The last conversation in the Soccer Den discussed how remodeling Galaxy soccer operations fueled the firestorm that was the 2023 season. During the winter break, AEG CEO Dan Beckerman handed soccer operations to Will Kuntz, who cleaned out the debris and presented owner Phil Anschutz with an ambitious plan to rebuild the roster.
Armed with a blank check, Kuntz proceeded to spend over $20 million on two young DPs and other roster additions, leaving Greg Vanney and Riqui Puig with no excuses. Settling for a 1-1 draw after completely dominating Inter Miami in the first game reveals some potential flaws in the revamped 2024 team.
Surprised that the Galaxy did not sign a DP striker, pundits such as Tom Bogert view Galaxy winter signings as a rebuild around Dejan Jovelic. Jovelic scored the bulk of his goals in 2022 as a late game sub. He could not manage even one shot on goal per game when thrust into the starting role after Javier Hernandez’s season-ending injury.
- Part I – What is Vanney-Ball?
- Part II – What Does Effective Vanney-Ball Look Like?
- Part III – Why Might the Draw Against Maimi Be Different?
Bogert also sees Puig as a chance creation machine, yet in 2023, none of the six goals scored by Jovelic were assisted by Puig. When Memo Rodrigues scored on May 31 against Real Salt Lake, Jovelic opened up space for a slip pass that would put him in a prime position to score. Instead, Puig cut the ball back to Rodrigues, who curled a low-percentage wonder strike into the top right corner from 25 yards. Despite liberal MLS statistics that count two passes before a goal as assists, since he arrived in Carson, Puig has yet to play provider for a Jovelic goal.
The acquisitions of Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil may alleviate the situation for Jovelic. Both are speedy wingers who can stretch the field. Both can pick a pass in the final action. Pec prefers receiving a ball to feet so he can attack the defense. Paintsil prefers combination play or off-the-ball runs to create and exploit space. Both displayed their talents and tendencies on Sunday.
Jovelic creates pockets of space in the box for himself, diving toward one post before attacking the other or feinting toward a post before drawing back to the penalty spot. Paintsil played as a traditional winger against Inter Miami. Three times in a row in the first half, the Ghanaian forward initiated team moves that resulted in passes on a platter to a wide-open penalty spot. Jovelic was nowhere to be found. When Paintsil did hit him on the head with a world class cross, Jovelic could not manage to threaten the goal.
Since his arrival Puig prefers to play passes more suited to inverted wingers. With Paintsil and Pec playing as traditional wingers, he struggled against Inter Miami to find them behind the defense. Instead, he held the ball for extra touches and played passes to feet.
Either Puig does not trust Jovelic enough to use him, or Jovelic cannot coordinate runs with Puig. Either way, the two seem to play soccer on different planets. Despite generating more shots on goal than Miami, Jovelic could not score until Mark Delgado provided the service he needed after yet another Drake Calendar save against Puig.
The roster constructed over the winter clearly favors Puig over Jovelic, but a successful season will require goals from Jovelic. The Galaxy will most likely give Vanney a mulligan for the last two seasons, saddled as he was by a broken system and unusual circumstances. Kuntz removed any further excuses by building the kind of roster Vanney wanted. For the new roster to succeed, Puig must create chances for Jovelic, either through Pec and Paintsil or by combining with the Serbian number nine himself.
Jovelic scores for the Serbian national team, as do Pec for Brazil and Paintsil for Ghana. Puig remains the only DP never to feature prominently with his senior national team. Against Miami on Sunday, he botched a penalty kick and took low-percentage shots from outside the box when his attacking teammates gave him better options.
To become perennial contenders for trophies, the Galaxy must learn to win. Vanney, Kuntz, Miki Yamane, Mark Delgado, and goalkeeper coach Kevin Hartman, played integral roles in championships. No one else on the roster or coaching staff, including Puig, ever featured on a trophy-winning team.
The Galaxy broke the Miami press without Puig, allowing the new number ten to operate nearer the attacking zones. Vanney-ball created overloads on a regular basis. Paintsil provided service for Jovelic that he failed to convert. Vanney-ball made it impossible for Miami to manage four quality attackers at once. Never in 2023 did the Galaxy display the kind of attacking threat they threw at Miami.
Galaxy midfielders and attackers coordinated their moves off the ball so the back six could play line-splitting passes into the attacking spaces of midfield. The rapid tempo of their play constantly forced Miami defenders to adjust. One and two-touch passing sequences changed the angles for the defenders attempting to pressure them. From the back into the attacking third, Vanney-ball wreaked havoc on Inter Miami.
Defenders cover less ground if they must constantly adjust their positioning. Every extra step they take limits how quickly they can close space on the player receiving the ball. In the first half, the Galaxy forwards and wings constantly moved off the ball, creating options wide and behind the Miami defense. Paintsil, in particular, dominated Jordi Alba.
The Galaxy midfielders and defenders contained Miami as a cohesive unit even after the Delgado red card. Puig and the new DPs displayed full commitment to defensive responsibilities, with Piug marking Sergio Busquets out of the game.
Martino-ball depends on counterattacks to break down the defense. The Galaxy defenders managed every counter-attack against them by pushing attacking players away from dangerous areas rather than attempting to tackle them right away. Players caught upfield chased back toward the middle of the field so defenders facing the ball could close down the advancing attackers.
They limited Lionel Messi by congesting the space and taking away his options. They coordinated their movement during defensive transitions and fully recovered their shape. McCarthy and the Galaxy center backs communicated well enough to maintain coordination of the defense.
To quote Bruce Arena, “The best players must be the best players.” For the Galaxy to return to elite status, the best players on the team must make everyone around them better. Puig seemed intent on winning the game by himself. Paintsil converts better than 85% of his penalties over his domestic and international career, far better than Puig. Yet, Puig insisted on taking the penalty, hitting a predictable shot that Callender easily saved.
To become a winner, Puig must develop the ability to adjust his game to suit the abilities of his teammates. Vanney must create a winning culture by insisting that his best players make even the least capable members of the squad into high-quality MLS players.
Messi spent the whole game attempting to make his teammates better. Only when all else failed did he take matters into his own hands. Puig may have elite talent, but he has not yet learned to make the players around him better. Vanney-ball may have taught Inter Miami a soccer lesson on Sunday, but Messi showed them what it takes to win championships. Hopefully, Puig can get over himself enough to follow Messi’s example.
The 2024 season will be a test as much for Puig as it is for Vanney. Puig must tailor his game to suit the talent gathered around him, and Vanney must set up the team so that everyone, from the starters to the squad players, contributes. Kuntz delivered on his promises. It’s time for Vanney and Puig to do the same.