CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy have always taken pride in meeting challenges, and they certainly have one this week.
The five-time MLS Cup champions are in the middle of a busy week in which they play three games, including Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal against FC Dallas at StubHub Center (7 p.m., ESPN2). The Galaxy rallied for a thrilling 2-2 tie against the New York Red Bulls on Sunday and finish their daunting stretch of games on Saturday against Colorado.
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Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena is an old hand at coping with busy schedules and knows what to expect.
“We’ve prepared for this a while ago,” he said. “You kind of have an understanding of what you’re going to do, then every day and every hour you make an adjustment to it. That’s the way it is for every game, even if you’re playing one game a week.”
But this week it’s three. Midfielder Jeff Larentowicz, who is one of just two players on this Galaxy squad to have an Open Cup title (2007 as a member of the New England Revolution and Alan Gordon in 2005 as a member of the LA Galaxy), said it’s nothing new.
“It seems to happen every year,” he said. “Your schedule gets kind of jumbled. For us right now it’s three of the best teams in the league in the same week, and they’re all important games.
“It is tough, but this is why you play. You have to get yourself prepared. We’ve talked about the depth on our team, and now it’s time to show.”
Midfielder Baggio Husidic, who has made just 11 starts this season and figures to be among the Galaxy’s busiest players this week, said it’s all about taking advantage of a chance to get on the field.
“Obviously it’s a great opportunity for me personally and some of the guys that don’t get that much playing time,” he said.
Wednesday’s game marks the Galaxy’s first appearance in the Cup semifinals since the 2006 season, when they defeated Houston but lost to the Chicago Fire in the final. The Galaxy haven’t won the Cup since 2005. They also won it in 2001 but lost in the final the following year.
Dallas defeated D.C. United on penalties in the 1997 final when it was known as the Dallas Burn and lost two other times in the final (2005 and 2007).
The Galaxy have won their last two Cup meetings with Dallas – 1-0 in the 2005 final and 4-1 in the 2002 semifinal -- and have won an impressive 17 consecutive U.S. Open Cup matches at home. Their last home defeat in Cup competition was in the 2000 semifinals to the Chicago Fire in extra time. The Galaxy also are 19-2-0 all-time at home in Cup matches.
Galaxy players are expecting nothing but a difficult test from FC Dallas, which recently lost dangerous midfielder Fabian Castillo to Turkish side Trabzonspor in a controversial transfer.
“They’re full of great, young players who are fast and quick,” the Galaxy’s Mike Magee said. “I don’t see them losing much.”
LA GALAXY vs. FC DALLAS
STUBHUB CENTER, Carson, Calif.
August 10, 2016 (U.S. Open Cup)
10 pm ET (ESPN2 in the US, MLS LIVE in Canada)
Two of the top dogs in the Western Conference will meet with a chance to advance to the US Open Cup final when FC Dallas visit the LA Galaxy on Wednesday night. The two sides are meeting for the first time in any competition in 2016, and the stakes and intensity will be high as LA attempt to close in on their third Open Cup title while Dallas look for their second. There should be plenty of talent on display here as well, as the likes of Giovani Dos Santos and Mauro Diaz could feature for their respective sides.
Skill For Days
While there is no guarantee as to who will start or play in this match, it seems likely that both the LA Galaxy and FC Dallas will field strong teams given what is up for grabs. That means that we could see several of the more skilled and experienced players going at it in a pressure-packed game, which should make for an entertaining affair that could resemble a playoff match.
The midfield battle will be particularly interesting to watch, especially if the two clubs go with largely first-choice players. LA boast a well-seasoned combination of flair and industry in the center of the field with the likes of Steven Gerrard and Nigel de Jong, but Dallas also have talent with players such as string-puller Diaz, promising young American Kellyn Acosta, and Ecuadorian international Carlos Gruezo.
This match also marks the first of three meetings between now and October for the Galaxy and FC Dallas, and should provide a glimpse of what we can expect later this year when they face off twice in MLS regular season play during the final month of the regular season.
Closing in on a Goal
FC Dallas have been one of the stronger teams in MLS since Oscar Pareja took over as head coach and implemented a philosophy of fielding younger players. Still, as talented as they are, Dallas have yet to win hardware under Pareja, whose desire to win trophies has remained unfulfilled.
After coming so very close to winning the Supporters' Shield last season, missing out due to goal difference, both Pareja and his squad will want to make the most of this opportunity. They know from experience how tough it is to be on the verge of winning something of importance only to lose out late, and will not want to repeat that with a place in the finals on the line.
For Dallas, the challenge is to play to their potential. The club has won narrowly in each of its three games in the tournament thus far, including last month's quarterfinals victory over the Houston Dynamo, and will now have to make due without dynamic winger Fabian Castillo, who scored the decisive goal against Houston but is on loan in Turkey as of last week.
On a Roll
As far as the Open Cup goes, the Galaxy have been one of the more impressive sides. They won their first game vs. amateur underdogs La Maquina FC, 4-1, and then took care of business against the defending MLS Cup champion Portland Timbers with a 1-0 victory before handing the Seattle Sounders a 4-2 defeat in the quarterfinals in July.
LA's star-studded squad has gotten contributions from a number of players, including Golden Boot runner-up Sebastian Lletget (four goals), and that only bodes well for Bruce Arena's side as it plays inside the friendly confines of StubHub Center. There, the Galaxy have yet to lose this season, going 6-0-5 in MLS play and 2-0 in Open Cup games.
Throw in the fact that dos Santos, Robbie Keane, Jelle Van Damme, and Ashley Cole could all feature at home, and LA seem like a tough task for any team to handle.
