CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy have dealt with the injury bug over the last several weeks, and now head coach Bruce Arena will have to evaluate the statuses of returning internationals Omar Gonzalez and Gyasi Zardes ahead of the weekend clash with Sporting Kansas City .
The Galaxy duo both went a full 90 minutes in the U.S. National Team’s 2-0 victory over archrival Mexico in San Antonio on Wednesday. Both players returned to Southern California on Thursday but according to Arena, he’ll have some thinking to do when he decides whether to slot the pair in the starting lineup for the match with Sporting.
“We have players that have been injured over the last two or three weeks, going to likely return. Jose Villarreal, Robbie Keane is a possibility, Mika Vayaynen is a possibility, AJ DeLaGarza is coming back from a slight injury, Edson Buddle’s probably going to be available. A number of players. That makes for a good week," Arena told reporters on Thrusday. "However, we have to be cautious with players that played with the U.S. team last night. That will be their third game in a week. We gotta make a decision on whether they’re going to be involved with our team on Saturday.”
Like many, Arena did not take too much from the Americans latest 2-0 win over Mexico, remarking that the pitiful field conditions took away from the overall product.
“I don’t think it’s a game you could say a whole lot about," Arena said. "The playing conditions were so poor, Mexico put out a good team that certainly is not their team. I don’t know what you make out of that. On the night the US was certainly the better team and deserved to win.”
