The Los Angeles Galaxy managed to lose Wednesday night in rather shocking fashion and now sit on 11 points after 12 matches. This isn’t some early-season rust; it’s a legit slump.
Major League Soccer’s superclub looks, well, not so super, hanging out at the bottom of the Western Conference. Beckham is complaining, Landon Donovan won’t be around for for some time, and everything else that could go wrong is in sunny LA. (But don’t worry: The weather is still beautiful.)
So yeah, it’s rather not fun to be Bruce and the Boys right now (new band name?), but the struggles of the Galaxy are good for the league.
Consider:
- Rooting against a favorite is fun. Well, it’s fun for everyone who is not a Galaxy supporter. And that is almost everyone who follows MLS.
- One of the great things about MLS is parity. Watching LA run through the regular season wouldn’t be interesting. Domination does not good drama make.
- LA will make a run at some point. They are too talented, too skilled, too expensive. Wait until July or August, and suddenly we’re talking about a resurgent Galaxy. Can they make the playoffs? (Yes.) What about a push for the Supporters’ Shield? (Probably too late, but you never know.) But the mid- or late-season exploits are coming.
The superclub narrative is fun in theory, less so in practice. (Hey, La Liga.) Chelsea is much more likable now that we aren’t all scared Roman’s billions will ruin the game. America loves an underdog, but we love a fallen giant more. LA chopped off its own legs at the knees. It’s not fun to watch per se, but it makes the league more interesting.
But fellas, a word to the wise: Get yourselves together. Your terribleness is okay now, but we all still need you. The Galaxy on the bottom of the league for the entire season doesn’t do anyone any good at all.