Both The DCenters and Quarter Volley are crying foul over Steve Sampson’s firing. The gist of their mutual argument is that Sampson “earned” a year because he won the domestic double last year. That “accomplishment” should have bought him more time than he was given.

Let me set the facts straight. Whatever the Galaxy accomplished last year was done despite Steve Sampson, not because of Steve Sampson. Let us not forget the 2005 Galaxy was a sorry soccer team that only squeaked into the playoffs because Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA barely even qualified as soccer teams.

And then once in the playoffs they only won the big dance because team after better team imploded: DC United, San Jose, Chicago and, finally, New England. That the LA Galaxy won the 2005 MLS Cup was farcical – as I said at the time.

As for the other half of the double, well I attended that game. It was one of the most dreadful games I’ve witnessed. Yes, the 2005 Galaxy won a couple championships, but they never once played like champions.

Sure, they say the 2006 winless streak that ultimately led to Sampson’s firing coincided with Donovan’s departure for the World Cup. This, they seem to suppose, is a mitigating circumstance. Here’s another way to look at that circumstance: deprived of his usual ace in the hole, Steve Sampson’s coaching inadequacies came fully light.

The bottom line that both The DCenters and Quarter Volley are ignoring is this: Sampson’s domestic double did buy him time he otherwise wouldn’t have had, namely the first 11 games of the 2006 season.

It was well past time for Sampson to go and Lalas did what he had to do. And in firing Sampson and hiring Yallop he also did, I’m quite sure, what Landon Donovan wanted him to do.