Los Angeles Galaxy: Ins and Outs, February 25, 2012

Galaxy rebound for a 2-0 victory over RSL

After what had been an uninspiring performance against the New England Revolution, Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy steamrolled past Real Salt Lake 2-0 in a match that was ended seconds early by the official.

Paolo Cardozo and Mike Magee recorded goals for LA, with Beckham's delivery in the second half finding the latter. Real Salt Lake had to play down to nine men on Saturday.

From this columnist's perspective, this was a one-sided matchup, with Beckham calling the shots in the second half. What the fans saw in Tucson at this Desert Diamond Cup was the type of play LA will need to establish when March comes.

Brief player ratings for the Galaxy (out of 10):

JT Murray: 4. Fabian Espindola exposed this left back rather easily, although his pace and defending made up for it.

Bryan Gaul: 6. Good clearances and physical play. Gaul has some upside to him and will likely factor into Reserve League and U.S. Open Cup play. Positioning is what this young man will have to work on, as well as distribution.

Andrew Boyens: 6. Similar to Gaul, the clearances and physical play were the major pluses. Again, poor positioning and ball distribution were an issue when he was with Chivas, and it rears its ugly head again.

Bryan Jordan: 2. Never really was a factor in this match and was injured too early to make an impact.

A.J. DeLaGarza: 7. While his one-on-one play needs to improve, his positioning was smooth. He is in form to begin the year.

Josh Saunders: 5. Quiet day for the starter. Not much work needed to be done, and whatever work needed to be done was done  in front of goal.

Kenney Walker: 7. Talk about your dark horse and a nice compliment to Juninho. He had excellent composure in the center and utilized a working man's brand of football, simple pass, no flair needed. Match fitness will have to be worked on if he is to hang tough on this team.

Juninho: 7. The kinks are being shaken off, and this time, no gifts were given, unlike the last match with New England. This is the Juninho LA fans are used to: solid dispossession and good speed. Great to be back, isn't it?

David Beckham: 8.5. Man of the match. What can you say about this guy? He is a veteran of the game that wants to be in London for those Olympics, and he is taking the first step by delivering those trademark balls, and his crosses and set pieces were what the fans were looking for. Case in point: the assist to Mike Magee.

Marcelo Sarvas: 6.5. Flair is not enough to be on this team. You need to be tough. You need to be physical. Marcelo Sarvas knows this, and we can expect him to grow a backbone when this season begins.

Hector Jimenez: 1. If Hector Jimenez seriously think he will even make the bench, let alone earn playing time, this young man is in for a rude awakening. Dreadful performance.

Paolo Cardozo: 6. It just takes David Beckham to make Cardozo better, like a baked potato in need of butter. Good final pass, works out of tight spaces, but he needs to do better with marking.

Edson Buddle: 6.5. His grit and effort was commendable, but Real Salt Lake discovered just how to stop Budson. Double-team or even triple-team the forward. Take note, New York...

Mike Magee: 7.5. This is a player that knows how to finish. And he did it with no regard for humanity. He tracks back very well, and the little bits and pieces were knocked down pat. Solid effort from Magee, expect him to be in the midfield for a majority of the season.

Jack McBean: 5. Tough as they come, this is a player with a lot of upside. No pun intended, this young man is like a beanstalk: give him water in the form of minutes and watch him grow.

As a team, set pieces are going to make or break the Galaxy this year. And LA cannot just rely on Landon Donovan or Beckham to deliver crosses. Other players need to step up their game in terms of delivering crosses, too.

Edson just being Edson. Or is it Budson?

Edson Buddle was indeed himself scoring a goal against the New England Revolution this past week, although it was not enough as the Revs notched home the game winner and consigned LA to a 3-2 defeat.

“He gets himself in great positions,” Beckham told MLSSoccer.com's Greg Lalas. “That’s what you want from a forward. You want a forward to work hard for you. Edson’s always done that. He’s a great addition to have back in the team.”

 As for Buddle, he welcomed the additions of Marcelo Sarvas and Pat Noonan with enthusiasm.

“The players are a lot more confident on the ball,” Buddle added. “It was good to see. They don’t panic and lump the ball forward. Bruce did a good job to bring those guys in.”

Gonzo to A.J.: May The Force Be With You

Injured defender Omar Gonzalez believes DeLaGarza will be a solid leader in the back.

“I have no worries about A.J.,” Gonzalez told MLSSoccer.com's Luis Bueno. “He's always done well in stepping into these roles.

"When I was at Maryland, he was a guy who was already leading the team. He's very experienced at that, and he's a guy you can always count on, so there's no worries there. I have confidence in him.”

Gonzalez is aware that it has not been the brightest of start in the Desert Diamond Cup; therefore, a long-term perspective and mentality will be necessary to the Galaxy's success.

“Even if things might not go the right way in the beginning of the season, it's going to be fine," Gonzalez assured. "These guys are going to figure it out. All these players are really talented, and we brought these players in for a good reason, and that's because they're quality.”