CARSON, Calif. – It was just like old times for the LA Galaxy’s Brian Rowe at training Friday.
The former UCLA standout and five-year veteran was diving for loose balls, reaching high to grab crosses and looking like the goalkeeper who has compiled six shutouts and a 0.95 goals-against average this season. But these last two weeks have been anything but routine for Rowe, who has missed most of the last three matches while recovering from a head wound suffered on Aug. 13 against Colorado.
Clement Diop has started the last two matches in his place, but the 27-year-old Rowe said he feels ready to return to the field, perhaps as early as Saturday at StubHub Center against the Vancouver Whitecaps (7:30 p.m., Time Warner Cable Sportsnet, Time Warner Cable Deportes).
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“I feel great. I had a good week of training here with Galaxy II and I got some good sessions in,” said Rowe, who donned protective headgear ala Petr Cech of Arsenal in the English Premier League and on Friday worked out with the first team for the first time since the incident. “I’m still working with the medical staff and making sure everything’s good.
“I’ll be ready when I need to be.”
Rowe, who said the gash in his head required nine staples to close, considers himself fortunate he wasn’t hurt more seriously. He admitted he still isn’t sure if he was knocked unconscious on the play, but he did say he “was definitely out of it” as he was helped off the field that night.
He then went through the league’s various concussion protocols, from riding a bike to light exercise and various memory/recall tests on a computer, something Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena considered critical in his recovery.
“I think in this day and age, concussions are a big issue and it’s important we do it right,” he said. “For a goalkeeper to have protective headgear is clearly appropriate.”
Rowe did not travel with the team on its recent trip to New York and Chicago and said it was difficult controlling his anxiety to return to the field as soon as possible.
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“Injuries are always a player’s worst nightmare, in any sport,” he said. “It’s one of those where the team goes on a road trip and you have to stay home. It’s a good team-bonding experience, a time to get to know your teammates better. It was tough missing the trip, but I was able to get some good work in back here.
“You’re always chomping to get back in.”
He could get that opportunity against a Vancouver (8-12-6, 30 points) side that has been struggling of late in the regular season. But the Whitecaps did beat Sporting Kansas City 3-0 in a CONCACAF Champions League match on Tuesday.
This will mark the third meeting between the teams this season, with the clubs playing to a scoreless draw on April 2 in Vancouver and the Galaxy (9-4-12, 40 points) winning 2-0 on July 4 at StubHub Center.
Vancouver is led by Pedro Morales, who has six goals (including three-game winners) and six assists. But the Whitecaps, who are winless in their last six league games (0-4-2), will be missing Kekuta Manneh (foot surgery) and Christian Bolanos (suspension), who have combined for 10 goals.
The status of the Galaxy’s Robbie Keane remains unclear after he suffered an unspecified “knock” during training in Chicago, but the Galaxy’s Steven Gerrard said the team must reverse its recent fortunes, even if the Irish international can’t play this weekend.
“It’s important that a win comes very soon,” he said of the Galaxy, who are 0-1-4 in their last five games and haven’t won since a 2-1 decision in Portland on July 23. “We just need the maximum points to put us in a nice position in the league to push on.”
LA GALAXY vs. VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
StubHub Center | Carson, Calif.
Saturday, August 27 | Week #25 | MLS Game #262
7:30 pm PT (MLS LIVE; TSN1/4/5, RDS in Canada | TWCSN-LA)
A key contest in the MLS Cup Playoffs race is ahead when the LA Galaxy and Vancouver Whitecaps FC meet for a third time this season in a Western Conference clash Saturday evening at StubHub Center. The Galaxy return home after their current winless run was extended to five games in a 2-2 draw at the Chicago Fire, now sitting in fourth place in the West standings. Whitecaps FC have lost four games in a row in league play following their 2-0 MLS defeat at Sporting Kansas City last time out, sitting in ninth place in the conference table, just two points below the red line.
- The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Robbie Keane and Jeff Larentowicz netted goals as the Galaxy claimed a 2-0 victory July 4 at StubHub Center; they reached a scoreless draw April 2 at BC Place.
- The Galaxy win in the last meeting ended a three-game Whitecaps FC undefeated streak in the series, after winning both league meetings between the teams in 2015. The Galaxy were 9-1-2 vs. Vancouver over the first 12 meetings between the teams, before last season.
- The Whitecaps FC win in the second meeting a year ago, on June 6, was their first ever vs. the Galaxy in Carson. The Galaxy had won the first six regular season home meetings with Whitecaps FC, outscoring them 13-1; they also took a victory there in the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs, a 2-1 win in the Knockout Round.
- Whitecaps FC return to league play in the Galaxy match with four consecutive losses in MLS matches, their winless streak now at six league games following the 2-0 loss at Sporting Kansas City on Saturday evening, which precedes their CONCACAF Champions League encounter three nights later at BC Place.
REFEREE: Alan Kelly. AR1 (bench): Anthony Vasoli; AR2 (opposite): Jeremy Hanson; 4th: Baldomero Toledo
MLS Career: 51 games; FC/gm: 25.8; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 12; pens: 22
SUSPENDED: VAN: Christian Bolanos (through Aug. 28)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: LA: Jelle Van Damme … VAN: Kendall Waston
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: LA: A.J. DeLaGarza … VAN: Blas Perez, Andrew Jacobson
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (15 meetings): Galaxy 9 wins, 25 goals … Whitecaps FC 3 wins, 11 goals … Ties 3
AT LA (8 meetings): Galaxy 7 wins, 15 goals … Whitecaps FC 1 win, 2 goals … Ties 0
2016 (MLS):
4/2: VAN 0, LA 0
7/4: LA 2, VAN 0 (Keane 12; Larentowicz 47)
- The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Robbie Keane and Jeff Larentowicz netted goals as the Galaxy claimed a 2-0 victory July 4 at StubHub Center; they reached a scoreless draw April 2 at BC Place.
- The Galaxy win in the last meeting ended a three-game Whitecaps FC undefeated streak in the series, after winning both league meetings between the teams in 2015. The Galaxy were 9-1-2 vs. Vancouver over the first 12 meetings between the teams, before last season.
- The Whitecaps FC win in the second meeting a year ago, on June 6, was their first ever vs. the Galaxy in Carson. The Galaxy had won the first six regular season home meetings with Whitecaps FC, outscoring them 13-1; they also took a victory there in the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs, a 2-1 win in the Knockout Round.
- Coaches record: Bruce Arena vs. VAN: P15 W9 L3 T3 … Carl Robinson vs. LA: P7 W2 L3 T2
LAST MEETING:
- The Galaxy took the lead 12 minutes into the match through a stunning goal from Robbie Keane. Collecting a pass from Steven Gerrard, Keane turned and ran at the Whitecaps backline before curling a masterful shot from outside the box inside the right post.
- The Galaxy's second goal came just after the halftime break when Jeff Larentowicz headed home a Gerrard corner kick from right at the edge of the six-yard box.
- LA went down to 10 men after Nigel De Jong was sent off with 16 minutes left for a studs-up tackle on Blas Perez, but the 'Caps could not break through.
- LA GALAXY (4-2-3-1): Brian Rowe - A.J. DeLaGarza, Daniel Steres, Leonardo, David Romney - Nigel de Jong (ejected 74), Jeff Larentowicz - Giovani dos Santos (Mike Magee 90), Steven Gerrard (Alan Gordon 85), Gyasi Zardes - Robbie Keane (Baggio Husidic 77).
- VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC (4-4-1-1): David Ousted - Jordan Smith, Kendall Waston, Tim Parker, Jordan Harvey - Christian Bolanos, Matias Laba (Kianz Froese 81), Andrew Jacobson, Pedro Morales - Nicolas Mezquida (Blas Perez 67) - Erik Hurtado (Cristian Techera 71).
