ATLANTA – How can the LA Galaxy’s attack get back on track after a pair of disappointing matches?
By a renewed commitment to the defense according to head coach Sigi Schmid.
Los Angeles was blanked 4-0 by Atlanta United on Wednesday evening, their second consecutive defeat by such a margin. The Galaxy’s offense had spurts of effectiveness at Mercedes-Benz Stadium but was rendered ineffective after the home side jumped out to a wide lead in the first half.
In total, the Galaxy have one shot on goal in their last 245 minutes of action.
“You can’t attack if you can’t defend,” Schmid said. “You have to be able to defend in order to attack. You have to be able to hold onto the ball, and right now we are not doing a good job defending, and we’re not holding onto the ball well enough.”
The Galaxy’s defensive improved in the second half as they kept Atlanta off the board in the final 45 minutes despite being a man down. When seeking to build a better collective defense – and attack – Wednesday’s second-half display offered some hope for the Galaxy boss.
“We were focused. We concentrated. I challenged them at halftime,” Schmid said. “I said, ‘It is a new game. We can’t lose the second half.’ We didn’t win the second half, but we ended up with a 0-0 tie. We have to g be focused and show to ourselves that we can play disciplined at the right moments and at the right times.”
