Starting XI presented by Modelo: LA Galaxy vs. Vancouver Whitecaps | September 29, 2018

StartingXI 2018
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Starting XI presented by Modelo: LA Galaxy vs. Vancouver Whitecaps | September 29, 2018 -

Starting XI


David Bingham; Rolf Feltscher, Daniel Steres, Dave Romney, Ashley Cole ©; Ema Boateng, Sebastian Lletget, Jonathan dos Santos; Romain Alessandrini; Ola Kamara, Zlatan Ibrahimović.


Bench


Justin Vom Steeg, Michael Ciani, Jorgen Skjelvik, Servando Carrasco, Perry Kitchen, Baggio Husidic, Ariel Lassiter.


Lineup Notes


  • Joe Tutino, Cobi Jones and Megan Reza return to the mic for Spectrum SportsNet, ready to call a pivotal win in LA Galaxy’s Stretch Run.
  • Malea Emma is not in today’s lineup after crushing last week’s national anthem and going absolutely viral. She’ll be back.
  • LA Galaxy and Vancouver Whitecaps FC face off for the second time this season and for the first time at StubHub Center. In the first contest, the Galaxy drew 0-0 against VWFC in Vancouver on March 24, the Galaxy’s only 0-0 game this season.
  • In his third game as Interim Head Coach, Dominic Kinnear will put out the same Starting XI that he saw in a dominant 3-0 home win against Seattle Sounders FC last Sunday.
  • In net, David Bingham will get his 31st start of the MLS Regular Season, playing every single minute between the pipes this year for the Galaxy. Bingham earned his first shutout since July 7 in the Galaxy’s last outing.
  • Rolf Feltscher will make his 13th start in an LA Galaxy uniform. This will mark Feltscher’s 6th straight start since return from a mid-season injury.
  • Daniel Steres is in the starting lineup for consecutive matches for the first time since April this season. Steres hasn’t started consecutive matches since a stretch of five starts that stretched from March 24 to April 21.
  • Dave Romney makes his 21st consecutive start of the season, one of Kinnear’s best utility defenseman available. The Galaxy are 9-7-8 when Dave Romney has played this season; that’s a PPG total higher than any other Galaxy defender.
  • Veteran Ashley Cole will captain the side from the left back position. Cole has recorded eight assists on the campaign this season, second only to Zlatan Ibrahimović.
  • On the right, fan favorite Emmanuel Boateng gets his ninth start of the season for the Galaxy. Boateng is back in the starting lineup after getting his second goal of the 2018 campaign. It’s his first consecutive start since April.
  • In the middle is Sebastian Lletget, who returns to the Starting XI for a consecutive match, his first pair of consecutive starts since being sent home from USMNT camp to injury.
  • With him in the middle will be Jonathan dos Santos. The Galaxy are 9-7-3 with JDS on the field, the best PPG of any Galaxy player with over 10 appearances.
  • On the left in Romain Alessandrini, who is back in action after his second two-assist performance of the season last weekend. Alessandrini is one goal away from the 10-goal mark, which would make for his second straight season of reaching the figure.
  • Up top is Ola Kamara, who has now scored in two consecutive games for the Galaxy. The offseason addition has shown steady production up top, scoring 11 goals in 27 appearances this season. It’s his third consecutive season in MLS with 10 or more goals.
  • Leading the way is Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Of the estimated 107,000,000,000 people who have lived on planet Earth, 28 have scored 501 or more goals for their professional soccer clubs and international countries. Three of them are currently playing. One of them is Zlatan Ibrahimović, who plays for the LA Galaxy. Watch out for that guy.


Game Notes


  • The Galaxy are 11-11-8 on the year, with 57 goals scored and 59 goals conceded.
  • The Galaxy are T-2 in MLS for goals scored this season.
  • This year at home the Galaxy are 7-4-4 to Vancouver’s 5-7-2 away record.
  • Zlatan Ibrahimović averages 1.36 goals or assists per 90 minutes this season.
  • Romain Alessandrini has recorded 6 goals and 6 assists in his last nine appearances. In that stretch, he’s only gone one match with getting on the scoresheet.
  • The Galaxy are 4-1-5 when leading at halftime and 7-2-6 when scoring the first goal of the match.
    • Conversely, they are 4-8-1 when trailing at half and 4-9-1 when conceding first this year.
  • Heading into the weekend, LA Galaxy sit seventh in the Western Conference standings, three points off of the 6th place Seattle Sounders.


Storylines


  • Will the Galaxy be motivated to perform without a riveting anthem performance from 7-year-old Malea Emma?
  • Can the Galaxy keep their playoff hopes alive with a win over Vancouver?
  • Can Romney and Steres earn a second straight shutout for the Galaxy? It’s something the Galaxy have only done once this year (May 21 & May 25).
  • Can Zlatan continue to lead one of the league’s most productive attacking teams?


Quick Hits


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