DONOVAN LOOKS BACK, AHEAD Galaxy captain reflects on lessons
By Andrea Canales, LASoccerNews.com Associate Editor
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Landon Donovan is determined to return the Galaxy to the playoffs. Linda Cuttone, SportsVue Images
Despite the good news and the implending arrival of David Beckham, the biggest signing in Los Angeles Galaxy history, the team is only months removed from the humiliation of having missed the playoffs for the first time in their history.
Only one more game won in the season would have secured the team a spot, because their second half season run brought them so close to making up the gap that had opened up via a club record losing streak during the first part of the season.
Landon Donovan didn’t think the situation was hopeless when he finally rejoined the squad after his time in Germany.
“Looking at the standings, I was thinking, it’s only ten points, it’s only twelve points – but when you play the season, you realize, that’s hard to do. It’s hard to make up those points.”
To a certain extent, ignorance was bliss, as the situation was an unfamiliar one for the forward.
“Coming back from the World Cup, I’d never been in that situation where we were that far down.”
During that time, the Galaxy did double-duty, trying to make a playoff run and also attempting to defend their Open Cup crown. In Open Cup play the team knocked out Western Conference foes the Houston Dynamo and the Colorado Rapids, but lost in the final to the Chicago Fire.
The team then proceeded to come up short in just a few crucial opportunities that could have landed the squad in the MLS playoffs.
Though conceding that missing by a close margin was still falling short of the goal, Donovan pointed how the team improved under new coach Frank Yallop.
“We did an amazing job to get close and it still wasn’t enough. Imagine if we were just average for the second half of the season. We’d have been way out.”
It’s not just the simple math of number of points behind that comes into play when a team is in a desperate situation and trying to make up ground.
“Even if you’re winning more often than not, other teams are winning, too,” pointed out Donovan. “It’s very difficult. If anything, I learned how you can’t get in that position, because it’s really hard to climb out.”
The hard lessons of a disappointing year affected the entire squad, Donovan believed.
“Going into the first game, which is a tough one in Houston, we have to have the mentality that we can’t get far behind. It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be top, though we want to be. But you can’t get far behind, or it’s going to be tough.”
With the Galaxy’s preseason training just starting to gain momentum, Donovan was still adjusting to his new teammates.
“I feel the same as I do at the start of any season. It’ll take a few weeks before guys get back into it.”
Though four Galaxy players had taken part in Bob Bradley’s intensive national team camp that started off the year, Donovan believed all the MLS players were not fully fit.
He acknowledged that defeating Mexico while in preseason form when most of the players from El Tri were game-sharp was notable.
“It definitely needs to be thought about,” said Donovan of the young team’s accomplishment. “We did have the game against Denmark, which helps. The first game is always the hardest, because you haven’t been in that situation for a few months. It’s teaching your body muscle memory, mind memory.”
Donovan contributed two goals and an assist in the matches versus Mexico and Denmark, but was most pleased with the group effort of the squad.
“I was really proud of the way we played. It wasn’t the prettiest to watch, but mentally, being sharp, I think we were there and that’s pretty impressive after six weeks.”
