Robbie Keane and Gyasi Zardes are expected to be bigtime for the LA Galaxy in 2015.
By Ivan Yeo
After a month of training, and some wondering as well, it’s finally time for the LA Galaxy to open defense of its MLS Cup title.
After a month of training camp, a brief European preseason tour, and several days of wondering if there might even be a season to open, the Galaxy are ready to put all of that behind them and start focusing on a season that they hope will end with their sixth MLS Cup title in franchise history. That task begins on Friday night at home against the Chicago Fire.
“It’s time to play again,” Galaxy striker Gyasi Zardes said of the upcoming season. “I love playing, and its wonderful to be out here with my teammates and put forth all that hard work in preseason.”
There was no rest for the weary for the Galaxy following its MLS Cup triumph back in December, as six weeks after that memorable Sunday afternoon, the Galaxy were back at it, scrimmaging with the Ventura County Fusion to start the process of getting ready for the 2015 MLS season. The Galaxy also played matches in Sweden and Ireland and also got its first look at the Quakes, brand new Avaya Stadium. Also, like the rest of MLS, the Galaxy players were also wondering if the season would start on time, as the threat of a work stoppage loomed over MLS for the last two months, but with a new collective bargaining agreement having been reached late Wednesday night, it’s now business as usual for everybody in MLS.
“Whatever they agreed to, they agreed to, and if everybody’s happy at that end, then I’m good with it,” Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said.
The road to another MLS Cup title will be another tough one for Los Angeles. Along with an improved Western Conference, the Galaxy have been left with some gaping holes in its midfield that will probably not be filled until the Summer transfer window opens up. LA is without Landon Donovan (retired) and Marcelo Sarvas (traded to Colorado) and will rely on players such as Baggio Husidic and Stefan Ishizaki to plug in those gaps on a temporary basis until management is able to find reinforcements in the Summer.
LA however addressed one those holes in a big way this past January when it signed Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard utilizing the Designated Player spot vacated by Donovan. Gerrard is expected to give the Galaxy the creative playmaker it has not had in its central midfield since another English icon, David Beckham, and look for Juninho to provide Gerrard the same sort of cover he provided to Beckham during that time. Gerrard however does not arrive until July, meaning that LA will have to wing it with the players it currently has until help arrives. Still, Arena doesn’t believe the absences will deter the Galaxy’s chances of successfully defending its MLS Cup title.
The Galaxy are expected to retain its striker tandem for most of the season in league MVP Robbie Keane and Gyasi Zardes, who broke out last season with 16 goals last season and scored in last year’s MLS Cup final. Zardes’ breakout year earned him a spot on the U.S. National team’s January Camp, further giving him the opportunity to work on his game and Zardes believes he has even more room to improve in 2015.
“I still need to keep listening to my teammates and the veterans, and I still need to keep working hard,” Zardes said. “Even though I had a breakout year last year, it means nothing now, it’s a new season and I want to keep working hard and listening to my teammates and my coaches.”
Zardes, mainly a striker, is also expected to feature in LA’s midfield for good chunks of the season. Juninho is the only returning player from last year’s midfield, and Zardes is expected to be rotated with several other players through the midfield until Gerrard (and perhaps other players should management arrive at that conclusion) arrive at StubHub Center.
It’s still an attacking role,” Zardes said of the prospects of playing in the midfield. “Whether I’m up top or on the left wing, I want to attack. I’m basically a striker when I’m going forward.”
Nevertheless, with its striker tandem, its backline mostly intact and Jamie Penedo still between the pipes for LA, anything short of another MLS Cup title will be considered a disappointment for the Galaxy in 2015.
“We’re ready to go,” Arena said. “We have no excuses come Friday.”
