LA Galaxy Starting XI
Brian Rowe; Robbie Rogers, Leonardo, Daniel Steres, Ashley Cole; Baggio Husidic, Sebastian Lletget, Jeff Larentowicz, Emmanuel Boateng; Giovani dos Santos; Alan Gordon ©
Substitutions
Dan Kennedy, Dave Romney, A.J. DeLaGarza, Rafael Garcia, Raul Mendiola, Mike Magee, Ariel Lassiter.
Lineup Notes
- LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena will again once again shuffle his lineup to account for injuries and three games in a week’s time as he makes he changes to the starting XI from Saturday’s win over Columbus: Leonardo, Baggio Husidic and Alan Gordon start in place of A.J. DeLaGarza, Raul Mendiola and Mike Magee.
- LA Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Rowe will make his 25th appearance of the season. Rowe has been a beast this year, recording seven shutouts and a .89 GAA. Rowe previously had played a high of just seven games in a single-season before solidifying his spot in net this year.
- On the right, Robbie Rogers makes his third-straight start since returning from ankle surgery in what will be his 50th start for the club. After making the move to defense full-time with a start against Chivas USA on June 8, 2014, the Galaxy have gone 29-11-19 in all MLS competitions in which Rogers has appeared, including MLS Cup Playoffs and the 2014 MLS Cup Final.
- In the center of the defense, the big, bald, Brazilian Leonardo makes the start, his fourth of the year. Leonardo has been a reliable defender for LA since 2010, earning LA Galaxy Defensive Player of the Year in 2015.
- Next to Leonardo is Daniel Steres, who signed with the Galaxy this offseason from LA Galaxy II and hasn’t looked back. Steres was Los Dos’ two-time defender of the year before joining. This year, he has appeared in all but one MLS match for LA.
- On the left, the veteran Englishman Ashley Cole again gets the start. Cole has been one of MLS’ most consistent left backs since joining this offseason from A.C. Milan.
- On the right side of the midfield, steady leaf-eating midfielder Baggio Husidic will start. Husidic does all the little things right and has been a contributor for the Galaxy since joining in 2014.
- In the center of the pitch, the Galaxy’s lone ginger Jeff Larentowicz makes the start. Larentowicz signed with the Galaxy this offseason and has helped lock down the center of the pitch for LA.
- Alongside Larentowicz is Da’ Boy Sebastian Lletget, who slides inside to play in a central role for the second-straight match. Lletget impressed in LA’s 2-0 win over Columbus, earning MLS Team of the Week honors.
- Out wide on the left, he’s small, but he’s fast: Emmanuel Boateng makes his fourth-straight start for LA, the longest string of starts for the Ghanaian this season. Boateng will be the fastest player on the field Wednesday.
- Pulling the strings on offense, the undeniably charming Giovani dos Santos makes the start. This season, Dos Santos has tallied 10 goals and 8 assists. Only he and 2015 MLS MVP Sebastian Giovinco have 10 or more goals and 8 or more assists on the year.
- Up top, the veteran Alan Gordon makes his 4th start of the year. Gordon has tallied 49 goals and 28 assists in MLS since he began in 2004.
Game Notes
- The Galaxy’s +15 goal differential this year is the best in MLS and their 27 goals allowed are second-fewest in MLS.
- Last match, Bruce Arena became just the second coach in history to reach 200 MLS wins. All time, he has recorded a 200-119-86 record in MLS play.
- The Galaxy’s victory Saturday marked their first win in seven MLS matches.
- The Galaxy are tied with Real Salt Lake (and Colorado) on points at 43, but Real Salt Lake currently hold the first tiebreaker: wins. RSL have 12 wins compared to the Galaxy’s 10 wins.
- On the road this season, the Galaxy have gone 3-4-6, scoring 16 goals while allowing just 15.
- The Galaxy reached their 10th win of the year on Saturday, marking the 18th time the Galaxy have recorded double digit wins in their 21-year history.
Storylines
- Can the Galaxy build on their momentum from Saturday’s win?
- Will the Galaxy record three points to move into second place in the Western Conference?
- How will an adjusted lineup fare on the road?
- Can Sebastian Lletget continue his success in his central position?
- How will Dan Steres and Leonardo combine in central defense?
Quick hits
