at that time. LA Galaxy was also home to legend Landon Donovan, who
remains the most-scoring player in the league.
In 2017, LA Galaxy faced one challenge after another. By the end of
the season, they had failed to advance to the MLS Playoffs for the first
time since 2008, the year Bruce Arena arrived in the position of head
coach. The 2017 season started without Arena, who had moved on to
coach the U.S. team in their run for a spot in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Curt Onalfo, the head coach of LA Galaxy II (the minor league team) was
promoted to Arena’s vacated spot, but departed halfway through the sea-
son as the team was visibly struggling. It didn’t help that seven key players
suffered injuries that affected their ability to play. After Onalfo departed,
he was immediately replaced by accomplished and respected coach, Sigi
Schmid, who happens to be the team’s original head coach.
In the off-season, Schmid rolled up his sleeves and rebuilt the team as
devoted fans stood by and watched, saying goodbye to some of their fa-
vorite players in the name of rebirth and recovery. The 2018 season opens
with a reconfigured team and a fresh start at StubHub Center in Carson
on Sunday March 4 against Portland Timbers. The team has been training
intensely in preparation.
Soccer as a Meditative Game
One of the things I have always loved about The Beautiful Game is its
meditative nature. Patience, and stamina are required skills. Emerson’s
famous words, “The journey is the destination,” applies here. A trip
down the pitch is often most inspiring in the artistry of a perfect pass,
exemplary footwork, the confluence of circumstances that may or may
not conclude in a point on the scoreboard. But when it happens, the
physical and mental endurance pay off.
Pierre Barrieu, Director of LA Galaxy Sports Performance, feels con-
fident heading into the 2018 season. He says, “We have a hard cardio-
vascular conditioning regimen. From my experience, the players who
complete this kind of intense training eventually benefit not only from
the fitness standpoint, but from a mental standpoint as well. It gives
them confidence and they feel that they have an edge over players who
haven’t trained so hard.” He went on to say, “I never dissociate the
mental and physical because they go hand in hand. The higher the level
of play, the more focus is required.”“You have to be super present.
You have to be so in frequency with the game.”