LA Galaxy's misery continues, head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto is fired
- by Paul Kennedy @pkedit, Oct 30, 2020
The LA Galaxy fired Guillermo Barros
Schelotto on Thursday.
The move came less than 24 hours after the Galaxy lost to the Portland Timbers, 5-2. As it has throughout much of the season, the Galaxy looked terrible,
dropping its eighth game in its last nine outings.
The MLS playoff format is forgiving. Even after the loss that left the Galaxy in last place in the Western Conference with three games
to play in the regular season, it was not yet out of contention for a postseason berth. A long shot, for sure, but still alive.
"We have some possibilities," Schelotto said after
Wednesday's game. 'We need to win these three games and wait for all the results to get to playoffs."
He won't get to wait and see what happens.
Assistant coach Dominic
Kinnear will serve as interim coach for the last three games of the season. If that sounds familiar, Kinnear was the assistant in 2018 when the late Sigi Schmid stepped down with six games
to play, and Kinnear took over to finish the season.
Schelotto's firing brings to four the number of coaching moves the Galaxy has made in the last four years.
It isn't as
bad as the period of 2004-08 when the Galaxy went through five coaches -- Schmid, Steve Sampson, Frank Yallop, Ruud Gullit and interim coach Cobi Jones -- before it settled
on Bruce Arena. In the next six years, the Galaxy played in four MLS Cups, won three league titles and captured two Supporters' Shields.
Since then, the Galaxy has not finished
better than third in the regular season or advanced beyond the quarterfinals in the postseason. Even worse have been some high-profile personnel moves the Galaxy has made.
Zlatan
Ibrahimovic was great in his two seasons with the Galaxy (52 goals in 56 games), though he covered up lots of problems throughout the Galaxy lineup. But Javier Hernandez has been one of the
biggest busts in MLS history (one goal in 692 minutes). Steven Gerrard wasn't much better in his year and a half under Arena in Carson.
Galaxy fans have grown increasingly impatient, especially
since LAFC arrived in Los Angeles and won the 2019 Supporters' Shield in swash-buckling style.
So far, the top executives in Galaxy management have kept their jobs, including Chris
Klein, named president in January 2013, and Dennis te Kloese, hired as general manager in December 2018.
“A lot of things that we saw as positive last year, we
haven’t been able to capitalize [on] this year,” Te Kloese, who brought in Schelotto, said of the Argentine's second season. “That doesn’t take away responsibility from anybody
nor my responsibility.”
Will AEG make any changes to management? The record around the league suggests not. MLS coaches are replaced with greater frequency -- six during the 2018
and 2019 seasons, five in 2020 -- but MLS clubs are very forgiving when it comes to management and sporting disasters.
The only general manager fired in recent years for his club's poor
results was Mike Burns, who lost his job at New England in 2019 when the Revs dumped head coach Brad Friedel and brought in Arena to run the team.
Best thing that could happen to Schelotto. Move on from that circus.
You can't blame the coach on this one. Whoever thought to buy and spend big money on Javier Hernandez to take the place of Zlatan should be fired. I"m willing to bet Zlatan would have stayed another year if Galaxy had invested in a couple more players to support Zlatan, for obviously he can't do it all, himself, especially at 39. Just look how well Zlatan is doing at AC Milan this year with the right support behind him.
Javier Hernandez lacks everything that Zlatan has a player, which is poise on the ball, a PRESENCE, LEADERSHIP, game savviness, scoring ability with either foot and HEAD and good one on one ability. Hernandez has been bounced around from one team to another in Europe , from one disappointed appearance to another. WHY????? did the Galaxy ever buy him????
The only thing the Galaxy management had right was that it needed a scorer for you won't find that in the American pool of players. The management really failed to study adequately, taking in the minusses and plusses, when acquiring Hernandez. With Hernandez, at least the Galaxy should have bought another 'scorer' type like Hernandez for he is not a Zlatan type that can do it on his own...
STILL MISSING ZlATAN....
Agreed Frank. Nothing against Chicharito, he's had a professional career. But, to surpass Borgetti as the all time MNT goal scorer did upset me-haha. And, as you say, you need additional quality players. I'm sure the Hernandez signing was more about marketing the Galaxy in their market and it's also sort of a discounting of MLS for them to believe he would light up the league with goals.
Ships, you're right , it was all about marketing.... It is a shame. Just look at the big picture which I find distressing for MLS. Atlanta is no longer Atlanta and Galaxy without Zlatan, was a great one-two punch for the league but no more.
Check out this Youtube
Thierry Henry vs. Bruce Arena | Live Mics! - YouTube. and check out Pelerincha's comment...interesting guy, if you know what I mean......:)
Ships, LOLOLOL, Borgetti ,Who??? Yeah that's funny... They could have stated Ronald McDonald....
The way I look at is that you don't bring in a Mexican player as a star to fill in for Zlatan. Mexico does not produce great players but decent players. The only star player if you want to call it that is Hugo Sanchez that played for Real Madrid back in the early 90's.
The difference that I see between American players and Mexican players going to Europe is that more mexicans have gone to better teams and don't play in Germany or England but in countries that are more technical.
I'm not arguing with you main point -- but your reference to Zlatan being able to do it on his own is strange. The guy was a one-touch finisher who demanded and had to have service constantly. You even make the point that he needs a supporting cast -- then you say "do it on his own." I'm guessing you meant that he was able to finish service that was less than highest quality.
Donald, Zlatan has the ability to create goals on his own for he has that something extra that most players don't have and that is why he not only has a great record for scoring and assists but also is known around world as a great player. Great players have that ability to produce that an average player can't do.
Yes, he needs support but when he's placed in a position that requires individualistic talent that other don't have he can succeed and therefore your statement he's able to score even though his service is not of the highest quality is also true....
>FS: Actually and since we don't know each other, first I am an immigrant via Mexico City and lived in the SF/Oakland Bay area for 20 years - minus three years while in the Army - and I can say with a deep sense of pride that I am now an "Angelino" since 1970. As for living close to Hollywood, flamboayncy is but a wishful thought for many of us, including many professional athlete imports. And so having lived here in Los Angeles since my graduate years (before then I lived for 20 years in the Oakland area - minus three years in the Army - the "finicky" Latinos are such as they do know el futbol and that of which they talk about certain players. So, amigo FS, there is a lot to talk about, but I will leave it be, and so I am hoping that Chicharito and Coach K turns the team around and pointed in the right direction. So hasta la vista amigo and saludos cordiales!!!
Frank, Sánchez was great. I did enjoy watching Borgetti too a generation later. Probably my favorite to watch was Luis Hernandez. Hugo was sort of an exception as many great Mexican players didn't play in Europe back in the day. They had a good gig staying home.
Ric, you have to let everyone know where your soccer shop is...Give us your website ,address .....I use to have one myself in Annandale ,Va. back in the 70's.
Hey amigos, as a former LAGalaxy fan, one that followed the team from the days it was housed at the Rose Bowl and even attended the first game until five years ago, I am not surprised at the recent coaching change. However, IMHO, the appointment of Coach Guillermo was a bad one, though he did make some field changes, however, the blame should be at the very top of the chain, especially after Uncle Phil let Liewcky (sp?) pull the strings and even then the team went through some questionable coaching changes, that is until he brought in Sigi and Steve, eventually setting with B. Arena. In between the mishmash of coaches, only made the crowd very uncomfortable, and then when the stadium was finally opened, it began to "settle down," up to the time Beckham was introduced, and several other Brits, up to and including the stadium reception for the announcement of another tennant in the name of Chivas USA. Admitedly, I was one of the few that attended both team's home games, but I feel that it was the very unfortunate passing of Mr. Hamilton (on his way home from Costa Rica where the team was playing) that the LAG infrastructure began stumble. Sadly, the team's fan base was/is not that attractive to the finickly Latino fans, what with the stadium being located in the "South Bay's" community, even the Chivas had some trouble attracting them. Anyhow, I could go on and on, but before closing, even the signing of the De Los Santos brothers, and then Chicharito did not make the team or attracted more Latinos, and the "flamboyant" Ibra, failed to turn the LAG on the field fortunes and even though the above pro-Ibra comments, many in the Latino community said "good riddance," (and BTW, last I heard he had contracted covid in Europe, what's the latest on his condition?) So. all the best to Coach Dominic, and to my compadre Chicharito, hey brother, this is the time to say "carpe diem!" and buena suerte!
Ric, don't understand the 'finicky latino fans' not liking the flamboyant Zlatan who was very, very productive on the field as well. Maybe you should explain what these 'finicky latino fans' are looking for in a player they like to watch and I hope their dislike is not refected in their choice that prefer to see a Latino rather than a European who is a great soccer player. ....I like seeing good productivity in a soccer player regardless of he's flamboyant or where he is from....Actually with Hollywood in the area ,being 'flamboyant' should be part of one's makeup in your neck of the woods.....
As far as the Covid, Zlatan is playing and dealing out there in Italy.....
Hola Ric, I did not know you lived near hollywood. My soccer buddies have told me you have a great soccer shop in or near a soccer place in Gardena, and the place is doing great. I know how the freeways here are so bad, so good luck in your commutes. Lets hope the LA Galaxy can find a new great coach.
Craig, thanks for your question & comment, though I do not live hear Hollyweird, er Hollywood, LOL, and second, due to the pandemic, our shop has been - sadly - shuttered since mid-March. It is/was very close to Gardena, as all, if not most of all "non-essential" locales, rec parks, fields, etc. have literally been fenced off (as is the case of my Community College - LACC - where I taught as an adjunct) until the closures were implemented. Thanks again for your kind words!