CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy have every reason to feel good about themselves heading into Sunday’s game at Sporting Kansas City (5 p.m., Children’s Mercy Park, Fox Sports 1).
The offense has scored an MLS-high 17 goals despite the absence of striker Robbie Keane, who has missed the last four matches after undergoing minor knee surgery and is on the verge of returning to the playing field. The defense also has been solid, even though holding midfielder Nigel de Jong has been unavailable because of a three-game suspension.
But the Galaxy have persevered and the players’ confidence is high entering the Western Conference clash in Kansas City.
“We’re feeling pretty good right now,” midfielder Baggio Husidic said after last weekend’s 5-2 victory over previously unbeaten Real Salt Lake. “Obviously the scoreline speaks for itself.”
The Galaxy have scored a total of nine goals in their last two matches and have been led by Giovani Dos Santos, who had missed almost four games after suffering a leg injury in the first half of the regular-season opener on March 6. He has three goals and two assists in his last two games.
“I think everyone is sort of getting the feel for each other’s strengths,” goalkeeper Brian Rowe said. “I think we’re really starting to jell right now. We’re moving the ball well, we’re breaking teams down, we’re showing a good dynamic at forward as well.”
Defender A.J. DeLaGarza, however, took a more cautious approach to the early-season surge.
“We’ve put in two good performances, but we can’t get carried away with ourselves,” he said. “There’s always work to be done.”
That work will continue in Kansas City, where the Galaxy (4-1-2, tied for third in the Western Conference with Real Salt Lake and San Jose) haven’t won since 2007 and face a Sporting Kansas City side (4-4-1, sixth in the West) that has not been in the best form lately. Sporting KC is 0-3-1 in the last four games, including a 1-1 tie at Vancouver, and is playing its first home game since a 2-1 loss to Colorado on April 13.
Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, however, isn’t fooled by his opponent’s recent struggles.
“They’re a very good team,” he said. “A team I think will contend for an MLS Cup this year. (Dom) Dwyer (who has a team-leading four goals) certainly is a very good forward, (Graham) Zusi and (Brad) Davis in the wide areas are very good, (Benny) Feilhaber and (Roger) Espinosa are excellent midfielders.
“They have a good team.”
Gyasi Zardes, who leads the Galaxy with four goals, has been impressed with how his team has adapted to injuries and suspensions and believes the best is yet to come.
“If all of our players are healthy, we’ll have an amazing team that could go very far,” he said. “The depth in this roster is crazy. We have players that can start that are in the reserves.
“It’s crazy.”
CHILDREN'S MERCY PARK, Kansas City, Kansas
MAY 1, 2016 (WEEK 9, MLS GAME #85)
5 pm PT (FS1, MLS LIVE)
It’s a meeting of the clubs which have won four of the last five MLS Cups when Sporting Kansas City entertain the LA Galaxy on Sunday evening at Children’s Mercy Park. Sporting return home after putting an end to a three-game losing slide at midweek, in their 1-1 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The Galaxy will be looking to transport some of their scintillating home form, having scored nine goals in their last two games, both at StubHub Center, coming off a 5-2 win over previously undefeated Real Salt Lake to extend their unbeaten run to five games.
- Sporting were shut out at the attacking end for the first time this season in their 1-0 loss at the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday afternoon. Four teams have still scored in every game this season through Week 8 – Orlando City, San Jose, Portland and Real Salt Lake.
- Giovani dos Santos scored his third goal in the last two matches as the Galaxy exploded for a 5-2 win against previously undefeated Real Salt Lake on Saturday evening at StubHub Center. The Galaxy have scored nine goals in their last two games; dos Santos has three goals and two assists. It was the third time this season the Galaxy have hit for four or more goals in a game.
- The teams met twice a year ago, each winning by a 2-1 scoreline on their home ground, the Galaxy victorious April 18 at StubHub Center, and Sporting winning Oct. 25 in KC.
- The Galaxy have not won in Kansas City since 2007; Sporting have won four of their seven home games since, with three draws. Sporting’s last win against the Galaxy in Carson came in 2010 – the last victory by the visiting in the series; the Galaxy have won their last three home meetings with KC.
REFEREE: Chris Penso. AR1 (bench): Corey Parker; AR2 (opposite): Brian Dunn; 4th: Caleb Mendez
MLS Career: 82 games; FC/gm: 23.9; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 27; pens: 30
SUSPENDED: LA: Nigel de Jong (through May 1)
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: LA: Jelle Van Damme
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: LA: Daniel Steres
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (55 meetings): Sporting 20 wins (2 shootout), 66 goals … Galaxy 24 wins (0 shootout), 84 goals … Ties 11
AT KANSAS CITY (28 meetings): Sporting 15 wins (1 shootout), 40 goals … Galaxy 8 wins (0 shootout), 36 goals … Ties 5
FUTURE MATCHES: 6/2: LA Galaxy vs. Sporting Kansas City, 7:30 p.m. PT; 9/18: Sporting Kansas City vs. LA Galaxy, 12 noon (ESPN1)
LAST YEAR
4/18: LA 2, KC 1 (Husidic 9; Gonzalez 94+ -- Nemeth 22)
10/25: KC 2, LA 1 (Ellis 38; Dwyer 65 – Keane 46+)
- The teams met twice a year ago, each winning by a 2-1 scoreline on their home ground, the Galaxy victorious April 18 at StubHub Center, and Sporting winning Oct. 25 in KC.
- The Galaxy have not won in Kansas City since 2007; Sporting have won four of their seven home games since, with three draws. Sporting’s last win against the Galaxy in Carson came in 2010 – the last victory by the visiting in the series; the Galaxy have won their last three home meetings with KC.
- Coaches record: Peter Vermes vs. LA: P9 W4 L3 D2… Bruce Arena vs. KC: P25 W8 L11 D6
