Galaxy look to Jones for turnaround
LA tabs iconic former player to lead club for remainder of season
Cobi Jones has been named the interim head coach of the Galaxy and will be looking to pull LA out of its current funk, beginning with Thursday's SuperClasico against Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center.
The Galaxy are currently mired in a seven-game winless streak and have fallen off of the playoff pace a bit the last two months. While a win against their in-stadium rivals would clinch the SuperClasico title this season, three points are much more important in the grand scheme of things.
So what can Jones realistically expect to do in the roughly 72 hours between being given the interim label and leading his team out onto the field?
"Realistically, I hope a victory," said Jones. "I think this team has the talent, the experience and the will to win. It's going to be about having the desire and drive. I think that's something people have said in the past -- we're missing that fire out on the pitch. Hopefully they'll be ready to go this Thursday."
However, don't expect wide sweeping changes. Jones was quick to point out in a Tuesday press conference that the personnel on the roster hasn't changed, and with so few games left in the season, there really isn't enough time left in the season to make any tactical moves.
"When you look at it, there have been changes from the top down to the coaching staff as well. But when it comes down to it, the players are the same," said Jones. "(The tactics) are going to have to be along the same vein. That being said, I think we have the talent and quality to get things done. It's a matter of getting everybody on the same page and pointing them in the right direction."
Jones has a couple of things working in his favor. The fact that his first game in charge is a rivalry game should be motivation enough for the players to get out of their current funk. As a player, Jones always rose to the occasion in big-game situations, and he expects his team to do the same on Thursday.
"If they don't have passion for this game, they'll never have passion," said Jones. "For me, (the Clasico) was always a battle and a rivalry. I think you'll see that on Thursday and see the guys going out to fight. If you don't have that, you're not going to win any game."
The other thing working in favor of the Galaxy is that Chivas USA haven't exactly been tearing things up lately, either. Chivas USA hasn't won a league game since July 5. In addition, they have a laundry list of injuries that has head coach Preki down to 18 healthy bodies. Jones isn't about to get overconfident though, as his side is fighting through a couple of knocks themselves.
"We have a training room full of players as well. We have about six guys who are injured," said Jones. "It's a difficult situation all the way around for both teams. When it comes down to it, we're going to try and make due with what we have and try to get peak performance out of everyone that's there."
Thursday's game will be remembered as the start of a new era for the Galaxy. Whether that era begins with a victory remains to be seen, but seeing how it would come against their bitter rivals, Galaxy fans everywhere are hoping that's in the script.
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
