Preview: Streaking Galaxy, Sounders meet in LA

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The LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders FC will renew their acquaintances on the Fourth of July at The Home Depot Center. The teams are meeting for the second time this season, the Galaxy kicking off the 2011 season with a 1-0 victory in Seattle. The Galaxy are riding a 10-game unbeaten streak in league play after a scoreless draw in San Jose. Sounders FC won for the third time on the trot, defeating the New England Revolution 2-1 at home last Sunday.


DOWNLOAD: FULL GAME GUIDE

BROADCAST INFO
WATCH: ESPN2, Deportes
LISTEN: 1220 AM (Spanish), 1330 AM (Spanish)
LIVE AUDIO & WEBCHAT: lagalaxy.com/gamedaylive


HEAD-TO-HEAD

  • ALL-TIME (5 meetings): Galaxy 3 wins, 9 goals … Sounders FC 1 win, 4 goals … Ties 1
  • AT LA (2 meetings): Galaxy 1 win, 3 goals … Sounders FC 1 win, 3 goals … Ties 0
  • The teams kicked off the 2011 MLS season against each other, a long-range strike from Juninho in the 58th minute giving the Galaxy a 1-0 win on March 15 at Qwest Field.
  • The teams met four times in MLS play in 2010 – and the Galaxy won all four. The Galaxy won both meetings in regular season – including a 4-0 win May 10 at Qwest Field, the worst home defeat in Sounders FC history.
  • The Galaxy then took both games in their Western Conference Semifinal Series, winning 3-1 on aggregate.
  • Sounders FC won a quarterfinal meeting in the U.S. Open Cup, three days after the second league meeting.
  • Coaches' records: Bruce Arena vs. SEA: P5 W3 L1 D1 … Sigi Schmid vs. LA: P11 W4 L4 D3


LAST MEETING

  • 3/19: SEA 0, LA 1 (Juninho 58)
  • The game’s lone goal came after 58 minutes. Taking a pass from Todd Dunivant, Juninho strode forward and unleashed a searing blast from the left from all of 25 yards that beat Kasey Keller inside the near post. WATCH
  • SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC (4-1-3-2): Kasey Keller – James Riley, Jeff Parke, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Leo Gonzalez – Osvaldo Alonso – Alvaro Fernandez (Roger Levesque 63), Erik Friberg, Steve Zakuani (Miguel Montano 84) – Fredy Montero, O'Brian White (Lamar Neagle 79)
  • LA GALAXY (4-4-2): Josh Saunders – Sean Franklin, A.J. DeLaGarza, Leonardo, Todd Dunivant –David Beckham, Chris Birchall, Juninho, Landon Donovan – Mike Magee (Michael Stephens 76), Chad Barrett (Jovan Kirovski 79)


LA GALAXY

The LA Galaxy extended their unbeaten run to 10 games in an unexpected fashion, reaching a scoreless draw with the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday afternoon at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Galaxy have 35 points from 19 games on the season, leading the Western Conference.


LAST MATCH

  • The Galaxy finished the match with Mike Magee, a ninth-year forward, in net for the final 47 minutes while Los Angeles played a man down. The Galaxy survived after starting goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts left the match due to an fractured arm in the 24th minute and backup Josh Saunders received a straight red card in the 43rd. WATCH HIGHLIGHTS
  • Magee finished with four saves on the afternoon, with three occuring after the 80th minute -- though the Earthquakes nearly took an early lead, with Ricketts in goal, but Simon Dawkins' effort crashed off the woodwork. Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch made one save.
  • Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena made two changes to the team that rolled to a 3-1 win against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday evening at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Donovan Ricketts came in for Josh Saunders between the posts, and Gregg Berhalter replaced Sean Franklin in the back four.
  • LA GALAXY (4-4-2): Donovan Ricketts (Josh Saunders 24 [sent off 43]) - A.J. DeLaGarza, Omar Gonzalez, Gregg Berhalter, Todd Dunivant - Chris Birchall, Michael Stephens, Juninho, Mike Magee - Miguel Lopez (Sean Franklin 66), Juan Pablo Angel (Chad Barrett 84).


TEAM NEWS

  • The Galaxy extended their undefeated streak to 10 games (5-0-5) with the scoreless draw at San Jose, the longest in MLS this season.
  • “In retrospect they could have been a little more dangerous, but our two big center backs stepped up and Magee actually did all right in goal,” Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said. “We didn’t believe we were going to win the game. We thought that what we needed was to play for a tie. I think if we got a point out of this game in normal circumstances it would have been good, so we’re elated with the point.”
  • When Mike Magee donned the goalkeeper’s gloves after Donovan Ricketts was injured and Josh Saunders sent off, it marked the ninth time in MLS history a field player had taken over in goal. Magee, who made four saves, played 47 minutes between the posts – by far more than any previous occasion.
  • “I think I blacked out. I looked around after Josh Saunders got the red card, and I nominated myself. I did all right I guess,” Magee said. “Looking back I have no idea why I nominated myself. I had no idea that after halftime I would be back out on the field. Then it hit me that I was going back in goal, and that was pretty nervewracking. But Bruce gave me all the confidence I needed.”
  • Magee was officially credited with three saves and a shared shutout along with Ricketts and Saunders. It was the fifth clean sheet in the last seven league games for the Galaxy.
  • READ: Magee's debut in net gives Galaxy a confidence boost
  • “The defense played great. They knew if they let any shots come at me it wouldn’t have been too pretty,” Magee said. “Omar Gonzalez and Gregg Berhalter did an amazing job. All of the guys did really well. If anything went by it was probably a 50-50 chance that it was going in.”
  • Ricketts will be out for 4-6 weeks after undergoing surgery for a fractured left ulna. The Jamaican international was making his first start after missing three games while on CONCACAF Gold Cup duty.
  • READ:LA Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts suffers fractured left ulna
  • With Saunders suspended for the Seattle game, Brian Perk will deputize in goal. Perk played the full match in the Galaxy’s U.S. Open Cup tie on Tuesday.
  • READ:Perk prepared for LA Galaxy limelight against Sounders
  • “He doesn’t have to have an audition for Monday,” Arena said. “He got the job without auditioning. It was good for him to get a game before Seattle. It made sense to give him a game. Realistically, [the USOC game] would have been Josh’s game.”
  • On Tuesday, the Galaxy advanced to the quarterfinals of the Open Cup after a 2-1 win against the Los Angeles Blues of USL PRO at Titan Stadium in Fullerton, Calif. After Cesar Rivera staked the Blues to the lead on 62 minutes, Omar Gonzalez netted the equalizer in the 75th minute – then Magee again played the hero, scoring the game-winner in the 81st.
  • READ:Galaxy gut out another result thanks to Magee heroics
  • Here’s the Galaxy team: Brian Perk, Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, Gregg Berhalter, A.J. DeLaGarza, Bryan Jordan (Miguel Lopez 46), Michael Stephens, Jovan Kirovski (Juninho 64), Mike Magee, Chad Barrett (Adam Cristman 83), Paolo Cardozo.


INJURY REPORT: OUT: DF Sean Alvarado (R knee surgery); DF Leonardo (R knee surgery); GK Donovan Ricketts (L ulna fracture); QUESTIONABLE: MF David Beckham (back spasms); DF Frankie Hejduk (R ankle inflammation)


INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none


SUSPENDED: Josh Saunders (through July 4)


WARNINGS:SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: David Beckham | SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: Juninho


WATCH: Galaxy vs Sounders FC Match Preview






SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

Seattle Sounders raised their winning streak to three games, coming back for a 2-1 win against the New England Revolution on Sunday afternoon at CenturyLink Field. Sounders FC have 31 points from 19 games on the season, sitting in a tie for second place in the Western Conference.


LAST MATCH

  • The Revolution took a third-minute lead from a corner kick, with Benny Feilhaber rolling the ball out to the top of the box where Sainey Nyassi hit a shot that Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller got a hand to but was unable to keep out of the net.
  • Sounders FC evened terms in the 34th minute after a foul just outside the penalty area. Defender Tyson Wahl stepped and curled home a majestic left-footed free kick.
  • Then six minutes later, Alvaro Fernandez finished from inside the penalty area after some scintillating build-up play from Seattle, with Mauro Rosales and Roger Levesque earning the assists.
  • Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid made five changes to the team that defeated the New York Red Bulls 4-2 at CenturyLink Field. Jeff Parke and Tyson Wahl came into the back four for Zach Scott and Leo Gonzalez, and Lamar Neagle, Servando Carrasco and Roger Levesque also came in for Osvaldo Alonso, Mike Fucito and Fredy Montero.
  • SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC (4-4-2): Kasey Keller - James Riley, Jeff Parke (Patrick Ianni 17), Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Tyson Wahl - Lamar Neagle, Erik Friberg, Servando Carrasco, Alvaro Fernandez (Pat Noonan 69) - Mauro Rosales (Nate Jaqua 89), Roger Levesque.


TEAM NEWS

  • Given the start after his two-goal outing New York, Sounders FC fan favorite Roger Levesque set up the winning goal in Seattle’s 2-1 win against New England.
  • “When you score two goals, you go into a game with a little more confidence when you step onto the field the next time. I thought his activity level was good. He made life difficult for their center backs. He laid on some good balls. He was dangerous at times as well. He got an assist, so Roger definitely played well,” Schmid said. "He deserved to start based on his last performance and based on what he did today, he probably deserves to get out there again."
  • Wahl’s goal meant that 13 different players have scored this season for Sounders FC. Fernandez pulled into the team lead with his fourth goal.
  • "When you look over the history of the teams that I've coached, with exception of maybe one year in LA when Ruiz scored a ton of goals, it has always been spread out,” Schmid said. “I think when you get goals from different places, you're a harder team to figure out. You're a harder team to defend because you have that diversity in the attack. It's also a situation where we've scored goals this year on set pieces. The service has been better, guys are practicing them more.”
  • Mauro Rosales was given the start in attack alongside Levesque. His first 10 starts this season had come in a midfield role.
  • "I thought he did very well. We put him inside to play in the Montero role for us today. He interprets that role a little different than Fredy [Montero] does,” Schmid said. “He's very dynamic, he's very determined, and he's always exploring and trying to get behind even from that deeper position. I thought that added another dimension to our game today. He was probably our best player today."
  • With Osvaldo Alonso suspended, Servando Carrasco started in the holding role in midfield.
  • "Carrasco is a slightly different player than Ozzie. He plays the position a little bit different way, but you have a guy who's a rookie out there and he's playing against Shalrie Joseph who's one of the premier players in the league and I think he did pretty well,” Schmid said. “He held his own. He was solid in the middle. He defended well when he had to. Positionally, he was sound.”
  • Brad Evans missed a second consecutive start after making four first XI appearances in a row.
  • “He's had issues with his knee, but his knee is fine. It was a situation where he could have maybe played, but there was a risk of maybe making his hamstring injury worse if he did play,” Schmid said. “We have a window here that we could rest them a little bit and make sure that it's completely behind us and get a full week of training."


INJURY REPORT: OUT: FW O’Brian White (L leg surgery); MF Steve Zakuani (R leg fracture); PROBABLE: FW Fredy Montero (quad strain); MF Brad Evans (hamstring strain)


INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none


SUSPENDED: none


WARNINGS:SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD:Servando Carrasco, James Riley | SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Tyson Wahl


REFEREE: Ricardo Salazar. SAR (bench): Peter Manikowski; JAR (opposite): Colin Arblaster; 4th: Alejandro Mariscal
MLS Career: 134 games; FC/gm: 26.9; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 42; pens: 52