Starting XI

Brian Rowe; Dave Romney, Daniel Steres, Jelle Van Damme ©, Ashley Cole; João Pedro, Baggio Husidic; Romain Alessandrini, Giovani dos Santos, Ema Boateng; Gyasi Zardes.

Bench: Jon Kempin, Nathan Smith, Rafael Garcia, Jaime Villarreal, Raul Mendiola, Jack McInerney, Jack McBean.

Lineup notes

The LA Galaxy will play their second-straight road contest Sunday afternoon when they take on Minnesota United in
the wonderfully-sunny and beautiful
rainy Minneapolis.

Head Coach Curt Onalfo will play a 4-2-3-1 formation on Sunday, making one change to the Starting XI from last weekend’s match as defender Dave Romney slots in at right back in place of the suspended Bradley Diallo.

In net, goalkeeper Brian Rowe will make his 51^th appearance for the Galaxy and sixth-straight start in net. Last year, he was among MLS’ best in goal, going 12-5-14 with a 1.07 GAA. He has made some incredible saves throughout the Galaxy’s three-game unbeaten run.

On the right, defender Dave Romney, a product of LA Galaxy II, will make the start. Romney has been steady when called upon since joining the LA Galaxy at the end of the 2015 season, making 21 appearances with 12 starts. Taylor Twellman insists that he looks a lot like head coach Curt Onalfo.

In the center of the defense, Daniel Steres, a fellow LA Galaxy II product, will start his 11^th contest of the year. He is one of three players to start in each game (João Pedro, Romain Alessandrini). Since the beginning of the 2016 season, Steres has made 39 starts, the most of any LA Galaxy player.

He’s big, he’s bald, he’s beautiful, he’s breathtaking and he’s big-hearted. He’s Jelle Van Damme, and he’s coming off his best performance of the season in the Galaxy’s 3-1 win over NYRB last year. He has established himself as one of MLS’ best since joining the league in 2016.

On the left, the ageless competitor Ashley Cole makes his eighth start of the year and the 33^rd of his MLS career. Cole continues to prove the doubters wrong by remaining one of the top left backs in MLS.

In the center of the midfield, the leaf-eating Baggio Husidic will make his fourth-straight start. In his last three, he has helped the Galaxy go undefeated while conceding just three goals in that span. He has beautiful hair.

In what in undoubtedly the best central midfielder duo hair combination in Major League Soccer, João Pedro makes the start alongside Husidic. In recent weeks, he has flashed his skill that made him one of the top young midfielders in Portugal’s top division.

On the left, it’s Romain Alessandrini. This guy is so hot, he could take a crap, wrap it in tin-foil, put a couple of fish hooks on it and sell it to Queen Elizabeth as earrings. Or maybe that was Derek Zoolander? Regardless, Alessandrini is one of just four players to have double digit goals/assists on the year with six goals and four assists. He’s coming off a two-goal show in NY.

Pulling the strings on offense, Giovani dos Santos will occupy the #10 role in the center of the field. Fresh off a goal in NY and a call up to Mexico’s National Team, GDS will look to build off his performance against Minnesota.

On the left, the wow-he’s-not-very-tall-but-my-goodness-he-is-fast Emmanuel Boateng makes the start. Boateng has continued to flash his ability in his seven previous starts this season. Sunday should be no different.

Up top, the Hawthorne, California hero and recent college graduate Gyasi Zardes makes the start in just his sixth start of the season. Including the Galaxy’s preseason games this year, Zardes has played among the fewest minutes of any Galaxy player this year. He’ll look to get going Sunday.

Game notes

• Sunday’s contest will mark the first-ever matchup between the LA Galaxy and Minnesota United.
• The Galaxy are now 2-2-1 on the road this season and unbeaten in three-straight games, their longest such stretch of the season.
• This season on the road, the Galaxy have gone 2-2-0, scoring eight goals and allowing eight.
• Romain Alessandrini has tallied five goals and two assists in four road matches this season, scoring or assisting in each road game so far this season.
• In his first 10 games in a Galaxy shirt, Alessandrini recorded six goals and four assists. Here’s how a few other Galaxy players fared in their first 10:
  • Keane: 5 goals/3 assists
  • Dos Santos: 3 goals/5 assists
  • Donovan: 6 goals/4 assists
• Alessandrini, Steres and Pedro are the only players to have started each game of the 2017 season.

Storylines

• Can the Galaxy carry momentum from last week’s win in New York into Sunday’s contest?
• Will Alessandrini continue his strong form?
• Can Gyasi Zardes, fresh off his graduation from college, find the net Sunday?
• Will João Pedro and Baggio Husidic continue to thrive in central midfield?
• Can the backline repeat one of their best performances of the year?
• If you had to choose between living in LA and give up a limb or live in Minnesota with a full body, which limb would you give up?

Kiss – Prince (1986)

You don't have to be beautiful

To turn me on

I just need some soccer baby

From dusk till dawn

You don't need experience

To turn me out

You just leave it all up to me

I'm gonna’ show you what it's all about

You don't have to be Becks

To hit that curl

You don't have to be cool

To rule my world

Ain't no particular game I'm more compatible with

I just want some extra time and your

[Muah muah muah muah muah]

[Soccer] Kiss

- Prince