Houston Dynamo @ Los Angeles Galaxy
2011 Head to Head: LA v Houston 1-0, LA @ Houston 1-3
Don Garber gets perhaps one last kick at the can to prove bringing David Beckham was all worth it in the end. In Los Angeles, with names like Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane in tow, the Beckham Experiment could very well be considered a success if the LA Galaxy are able to take out the Houston Dynamo Sunday night. Of course this will be no easy task as Houston have shown their mettle against two high flying attacks to get to this point but will need to overcome the loss of stalwart midfielder Brad Davis, who succumbed to an injury in the Conference Finals. With Davis available, while they would still be underdogs, Houston had a fighting chance, but without him it now seems very unlikely that the Dynamo will be able to finish off their storybook campaign and the Don will finally be able to see number 23 lift the MLS Cup.
Keep thinking
For the fourth straight year, an unlikely team has forged their way to the finals. While Houston did not quite fit the position of the likes of New York, Real Salt Lake or Colorado, they had more in common with them than did with the two teams, New York and Colorado, who crossed over this year.
While one can go ahead and break down each squad, past meetings, head coaches etc … there is no doubt the biggest blow to this game, and especially Houston’s chances, is the loss of captain Brad Davis.
Davis has quietly gone about his business and not only could be labeled the best midfielder in the league, but was a well earned runner-up to MLS MVP this season. Much is made about David Beckham’s right foot, but it has been Davis’ left foot that has been responsible for dispatching both Philadelphia and Kansas City.
Houston’s first playoff opponents were two very top heavy teams with potent attacks, but had some weaknesses in the middle and toward the back line. Their stronger midfield and set pieces are what won the day and in this game against Los Angeles we get to see two sides with near identical strengths go toe to toe.
Neither Houston or Los Angeles have strikers who put fear into defenders, as Robbie Keane has been inconsistent in finishing, and Mike Magee in open space should be easy enough to deal with. Houston on the other side have veteran Brian Ching who has been there done that and Carlos Costly who runs hot and cold both in terms of performance and temperment.
Again, it is the midfield that will be the area to watch as David Beckham has been able to set up Mike Magee on several occasions, and the support given by Landon Donovan and Juninho is second to none.
Without Davis in the mix, Geoff Cameron and Corey Ashe will have to carry the load and this will be the biggest question mark on what kind of impact they can have on the game. Cameron will bring the steel needed against the likes of Donovan and Juninho, while Ashe has the pace going the other way to bring another dimension at LA’s defence.
This is perhaps LA’s biggest advantage without a doubt. MLS’s best defending not only is with the Galaxy, but at the Home Depot Centre, where they surrendered only eight goals this year. This will be Houston’s tallest order, to find the back of the net. With out the strength of Davis delivering set pieces, the one other area Houston might be able to exploit is a relatively slow-footed backline that can get beaten for pace if caught out. Carlos Costly, again, could be the x-factor for Houston on this night.
The last point to take into consideration and what ultimately swings the odds so much in LA’s favour is their flawless home record. Twelve wins, five draws, no losses with only eight goals conceded is a superb record that few have been able to accomplish. The patient and methodical approach from Bruce Arena that has taken the Galaxy to this point will in the end be too much for a captain-less Houston Dynamo to overcome.
In the end
Houston have gone about proving once again that they are still amoung the elite in MLS with a season that turned 2010 on it’s head. The left foot of Brad Davis was as huge a part of their ascent to the finals as David Beckham’s right foot to the Galaxy’s. However, his injury cannot be overstated in terms of how much it will hinder their chances of completing a storybook season, as he has been integral in them toppling both Philadelphia and Kansas City. Los Angeles have seen their very balanced side fight off two of the best group of attackers in the league and now we have two teams with near identical strengths go at it. When that is the case, it is sometimes factors outside of the player for player, or area v. area match ups, and with this year’s MLS Cup not being at a neutral site, the scales are tipped in the Galaxy’s favour and they will finally get the Hollywood ending Don Garber has been hoping for for the last five years.
RNO Pick: LA Galaxy 2 – Houston Dynamo 1
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