CARSON, Calif. – LA Galaxy Insider Adam Serrano provides his "Three Points" to the Galaxy taking away three points from tonight's match vs the Colorado Rapids.
HIGH INTENSITY KEY AGAINST DESPERATE RAPIDS
On Friday, the LA Galaxy will play their first match after a 13-day break and face a desperate Rapids side eager to keep their slim playoff dreams alive.
READ: Pregame Notes
Mired in seventh place in the Western Conference, Colorado has dropped their last seven matches on the road, but arrives at The Home Depot Center following an impressive 3-0 victory over the Portland Timbers on September 5th. Although the Rapids are eager to keep their hopes of the postseason alive, this is a game that the Galaxy must win in order to continue their climb up the Western Conference table.
For the Galaxy to get a win—which would put them level on points with third place Real Salt Lake—a fast start is vital as they look to see off a Colorado side that is running out of time.
SLOW DOWN CASTRILLIÓN
At the forefront of the LA Galaxy’s game plan for Friday’s match will be shutting down Colombian midfielder Jaime Castrillón.
A dangerous attacker on the right side of the midfield, Castrillón currently leads the Rapids in scoring with seven goals and two assists this year. With midfielder David Beckham still questionable due to a left ankle strain, the task of shutting down Castrillón will likely fall to the Galaxy’s Brazilian duo of Marcelo Sarvas and Juninho.
READ: Juninho, Sarvas continuing to impress in LA midfield
Expect the Brazilian midfielders as well as LA’s left back Todd Dunivant to press the Colombian from the start to prevent him from creating scoring chances for Colorado.
WHAT ROLE WILL DONOVAN PLAY?
After missing the last four games due to a left hamstring strain, LA Galaxy captain Landon Donovan has deemed himself ready to play in Friday’s match against the Colorado Rapids. But just what role that he will play on Friday remains to be seen.
READ: Galaxy captain Landon Donovan on the final stretch: "We want to keep climbing"
The Galaxy captain looked dynamic in a stellar 33 minute stint with LA’s reserves on Monday, scoring a goal and adding an assist in his first nine minutes on the field. Should Donovan be deemed ready to start, he’d resume his partnership up top with Robbie Keane, who has scored in his last five appearances and is returning from a successful international appearance with Ireland.
READ: Keane returns from successful international stint ready to contribute on Friday
If Donovan is unable to start, expect him to be on the substitute’s bench with Mike Magee or Jose Villarreal starting alongside Keane.
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com
