It is easy to spend money but it is harder to actually spend money wisely.
Last Sunday the footballing world tuned in to see some of the legends of the pitch to play a Major League Soccer match. Pirlo, Gerrard, Villa, Robbie Keane, Gionvanni Dos Santos and the ghost of Frank Lampard were all on display as the Los Angeles Galaxy hosted New York City F.C. The game was touted as a classic between two of the biggest names in MLS so big that it was able to unseat the juggernaut that is the Little League World Series on the ESPN dial.
Yet in the end it was the Galaxy that stood triumphant, a 5-0 thrashing that saw each of the Galaxy’s top players score. For those tuning in for the first time it was shocking to see such a gulf in the score-line between two sides with roughly an equal number of star players. Aside from the level of team experience (the Galaxy are five-time MLS Cup Champions while NYCFC are in their first season) it speaks to what makes the Galaxy such a great squad: they are more than just the stars.
Here is a dirty little secret about MLS: no one outside of their own supporters like the Los Angeles Galaxy. A five-time winner of the MLS Cup and a two-time winner of the U.S. Open Cup, the Galaxy are the measuring stick that every other team tries to emulate. It is a time that always seem to pick up the top free agent, the unheralded rookie, or the fringe United States Men’s National Team player that they can turn into a star. That success spurs bitter feelings towards the team, as if everything that they do is right and that the system is set up for them to win. It has a very Revenge of the Nerds feel to it.
But beyond the anger and hurt feelings there is also a certain level of respect. Whereas so many other teams have tried to bring in top players and failed (*cough* Seattle Sounders FC *cough*) L.A. have been successful. Aside from the Ruud Gullit era, most major players that have come to the Galaxy have succeeded or at least had respectable careers. Taking the lead on developing a youth academy structure and bearing the fruits of their labor has also brought a certain level of optimism in MLS circles, that if the Galaxy can do it so can we.
Now with that being said the Galaxy are not the first team to be successful in either of these fronts. Since the league’s debut two years ago countless teams have tried these methods and had varying degrees of success. But there is a difference with Los Angeles. Why are they different? Let’s find out.
In many sports people look for a cookie cutter philosophy that can be easily transferred from one team to the next. It costs far too much money and takes too much time to come up with different ideas in different areas. It is why teams will spend lavishly on name General Managers because they have had success in the past.
Part of this idea is true. Even organizations like the Los Angeles Galaxy who have developed their own brand and identity come from many different places. It starts with coach Bruce Arena. Arena interestingly enough started as a lacrosse coach and gained his name as a coach of the University of Virginia. Through his work with UVA, D.C. United, New York Red Bulls, the United States Men’s National Team, and the Los Angeles Galaxy what has become apparent is that Arena likes to mix established veterans with players who have tremendous upside.
Let’s also make this clear: money does play a big role in their success. Aside from Toronto F.C. and NYCFC no club has the resources of the Galaxy. It certainly helps to have the purse of AEG in setting up a plan and winning trophies.
But what is interesting about the Galaxy is that they have taken all of these different people and created a Los Angeles Galaxy model. It is a team that has a little bit of the Los Angeles glitter with some of the biggest players in North America. But what is interesting is that it has quietly amassed a very strong youth academy program.Players like Ariel Lassiter, Bradford Jamieson IV, Oscar Sorto and Jaime Villarreal are all considered to be some of the top young Americans in USL and have also started to break into the senior Galaxy roster.
It is also not all about the money. Think about how many teams have had expensive players and think about how many of them have failed in Major League Soccer. A world’s best eleven could be made from that roster alone.
The number of players who have started their career and whose skills were honed at the Galaxy is startling. Of the previous five MLS All-Star Game team rosters, 32 of the 96 players selected started with the Galaxy as a young player or spent a significant portion of their MLS career there. MLS is certainly a journeyman league where players swap teams faster than Dominic Oduro swaps hairdos. But the level of involvement that the Galaxy have had not only in promoting development in the game is certainly apparent.
Their work in Los Angeles and California soccer, as a whole, can also not be over stated. In perhaps one of the largest and deepest soccer cities in the United States, the Galaxy have developed one of the strongest Academy programs in U.S. Soccer. That is striking considering that they are quite frequently competing with clubs from Liga MX when scouting for new players.
What is also interesting about this club is how they rebound from losing a player. Over the past three seasons the club has lost two of the greatest players in Major League Soccer: David Beckham and Landon Donovan. Where many clubs in MLS have folded the Galaxy continue to look forward, bringing in talented players willing to play for Bruce Arena and bringing up young players ready to contribute. That mixture of like-minded, eager individuals
The question now for the Galaxy is what they can do with the rest of the league catching on to their system? Teams like Orlando City S.C., TFC, and the New York Red Bulls seemed to have figured out their own model for success. The Galaxy have shown that they can change as the league goes through their first and second itineration. If the Galaxy can stick to their guns and make small adjustments when necessary this is a side that will continue to prove to be the exception to the rest of the league’s parity.