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Starting XI

Clement Diop; Rafael Garcia, Daniel Steres, Bradley Diallo, Dave Romney; Jermaine Jones ©, João Pedro; Romain Alessandrini, Sebastian Lletget, Emmanuel Boateng; Jose Villarreal

Bench: Jon Kempin, Hugo Arellano, Nathan Smith, Baggio Husidic, Jaime Villarreal, Ariel Lassiter, Jack McBean

Lineup notes

Road trippin’. The LA Galaxy travel to the land of salty lakes for a match Saturday against Western Conference side Real Salt Lake, not to be confused with Fake Salt Lake.
Head Coach Curt Onalfo will shuffle his lineup due to suspension and injury for Saturday’s match, making five changes to last weekend’s Starting XI: Bradley Diallo, Dave Romney, Jermaine Jones, Emmanuel Boateng and Jose Villarreal will all start in place of Jelle Van Damme, Nathan Smith, Baggio Husidic, Jack McBean and Giovani dos Santos.
In net, the talented Frenchman Clement Diop will make his second-straight start after making his third ever MLS start last weekend. Diop has played under Onalfo for Los Dos over the past two seasons. In 2016, he made 22 appearances during the USL Regular Season, making 62 saves with a 70% save percentage along with six shutouts while leading Los Dos to a 10-4-8 record.
On the right, Rafael Garcia will make his third-straight start at the right back position after training there exclusively during the preseason. Garcia has been a dependable and steady presence for the Galaxy when called upon since his debut in 2012.
In the center of the pitch, Daniel Steres makes his third-straight start of the season. Steres featured in 31 games last year, tied for the most of any Galaxy field player, in what was his first year in Major League Soccer.
Filling in for the suspended big, bald, beautiful Belgian Jelle Van Damme is the fast, fierce, fashionable Frenchman Bradley Diallo. Diallo filled in last week after JVD was sent off and performed admirably. This will mark his first MLS start.
Out wide on the left side of the backline is Dave Romney, who returns from a one-game suspension served against Portland. Romney was the first-ever Los Dos player to sign with the Galaxy and has familiarity playing alongside the backline of Diallo, Steres and Garcia.
In the center of the field, the Portuguese João Pedro makes his third start of the season after joining LA this winter. Pedro is a 23-year-old talent that made a name for himself in Portugal’s top division before joining LA. He also has great hair.
Alongside Pedro is MLS, USMNT and soccer veteran Jermaine Jones, who will captain the Galaxy for the first time since joining this year. Jones, too, returns from a one-game suspension served against Portland and will look to help the Galaxy control the game Saturday vs. RSL.
On the right side of the midfield, the French speedster Romain Alessandrini again gets the start. The Galaxy Designated Player has impressed since joining LA this year from France’s Marseille and will look to tally his first goal of his MLS career. This is the first time ever the Galaxy will start three French players.
Da’ Boy Sebastian Lletget will slide inside to start in central midfield against Real Salt Lake in the absence of Giovani dos Santos. Lletget, fresh off of a call up to the USMNT for World Cup Qualifiers, will look to combine with Jose Villarreal to create the chances Saturday night.
On the left side is the very small yet very fast Emmanuel Boateng, who loves to play soccer games against Real Salt Lake. In his career, Boateng has four goals and five assists across MLS regular season and playoffs. Four goals and two assists have come in matches against Salt Lake.
Up top is Inglewood product Jose Villarreal, who gets his first start of the season. Despite having been with LA since 2012, Villarreal is just 23 years old and has made 21 previous MLS starts, tallying five goals and six assists.

Additional notes

Gyasi Zardes, Ashley Cole, Robbie Rogers and Brian Rowe are unavailable for selection due to injury
Jelle Van Damme is unavailable for selection due to suspension

Game notes

Saturday’s match will mark the 34th time that the Galaxy have faced Real Salt Lake, with LA going 13-12-8 in their first 33 games.
In matches at Rio Tinto Stadium, LA have gone 2-4-4.
In their most recent match against Real Salt Lake, the Galaxy earned a 3-1 win in the 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs behind a brace from Emmanuel Boateng.
The Galaxy play Real Sal Lake two more times this year, with both coming at StubHub Center, first on July 4 and again on Sept. 30.
Curt Onalfo will lead the Galaxy in his third match as LA Galaxy Head Coach.
During his time as Head Coach of LA Galaxy II in USL, Onalfo led the Galaxy to three-consecutive postseason berths (2014, 2015, 2016) while winning the USL Western Conference in 2015
During his 86 games over three seasons with LA Galaxy II, Los Dos scored 145 goals and earned +34 goal differential

Storylines

Can the Galaxy find their first win of the season in the city of salty lakes?
How will another adjusted Galaxy lineup fare on the road?
What will Sebastian Lletget yield in the center of the field Saturday?
How will Bradley Diallo fare in his first MLS start against a veteran attacking side from RSL?
Can Jose Villarreal lead the Galaxy attack?

Quick hits

Jackson Five Lyrics

You went to school to learn girl
Things you never, never knew before
Like "I" before "E" except after "C"
And why 2 plus 2 makes 4
Now, now, now
I'm gonna’ teach you
(Teach you, teach you)
All about soccer
(All ‘bout soccer)
Sit yourself down, take a seat
All you gotta’ do is repeat after me
L-A-G
It's easy as, 1 2 3
As simple as, do re mi
L-A-G, 1 2 3
LA, you and me girl
L-A-G
It's easy as, 1 2 3
As simple as, do re mi
L-A-G, 1 2 3
LA, you and me girl

-Jackson Five (Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael)

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Starting XI: LA Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake | March 18, 2017