Galaxy Changes Remain in Effect

Looking to jump-start his team’s stagnant attack, Coach Sigi Schmid benched two venerable starters in the Galaxy’s match last weekend against the Dallas Burn. A change was needed, especially after the Galaxy had been hammered, 5-0, a week earlier by the New York-New Jersey Metro- Stars.

With midfielder Mauricio Cienfuegos, a member of the Galaxy since its inaugural 1996 season, and defender Danny Califf watching from the sidelines, the Galaxy responded by pulling out a 3-0 victory over the Burn.

Expect Cienfuegos and Califf to remain on the bench today for the Galaxy’s match against D.C. United at Washington.

“Obviously the team responded and played well enough to deserve another shot at it,” Schmid said Friday afternoon from Washington. “It was a jump-start but we changed our formation as well, so that made a difference.”

Schmid said the Galaxy will remain in a 3-4-3 formation against D.C. United, and that Alejandro Moreno and Tyrone Marshall would retain their starting positions in place of Cienfuegos and Califf.

Besides, with Cienfuegos, a playmaking midfielder, the Galaxy is essentially locked into a 4-4-2 lineup.

“We have more flexibility without Cien,” Schmid said. “We haven’t been as interchangeable in the middle of the field.

“We’ll stay in a 3-4-3, especially when we play a team in a 4-4-2.”

Schmid said Cienfuegos and Califf have been professional in handling their demotions.

The Galaxy defeated D.C. United, 2-1, in overtime in the season opener at the Rose Bowl on March 23.

Carlos Ruiz converted a penalty kick two minutes into the extra period for the victory. It was Ruiz’s second goal--he had tied the score in the game’s 85th minute.

Ruiz, who led MLS in scoring for most of the season with 20 points on 10 goals, has not scored in three games (he was suspended for one of those games), and is currently in fourth.

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GALAXY TODAY

at Washington

4:30 p.m. PDT, Channel 9

Site--RFK Stadium.

Radio--KSPN (1110), KTNQ (1020, Spanish).

Records--Galaxy 6-5-2, D.C. United 5-6-1.

Record vs. D.C. United--1-0-0.

Update--Galaxy midfielder Cobi Jones, who returned last weekend from duty with the U.S. national team at the World Cup, did not travel with the team to Washington. Instead, he will return to the Galaxy on Thursday at the Rose Bowl against San Jose in his first MLS game since April 27.