The fatigue factor for the Galaxy is a continuing issue, especially with the club dealing with so many injuries. The thing is, for those who point out that many clubs around the world (including their SuperLiga foe, Pachuca) play just as many games, if not more, the truth is that those teams do so with more bodies in their rosters. That allows them to rest and rotate players.
That's part of the reason that I was surprised that the league didn't expand the roster size this year, even while adding a new tournament, like the SuperLiga.
Where MLS is lacking more than any other aspect in comparison to bigger and better leagues around the world is in roster depth.
4 comments:
At whose feet do we lay the responsibility for the unrealistic schedule demands for the team?
Yes, this was exactly my thought after the Red Bulls/Galaxy match. A couple of players out and the Galaxy back line was a shambles. The dropoff from top players like Beckham and Angel to the back of the roster is pretty stark. It's why I think the league should tread very carefully in expansion. I'd love to see more teams, but not at the cost of watered-down quality.
Andrea said: "...The thing is, for those who point out that many clubs around the world (including their SuperLiga foe, Pachuca) play just as many games, if not more, the truth is that those teams do so with more bodies in their rosters. That allows them to rest and rotate players."
Link please? How can you prove that? Thanks.
While the Pachuca site seems to be down right now, you can go to other sites where Mexican league teams detail their reserve squads. They can call players from those squads up at any time they are shorthanded or suffer injuries. MLS teams have no regular reserve teams - their reserve teams are their first team bench players, plus a few signed guest players to make up a full team.
When Chivas was supposed to play Barcelona in 2006 in LA, they had a league game in Mexico the same day. They put out a mostly reserve side against Toluca (and lost) while the first team tied Barcelona. There's no way an MLS team could ever manage that - they don't have enough players to put out two competitive teams on the same day.
Because they have no salary cap issues, Mexican league teams can also sign another player to fill in if one of their best players goes down with an injury. MLS teams can't do that.
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