CARSON, Calif. -- Jovan Kirovski said he is thrilled with not only being back in southern California -- he is a native of Escondido, just north of San Diego -- but especially as a member of the Los Angeles Galaxy, where he got his MLS start in 2004.
Some of his memories with the club aren't very pleasant, however. There was his rookie season, for example, when head coach Sigi Schmid was let go despite the team being in first place at the time. There also was a year later, when he clashed with Schmid's replacement, Steve Sampson, and was traded to the Colorado Rapids for a first-round pick in the 2007 draft.
Kirovski still doesn't like to talk about the year he was traded -- "That's in the past," he said -- but he was more than happy to return in November, when the Galaxy reacquired him from the San Jose Earthquakes for a conditional pick in next year's draft.
"I missed being here, sure. It's been fantastic so far," said Kirovski, who turns 33 in March, "especially with (David) Beckham being involved, high profile all over the place, big games. It's great to be involved with a team that's all over TV.
"I'm looking forward to being back. The fans are great here, the support is great and it's a good club to be with."
The Galaxy have had their share of struggles lately. They haven't even made the playoffs in each of the last three seasons and there has been no shortage of preseason drama in 2009. Two of their best players stand a chance of playing elsewhere when the regular season starts on March 22. Landon Donovan has stated his intention of staying with Bayern Munich when his loan agreement expires early next month, and Beckham has expressed similar sentiments regarding his stay with AC Milan.
Kirovski said the club's downward slide has surprised him.
"When I was here my first year," he said, "we were in first place and Sigi got fired. We were not only expected to win, but win with style. This team has always been known about winning championships.
"The last three seasons I've been following them it's been disappointing. But (head coach/general manager) Bruce (Arena) has been involved with U.S. Soccer, he knows the game and he knows the players, so hopefully he'll get us back on track."
The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder, who scored a goal in his first MLS game in 2004 and has 24 career goals, is exactly the kind of player the rebuilding Galaxy need, according to veteran Chris Klein.
The two of them go back to when they played together as 17-year-olds.
"That was a few years ago as kids," laughed Klein, who recently turned 33. "He's a unique type of player, a guy that's been around the game at the highest level. To have him and his personality around the young guys and the veterans is a primary reason why they brought him in here.
"In MLS, it's very tough to find 18 very good soccer players. You can find 11 really good ones, and then a few athletes and prospects. But with Jovan, you just have a really good soccer player, a guy that can play up front, a guy that can play midfield and a guy that just offers exactly what he is, a guy that knows exactly who he is and knows how to play the game.
"He's a very smart player and he's still got it in him to help this team push forward to where we want to go."
Kirovski said he already likes what he has seen in camp.
"Every spot is competitive," he said. "Everybody wants to win. I think we're headed in the right direction, for sure."
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