Galaxy Seeking Redemption

WASHINGTON — All things considered, the Galaxy would just as soon be playing at RFK Stadium on Oct. 15 rather than today.

Then, it will mean something. Then, it will be for the championship of Major League Soccer, a goal that has eluded Los Angeles in each of its first four seasons.

And then too, it might not be longtime nemesis D.C. United lining up on the other side of the ball, as is the case today.

The Galaxy has not fared well against the team in black. In 13 regular-season and playoff games, Los Angeles has a 4-9 record against the three-time MLS champion and has been outscored, 23-15.

Today’s encounter is the teams’ first meeting since Washington’s 2-0 victory in MLS Cup ’99 last November.

That was the game in which Robin Fraser, Galaxy captain and MLS defender of the year, broke his collarbone in the seventh minute when he was knocked down from behind by Roy Lassiter.

Lassiter is gone--traded to the Miami Fusion--but Fraser will return today after a minor groin strain caused him to sit out the Galaxy’s season-opening 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids at the Rose Bowl last Saturday.

“He should be ready to go,” Coach Sigi Schmid said. “He probably could have played for us last Saturday if it had been a playoff game or something like that, but early in the season we want to be a little more conservative with injuries.”

The November game also was when Galaxy striker Cobi Jones was upended in the penalty area by John Maessner, a foul referee Tim Weyland missed or chose to ignore.

Jones scored the Galaxy’s first goal of the season last week and Schmid said the winger-forward is at the top of his game.

“He’s on a great streak with the U.S. national team, scoring goals and getting assists, and we hope that continues,” Schmid said.

Today’s game is the season opener for D.C. United, which last week returned from a successful preseason trip to Bolivia.

The Galaxy can take some comfort knowing that D.C. United’s Bolivian duo of Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno have some distractions.

For Etcheverry, it’s what Coach Thomas Rongen called “a lingering calf problem that is not very serious, but it’s prohibiting him from playing 90 minutes.”

For Moreno, it’s Bolivia’s World Cup 2002 qualifying game against Uruguay in Montevideo on Wednesday. Keeping something in reserve for that surely will be on his mind.

Rongen’s starting lineup is made up almost entirely of U.S. and Bolivian national team players and he expects to be without many of them throughout the MLS season.

That means D.C. United’s depth will be tested more than ever in 2000.

“It’s nothing new,” Rongen said. “But I think this year [because of World Cup qualifying and the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games] probably will be the most daunting. Depth again is going to be a factor for us. Last year we did a very good job in managing all of our players. All 23 saw playing time.

“This year, players like Chris Albright, Antonio Ortero, Geoff Aunger, and even younger players like [16-year-old] Bobby Convey could see significant playing time.

“It’s never easy for a coach. [Losing players to national team duty] is something you don’t want to see, but it’s a necessity. We know it’s there, and we’ve just got to work through it.”