LA Galaxy: Spotlight Episode 9

Welcome to another edition of LA Galaxy Spotlight. Joe Tutino here with you. We have a jam-packed show. I sit down with Galaxy winger Robert Taylor. He scored his first goal for the Galaxy recently, but we kick things off with a man who pulls the strings for the LA Galaxy, a member of the team in the match day this past week. He is Galaxy midfielder Marco Reus. Marco Reus, decorated players, had success at Dortmund, just an incredible level of success and now we're excited to see what he can bring to this already really talented and effective Galaxy attack. This iconic number dominates the yellow wall. A thank you to a man of this city who leaves undoubtedly a Borussia Dortmund legend. It's just a dream because I was born in Dortmund, raised in Dortmund, I did everything in Dortmund, school or whatever and it was always a dream to play for this club because it means to me, to the city, to the people so much. From seven I guess I was seven years old or seven or eight then I played 11 or 12 years in the youth. It was a nice feeling because it was also always a dream to play for such of this club and like I said couldn't imagine that I was playing for this club for such a long time and it makes me just just proud to representing myself for this club and for such a huge time a long time yeah just makes me makes me really proud when I'm thinking about of this yeah to be To be honest, I had a lot of offers, a lot of options to do something that I had a really good conversation with Will. We spoke about different things, about life, about family, because there are also more important things in life than football. I also wanted a new experience, a new adventure for me, for my family, because I also knew that is my last chance to have a new chapter in my life and that's why we choose the galaxy and also besides this of course the city. So my first feelings was quite good, I was really excited, maybe some people don't understand but it changes really the mood when you're waking up and it's sunny so you wake up differently. the people are also here just friendly and they also want to help you in different ways and yeah in the club as well so really nice people here in this club the teammates are really really funny I don't need so much time to to get in yeah it's just just everything I want to club in the city Marco Reus is gonna come on you hear the galaxy fans showing their appreciation and welcoming Marco Reus to this team and to this building. I mean, just an incredible level of success, and now we're excited to see what he can bring to this already really talented and effective Galaxy attack. He tries to play that ball through. Marco Reus. Marco Reus on his left foot. Pulls it back. Ricky Pah! An assist less than 10 minutes after coming on. Welcome back to LA Galaxy Spotlight. Joe Titino here with you with one of the new signees from the LA Galaxy, Robert Taylor, who came over via Austin FC recently, and he's joined the club right after the break, or into the break, I should say, and really is helping this club get to the postseason. Robert, thank you for taking the time. Of course. I appreciate you here, being here, because you bring a little different perspective. You've been in the league, started out in Miami, had a few good years there, and then had the opportunity to move to a new club in Austin, and you wanted to hit the ground running there. It just didn't work out. Can you tell me about that? Yeah, I mean, I spent a year in Austin after Miami, and Austin's a great city, me and my wife, we enjoyed our time there. Sometimes just, you know, things don't get up and running the way that you want them as a player. Sure, it happens. Everybody wants to play, everybody wants to start games, and it just didn't happen for me. But I think now, while being here for the first few weeks have been amazing for me, I've started a few games. I've gone off onto the field, off the bench. Fans have been extremely welcoming. I'm connecting well with the team. Just got off to a really good start, and I'm hoping that to keep the momentum going for myself and the team. And there's no truth to the fact that Robert brought the Miami weather and the Austin weather to Southern California. We've just had it during this time you've been here. But talk a little about fitting yourself into the LA Galaxy because you come in mid-season. the club is is fighting its way up the Western Conference to get into the postseason and as a new player you certainly want to make an impact but sometimes you have to find your way how you fit in with teammates how's that work I think I've had zero problems coming into the team there's the I think the big factor has been the players they've been so welcoming and we've been talking and during trainings, during the games, what they want of me, what I've been communicating, what I usually do on the field. So I think we've been connecting really well. The coaches have made it very clear what we want to do on the field. Personally they've come to me and told their ideology to me and it's been really clear. So everything has really started off on a really good foot right now. Normally you'll see Robert on the left side for the LA Galaxy and obviously this team is still in transition of players coming in and out and it's along the way and what where are you going to be seen on a regular basis you think um anywhere on the attacking side hopefully uh i've i've played in every position in my career i've played as a right back i've played as a left wing back right winger striker midfield i'm pretty comfortable uh in every position I'll do what it what the game asks of me and what the team needs for for me to do I'll be comfortable in filling in those roles if I have to say my most comfortable role and where I've succeeded the most is probably on the left wing but like I said every every position I will be able to do my best in and happily do it too so of course we're proud of the LA Galaxy and what the galaxy has meant to this league and in the championships it has won, but you had options. You could have gone anywhere you wanted to. What was your reason for selecting the LA Galaxy and coming here? I mean, as soon as my agent told me that there's interest from LA Galaxy, I said, there's no other team that can compete with that sort of interest, in my opinion. It's one of the biggest teams in the league and its history just speaks for itself. So to be here and playing here, it's a huge honor for me to do so. What was it like coming to Los Angeles? I mean, what was one of the first things? I mean, we boast In-N-Out and Mexican food and everything else here in Southern California. What was one of the biggest things? Even in LA, I want to do what? I think, I mean, enjoy the weather. I mean, coming out of the airport, when we landed here the first time, me and my wife, and we saw the palm trees coming out, So when we saw the sun and usually when we do walk out the airport, it's like hits this humidity and this huge weight when we're in Miami or Austin. So then when we walked out, we were like, oh my God, this weather is beautiful. The salt air. It's fantastic. So that's the number one thing. And the food's been really good. And I think people are extremely friendly here also. That's like one of the huge things that we've noticed. Everyone's extremely nice and friendly. Comparatively speaking, in your career abroad and here in the United States, if I can volunteer, Southern California is pretty laid back. Yes, yes. I mean, I think it must be the weather that makes people really happy and friendly here. Yeah, well, absolutely. And everybody fits in. And that's the one good thing. And you mentioned the fact that the fans have been embracing. Oh, absolutely. Yeah, the fans have been great on the field you can hear their support, I can hear them you know personally support the players which is great, just walking on the side you can hear them shout the players names and supporting and it's fantastic. And finally you know where the Galaxy is right now on the table and what they have to do and as you see this team coming together as we do the interview we have about 15 games left in the regular season and I would imagine that between the coaching staff and the group of players you guys have a message internally and what might that be? The message is that we will do everything we can to win games that's how we're gonna climb up the table we will do everything in training our trainings have been really intense we've been pushing everyone as much as we can in order to start winning games. That's the most important thing for anyone in the team, is to win the games. You've played with some of the biggest players around, especially here in Miami of course, and before coming here. What's it like to play with a guy like Marco Reus? Oh, unbelievable. Again, it's one of those things that I probably never could have dreamt of, coming from Finland, a small town in Finland, and to have been played with with the players that I've played with, and now playing with Marco Reus, it's unbelievable again. I appreciate you taking the time. We wish you the best. Most importantly, stay healthy and helping this LA Galaxy team get to the post season because as we get closer to them, the fans will be pointing to the rafters and hopefully a seventh star. Yeah. Robert, thank you. Thank you. Robert Taylor, he's the left winger for this LA Galaxy team. We'll have more of LA Galaxy Spotlight coming up right after these words. one of the best clubs in LA Galaxy history. Robbie Keane, Landon Donovan, Josie Zardes led the Galaxy to their fifth MLS Cup. And what did that mean? The LA Galaxy became the first of five in Major League Soccer. Let's take a look. Scoop over the top for Donovan! It's a wonderful feeling knowing that there's two teams left standing and we're the team hosting here at a place that we feel very confident and comfortable in. And I was close to the week, I was close, a little bit of nervousness. Already like on Wednesday, a little bit like the feeling that the game is coming. on his career. Galaxy carry the gravity of heavy favourites, while the Revolution's underdog status has served them just fine to get here. So often though, finals pay no heed to form. Will this one stick to the preordained script or go off on a different tangent? We're about to find out. MLS Cup 2014 underway with a Revolution in their dark blue going from left to right the Galaxy all in white here's on the ball bursting into the penalty area Rogers could it be a brilliant start and off the block trying to side with that little dipped ball this is Charlie Davies off and running challenge to bring it down set down in sight set down into the frame of Bobby Shuttleworth we underestimate New England I think so smaller once we beat Seattle and Salt Lake one of the favorites if you like you thought maybe just you know it could be an easier game i suppose and it certainly wasn't i think finals are always kind of hectic especially early in the games everyone's trying to test out their opponents fill the game out a little bit two teams that are very good defensively and i think it showed throughout you know the entire first half goalless after 45 minutes between the Los Angeles Galaxy and the New England Revolution chances very much, at a preview event, feel about it. It's the break. Ishiizaki swinging in. Zardes! Jiasi Zardes! Can he do it? Yes, he can! Not even just the crowd, you know, my family. We're in the stands, you know. Like I always say, this is our dream. I'm living. It was just so wonderful just to score in my hometown, in front of my friends, in front of my family, and most of all, in front of all these amazing fans. Jiasi hadn't scored a goal in a couple of months, so he was having a little bit of a rough patch there and it was great to see he could come out of it and get such an important goal on a goal which should have been the winning goal in the game. Finals are never always perfect and I think it was a culmination of a long year, a long playoff run for us and probably for them too where I think you had two teams that never got into a great flow clearly on our end a team that prides itself in possession and ball movement I don't think it was clean and it became one of those games where it was going to be a one play or two play game we're in the little the huddle at the at the end there after the 90 minutes when guys are getting shaken off and getting a quick massage and armour. He looked a bit tense. He said, I can't remember what he said to me. I said, don't worry, we'll get a chance. I told him I'll score. Don't worry, I'll score. I'll get a chance, I'll score. Now Keane, flag is stayed down. Robbie Keane! Still razor sharp! It's the Galaxy in the lead! It's his ideal swan song. He goes out a champion. Obviously the emotion of the entire year was all into that one whistle. So we were done for the year. Landon went off being an MLS Cup champion, his last game ever. Everything this group has been through together, obviously the passing of Luka and how everyone came together then, it's tremendous. And at the end of the game, just all emotions at that point. I think it's a real honor to be able to play with Landon. He's going to go down in history as one of the greats. And I think just realizing that now is important. I just wanted to thank him, you know, I wanted to tell him to his face, you know, how much he meant to me and how much I've learned from him and how much I respect him, you know, and I wished him well on his next journey and that was special for me. I think it was a storybook ending with, you know, Landon retiring and sending him off the right way and Robbie Keane getting MVP and, you know, it's just great for everyone around. It was a tough game. It wasn't the greatest game. It wasn't the prettiest game. It probably wasn't the best game to watch on TV. But ultimately it doesn't matter because people remember what they remember it is now. The LA Galaxy are the champions again. The whole day is just a big blur now almost because we're so happy after the game. Getting that trophy and getting that medal, it was just an amazing feeling. The whole day is just like a big happy blur. That's always a good moment. You know, the build-up to it, we're waiting for Landon, everybody's ready. You know, some champagne bottles start going off on their own because they're all shook up. So once he came in, it just, it was on. We were all just going for it, you know, spraying each other, drinking, and just letting loose. And that's what it's all about, man. Just all that hard work just comes out and it's a celebration, you know, and you celebrate with the guys that you work hard with and that know the ins and outs of a long season. And it was a lot of fun, a lot of fun. What a great show we had for you this time around. Thank you for joining us. A reminder, though, your LA Galaxy is back at Dignity Health Sports Park this Saturday as the playoff run continues. The Seattle Sounders come to town. Former Galaxy striker Dejan Jovolec makes his return to Los Angeles. It's also Harry Potter night at the Dig. So take a look at LAGalaxy.com. Find out everything that's happening at the home of champions. I'm Joe Totino. Thank you for once again watching LA Galaxy Spotlight.