CARSON, Calif. – Jose Villarreal was given the first chance to step, sort of, into Landon Donovan's shoes, and his performance in the LA Galaxy's season-opening win over the Chicago Fire suggests he might have found a new home on the field.
The 21-year-old Homegrown Player, a forward by trade whose progress seemed to slow down during a six-month loan last year to Mexico City giant Cruz Azul, took a big step forward during preseason and made a real imprint last weekend, scoring the opening goal in LA's 2-0 victory (WATCH IT HERE).
With Baggio Husidic stationed in central midfield and Gyasi Zardes in his preferred role up top, Villarreal got the call on the left flank over Bradford Jamieson IV – reward for a tremendous showing in the final preseason contest – and he earned positive reviews in his first extended minutes at the post.
“Maybe his best position would be as a second forward, perhaps where Robbie Keane plays, but he's not going to get on the field because of that,” said head coach Bruce Arena, whose team plays Sunday at the Portland Timbers (7 pm ET; Fox Sports 1 and Fox Deportes). “We have a lot of forwards, and we asked him to make this transition to midfield. And it's a bit challenging, but he has worked real hard to get fit. I thought he showed that [against Chicago], and he did in his last couple of preseason games. We're pretty excited about his development.”
Villarreal teamed on the left flank with Robbie Rogers, who was impressed.
“It's going to take some time, but he's such a talented kid and can finish and he's got a great left foot,” Rogers said. “We need to get better a little bit working defensively as a unit, but as games go on, that will definitely get stronger.”
Rogers liked that he could “just get [Villarreal] the ball, and he's on his left foot, he's looking to cross.”
“It was a little different with Landon and I,” Rogers added. “I had to kind of get around Landon to get crosses off that way. Landon was more of an inside guy. With Jose, he can really serve the ball from out there. They're very different players.”
Arena called 2014 “a little bit of a wasted year” for Villarreal, who played for Cruz Azul's Under-20 team and saw action in just five first-team games with LA after returning last summer from the loan.
“[The loan deal] didn't work out,” Arena said, “and I think he came back not better off for it.”
Villarreal doesn't necessarily agree, not fully.
“Soccer-wise, I guess you could say it was a waste of time, but not necessarily that,” he said. “I feel like the experience was something different that I needed, and I got to see a different style of soccer, and I got to see a different style of coaching, and off the field it was a great experience. Being away from home was a challenge, but at the same time it was an eye-opener.”
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Villarreal acknowledges he's become more serious about his craft.
“It wasn't that I wasn't dedicated,” Villarreal said. “I didn't feel as responsible as I do now for, I guess, the rest of my career. I'm getting older, and contracts are a little bit more valuable now than they were before, so I've got to step it up and do well. If you don't do well, it's tough, because you might not have a team.”
Associate head coach Dave Sarachan said Villarreal needed “some time to realize what's in front of him.”
“As a young player, you have a lot of emotions, ups and downs, and he did come back [from Cruz Azul] a little bit with his tail between his legs...,” Sarachan said. “As a young player, you start to question certain things: Am I good enough? Do I fit in?
“Jose saw the opportunity when Landon left, and he took on the challenge of being tried out as a wide guy, and I think he's embraced that.”
Arena has other options on the left, with Jamieson, Zardes and Husidic, among others, but Villarreal thinks he's perfect for the role.
“I feel like it's there for the taking,” Villarreal said. “Someone needs to step up, and I feel I can step up and get the job done, you know? I'm sure there are other players who think the same.”
Scott French covers the LA Galaxy for MLSsoccer.com.
