LA Galaxy vs. FC Dallas: Player Ratings

Anyone still awake?  That offensive show of three shots on target *TOTAL* between both sides didn't get you excited?

The game was meaningful only as a small speed bump on the way to FC Dallas' Supporters' Shield, and on the LA side, pretty much only meaningful to get Landon Donovan a 90 minute workout.

And yet, LA fans still have that feeling that the team is limping into the playoffs.  Robbie Keane hasn't appeared in ages, Gerrard feels like he's still in Liverpool, Dos Santos has gone missing again, and Landon Donovan still looks incredibly rusty.

Oh, and Mike Magee suddenly has lost the ability to stick the ball between the goal posts.

Playoffs here we come!!!!!!!!

But back to the game against FC Dallas, where pretty much there's only something nice to say about the centerbacks.  The rest of the game was watching FC Dallas miss an easy shot or two, Mike Magee suddenly lose his scoring touch, and the Galaxy midfield (Landon included) turn the ball over.  Five key passes total for LA, from 5 different players.  Zzzz....

Player Ratings

Excellent!:

I might have put Jelle Van Damme in here, but he has got to curb his tendencies to want to suddenly play forward when he's bored.

Good:

Jelle Van Damme & AJ DeLaGarza: Both centerbacks had solid defensive plays where they intercepted passes, completed last ditch tackles, and judged paths of the FC Dallas forwards well.  Van Damme was his usual spectacular self with his head as well.  AJ only had four missed passes.  All of this led to several interceptions, recoveries and tackles covering the defensive final third.  A very solid performance, minus Jelle's tendencies to traipse up the pitch.

OK:

Raul Mendiola: He was relatively tidy with the ball, and had a few maneuvers where he skipped past the FC Dallas defense to cause them some problems.  Yet he still hasn't quite figured out how to combine with his teammates and seemed out of ideas.

Poor:

Everybody Else (Brian Rowe, David Romney, Robbie Rogers, Jeff Larentowicz, Rafael Garcia, Landon Donovan, Ariel Lassiter, Mike Magee): Passing accuracy was 82%, relatively in line with previous games, but it felt like 60%.  Any time anything promising would start to get going, someone would lamely cross into an FC Dallas player, or get the ball stuck under their feet, or shank the cross into the stands, or plain old get stood up.  Dallas played a defensive game, but LA didn't really challenge them.  5 shots all game, and only 1 on target.

That said, Mike Magee had two golden opportunities to put the game away, once on a Landon Donovan set piece before the half, and another from a beautiful Larentowicz ball over the top in the 72nd minute.  He muffed both.  (To be fair, FC Dallas missed an open goal off a corner in the first half by hitting the post).

LA's set pieces are also now more dangerous with Landon Donovan taking them.  Magee had the aforementioned shot, and Jelle Van Damme barely missed another.  A couple of bright spots in a sleepy afternoon.

Romney and Rogers were both periodically burned by FC Dallas' speed, Larentowicz and Garcia weren't tidy in the middle of the park, and Magee, LD and Mendiola had an uncharacteristic amount of bad passes in the final 18.

Oh, and Rowe decided to leave his post in the first half by running halfway up the pitch to clear a ball.  He's lucky Urruti couldn't hit the broad side of a barn yesterday afternoon.

Subs: Not going to bother rating them.  The game had entered walkabout stage at this point.

The only way this game doesn't depress me is viewing it as the workout it was.

On to the playoffs!