CARSON, Calif. -- LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena addressed reporters after the Galaxy's scoreless draw with FC Dallas in their final game of the 2016 MLS Regular Season.
On if the team can turn the page to focus on the postseason:
“Well clearly, if we’re not able to do that right now, we’re in a lot of trouble. It was still important to play this game today then get on with the business of the playoffs. Somehow I don’t understand why this is so complicated as the one we’re playing, but hopefully, we’ll find that out before the sun goes down. I congratulate Dallas on the Supporters’ Shield. I can’t process it the right way not understanding how you do that when you have an unbalanced schedule. It seems a little odd to me, but hopefully, they can fix that down the road, and it’ll make a little more sense. But they had a good year and credit to them.
On facing Real Salt Lake:
“A good team. I think we played them twice this year…beat them at home and had a tie on the road there. Always a good team. Obviously, a team we’ve seen before in the playoffs. We expect a tough match. I know they had a good one in Seattle today. As always, any team you’re playing in the playoffs is going to be ready to play.”
On the performance of the team’s younger players today:
“It was good to get Ariel Lassiter on the field and see where he’s at. It’s good for him to help gauge his performance as well. A number of players got an opportunity today, and I think that’s a positive. Certainly, we’ll have chances when we open up the playoffs from the lineup today.”
On Jelle Van Damme’s performance:
“Solid. He needed a game. He hadn’t played in two, maybe three weeks, I can’t remember exactly. His last game he was suspended for the game at Houston. He played Dallas Oct. 1, so it’s been three weeks, and it was important to have him play and get him ready for the playoffs.”
His thoughts on the Knockout Round of the playoffs as compared to home and away:
“Well, I think it’s good. I think if you look at the calendar, there're international fixture dates during the playoff and it would be very difficult to play home and away and then get on with next year’s. We just don’t have enough dates in our calendar to accommodate many more games in the playoffs. So the only way you could expand the playoff field and get the games in is to play a midweek single game. That’s all you can do.”
On Giovani dos Santos being named team MVP:
“He had a very good year obviously. His numbers tell you that. He had 14 goals on the year and a number of assists. He had a good year and grew as a player. It’s his first year playing regularly…in his career, I think. And hopefully, he continues to get better. But he had a much improved year and he’s gotten acclimated to our city, our club, and our league and hopefully he continues to get better.”
On the partnership of Jelle Van Damme and AJ DeLaGarza going forward:
“It’s possible. Dan Steres has had a very good year. We haven’t decided on who we’re going to use in the first game, but obviously one would assume Jelle will be paired with AJ or Dan.”
On how he would define this regular season:
“Long. Awkward. I think the MLS regular season is difficult and I think probably, if I was coaching in the NBA or NHL I’d tell you the same thing. We probably need to be better in how we schedule and organize our travel in the league. As the league has grown geographically and the number of teams and the time zones and conditions it seems like the whole year we were playing teams in 90 degree temperatures at 12 o’clock and 1 o’clock. It wears you out. It’s been a long and testing year. It’s just a battle.”