GALAXY REALLY SUCK IN 2-1 LOSS TO NY RED BULLS

Saturday night saw the LA Galaxy host the NY Soft Drinks in a nearly sold-out stadium. NY's chief threats were Joze Altidore and Juan-Pablo Angel, who proved too much for the hapless Galaxy centerbacks.

David Beckham had an off night, and when he is playing poorly, Landon Donovan does not get the service he needs and our whole system crumbles. To me it looked like about only 25% of Beckham's passes and crosses found their targets.

Alan Gordon, Joey Franchino, Chris Klein and Mike Randolph all had good games, but none of them had a great game. The rest of the team was poor. Too often in the telling moment they just did not produce the quality or the magic.

Twice Donovan was played into the area and he shows absolutely no ability to juke a defender. He doesn't drop a shoulder, drag the ball to create space, attempt a feint - nothing. He runs straight and either blasts the ball off the defender or has the ball stripped off him.

Randolph, now as a midfielder, got forward in support often, but was unable to beat his man 1 v 1, and that seems to be a big problem for the Galaxy. After our 6th or 7th match, here are the Galaxy's main deficiencies as I see them:

1. Beckham or nobody. As Becks is our playmaker, if he is not doing it, it's not getting done.
2. Coach Gullitt's "flowing football" evidently leaves out short, simple passes to feet. We are a side lacking pace and touch, so playing a through-ball 20 yards ahead of someone like Franchino is just embarrassing.
3. Our 1 v 1 skills are lacking. When we have the ball we are afraid or unable to beat the last man.
4. Goalkeeper Steve Cronin still has stage fright. I don't know why it's so hard to find a top-class goalie for this club. Kevin Hartmann was a good shot-stopper but had terrible troubles whenever he came to collect a cross and had no distribution skills. None. Joe Cannon was an all-around better keeper but also got tangled up at set-pieces. Now Cronin is busily making a case for Gullitt to bring in another #1 keeper.
5. Half-time talks and substitutions are not working. Read this as the coaching staff is fucking up. The Galaxy started flat-footed, came out for the 2nd half looking asleep, and spent the final 15 minutes hoofing longballs to no one.
6. No off the ball movement. Most of the time you will see a Galaxy player with the ball and either no one at all is moving, or they are running away from the guy. Not one person ever checks back or shows for the simple pass. Cobi Jones was excellent at this but no one has taken his place. Peter Vagenas also knows how to play this way, but where has he been

Speaking of, is Vagenas on the team anymore? What about Abel Xavier?

7. Squad rotation. I don't know if Gullitt is still trying to get to know his team or what, but each week there's a new cast of characters I can't even remember who's who. This does not build team chemistry.

MANCHESTER UNITED ARE CHAMPIONS!

Manchester United won their 17th league title and 10th Premier League title [the Premier League was created in 1992] with a 2-0 win over Wigan today.

The breakthrough came with a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty, and the points were sealed when Ryan Giggs, making his record-tying 758th club appearance, was left criminally unmarked and Wayne Rooney picked him out with a superb cross. Giggs made no mistake and slotted home. Giggs has been at Manchester United for 17 years and has been in every side that has won the 10 premiership titles.

Today's results also saw Reading relegated [sent one league down] as Fulham managed to escape on goal differential. Fulham has a few Americans on it, like Brian McBride and Clint Dempsey, so we are delighted to see Fulham remaining in the top flight for at least another season. Among relegated Derby County and Reading, however, are Americans Bobby Convey and Benny Feilhaber.