LA Galaxy Communications

LA Galaxy Starting XI

Brian Rowe; A.J. DeLaGarza, Daniel Steres, Jelle Van Damme, Ashley Cole; Baggio Husidic, Steven Gerrard; Mike Magee, Giovani dos Santos, Sebastian Lletget; Gyasi Zardes.

Subs

Dan Kennedy, Dave Romney, Rafael Garcia, Jeff Larentowicz, Emmanuel Boateng, Ariel Lassiter, Alan Gordon.

Lineup Notes

Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena makes two changes to the starting XI from last weekend’s match against Portland as A.J. DeLaGarza and Steven Gerrard start in place of Robbie Rogers and Nigel de Jong.
Goalkeeper Brian Rowe gets the start in net after being rowe-ly, rowe-ly good to start the season. Since filling in for Dan Kennedy in the opening match of the season, the GK has appeared in each game this year, allowing just three goals in his five appearances. Rowe also holds the third best Goals Allowed Average in MLS at 0.63 goals per game.
A.J. DeLaGarza gets the start at right back, making his first start since March 12 at Colorado. The two-time LA Galaxy defender of the year is the most tenured LA player on the roster, making 182 appearances for the Galaxy since 2009.
Solid defender Daniel Steres will continue the Starting XI, making his sixth-straight start to kick off the MLS season. The former LA Galaxy II captain has become a constant in the back this year after featuring for Los Dos during the previous two seasons. The two-time LA Galaxy II Defender of the Year made his MLS debut in the opening match of the season.
Belgian defender Jelle Van Damme will make his fifth-straight start in central defense for LA. Van Damme has been a stud in the backline since joining the club this offseason, helping the Galaxy give up just three goals in the four matches he has played.
Legendary English defender Ashley Cole is set to make his fifth MLS start Friday night against Houston. Cole has been one of the top defenders in Major League Soccer since arriving to LA earlier this year.
In midfield, steady veteran, leaf-eating midfielder Baggio Husidic will make his third-straight start when the Galaxy take on Houston Friday night. Husidic has been a solid midfielder for the Galaxy over the past three seasons, making 63 MLS appearances since 2014, including appearances in every MLS match – regular season and playoffs – during the club’s 2014 MLS Cup run.
English midfielder Steven Gerrard gets the start after missing two full matches with a calf injury that he sustained in the team’s March 19 match vs. Houston. Gerrard returned to full training earlier this week, and is set to make his 17^th MLS start.
Out wide, Mike Magee gets the nod. The 2013 MLS MVP rejoined the Galaxy this offseason and has been a stud for the Galaxy since his return, scoring two goals and adding two assists to start the season.
Mexican star Giovani dos Santos will make his second-straight start for the Galaxy. Prior to last weekend, the Galaxy forward missed each match since the 2016 opener against D.C. United. Dos Santos has scored three goals and added five assists in MLS play since joining LA late last season.
On Da’ outside, Da’ Boy Sebastian Lletget once again gets the nod, making his sixth-start start of the 2016 season. Da’ Boy has been a consistent part of the Galaxy’s offense since last season, scoring seven goals and adding three assists.
Up top, Hawthorne-product Gyasi Zardes leads the attack in his fifth start of the season. With 93 MLS appearances for the club since 2013, the LA Galaxy Homegrown Player has knocked in 28 goals and added 10 assists.

Game Notes

All time, the Galaxy are 7-9-5 against Houston, including 3-6-2 in road games.
In their last matchup, the Galaxy fell to the Dynamo, 3-0, at BBVA Compass Stadium in 2015.
The match Friday marks the first of three contests this year, with the teams set to face again on Friday, July 15, and on Sunday, Oct. 16.
This year on the road, the Galaxy are 0-1-1, conceding just one goal in their previous two road matches.
The Galaxy have yet to allow two goals in the same match this season.
In 2016, Dynamo are undefeated at home and Galaxy are winless on the road.
Last season, the two sides split the proceeds going 1-1-1 against each other.

Storylines

Can the Galaxy find their first road win of the year?
How will Steven Gerrard fare in his first game back from a calf injury?
Will the Galaxy defense continue their strong form?
How will the Galaxy fare in the humidity of Houston at BBVA Compass Stadium?

Quick hits

Quotable

Bruce Arena:

“It’s all part of it. 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.

Mike Magee:

“For me personally. 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.”

LA Galaxy Communications -

@LAGalaxy

Starting XI: LA Galaxy at Houston Dynamo | April 15, 2016