Galaxy Quest

I have friends who love sports and friends who love television shows, but they rarely mix. Yet I see the great passion in both: sports fans allow their bodies to be painted in the colors of their team, while TV fans eat sandwiches to keep alive series they watch. With this in mind, I will write on the upcoming season of a sports team through the lens someone who watches way too much television. I only hope my friends can understand my passion to combine their passions.

One of the five remaining original (and unchanged) teams from the first Major League Soccer (MLS) season of 1996, the LA Galaxy have started another season. As someone worn down by all the off-season drama by the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, I actually find the main storylines of the upcoming 2011 Galaxy season refreshing, as they deal with the club and not the ownership or cash flow issues:

Is the star of the show Galaxy still likeable? People may not realize this, but team captain Landon Donovan is the best player on the team. The world-class midfielder is in high demand elsewhere, playing in England on loan and with the US National Team in South Africa. While I appreciate him single-handedly saving Team USA from early elimination in last year’s World Cup, he did seem bone tired when he came back to Los Angeles late in the 2010 season. I do think that fatigue finally caught up to Donovan and the Galaxy when they lost to FC Dallas in last year’s playoffs. But now, the fully-rested star seems determined to help the team settle for nothing less than winning the playoffs this year!

Does the sex symbol still have it? David Beckham has been a polarizing figure to Galaxy fans as some question his commitment and desire. I do admire fans wanting to put the team in front of the player, but the truth is that some people are bigger than the show team that employs them. As long as Beckham doesn’t anger his bosses (like Babe Ruth, or Charlie Sheen for that matter), they will put up with his flaws. The England International remains the preeminent set piece player in soccer, placing the ball exactly where he wants it. As player who desires to be loved, Beckham wants a fairy-tale ending. What better way to achieve that than winning the championship in the last year of his contract?

Can the show team improve? Because of the salary cap, the best way to have a good team in MLS is to have a core group of players and surround them with inexpensive salaried players who can play better over time. This makes the head coach crucial, and the Galaxy have one of the best in Bruce Arena. Arena has stocked the team with promising young players (Rookie of The Year winners/defenders Sean Franklin and Omar Gonzalez) where possible and proven veterans like Columbian striker Juan Pablo Angel (who should take the scoring burden off Donovan) when needed. And I see great things for 22-year old Brazilian midfielder Juninho, who scored the only goal in the Galaxy’s first match this year against Seattle. He is a major factor in LA’s bend-don’t-break counterattacking style of play.

What I truly like about the show LA Galaxy this year is their all out assault for a championship in 2011! This is a culmination of a five-year plan that started with the signing of Beckham in January 2007. There are few things more fun that watching a team or show with little to lose and everything to gain. For me, this is like watching the 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers or Manchester United’s 1999 Treble or Season Two of “Chuck” or the last five episodes of David Tennant’s run on “Doctor Who”. This is an exciting time, and I’m happy to be along for the ride!

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