CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy are looking forward to Saturday’s game against Toronto FC at StubHub Center (7:30 p.m., Time Warner Cable SportsNet, Time Warner Cable Deportes) for two reasons.
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They will be at home, where they have lost just once this season (a 1-0 to Vancouver on June 6) in 11 matches across all competitions.
The game also marks the finale of a grueling stretch in the schedule that featured seven games in 21 days. Following the Toronto game they have a week-long break before taking on Mexican powerhouse Club America next Saturday at StubHub Center .
“It’s tough. It’s a long, long stretch,” defender Dan Gargan said after Friday’s training session. “Physically it’s draining. Mentally it’s draining.
“That part of it showed on the weekend prior, when we were drained (in a 3-1 loss at San Jose on June 27). We weren’t as sharp as we would have liked to be, and we weren’t as focused as we would have liked to be. Unfortunately it came out.
“That happens. We’ve done our part to kind of move forward from that.”
Head coach Bruce Arena said he has been impressed with how his team has persevered through such a difficult stretch. They have gone 4-1-1 in six games.
“Actually, I think they’ve given a pretty good effort,” he said. “The month of June was difficult and the month of July will be equally as difficult. We can’t run from it but we have to be smart in terms of training regimen and giving them time off when we can and rotate players whenever possible.”
The Galaxy’s Robbie Keane agreed June was a demanding month.
“I think you saw that in the last league game in San Jose,” he said.
“Certainly the second half, the players looked a little bit jaded. But we’ve had a good week of training. We haven’t had time to train because we’ve had quick turnarounds.”
The Galaxy (7-6-7) will be facing a Toronto (7-6-2) team that just concluded a three-game homestand at BMO Field and is led by former Serie A standout Sebastian Giovinco, who has eight goals and seven assists. To say he has occupied the Galaxy’s attention in game preparations is putting it mildly.
“A very, very talented player. Very sharp around the box,” Keane said. “He’s a player we have to be very careful of.”
Said Arena, “He’s a very good player, an excellent finisher. That team has certainly understood the qualities he brings.”
Toronto has had a tough time against the Galaxy in Carson and, in fact, has not beaten the defending MLS Cup champions at StubHub Center in an MLS match since 2008. Toronto did beat Los Angeles in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals in 2012.
Gargan said he and his teammates are ready for the challenge.
“I think we’re all excited,” he said. “We got a great result on the road against San Jose (in Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup win) and I think there’s a few guys featured there that can take that momentum. Of course the team can take that momentum into tomorrow against Toronto at home.
“Obviously we love playing at StubHub and in front of our fans. I think we’re all looking forward to a good performance.”
LA GALAXY vs TORONTO FC
STUBHUB CENTER, Carson, Calif.
July 4, 2015 (WEEK 18, MLS Game #184)
7:30 p.m. PT (MLS Live)
The LA Galaxy will look to regain their unstoppable home form when they head back to StubHub Center to take on Toronto FC in an interconference clash on Saturday evening. The Galaxy had scored five goals in back-to-back wins before hitting the road last weekend and suffering a 3-1 defeat at the San Jose Earthquakes in the first California Clásico of the year. TFC hits the road after concluding a three-game homestand when the club posted a 1-1-1 record with a scoreless draw with MLS overall leaders D.C. United, last Saturday at BMO Field.
- Juninho scored for a third consecutive game, but the Galaxy had their two-game winning streak and their two-match run of five-goal games put to an end in a 3-1 loss at the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday evening in the first California Clasico of the season.
- Toronto FC concluded a three-game homestand at BMO Field with a win, a loss and a draw, following their scoreless result with D.C. United on Saturday afternoon.
- Toronto FC have not defeated the LA Galaxy in league play since 2008, when they swept the season series. The Galaxy have won four of the nine meetings since, with five draws, including a 3-0 win last Oct. 4 at StubHub Center.
- Toronto FC have not won in Carson vs. the Galaxy in league play since 2008, the Galaxy having won three of the five meetings there since (with two draws). But TFC did defeat LA in 2012 in a CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal second-leg at StubHub Center.
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REFEREE: Chris Penso. AR1 (bench): Mike Kampmeinert; AR2 (opposite): Eduardo Mariscal; 4th: Daniel Radford MLS Career: 66 games; FC/gm: 23.3; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 17; pens: 22
SUSPENDED: LA: Alan Gordon (caution accumulation; through July 5)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: LA: Robbie Rogers
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: LA: Baggio Husidic, Juninho, Mika Vayrynen, Omar Gonzalez, Stefan Ishizaki … TOR: Nick Hagglund, Warren Creavalle
DISABLED LIST: LA: Brian Perk (season-ending injury)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: LA: Omar Gonzalez, Gyasi Zardes (USA, CONCACAF Gold Cup); Jaime Penedo (Panama, CONCACAF Gold Cup) ... TOR: Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley (USA, CONCACAF Gold Cup); Ashtone Morgan, Jonathan Osorio, Quillan Roberts (Canada, CONCACAF Gold Cup)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (13 meetings): Galaxy 5 wins, 19 goals … Toronto FC 2 wins, 13 goals … Ties 6
AT LA (7 meetings): Galaxy 4 wins, 15 goals … Toronto FC 1 win, 8 goals … Ties 2
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