As the preseason gets into full swing and rosters begin to stabilize, it’s time to take a look at the men who pull the strings and have the greatest impact on the team itself.  The modern manager is part tactician, part showman, and part PR man.  The best are the ones who can bring a diverse team together and make it into a trophy-winning side.  Rarely can a side win an MLS Cup, Open Cup, or Supporters Shield with a mediocre or poor manager.  However, at times its the team that makes the man and only the perfect marriage of players and manager that can make a championship.  A manager is especially important in MLS, with the salary cap and built-in rules designed to promote parity.

These men are masters of the realm, the best managers in MLS today.  The following ranking is my own top five managers in MLS going into the 2012 season.  Keep in mind this is not an all time list but simply looking ahead to the 2012 season.  Agree or disagree?  Make your opinions known in the comments section.

5.  Piotr Nowak:  Maybe the restructuring going on in Philadelphia is Nowak’s way to challenge himself.  The veteran coach has taken a new franchise and by year two had made the Union into a Eastern Conference championship contender.  Building the team around a stout defense and the timely scoring of his offense, Nowak has made the club in his image and, even with the departures, Philadelphia is now a team to watch every year.  His work with DC United, leading them to their fourth MLS title in 2004, only adds to his coaching resume.  Although he does not have the large number of trophies some of the others on this list have, he is undoubtedly established himself as one of the best head coaches in the league.

4.  Schellas Hyndman:  Although at times his decisions are questionable (Brek Shea as a full back?), Hyndman is a long-time collegiate coach who finally got the right opportunity to prove his worth with FC Dallas in 2008.  His defining win was a 3-0 defeat of Los Angeles in the 2010 Western Conference finals over a team that looked like the best in the league with a healthy David Beckham.  Although Dallas lost the 2010 MLS Cup in overtime, the former SMU head coach has done a good job balancing his roster and replacing departed players, especially in the midfield.  Under his watch David Ferreira blossomed into one of the most dangerous midfielders in the league and with some promising youth coming up through the system this year, Hyndman may soon be able to chase down that elusive MLS Cup.

3.  Sigi Schmid:  For a guy who never played professional soccer, Schmid gets this league.  His uncanny ability to identify talent and his in-game ability to identify mismatches has made the former UCLA Bruin the brain behind the constantly-successful Seattle Sounders.  A team with a rich history and demanding fan base, Schmid gave the league a blueprint for how to compete in MLS from year one, a blueprint that teams as recently as Montreal are looking to emulate.  He is the most successful U.S. Open Cup head coach in the modern era and has guided the careers of many of MLS’s greatest stars.  His LA Galaxy team was also one of two MLS clubs to ever win an intercontinental cup.  He is the winningest head coach in MLS history and has the Sounders poised to challenge for the 2012 MLS Cup.

2.  Dominic Kinnear:  The coach of this year’s Eastern Conference champions narrowly edges Sigi Schmid in my rankings because since 2006, Houston has been one of the league’s most successful teams.  Besides winning back-to-back MLS Cups in 2006 and 2007, this year may have been his best coaching job, leading an arguably less talented team to the MLS Cup.  All of this is even more impressive considering the fact that the team has worked within a tight budget and a changing ownership situation.

1.  Bruce Arena:  The National Soccer Hall of Famer continues to prove that he is arguable the greatest American soccer coach of all time.  Even though he had three famous designated players, it was his work with the Galaxy’s defense that was most impressive about the 2011 Galaxy.  The keys to the defense were that the two major contributors, A.J. De La Garza and Omar Gonzalez, were Arena draftees.  Arena guided a dominant team through a dominant season, essentially staking claim to the MLS Cup early in the season and never relinquishing it.  His history is unparalleled in the U.S., but even going into the new season he is still in a class by himself and recognized by many as the best head coach out there.

Today we wrap up our “Three Questions” series with the defending MLS champions, the Los Angeles Galaxy.  By any definition, they were the best team in MLS last season: they convincingly led the Supporters Shield’s race most of the season, looked like the best team in the playoffs, and won the MLS Cup.  They did it with glitz and glamour (the three designated players) as well as grit and determination (best defense in MLS, good midfield play).  In the end, they were possibly the most complete and dominant team in “modern” MLS history.

But the page on the calendar has turned and the team is facing a new set of challenges in 2012.  Even with the good news of David Beckham’s return, there have been some dark clouds this offseason that will push the team to see if it can repeat the success of 2011.  Let’s take a look at the three questions that will define the rest of this offseason for LA:

(Additionally, use the comments section to give some feedback on the Three Questions series.  Was it something you enjoyed?  Was it something you’d like to see repeated or emulated during the season?)

1. Will the midfield be as strong as it was last season?

Casual soccer fans know about “bend it like Beckham” but the Galaxy midfield in 2011 was a key to their ability to create offense seemingly out of nothing.  Whether it was Beckham’s storied free kicks or Juninho’s timely goals, the midfield came through in the clutch when it was needed.  That midfield will look different beginning next season.  Although there’s still a chance he may be loaned again to LA, Juninho has been recalled by Sao Paulo and will leave a gap in the “clutch goal scorer” category.  Miguel Lopez has also seen his loan end with LA and he has been called back to his home club of Quilmes.

The team has tried to replace Juninho with Marcelo Sarvas, but the 30 year old is arguably a step down offensively.  Having Beckham back does help cover this loss, but the team needs to take some steps to shore up a midfield that helps cover for a weaker forward position.

2. Can the defense do it again?

The loss of Omar Gonzalez hurts, badly, but in the “silver lining” category he will be able to return at some point for the Galaxy this season, it looks like (update: no silver lining, folks, he’s gone for the whole season).  However, the team may need to spend some money on a replacement, or focus their drafting on this position.  Bruce Arena also looked to keep key components of his defense by re-signing Sean Franklin, another defender who should be receiving more love from the USMNT.  The keeper position also lost a little depth with the expensive Donovan Ricketts moving to Montreal, but the back-up duo of Nick Noble and U-23 player Brian Perk look quality.

This defense was incredibly dominant last season, and even with Gonzalez it would have been a challenge to repeat their suffocating style.  With him gone for the first half of the season, seemingly, can the Galaxy approach the greatness they achieved last season a second year in a row?

3. How big of a role will the three designated players play this season?

Beckham is back, and he will be with the Galaxy a little longer.  But that will be contractually, and how much he is physically there is an important question for a team that already suffered a hit in midfield.  He will be playing in the Olympics and will miss time for that, as well as the usual jaunts across the pond.  With a longer schedule that adds two CONCACAF Champions League tournaments, how much will he contribute during the season?

Then there’s Landon Donovan, who is finally getting another chance to play in England.  He likes Everton, the team needs him, and we know his deal is only for a few months.  But can the best known American MLS player force a longer loan or transfer if he wants to stay?  My bet is yes.  Regardless, the Galaxy will be without his services for stretches this summer as he reports to the national team for friendlies and qualifying.

Robbie Keane looks to be enjoying his time in LA, but with a loan to Aston Villa and his Euro 2012 commitments, will his 31-year old legs be able to handle the travel and numerous competitions in which he will be competing?

With their 1-0 victory over the Houston Dynamo yesterday, the Galaxy reached their season-long goal of winning an MLS Cup and certain high-profile players notched their first North American championship.  Anytime a team wins a championship, writers and bloggers take to the keyboard to assess where that team or franchise fits in the pantheon of previous winners.

This writer is no different, and for the first time in a few years we have to seriously consider how the 2011 Galaxy stack up against the best of the best in MLS (albeit short) history.  The last two MLS Cup winners (RSL and Colorado) arguably slid into the championship game due to playoff format rather than on-field success, so it has been a while since we’ve had a top regular season club win the Cup.

Ultimately it is impossible to compare this era of MLS to the first few years.  With fewer teams and different rules, can the 2011 Galaxy be compared to the early DC United teams that fielded so many USMNT players, or even the 1998 Galaxy or similar successful teams?  Even Bruce Arena didn’t tip his hand, telling reporters prior to last night’s game: “Couldn’t even compare it [his DC and LA teams].  I don’t even know how you do that.”

But the impressive run for the Galaxy demands we place them in a historical context.  So are the 2011 Galaxy the best team in MLS history?  A few points to consider:

• Their 67 regular season points is the most ever in a post-shoot out season and they finished 5-0 in the playoffs.  They allowed fewer goals than games played (28 total)
• Arguably the Galaxy have the best MLS player ever on its roster, as well as the best international (I’ll define that as non-North American) ever to play in MLS.  With his fourth MLS Cup, Landon Donovan joins an elite group of players with four rings and if he continues to play in MLS and score the way he has, he will eclipse Jeff Cunningham as the league’s all-time leading scorer.  And while Beckham has been rightfully criticized for his lack of commitment to the league based on his salary and expectations, when healthy and committed he has been an unstoppable force for LA.
• While the three designated players get the press, it’s the role players that really propelled this team.  The stout back line led by future USMNT call-up (right?) Omar Gonzalez was a key to the Galaxy being able to play their cobra-like quick strike and down offense.  Juninho was a quality acquisition who gave them some game-winners during the season.  And forwards like Mike Magee and Chad Barrett while not world beaters were the roll players that any successful team needs to be, well, successful.
• The travel.  With 18 teams in the league and a balanced schedule, the Galaxy faced more travel than any previous MLS winner within the league.  Outside of the league, the Galaxy faced even more mileage with the competitive CONCACAF Champions group stage, meaning this veteran team spent a lot of time in the air traveling.  This certainly makes it harder to play at a high level on the road and while other MLS champions have also booked lots of mileage, few I wager would have put in the travel of LA.
• Statistically, the Galaxy’s season makes a strong case.  According to Grant Wahl’s stat work, LA had the third best points-per-game season ever in MLS, behind two teams that did not win an MLS Cup (LA ’98 and San Jose ’05).  The metric is the number of points for the season divided by number of games played, with Wahl adjusting for shoot-outs in the early years.  So according to this metric, a regular season that ended with the Supporters Shield looks even better.

Leave it to MLS to miss a slam dunk.  As part of their daily unveiling of award winners leading up to the MLS Cup (an idea that I like that they do), the league announced the winners of the Comeback Player of the Year and Coach of the Year.  One of these awards was a no-brainer while the other one had reasonable arguments for all of the candidates, but strong arguments in favor of one of the finalists.  So MLS of course went with the biggest names and announced that David Beckham and his coach Bruce Arena had won Comeback Player and Coach of the Year, respectively.

The problem was that neither was the most deserving of this award, and in Beckham’s case it wasn’t even close.

Before I explain the error of MLS’s ways I want to make two critical points.  The first is that I acknowledge that these votes have multiple components, with front offices and players being involved in the voting.  When I say “MLS” I am also criticizing those elements of the vote.  Secondly I acknowledge the fact that some of you may criticize my perspective because I am an avowed DC United fan when I am not professionally covering events.  I won’t be able to convince some of you otherwise except to say that my opinion is shared by non-DCU writers.

On to the awards, and I’ll start with Comeback Player of the Year.  The three finalists for the award were Dominic Oduro (poor 2010 season), David Beckham (2010 Achilles injury), and Charlie Davies (2009 car accident, missed 2010).  Beckham edged out Davies for the award in the weighted vote with Oduro trailing by a decent percentage.  This is an absolute sham.  Statistically speaking, Beckham had a better season than Davies; Beckham was a key midfielder for a team that won the Supporters Shield and almost led the league in assists.  Davies tailed off after a great start to the season and by October there were questions as to whether he would even be brought back by DC United.  Beckham was the league’s first international superstar, Davies has a great story but by the end was making some questionable PR moves.

That aside, this is not a Player of the Year or Most Photogenic award, this is a comeback award, and it is hard to argue that Davies does not deserve this over the rest of the field.  His 2009 car wreck was so horrific his life was in danger potentially and his career certainly was in doubt; he visibly carries the scars with him.  The fact that he scored eight goals and carried DC briefly before the De Rosario trade when the prior year he didn’t even play professional soccer is incredible.  Granted, he isn’t back to where he was but he has come a long way and his comeback is mighty impressive.  Beckham also made a comeback from injury, but that was an Achilles injury probably due to playing overseas plus repeated travel.  Some have claimed that Davies did not deserve to win because he did not play in MLS last season; Beckham was hurt playing in Serie A and openly angling for an overseas loan.  If prior MLS playing time was a criteria (and it should be stated if so), Geoff Cameron deserves this award.  But to give it to Beckham over Davies is a terrible mistake.

Now to Coach of the Year, and this one is less cut and dried.  Bruce Arena is undoubtedly a great coach, there is no doubt about that, and to bring this team of immense egos to the finish line in the regular season is a tremendous accomplishment.  Phil Jackson was coach of the year in the NBA for a reason.  However, on a team where you could solve your striker problem by shedding one designated player to sign another three million dollar a year international, that should count as a strike against your candidacy.  That’s not a coaching skill, that’s a competitive advantage.

Let’s now consider the candidacy of Peter Vermes, a coach I put on my hot seat early in the year.  For the first few months of the season, Sporting Kansas City did not have a home stadium, and rather than drift down into the bottom of the league the team survived to finish first in the Eastern Conference.  There was certainly talent on the team due to some shrewd signings like Omar Bravo, but it was the team’s growth around some young players like C.J. Sapong and Teal Bunbury that really pushed it over the top.  Graham Zusi is now being discussed as a potential USMNT call-up and Omar Bravo, while a proven international talent, could have struggled more in integrating himself to MLS like so many others have before him.  This was a team that made a lot out of not as much proven talent as LA and Seattle, but still clinched the first seed in the competitive East.  Were they a better team than LA and Seattle?  No but they made do with less, and that should be a major consideration for Coach of the Year.

Where were you when the news dropped that U.S. soccer fired Bob Bradley?

A day after the Manchester United blitz of the MLS All Stars, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced the immediate termination of head coach Bob Bradley.  According to the federation’s press release, the firing happened during a meeting in Carson City.

“We want to thank Bob Bradley for his service and dedication to U.S. Soccer during the past five years,” said Sunil Gulati. “During his time as the head coach of our Men’s National Team he led the team to a number of accomplishments, but we felt now was the right time for us to make a change. It is always hard to make these decisions, especially when it involves someone we respect as much as Bob. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

It was no secret that the poor results during the Gold Cup, which ended with a devastating loss to Mexico, hurt Bradley’s standing.  While the United State’s most recent World Cup run had some incredible highlights, none better than Landon Donovan’s goal, the team underachieved in the eyes of many.  The same mistakes also kept popping up in U.S. team matches: the failure of young players to step up, not scoring the first goal (although this wasn’t the problem against Mexico), and failure to settle on a system/formation.

The timing, however, is bizarre. If U.S. Soccer was unhappy with the Gold Cup, why not fire Bradley then?  Unless there is something we don’t know that happened behind the scenes, the timing does not make sense except that the new coach will have a chance to assemble the rosters for the fall friendlies.

So who’s next?  It is no secret that Gulati’s white whale has been Jurgen Klinsmann, who has repeatedly turned the job down.  With a new position and rebuild under his control in Toronto, it is distinctly possible the U.S. job is less attractive to him now.

If the USSF wanted to turn to MLS to hire its new coach, its most promising candidates are all in playoff runs.  Jason Kreis is trying to lead RSL to its second MLS Cup in three years, Sigi Schmid has Seattle points behind LA, Dominic Kinnear’s Houston is chasing the Eastern Conference teams but is in the race, and Hans Backe obviously is trying to win an illusive title for New York.  Bruce Arena is a possibility, but he’s been on this ride before.

The depth in the federation is also lacking, with the firing of Thomas Rongen and not having named his replacement.  So a likely replacement will come from outside the United States.  But who is available?  The only big name Euro coaches are those who haven’t been picked up by a team – Carlo Ancelotti, Claudio Ranieri, Diego Maradona.  A big name that is available and has international experience is Marcello Lippi, the World Cup-winning manager for the Italian national team in 2006.

USSF will hold another press conference Friday; what do you expect them to say tomorrow?  Who do you think will or should be the next head coach of U.S. national team?

In his short but impressive coaching career, Jason Kreis may be approaching heights unseen by an MLS coach.  This weekend he essentially fielded a backup squad that handled an undefeated Revolution squad.  RSL is in the CONCACAF Champions League final and is the prohibitive favorite to win a second MLS Cup in three years.  Also an impressive player, Kreis is compiling the sort of record and experience that, if he were coaching in England, would make bigger clubs take note.  Now may be the time to ask – is Jason Kreis the right MLS manager to make the leap to the European coaching ranks?

MLS head coaches have in the past been rumored to be ready to take the next step to Europe.  Octavio Zambrano was a head coach in Moldova and Hungary but has now returned to the U.S.  Both Bruce Arena and Bob Bradley were rumored candidates for English jobs, with Bradley supposedly being considered by both Aston Villa and Fulham in 2010.  But neither were actually hired despite high-profile victories at the international level and winning MLS Cups.

So before we address whether Kreis should be that coaching pioneer, we need to address what impact MLS coaches going to Europe would have on the league. We spend much time and energy debating whether MLS players should make the jump and how that affects the league, and the general consensus is that the best players benefit from European playing time while those who are good MLS players might benefit more from staying in the U.S.  Where that line is drawn is where the debate is.  This season we are beginning to see the benefits of the exporting of MLS players: the league is getting players back in return.  Not only are the Beckhams of the world coming to America, but loanees like Simon Dawkins are coming over.  Dawkins, on loan from Tottenham, has given the ‘Quakes a scoring option besides Chris Wondolowski.

Would exporting coaches be the same?  Not quite, but there would be some similarities.  MLS currently imports Europeans who have played in Europe and in American leagues (Steve Nicol) and now is beginning to bring in new coaches from specific systems (Aron Winter).  If American head coaches began to be viewed as possible managerial candidates in Europe, then I think the best young coaches would begin to be poached by European clubs.  But this experience would be good for these MLS head coaches and allow them to expand their strategy and tactics beyond the North American viewpoint.  Having someone like Jason Kreis go to the Championship, for example, would allow him to immerse himself in different football philosophies and learn the latest trends overseas.  When he returns to MLS or is named USMNT head coach, he has a more diverse viewpoint to construct a winning team and improve the quality of MLS or the national team.

So if we agree this is a good thing, than who would be the best coach to make the jump?  The obvious answer is Bob Bradley, since he is the best known American coach/former MLS manager around.  Ideally, though, he is unavailable until after the 2014 World Cup.  Kreis right now is the hot name in MLS, possibly adding numerous trophies to the Real Salt Lake trophy case.  But he has few roots to any league outside of MLS, having played his entire career in the states and having not coached elsewhere.  I can imagine many teams would hesitate to hire someone with just MLS experience.  So is there a successful MLS coach with international experience that would catch the eye of a European club looking for something different?

There are a few actually.  The obvious answer is Bruce Arena, but at age 59 he may be too old for clubs to want to take a chance on.  A younger choice is Dominic Kinnear at age 43.  Kinnear played a bit in Scotland when he was younger as well as a year in Mexico, so he does have some international experience.  He has been a success in MLS, winning two MLS Cups with the Dynamo.  If I were a club in the Scottish or Irish Premier League, or lower levels of the English game, Kinnear is the type of head coach I would consider hiring if I wanted to garner a little attention and try something different.

If you expand the list to consider internationals who are currently coaching in MLS, then there are several viable candidates to leave MLS in the future.  I can’t believe Steve Nicol won’t get an offer back in England at some point, especially if he is successful in rebuilding the Revolution this year.  Aron Winter is being groomed for bigger things and he could return to the continent if he is able to successfully construct a Total Football Toronto.  Colorado’s Gary Smith could be in line for another job as well, especially considering his Arsenal connections and the fact that his owner now is a major player in the EPL with his majority ownership in Arsenal.

So what does the future hold for MLS coaches?  I think it will be a while before American/Canadian born head coaches are viewed as viable coaching candidates in Europe.  Over the next few years we will see foreign-born MLS coaches return to Europe (or Central and South America), showing bigger leagues that MLS is a good league for coaches.  And as bigger-named American stars retire from playing and enter coaching, it will be easier for European clubs to justify their hiring to fans as more than a publicity stunt.  Within the next 10-15 years we will begin to see the export of American head coaches which will lead to an improvement in MLS and the national team.  And it will give the best MLS coaches a chance to show that they are good managers anywhere, not just in North America.

Photo by compscigrad

After the shine of the first weekend has worn off, MLS gets into the grind with some of its biggest names missing for international duty.  Some teams have a second chance to show they’ve improved, while some have another chance to prove they aren’t bottom feeders.  Make sure you vote in our poll below for your most interesting match of the week:

• Congrats to RSL coach Jason Kreis.  The team announced that in addition to retiring his number 9 this summer it has extended his contract through the 2013 season.  Kreis is the youngest MLS head coach to win an MLS Cup and has an overall coaching record of 51-42-34.
• With Landon Donovan playing for the USMNT this weekend, Bruce Arena will give the captain’s armband to Mr. David Beckham in their match this Saturday versus RSL.  This is the first time in three years that Beckham will serve as captain.
• Speaking of the national team, they will wear their new red kit this weekend against Argentina.  Take a look and learn to love it, because they will wear this one in the 2011 Gold Cup.  I am a bigger fan of the blue myself, but it’s still a good look for the team.
• The New York Red Bulls released forward Salou Ibrahim this week.  The well-traveled Ghanan scored three goals in 19 games last season.  In addition, the Red Bulls are facing some injury and depth issues, so their match this weekend against Columbus could be quite interesting.
• New England’s search for an international striker may be coming to an end.  The club brought in Danish striker Rajko Lekic on trial and may make a move to sign him from his current club Silkeborg.
• And finally, the Ochocinco experiment seems to be going well.  Get the latest from the MLS site.

The LA Galaxy are MLS’s most glamorous team in its second largest market.  It is coached by the most successful American soccer coach of all time, is captained by the most famous American soccer player today, and employs if not the most famous soccer player in the world, certainly the most recognizable.  It also has the 2010 Keeper of the Year and all-star players around the pitch.  And yet the team again has failed to win the MLS Cup, running its championship-less streak now to five years.  Supporters can take solace in the Supporters Shield and CONCACAF Champions League qualification, but for a team with so much star power and so many expectations, last night’s result has to be disappointing.

So where do the Galaxy go from here?

In yesterday’s match, FC Dallas took advantage of a Galaxy back line that was a strength against Seattle the week before, and reduced the defense to watching Ferreira & Co. make plays.  This is still, however, a young unit and the progress they made individually is impressive, especially Omar Gonzalez.  Where there is continued concern is depth.  Former USMNT player Eddie Lewis is retiring and injuries this season forced the team to shuffle its lineup toward the end of the season.  This offseason the club should look to shore up the defenders for the multiple competitions and inevitable injuries.

The elephant in the room are the two most famous LA Galaxy players – David Beckham and Landon Donovan.  Beckham looked to be finally healthy in the Seattle round, running up and down the pitch for all 90 minutes and, while not looking like Manchester United Beckham, still looked and played like a top-class MLS player.  However, he looked stifled by the Dallas defense in yesterday’s match except for some excellent set pieces (although he may have been injured).  He has already said he will play out the final year of his contract next year and will not go out on loan, but a factor to consider is his international duty.  Fabio Capello seems more and more interested in Beckham playing for the national team, and a rugged UEFA schedule at his age could hinder his play in MLS.  So next season, if Beckham does make the national team (and considering some of the call-ups recently England may need him) LA could again be playing with damaged or tired goods.

The second consideration is Landon Donovan.  The face of U.S. soccer is still under contract and is being paid as a designated player, but recent interviews suggest he still wants to play overseas while at the peak of his game.  And who can blame him – his time at Everton was successful for both parties.  But if he does spend some time in England, he like Beckham will also need time on the national team as the US gears up for CONCACAF.  Again, the LA Galaxy could be seeing the Landon Donovan of the end of the season – talented, but tired.

Donovan could be only one of the Galaxy players to be leaving the team.  Young Juninho is only on loan to the Galaxy, and an international cub could make a run at the youngster after a very good season.  And any one of the young defenders, especially Gonzalez, could catch the eye of an overseas club.  But that is the life of any MLS team, and LA has one quality that can help guarantee its competitiveness – a designated player spot/money.  Whether Ronaldinho or another star, the Galaxy are positioned by finance, roster, and location to be a prime destination for the next big name.

So while there are some worries with the Galaxy, they are still in a better position than most MLS clubs to continue their success.  Don’t forget that as long as they have Bruce Arena, they also have one of the best coaches in the game, which is an obvious advantage.  Some shrewed depth signings in the midfield and back line this offseason, as well as maybe another DP, and look for the Galaxy to be competing for the Supporters’ Shield again next season.

The story of the MLS playoffs coming into Sunday night was the futility of being a higher seed.  None of the higher seeds had advanced and the playoffs were seemingly wide-open for a new champion.  Then LA took the pitch against Seattle, and they showed the league who should be the favorites for the MLS Cup.  After an upset win in Seattle last Sunday, they took care of business at home and beat the Sounders 2-1, 3-1 on aggregate.

How did LA succeed where others failed?  It was more than possibly having the best players.  Here is a breakdown of how Los Angeles won their series where the other clubs could not:

1.  Neutralize your opponents best player(s)

This is easier said than done, but it is critical in the playoffs that the opposing team’s star not be allowed to dictate play.  This was Real Salt Lake’s downfall – David Ferreira set-up every FC Dallas goal and RSL’s vaunted defense could not find an answer for him.  Thus they lost 3-2 on aggregate.  Meanwhile, the Galaxy’s defense were able to neuter Fredy Montero, who needed a big series to help Seattle beat LA for the first time this season.  Credit goes to DeLaGarza especially shutting down chance after chance for Montero and the Sounders’ forwards, although Montero himself struggled leading up to and during the match.

2.  Your veterans play like its 1999

A major reason for the success of LA in the second leg was the resurgent play of Eddie Lewis.  The retiring defender not only played a strong backline but created scoring chances in the first half of last night’s match.  His cross into the box in the 19th minute was kicked out, setting up the Beckham corner that Buddle headed in for the first goal.  And a great example of a true veteran playing like a younger player was David Beckham.  Besides the glorious corner kicks he played hard all ninety minutes in the first leg and was all over the pitch.  His former EPL counterpart, Thierry Henry, did not have the same impact for New York when they needed his scoring ability.

3.  Defense wins championships

Seattle was not a doormat in this series, and especially in the first leg created some good scoring chances.  However, credit goes to the Galaxy defense for sticking to the gameplan.  DeLaGarza slides into the middle, and he muddles up the middle despite his unfamiliarity with the role.  The key for the Galaxy was not allowing the creation of shots, and instead forcing the Sounders players to create their own chances.  What resulted was Montero et al just putting the ball on net, making it even easier for Ricketts to make saves and minimize Seattle’s opportunities.  The ten shots in the first leg were misleading – Seattle had maybe 3 or 4 great chances.

4.  Details, details, details

The difference in the second leg was LA executing on set pieces, while Seattle could not defend them.  The first goal was a Buddle header where he was not physically marked on the kick.  While it was not an easy goal, it was too easy of a goal.  The second was even worse – Omar Gonzalez beat the offside trap on the corner kick and was unmarked completely by the defense.  At halftime, Sigi Schmid said the two things his team needed to focus on was defending corner kicks and completing passes.  When that is your focus for the second half, you may have already lost.

5.  Your coach out-coaches the other coach

I mentioned in a post last week how Schellas Hynmand out-coached Jason Kreis in the first leg of the FC Dallas/Real Salt Lake simply by making the right substitutions at the right time – Jeff Cunningham in the first half and Eric Avila in the second half.  I’ve mentioned ad naseum the DeLaGarza shift and starting Eddie Lewis, but Bruce Arena in his series out-coached Sigi Schmid.  His strategy in the first leg of the series snuffed out any Seattle momentum going into the second leg.  His club overcame a sluggish end of the season to put on a clinic in the playoffs.  Schmid, meanwhile, will go into the offseason being questioned why he didn’t play a more up-tempo match in LA or start Jaqua.

For all the talk of the LA Galaxy slumping towards the playoffs, Bruce Arena’s club showed no signs of rust as they dominated a resilient Sounders team in the first leg of the Galaxy/Sounders playoff matchup.  The difference in the match was an amazing and surprising Edson Buddle goal in the 38th minute that caught Kasey Keller off his line and caught ESPN2′s JP Dellacamera and John Harkes by surprise.  But the story of the match was defense, in particular how LA handled Seattle’s strikers and allowed very few legitimate chances on goal.  Veterans Eddie Lewis and Omar Gonzalez led the way for a defense that helped Fredy Montero disappear in the second half and left Seattle desperately seeking a decent shot most of the match.

But before delving into the match itself, I want to touch on the incredible atmosphere in Seattle tonight.  As much discussion as there has been on MLS Talk about crowds and lack of people watching MLS matches on TV, the crowd tonight was Don Garber’s dream.  The place looked full and was very loud; although we should not expect any less from the excellent Seattle fans it was great to have an atmosphere in the playoffs that match the occasion.  I suspect we will see highlights of this match in many MLS promotional videos.

Both clubs came out seemingly tight, with both committing and creating turnovers that the other club used to create goal-scoring opportunities.  The pace of the half was excellent; both clubs went up and down the pitch and rarely did they keep the ball in midfield.  Seattle actually could have set the tone early as Zakuani finished off an Alonso shot that Ricketts had blocked, but Zakuani was ruled offsides.  If it would have counted, it could have drastically changed the outcome of the match as LA would not have been able to deploy its successful defensive strategy.

It was Edson Buddle that broke the scoreless tie in the 38th minute, a goal that could already be the best in the MLS playoffs this year.  The U.S. men’s national team striker collected a pass well outside the box, then turned and blasted a rainbow shot that went past the outstretched arm of Keller and into the top corner of the net.  While Keller was a bit off his line, the shot would have been near impossible to stop anyway, as it was perfectly hit.  The Most Valuable Player candidate showed why he made the final three for the award with the shot, and I suspect will make the ESPN rotation of highlights in a busy American sports day.

The second half was a repeat of this first for Seattle – numerous times the Sounders were able to advance towards the Galaxy net but could not find the quality or creative shot to tie the match.  In fact, looking at my notes for the match, there were very few obvious opportunities for the Sounders in the second half except for an occasional shot that was offsides.  A ton of credit should go to Arena’s gameplan but also the play of the Galaxy backline – Eddie Lewis, Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, and DeLaGarza.  Because of them, Montero was an absolute non-factor in the second half and Nkufo, Zakuani, and later Jaqua were unable to create chances in the penalty area.  Even later on the match when desperation set in for the home side and Galaxy had a tired Beckham playing practically rightback (according to John Harkes), they still had no great chances on goal.

So Seattle has a huge task next week as they travel to Los Angeles down a goal.  They need to find a way to solve the Galaxy defense, something they were absolutely unable to do tonight.  However, considering the Galaxy’s form coming into the playoffs the number one seed is definitely fallible.

Share your thoughts on the match in the comments section or on Twitter @roberthayjr.