It may be a jinx. Or a curse. Or simply unlucky.
Whatever you describe it, it is clear that Win the MLS Cup did not bring the Galaxy The momentum they had hoped because they have not won a MLS match since then.
With three points at eight games, the Galaxy (0-5-3) is at the worst start of the history of the franchise and the worst start to never by an MLS title champion, according to the Elias sports office.
They led only once this season, have the worst goal differential in the league and are already eight points compared to a place in the playoffs. After a golden season, everything they touch turn into bronze. On Saturday, the team attempted to celebrate its title by offering replicas of its MLS championship rings, but even this gesture was wrapped – the team had only 10,000 rings for a crowd of almost 24,000.
As you would expect, fans were not satisfied.
Things did not improve much when the match started, the Galaxy lowering a goal in the 14th minute and going down a man in the 28th minute when Zanka drew a well -deserved red card. They finally joined to win a 1-1 Draw with the unfortunateHouston Dynamo has a gain.
“No excuses”, coach Greg Vanney said. “We have to stop putting ourselves in holes and then trying to go out our way. He must clean himself. He must repair himself.”
But even without a victory, the Vanney team has reason to hope. The only other MLS defending champion to spend without a victory for eight games, the 2003 Galaxy, won his ninth match and continued to make the playoffs.
Alexi Lalas, who played in this 2003 team, said that this year's Galaxy needed to put last season last season.
“Obviously, there is an inevitable hangover after a championship season. You find yourself trying to resume magic, but the dynamics have inevitably changed,” he said. “Trades, sales, injuries can all contribute to the news and unknown.
“This Galaxy team must stop worrying about being another version of what it was and being the best version of what it is.”
All the factors that Lalas mentioned certainly influenced the terrible start of the team. During the winter, the team sold Dejan JovljicHis top scorer in playoffs and has exchanged field environments Mark Delgado And Gastón BrugmanThe MLS CUP MVP. It started without midfielder Riqui PuigThe most important player of the team, who has torn his anterior cross ligament in the playoff series, then lost six other starters for several games against injuries.
However, none of this can be used as an excuse, because other teams have treated similar setbacks without imploding.
Also win additional challenges in terms of premiums and other payments that forced the team to rebuild a list which did not need to be rebuilt just to press it under the league's salary ceiling. But others have managed to overcome this too: three teams in the past eight seasons have won the MLS Cup one season and returned to the final the next year.
“The story to blame the rules of the league and train it as inevitable, something that the galaxy sometimes seems to be promoting, can become a self-fulfilling prophecy,” said Lalas, who was president of the galaxy before becoming football analyst for Fox Sports. “There is enough talent and experience in this galaxy team to be at least competitive.
“They may not resume the magic of last year, but they should not be so bad.”
The galaxy has proven that in the CONCACAF champions cutBeating the champion of Costa Rican Herediano before losing closely against Tigres Uanl, the finalist of Liga MX. And they did it despite the professions, sales, injuries and wage capitalization problems.
Diego FagúndezWho directed the Galaxy against Houston and scored the only goal of the team on Saturday during their 400th MLS, accepts that the team must stop looking for scapegoats and starting to look for solutions.
“I think these are details,” he said. “I have been saying this for two weeks now: pay attention to details. Because that's what kills us. “
The season is not over for the galaxy. In 2009, Columbus' crew went without victory for seven games, but would end up ending at the top of the Eastern Conference. The year before Houston was without victory for six games and joined the Western Conference. Such ascent could be a little too steep for the galaxy, but with 18 of the 30 MLS teams making the playoffs, a place in the playoffs should not be out of the question.
And Fagúndez says that there is a simple way for the galaxy to achieve even this modest objective.
“We have to start winning matches.”
⚽ You have read the last episode of soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and highlights unique stories. Listen to Baxter in the episode of this week of “Podcast Corner of the Galaxy.
