CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy are no strangers to the jet-set life having traveled extensively in recent years due to their participation in MLS competition, CONCACAF Champions League, U.S. Open Cup, and even postseason international exhibitions. But this year, they’ve undergone a considerable amount of travel in the front end of their season.
Since training camp opened in January, the Galaxy have logged a total of 38,367 miles through their White House visit, preseason camp in the Republic of Ireland and Sweden, a small jaunt to Northern California and Major League Soccer regular season play.
The Galaxy’s extensive travel has not necessarily led to victories as the club has compiled a 0-3-3 record on the road in MLS and remain winless away from StubHub Center since last August. LA will once again pack their bags and this weekend when they make the 2,210 mile journey to Orlando to take on expansion side Orlando City SC this Sunday.
“This [travel] comes with the territory,” Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez. “When you play, you have to treat your body right. I think that we have people in place to make sure that everyone is taking care of themselves like making sure that everyone is hydrated. All this travel isn’t ideal but we have to work with the situation.”
Added Bruce Arena, “It’s not like you’re in England and you just get on a bus, and go. [In MLS], you’re flying to two different countries through different time zones, different field conditions, and different climate conditions.”
To deal with all the travel, the Galaxy rely heavily on their training staff who are forced into duty from the moment that the players leave the airport and arrive at the hotel. For players like Stefan Ishizaki, this treatment work is vital to their performance once the games begin.
“You have to be professional. As soon as we get to Orlando, all the guys have to do something, whether it’s a little work out or going in the pool so that you can get the travel out of your legs,” said Stefan Ishizaki. “You just have to be professional because we need to do this day in and day out. We have our sports nutritionist [Alex Saava] who helps with that so we’re always well prepared.”
The Galaxy’s 2015 campaign has been made even more difficult by the extensive injuries to key players like Robbie Keane, Jose Villarreal, A.J. DeLaGarza and Mika Vayrynen who have each missed time this year.
However, according to Ishizaki, there is a silver lining to all the time spent on the road.
“It’s tough with all the travel but I also think it brings our group a little closer,” Ishizaki said. “You bond a little more because you’re with one another 24 hours a day for a long period of time. That bonds the group and hopefully it makes us better.”
Arena insists the Galaxy’s travel schedule is no excuse; in fact, he believes that they’ll come through this stretch of road trips considerably stronger.
“We’ve been through games on turf field and we’ll have been through a little bit of altitude, a little bit of this and that. By the end of the month I think we’ll be through three or four East Coast trips. [Getting through that] stuff helps,” said Arena.
“We are keeping our heads above water. We’re not drowning yet.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.
