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USOC: LA Galaxy @ Carolina RailHawks (5/29)

Posted on May 27th, 2013 by acosta19 in Game Preview. (View Comments)

US Open Cup

Third Round

LA Galaxy @ Carolina Railhawks

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

WakeMed Soccer Park

Kick-off: 4:00 p.m

One year after being eliminated in the Third Round of the US Open Cup by the Carolina RailHawks, the Galaxy has the opportunity to seek revenge in this year’s edition of the tournament. Last year the Galaxy saw a 1-0 lead disappear in the final fifteen minutes of the game, ending LA’s quest for a third US Open Cup early.

The Carolina RailHawks are currently in first place in NASL. The second division team advanced to the Third Round of the USOC by defeating the Carolina Dynamo, also of NASL, by a 3-1 score this past week. The team is led by Colin Clarke, who was in charge of the Puerto Rico Islanders when they stepped into the HDC in the CCL Preliminary Round and defeated the Galaxy 4-1 back in 2010. Read more about the RailHawks here.

It’s well documented that the US Open Cup isn’t Bruce Arena’s favorite tournament, and the way games are scheduled doesn’t help either. Upon learning the Galaxy would have to travel to North Carolina the day after the home game against Seattle and just a couple of days before the game in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Arena said the draw was “ridiculous”. He continued, “What more can I say? You have the premier club in the country and we’re being shuffled off like that again. They’re basically saying, they’re telling us that the Open Cup is not important when they do things like that. It’s really ridiculous, but it’s life. What are going to do? They’ve got to figure out how to get it regionalized. Trips across the country midweek after a Sunday night game don’t work. It doesn’t make any sense. It really doesn’t in my opinion and I know that someone has to do it, but it is odd that we’re doing it every year. It’s stupid. If they want the U.S. Open Cup to mean more, the premier clubs in the country can’t be shuffled around like that like we’re an amateur team, but that’s life.”

There’s a possibility the Galaxy will host either Chivas USA or the LA Blues at the StubHub Center in the Fourth Round of the USOC. The Goats and Blues face each other on Tuesday, May 28, and the winner will face the Galaxy on June 12^th if the Galaxy manages to eliminate their NASL opponent on Wednesday.

THIS IS LA!

@acosta19LA

LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders (5/26)

Posted on May 21st, 2013 by acosta19 in Game Preview. (View Comments)

LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders

Sunday, May 26, 2013

The Home Depot Center

Kick-off: 8:00 p.m

The Galaxy return to the Home Depot Center after the three-game road trip to host the Seattle Sounders for their first meeting this season. While the road trip did not go as well as planned, the Galaxy must move on and focus on improving their position on the Western Conference standings.

The long road trip ended this past Sunday with a 1-0 defeat to the New York Red Bulls, and the Galaxy returned to Los Angeles with only three points out of nine that were available from the three games. With the few opportunities wasted in front of goal and not the best goalkeeping we’ve seen from Cudicini, the Galaxy surrendered a goal in stoppage time to the Red Bulls to add another loss to the Galaxy’s record, the team’s third defeat in four games.

Giving up late goals has become a problem for the Galaxy. The team has given up six goals in the final fifteen minutes of games this season, and has not won a game when conceding late. The Galaxy is yet to win when conceding first and yet to lose when scoring first. The LA Galaxy attack, which produced four goals midweek against Philadelphia, was kept scoreless by the Red Bulls’ defense, being shut down for the third time this season.

Mike Magee sat out Sunday’s game against the Red Bulls, recovering from a right ankle sprain. Ten minutes into the game Juninho had to leave the game after receiving an injury to his right shin. This Sunday the Seattle Sounders will likely be without Osvaldo Alsonso, who might miss the game due to an abductor strain.

After a slow start, the Sounders have started to pick things up. Seattle started their 2013 season with five winless games but are now on a three-game winning streak and unbeaten in their last six. Offensively the Sounders are on a hot streak, scoring four goals in their last two games.

The last time the Galaxy and Sounders met at the Home Depot Center was during the first leg of the 2012 Western Conference Finals. The Galaxy defeated Seattle 3-0 with a goal from Mike Magee and a brace from Robbie Keane. The Sounders have not defeated the Galaxy at the HDC since August 2009, during Seattle’s first season in the league. Be there Sunday for what will be the last home game in the stadium under the “Home Depot Center” name as it will be renamed “StubHub Center” the next time the Galaxy plays at home (June 19 vs Portland).

LA Galaxy:

17 points, 17 GF, 10 GA

5-4-2, 4^th in Western Conference

Home Record: 3-1-1

Away Record: 2-3-1

Previous Games:

(5/19) NY Red Bulls 1-0 LA Galaxy

(5/15) Philadelphia Union 1-4 LA Galaxy

(5/11) Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 LA Galaxy

(5/5) LA Galaxy 0-1 Houston Dynamo

(4/27) Real Salt Lake 0-2 LA Galaxy

Seattle Sounders:

15 points, 14 GF, 9 GA

4-3-3, 6^th in Western Conference

Home Record: 2-1-2

Away Record: 2-2-1

Previous Games:

(5/18) Seattle Sounders 4-2 FC Dallas

(5/11) Seattle Sounders 4-0 SJ Earthquakes

(5/8) Sporting KC 0-1 Seattle Sounders

(5/4) Philadelphia Union 2-2 Seattle Sounders

(4/20) Colorado Rapids 0-1 Seattle Sounders

THIS IS LA!

Join the Discussion Here

@acosta19LA

LA Galaxy @ NY Red Bulls (5/19)

Posted on May 16th, 2013 by acosta19 in Game Preview. (View Comments)

LA Galaxy @ New York Red Bulls

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Red Bull Arena

Kick-off: 10:00 a.m

The LA Galaxy is in New York to face the third and final game of the road trip this Sunday. Coming off a victory at Philadelphia this past Wednesday the Galaxy will look to keep gaining points when they face the leaders in the Eastern Conference.

The Galaxy went into Philadelphia on a two-game losing streak and having difficulties scoring goals. All that changed against the Union, as LA would score four goals to return to their winning ways. The Union’s goalkeeper Zac MacMath headed the ball into his own net to give the Galaxy the 1-0 lead just a couple of minutes into the game. Although the Galaxy was off to a good start, the Union managed to equalize off a throw in, in which Okugo found himself unmarked in the six-yard box. The difference in the game was the dangerous pairing of Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane, who were playing together for the first time in nearly a month. Landon Donovan tallied a goal and two assists this game, while Keane added a goal and an assist himself. Hector Jimenez also got himself on the scoreboard, finding the back of the net for the first time this season. The LA Galaxy has yet to lose when scoring the first goal.

Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane joined Mike Magee as players with more than one goal this season, and Donovan also joined a list of players to have played 200 games with the club, alongside Kevin Hartman, Cobi Jones, and Mauricio Cienfuegos.

The Red Bulls will be no easy test. On a five-game unbeaten run, the Red Bulls have maintained themselves on top of the Eastern Conference. Led by players like Thierry Henry, Tim Cahill, and Fabian Espindola, the Red Bulls’ attack is one of the most dangerous in the league. The Red Bulls’ last defeat came on April 17^th against Sporting KC, their only defeat at home. New York is winless against Western Conference opponents this season, and the Galaxy will look start a winning streak and keep it that way.

THIS IS LA!

LA Galaxy:

17 points, 17 GF, 9 GA

5-3-2, 3^rdin Western Conference

Home Record: 3-1-1

Away Record: 2-2-1

Previous Games:

(5/15) Philadelphia Union 1-4 LA Galaxy

(5/11) Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 LA Galaxy

(5/5) LA Galaxy 0-1 Houston Dynamo

(4/27) Real Salt Lake 0-2 LA Galaxy

(4/20) LA Galaxy 2-0 Sporting KC

New York Red Bulls:

21 points, 19 GF, 15 GA

6-4-3, 1^st in Eastern Conference

Home Record: 3-1-1

Away Record: 3-3-2

Previous Games:

(5/11) NE Revolution 1-1 NY Red Bulls

(5/8) NY Red Bulls 2-1 Montreal Impact

(5/4) Columbus Crew 0-1 NY Red Bulls

(4/27) Toronto FC 1-2 LA Galaxy

(4/20) NY Red Bulls 4-1 NE Revolution

@acosta19LA

LA Galaxy @ Philadelphia Union (5/15)

Posted on May 14th, 2013 by acosta19 in Game Preview. (View Comments)

LA Galaxy @ Philadelphia Union

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

PPL Park

Kick-off: 4:30 p.m

Game two of the three-game road trip is around the corner, and on Wednesday the LA Galaxy visits PPL Park to take on the Philadelphia Union. Now on a two-game losing streak the Galaxy will look to return to winning ways against the Union, whom they have not defeated since their meeting on April 2011.

The Galaxy suffered their third defeat of the season this past Saturday when they fell to the Vancouver Whitecaps. The defending MLS champions once again suffered in the final third, and their inability to capitalize on opportunities in front of goal as well as poor defending led to the Galaxy giving up three goals in the second half. Gyasi Zardes entered the game in the second half and scored LA’s lone goal after heading the ball into the back of the net following a cross from Jose Villarreal. Following the disappointing defeat and due to the schedule, Bruce Arena suggested there would be changes in the lineup for Wednesday’s game. It is important that the Galaxy rescue points from the remaining games of the road trip to keep up with Dallas, who leads the conference (and league) with 24 points.

It’s expected that Robbie Keane will make his return on Wednesday. If that’s the case, he’ll help the Galaxy attack which has been suffering the past couple of games. Aside from Magee, there is no Galaxy player that has scored more than one goal. Keane has missed three games nursing from an ankle injury, games in which goals have been scored by Magee and rookies Rugg and Zardes.

The Union will host the Galaxy on a two-game unbeaten run. With just one defeat at home so far, Philadelphia has put up good results at PPL Park. Jack McInerney currently leads MLS with seven goals, one more than the Galaxy’s Mike Magee. Aside from McInerney, the Union also has players such as Conor Casey and Sebastian Le Toux, who have been helping their attacking end.

THIS IS LA!

LA Galaxy:

14 points, 13 GF, 8 GA

4-3-2, 5^th in Western Conference

Home Record: 3-1-1

Away Record: 1-2-1

Previous Games:

(5/11) Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 LA Galaxy

(5/5) LA Galaxy 0-1 Houston Dynamo

(4/27) Real Salt Lake 0-2 LA Galaxy

(4/20) LA Galaxy 2-0 Sporting KC

(4/13) FC Dallas 1-0 LA Galaxy