move on and working on their weaknesses..especially on the FINISHING of the ball!!! i for one would blame this lost more on lack of skills and confidence in finishing the ball rather than lack of defense! coz, like Becks' said, if u don't score, eventually u'll loose no matter how great ur defense is! coz ur legs will get tiring and u'll thrive more for a goal rather than defending it!
but Donovan..please don't blame the weather when u're at home! especially when u're at home!
and to Gullit..please concentrate and work more on ur strikers, or get new strikers who can score and finish it..and please work more on ur defense! tell them to hold on no matter what - whether they're winning or losing or just draw! and don't use Vanney or Vagenas anymore please!
it was very disapointing!! Goalkeeper, defences, forward, all did terrible job. Wasted so many chances created by Beckham. How long this situation will last?
Thank you for giving us an in depth reaction to our loss from Sunday. I know our loss in Colorado wasn't even mentioned two weeks ago so it is comforting to see that you guys are working hard and improving.
yeah..this blog is improving itself! guess you guys read all of the comments here eh? ;p..anyway..it's good! and this is the way it should be. one or two information a day..and more info on/after the match day! that's good!
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