LA Galaxy Player Ratings vs. Real Salt Lake

Who is this team? Five games where the offense looked alive, followed by three games where confusion seems to be the best description for the collective XI. This LA Galaxy team looks a lot like the “MLS Is Back” LA Galaxy team: flat-footed, out of ideas, and slow of pace. It doesn’t help that Cristian Pavon looks like he’s dragging around dead legs (Coach Schelotto, as much as you want Cristian to be a robot, he needs some time off), Sebastian Lletget seems to have lost his creativity, and the Coach insists on playing Emil Cuello and Perry Kitchen.

Oh, and there’s this guy named Chicharito who was apparently in the Galaxy’s starting XI, but I didn’t see him.

To be fair, there were a couple of crossbar deflections that prevented a couple of goals, but they seemed to be the exception rather than the rule.

There are two rating categories missing in the below, which is fitting for a game that could be at best described as “meh.”

One day the Galaxy will score a goal again. I’m not holding my breath against the Sounders.

Player Ratings

Okay

· Cristian Pavon – sent in a gorgeous targeted ball in the 15^th minute off a corner, Lletget just missed. Sent in a ball destined for goal that was deflected into the crossbar in the 22^nd minute. Lovely cross sent in from the right in the 35^th minute that Cuello didn’t attack. However, his passing game is a sea of red in the final third. He’s tired, folks.

· Sebastian Lletget – just missed hitting the target off a corner in the 15^th minute. Blocked a shot by his own man in the 78^th minute. Not enough action in the final third.

· David Bingham – great save to start the second half when his midfield decided defending was optional. Late run out to prevent the penalty.

· Emiliano Insua – Had fewer problems than Feltscher, and contributed in the attack with a couple of key passes. Man of the Match (and that is a low bar)

· Jonathan dos Santos – part of a Swiss cheese midfield in the second half (three defensive actions). However, he had only 1 missed pass. That’s right, one. Also covered a pretty decent amount of ground.

· Joe Corona – Nice key pass after coming on. I’d be willing to pull Kitchen and replace him with Corona to see what Joe could do with dos Santos.

· Efrain Alvarez – had better ideas in his first five minutes versus Cuello’s 60.

· Ethan Zubak – late sub.

· Cameron Dunbar – late sub. Can this guy get more minutes please?

Poor

· Emil Cuello – added zero value. Made some questionable decisions in passing, and didn’t seem to be on the same page as his teammates. I don’t understand Schelotto’s love affair with him.

· Perry Kitchen – nice interception in the 30^th minute. In right place at right time in the 44^th minute to prevent a shot. RSL clued in during the second half and went at him in the center, which paid dividends. Inexplicably seen jogging back during the lead-up to RSL’s penalty. Repeated the exact same thing minutes later on RSL’s second goal.

· Rolf Feltscher – started the game like he ended the previous, stood off his man and let a shot come in. Luckily, it was wide. Nice slide tackle in the 49^th minute. Stood up Baird in the 56^th minute. Hit the crossbar with a header in the 61^st minute. Turnover machine. He had a grand total of one successful pass in the final 18. It was a back pass.

· Chicharito – he played? In 80 minutes he has three touches in the final third. Three.

· Nick DePuy – picked up a yellow card on a tactical foul to prevent a counter. Nearly beat by an RSL through ball to start the second half. Not as commanding as usual.

· Daniel Steres – closed down Baird in the 28^th minute. Both he and DePuy didn’t look comfortable in the second half.

What do you think? Leave a comment below.