CARSON, Calif. – LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena has long been a harsh critic of the schedule-makers, but the struggling defending MLS Cup champions actually may have gotten a break this week despite having only three days off between games.
Rather than have last Saturday’s 1-0 loss to arch-rival Chivas USA fester for a week until Saturday’s match in Houston against the Dynamo, the Galaxy return to action Wednesday against the San Jose Earthquakes, one of this season’s most surprising teams. BUY TICKETS
RECAP: Galaxy fall to Chivas USA 1-0 in SuperClasico
“I don’t think it’s the worst thing,” Arena said of this week’s quick turnaround. This will be the second time in the span of a month that the Galaxy play three games in eight days, doing so at the start of their current five-game winless streak, which began on April 28. “I’ll be ready. I’ve been ready every game.”
Veteran Pat Noonan, who made his first regular season start against Chivas USA, also thinks playing Wednesday could prove beneficial. But he preaches a word of caution as well.
“We’ll see,” he said. “Sometimes I think it helps when results aren’t going your way to have that quick turnaround so you can’t sit and pout. We need to keep our heads up and get focused quickly.
“We’re playing a very good team and we’re not getting the results right now. We need to turn it around quickly. Hopefully Wednesday is the start of it.”
Right back Sean Franklin also said the short break between games could help.
“I’m ready,” he said after training Monday. “I want to forget about the Chivas loss and worry about our next opponent.”
READ: Galaxy frustrated after narrow loss to Chivas USA
He said he isn’t worried about the Galaxy as much as one might think – “We have a good group of guys,” he said – and is convinced they are close to snapping out of their proverbial rut.
It may be something as simple as a good break for the Galaxy to turn it around, he added.
“I think we kind of need a little bit of luck to go our way,” he said. “I think every bounce is going against us. I think once we get a good goal, I think it’s going to get us going. It’s not like we’re losing games 4-0 or 3-0. We’re in games.
“Once we buy into being a collectively hard-working team, I think we’ll be successful.”
Said Noonan, “The effort’s there. It’s just a matter of fighting through it. I think we’ve been close for six, seven games now and it just hasn’t happened. I think it’s just a matter of doing it as a team and getting that one special play to get that lead or just flat-out hard work and grind the ball into the net somehow and just play.
“It’s going to take all of us. Right now things aren’t bouncing our way, and it’s going to take a lot of work to get them going our way.”
