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| Starting Xi. The question is, what's next? |
With tonight’s 2-3 win on the road over the Portland Timbers (well…*), the Los Angeles Galaxy have, with allowance for the postponed game versus the Seattle Sounders, quietly built a three-game winning streak in the next leg of Major League Soccer regular season play. Speaking of, does anyone know where the 2020 irregular season even goes after September 16? If not, I finally looked it up:
“Up to 18 matches (a maximum of nine home and nine away) during the continuation of play in home markets following the MLS is Back Tournament.”
OK, so that’s a maximum of 12 more games (right?) for each team after the six-game stretch that followed MLS Got Back - i.e.., the period that ends on September 16 - but without that 12-game future actually being mapped at time of writing. Also, note the language: “up to 18 matches” and “(a maximum of nine home and nine away),” etc.
The condensed schedule - e.g., two games per week since the end of MLS Got Back - predicated some level of squad rotation and, to anyone wondering, yes, I remain a fan of squad rotation as a concept. That said, with specific regard to tonight’s game - and this is with games away to Seattle, Los Angeles FC and the San Jose Earthquakes away in Portland’s future over the next two weeks - was a home game against a still-forming Galaxy team that right time to rest nearly every (or was it every?) starter on the roster? Wait…yes, it was every player on the roster, total turnover and dice a-tumbling. So, was that the right call by Giovanni Savarese, given the teams ahead and where the Timbers will play them?
I’ll let people lay their own bets on that one, but I will say this: all of Portland's regular starters showed every sign of needing a break over Portland’s last twolosses (I’m re-writing nothing; the draw v. RSL was a loss)…and what if rest with a side of putting the fear into any starter he could motivated Savarese’s decision to put the starting Xi on full spin-cycle?
As someone conditioned against accepting any official line absent evidence - i.e., I don’t care what anyone says on the practice ground, or in a post- or pre-game presser; I only care what happens on game day - I’m stuck weighing the opportunity cost of those first…carry the one…66 minutes of starting…let’s call them Portland’s future against the Galaxy tonight.
“Up to 18 matches (a maximum of nine home and nine away) during the continuation of play in home markets following the MLS is Back Tournament.”
OK, so that’s a maximum of 12 more games (right?) for each team after the six-game stretch that followed MLS Got Back - i.e.., the period that ends on September 16 - but without that 12-game future actually being mapped at time of writing. Also, note the language: “up to 18 matches” and “(a maximum of nine home and nine away),” etc.
The condensed schedule - e.g., two games per week since the end of MLS Got Back - predicated some level of squad rotation and, to anyone wondering, yes, I remain a fan of squad rotation as a concept. That said, with specific regard to tonight’s game - and this is with games away to Seattle, Los Angeles FC and the San Jose Earthquakes away in Portland’s future over the next two weeks - was a home game against a still-forming Galaxy team that right time to rest nearly every (or was it every?) starter on the roster? Wait…yes, it was every player on the roster, total turnover and dice a-tumbling. So, was that the right call by Giovanni Savarese, given the teams ahead and where the Timbers will play them?
I’ll let people lay their own bets on that one, but I will say this: all of Portland's regular starters showed every sign of needing a break over Portland’s last twolosses (I’m re-writing nothing; the draw v. RSL was a loss)…and what if rest with a side of putting the fear into any starter he could motivated Savarese’s decision to put the starting Xi on full spin-cycle?
As someone conditioned against accepting any official line absent evidence - i.e., I don’t care what anyone says on the practice ground, or in a post- or pre-game presser; I only care what happens on game day - I’m stuck weighing the opportunity cost of those first…carry the one…66 minutes of starting…let’s call them Portland’s future against the Galaxy tonight.
