CARSON, Calif. – There continues to be good news and bad news for the LA Galaxy.
The good news: Midfielder Steven Gerrard will be available for Friday’s game in Houston (4 p.m., BBVAA Compass Stadium, Univision, UniMas) after he missed the previous two games with a left calf injury. Defender A.J. DeLaGarza, who has been out with a sore left foot, returned to full training this week and also could play. Center back Leonardo, who has been recovering from knee surgery, also was training again.
Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy, limited to just one appearance – the regular-season opener against D.C. United – because of a partial groin tear, is a possibility for the Dynamo match as well. Giovani Dos Santos, who had been out since the opener because of a leg injury, played 64 minutes in last weekend’s 1-1 tie with Portland and appears ready for an even longer stint in Houston.
But so much for good news. Striker Robbie Keane remains out after recent knee surgery and the status of right back Robbie Rogers is unclear after he suffered a hip contusion against Portland. And midfielder Nigel DeJong will likely be suspended for his controversial tackle on the Timbers’ Darlington Nagbe last Sunday.
Galaxy (2-1-2) coach Bruce Arena said he has grown accustomed to not having his full resources at his disposal this season.
“It’s all part of it,” he said. “You gotta hang in there with it. What are you going to do? The nice part is after so many years you understand it. You can’t change anything. I think what happens is like in another two weeks all of a sudden we’re going to have too many players available. Then you go into that cycle, then something else will happen along the way.
“You look everywhere, not only our sport but other sports. It’s the same thing; these things happen. There’s nothing you can do about it. I’d rather have it happen now than at the end of the year.”
His players don’t appear to be worried about the rash of injuries, either.
“For me personally,” Mike Magee said, “I think it’s too early to be frustrated. Obviously we miss these guys a lot. This last game was pretty evident if we had Robbie Keane in the game we would have been a completely different team.
“We’re only five games in, so getting these guys right and ready for the long haul is more important. I know what we’re capable of. I haven’t started panicking or thinking about that stuff yet.”
Added Sebastian Lletget, “Early on we’ve had some crucial injuries, but we’re not doing badly. We’re definitely staying afloat. It’s a long season and we’ll be all right.”
The Galaxy will be facing a Houston (1-2-2) side that has scored a league-high 12 goals and is coming off a 1-1 with Seattle that ended a two-game winless spell. Will Bruin leads Houston with three goals.
The teams split their three-game series a year ago, with the Galaxy’s 1-0 victory on May 22 at StubHub Center snapping a five-game winless run in the series.
“They’re a good team,” Arena said of the Dynamo. “They’re dangerous.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO vs. LA GALAXY
BBVA COMPASS STADIUM, Houston, Texas
APRIL 15, 2016 (WEEK 7, MLS GAME #56)
4 pm PT (UniMás)
MLS Cup opponents three times in the last seven years, the Houston Dynamo and LA Galaxy renew their rivalry when the Western Conference foes face off at BBVA Compass Stadium on Viernes de Fútbol. The Dynamo saw their winless run extended in cruel fashion at home last weekend, Seattle Sounders FC hitting for a late, late equalizer in a 1-1 draw. The Galaxy were able to come away with a point from their match at StubHub Center, getting a late own goal for a 1-1 draw with the defending MLS Cup champion Portland Timbers.
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The Dynamo snapped a two-game losing slide on Sunday but saw victory snatched away at the death, as the Seattle Sounders hit for the equalizer with the final kick of the game to leave the teams in a 1-1 draw at BBVA Compass Stadium.
- The Galaxy extended their undefeated run to three games with a second consecutive draw, reaching a 1-1 result with the Portland Timbers on Sunday evening at StubHub Center, thanks to late own goal.
- The teams evenly split their three meetings last season. The Galaxy won 1-0 at StubHub Center on May 22, the Dynamo won 3-0 on July 25 at BBVA Compass Stadium; the teams also reached a 1-1 draw March 21 in Carson.
- The May 22 win at StubHub Center was the Galaxy’s first league victory against the Dynamo since May 25, 2011, a 1-0 win in Carson, ending a five-game league winless run in the series. The Dynamo had won four consecutive league meetings between the teams before the draw last year.
- The teams met in three championship games over a four-year period, including two MLS Cup finals, with the Galaxy winning all three, the Western Conference final in 2009 and MLS Cups in 2011 and 2012, all in Carson.
REFEREE: Mark Geiger. AR1 (bench): Matthew Nelson; AR2 (opposite): Logan Brown; 4th: Nima Saghafi
Geiger MLS Career: 150 games; FC/gm: 26.6; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 35; pens: 47
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: LA: Jelle Van Damme
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (21 meetings): Dynamo 9 wins, 25 goals … Galaxy 7 wins, 20 goals … Ties 5
AT HOUSTON (11 meetings): Dynamo 6 wins, 15 goals … Galaxy 3 wins, 8 goals … Ties 2
RETURN MATCHES: 7/15: LA Galaxy vs. Houston Dynamo, 11 p.m. PT (UNI); 10/16: Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy, 6 p.m. CT
LAST YEAR (MLS):
3/21: LA 0, HOU 0
5/22: LA 1, HOU 0 (Gordon 91+)
7/25: HOU 3, LA 0 (Bruin 9, Davis 27, Miranda 88)
- The teams evenly split their three meetings last season. The Galaxy won 1-0 at StubHub Center on May 22, the Dynamo won 3-0 on July 25 at BBVA Compass Stadium; the teams also reached a 1-1 draw March 21 in Carson.
- The May 22 win at StubHub Center was the Galaxy’s first league victory against the Dynamo since May 25, 2011, a 1-0 win in Carson, ending a five-game league winless run in the series. The Dynamo had won four consecutive league meetings between the teams before the draw last year.
COACHES' RECORDS:
Owen Coyle vs. LA: P3 W1 L1 D1
Bruce Arena vs. HOU: P15 W6 L7 D2
