Starting XI: LA Galaxy vs. Columbus Crew | September 3, 2016

starting xi 9.3
LAGalaxy.com

LA Galaxy Starting XI


Brian Rowe; Robbie Rogers, Daniel Steres, A.J. DeLaGarza ©, Ashley Cole; Raul Mendiola, Jeff Larentowicz, Sebastian Lletget, Emmanuel Boateng; Giovani dos Santos, Mike Magee 


Substitutions 


Dan Kennedy, Dave Romney, Leonardo, Rafael Garcia, Baggio Husidic, Alan Gordon, Ariel Lassiter.


Lineup Notes


  • LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena will again once against shuffle his lineup to account for injuries and call ups as four changes are featured from last weekend’s game: A.J. DeLaGarza, Raul Mendiola, Jeff Larentowicz and Mike Magee start in place of Jelle Van Damme, Nigel de Jong, Steven Gerrard and Gyasi Zardes.
  • Bruce Arena enters the match with a 199-119-86 record all time as an MLS coach. With a win Saturday night at StubHub Center, Arena would become just the second coach in MLS history with 200 wins, joining former Sounders coach Sigi Schmid.
  • LA Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Rowe makes his second-straight start after missing time due to a head injury. Rowe has been one of the top ‘keepers in MLS this year and is one of just four player with a GAA under 1.00 in MLS.
  • On the right, Robbie Rogers makes his second-straight start after returning to MLS action last week following a two-month absence due to ankle surgery. After making the move to defense full-time with a start against Chivas USA on June 8, 2014, the Galaxy have gone 28-11-19 in all MLS competitions in which Rogers has appeared, including MLS Cup Playoffs and the 2014 MLS Cup Final.
  • In the center of defense, the versatile A.J. DeLaGarza slides inside to make his 20th start of the season and his 200th MLS appearance overall. No other player on the Galaxy roster has made more appearances for LA than DeLaGarza.
  • Alongside DeLaGarza is defender Daniel Steres, who has had a breakout season in MLS. Steres signed with LA from LA Galaxy II this offseason and has become one of the Galaxy’s most dependable players.
  • On the left, Ashley Cole again gets the start. Cole has made 18 starts this year since joining the Galaxy from AS Roma; he is one of the top left backs in MLS.
  • On the right, LA Galaxy Homegrown Player Raul Mendiola makes his first-ever MLS start and his fourth appearance in MLS overall. Mendiola featured heavily in the U.S. Open Cup this year and was arguably the best player on the field when his goal gave the Galaxy a 1-0 win in Portland in the Round of 16. Last year, Mendiola led USL in assists.
  • In the center of the pitch, veteran midfielder Jeff Larentowicz makes his 12th start of the year and the 303rd MLS start of his career. Big Red has been a stud since signing with the Galaxy this offseason as a free agent.
  • Alongside Larentowicz in the center of the field, midfielder Sebastian Lletget makes the start. On the year, Lletget has 24 appearances. In his Galaxy career, he has tallied eight goals and six assists since joining last year.
  • On the left, the speedster Emmanuel Boateng makes his third-straight start. Boateng has tallied a goal and three assists on the year. Tomorrow night, he will be the fastest player on the field.
  • Pulling the strings on offense, the charming and handsome Mexican international Giovani dos Santos makes the start. This year, he has tallied nine goals and eight assists. Only he and 2015 MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco have 9 or more goals and 8 or more assists on the year.
  • Up top, the lovable Mike Magee makes the start and will captain the side. Magee, who celebrated his 32nd birthday Friday, has recorded six goals and four assists this year.


Additional notes


  • Robbie Keane will miss the match after returning late in the week from his final match with the Republic of Ireland.
  • The Galaxy will be without Steven Gerrard (hamstring), Jelle Van Damme (MCL) and Gyasi Zardes (foot) Saturday.


Game Notes


  • The Galaxy’s +14 goal differential this year is the best in MLS and their 26 goals allowed are second-fewest in MLS.
  • Bruce Arena has 199 wins heading into Saturday’s game, one away from becoming only the second MLS head coach to reach 200 wins.
  • In their last seven MLS matches at StubHub Center, the Galaxy have allowed just three goals.
  • This season, the Galaxy are 6-0-7 at StubHub Center, scoring 24 goals while allowing just 11.
  • The Galaxy have a four-game home undefeated streak alive vs. Columbus dating back to 2007, with two wins and two draws in that time.
  • The Galaxy have been one of the most successful MLS teams at home during the last four seasons, scoring 141 total goals at StubHub Center, the most of any team.
  • The Galaxy’s home MLS record throughout the last four seasons is 40-5-18, with 141 goals for and just 47 against.
  • Since 2014, the Galaxy have only lost five of their previous 63 MLS games at StubHub Center.


Storylines


  • Can the Galaxy snap a six-game MLS winless streak Saturday against Columbus?
  • How will the Galaxy respond to the loss of several key players?
  • What will Raul Mendiola do in his first MLS start?
  • How will the central defender pairing of DeLaGarza and Steres look?
  • What will a central midfield pairing of Larentowicz/Lletget yield?
  • What would Joe Tutino, Cobi Jones, Kelli Tennant, Chris McGee and Landon Donovan look like bald?


Quick hits


LAGalaxy.com -
@LAGalaxy