CARSON, Calif. – Four games into the LA Galaxy’s year, the starting lineup has remained virtually unchanged save for one center back spot. Veteran Andrew Boyens has shared time with rookie Tommy Meyer, each having received two starts.
The situation may not be ideal but Boyens said what matters is how the team does, not who is out on the field.
Who do you want to see paired with AJ DeLaGarza at center back?
“As a player you always want to start the game but I have a huge respect for the other players and the coaching staff on this team and at the end of the day, what’s most important is that we’re getting results,” Boyens told MLSsoccer.com. “It’s up to Bruce [Arena] to put the lineup on the field. If it’s me, great. If it’s not then I’ll work hard to get back in there.”
Boyens joined the Galaxy in this year’s Re-Entry Draft, giving Arena an experienced MLS veteran to help try and fill the void left by Omar Gonzalez’s injury. Boyens and Meyer battled in training camp for playing time and while the race appears to be a dead heat – at least in the early stages of the year – there will be time enough to go around for everyone.
Thus, remaining prepared is imperative.
“You always have to be prepared. With the competitions we’re playing in... as a squad we all have to be ready to play wherever,” Boyens said. “We need to be competing for spots because there’s going to be times where some of us are going to be called upon and they need to perform and that’s the bottom line.”
The Galaxy will compete in the 2012-13 CONCACAF Champions League later in the year and will have US Open Cup on their schedule as well. Still, the Galaxy’s upcoming schedule is favorable, with mostly weekend matches on the slate for the next two months.
Having gotten past the difficult opening schedule – with four games in 12 days – Boyens said hammering out details will be a focus in training.
“We haven’t actually trained too much together because we’ve had so many games, and after playing four games we get a bit of game time together and now we get back on the training pitch and really tighten things up,” he said.
There is also the ongoing battle for playing time, one that will increase when Leonardo returns from his own rehabilitation. For Boyens, though, the tougher that battle is for playing time, the better the team is for it.
“I hope there’s competition,” Boyens said. “Great clubs, they have competition with their players. It should be right throughout the team so I hope there’s competition for the spots and also I hope I’m playing.”
