The LA Galaxy season may be over, but LA Galaxy Insider Adam Serrano will spend the next few weeks offering an evaluation of each member of the squad. VIEW CALENDAR
The LA Galaxy Player Ratings will begin with players who appeared in the least number of games this season starting with goalkeeper Brian Rowe and concluding with Sean Franklin who played in all 34 of the club’s regular season games. There will also be an evaluation of head coach and general manager Bruce Arena and his moves at the conclusion of the list.
We will have two to three evaluations per day and focus on what each player did well, what they need to improve on ahead of next season as well as a select thought from the player on their performance and a rating from myself out of four stars.
KYLE NAKAZAWA
AGE: 24
POSITION: Midfielder
APPEARANCES IN ALL OFFICIAL COMPETITIONS: GP: 6 [5 in Regular Season], MIN: 283, G: 0, A: 0
RESERVE LEAGUE APPEARANCES: GP: 5, MIN: 404, G: 0, A: 3
HIGHLIGHTS: Had he not been felled by injury multiple times, Nakazawa’s season may have gone quite differently after displaying some flashes of success in the MLS Reserve League. Despite just five appearances, Nakazawa ended the Reserve League slate in a three-way tie for the team lead in assists with three.
LOWLIGHTS: It was a difficult season for the 24-year-old midfielder from Palos Verdes Estates; Nakazawa missed much of the preseason and the first two games of the MLS regular season recovering from a tonsillectomy. Nakazawa did not return to training until mid-March and in late June, Nakazawa’s season came to an end after the midfielder suffered a back injury during a Reserve League game in Vancouver on June 12. The injury was diagnosed as back spasms and eventually resulted in the midfielder being placed on the season ending injury list on Sept. 6
HIS THOUGHTS: “My rehab is going well and I’m feeling a lot better. I’m getting back into running and exercise. I feel like I’m starting to get closer to the field which is a positive sign for me. It’s definitely been an up and down year because I was injured, but I don’t think there is one professional athlete who hasn’t been through something like this. I’m using it as a learning experience and using it to fuel my drive to get back on the field. Obviously winning a championship helps that and while it was an up and down year for me, we ended on a great note.”
RATING: ONE STAR.
The season was hardly kind to Nakazawa, but the midfielder showed spurts that indicated he could grow into a regular role with the Galaxy. However, a nagging back injury put an end to any possibility of him contributing in 2012. At the end of the season, Nakazawa’s contract option was declined, but the midfielder opted out of the Re-Entry process, possibly setting up a return to the club next season. That remains up in the air, however, as Galaxy head coach and general manager Bruce Arena recently told reporters that no decision on the winger had been made at this time.
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com
