Galaxy, Crew meet looking to extend streaks
Columbus, Los Angeles unbeaten in last five, six matches respectively
THE HOME DEPOT CENTER, Carson, Calif.
May 17, 2009 (WEEK 9) / MLS Game #68
12 noon PT (TeleFutura; FSN-W; ONN)
The Los Angeles Galaxy return home after a successful road swing to take on the defending MLS champion Columbus Crew. The Galaxy haven't lost in their last six matches, playing to draws at both Salt Lake and Seattle in a two-game road swing last week. The Crew finally claimed their first victory of the season last weekend, holding off Kansas City at home, their initial win in their eighth game of the campaign - though the Black & Gold are unbeaten in their last five matches.
REFEREE: Alex Prus. SAR (bench): Frank Anderson; JAR (opposite): Hector Vergara; 4th: Mark Geiger MLS Career: 143 games; FC/gm: 29.1; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 32; pens: 41
INJURY REPORT: LOS ANGELES GALAXY - OUT: DF Leonard Griffin (sports hernia surgery); DF Yohance Marshall (R MCL sprain); QUESTIONABLE: FW Tristan Bowen (L knee sprain); PROBABLE: GK Donovan Ricketts (R adductor tightness) ...
COLUMBUS CREW - OUT: MF Adam Moffat (L hamstring strain); DF Andy Iro (L quad strain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: LA: Stefani Miglioranzi
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (30 meetings): Galaxy 9 wins (0 shootout), 37 goals ... Crew 14 wins (2 shootout), 44 goals ... Ties 7
AT LA: (20 meetings): Galaxy 7 wins (0 shootout), 22 goals ... Crew 7 wins (2 shootout), 21 goals ... Ties 3
RETURN MATCH: 9/26: Los Angeles Galaxy at Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m. ET
LAST YEAR (MLS)
6/21: LA 3, CLB 3 (Donovan 4, 83; Buddle 47 - Evans 67; Schelotto 71; Lenhart 88)
10/4: CLB 1, LA 0 (Moreno 43)
• The Galaxy have not won the season series between the clubs since 2003, when they won two of the three encounters on the year. The Crew have won the season set three of the years since, with an even split twice.
• The Galaxy victory on Sept. 27, 2007 snapped a seven-match winless run in league play against the Crew. Their last prior victory came on April 24, 2004 at The Home Depot Center, though LA did claim a U.S. Open Cup play-in match in Columbus in April of that year.
• The Crew have not lost on their last five trips to face the Galaxy at The Home Depot Center. The Black and Gold had won the previous two before the 3-3 draw last year; the two before that both ended in scoreless draws.
• Coaches record: Bruce Arena v CLB: P18 W10 L7 D1 ... Robert Warzycha vs. LA: first game
LOS ANGELES GALAXY
The Los Angeles Galaxy extended their undefeated streak to six matches, playing to a fifth draw in that time, reaching a 1-1 result with Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday afternoon at Qwest Field. The Galaxy have nine points from eight games on the season, sitting in sixth place on the season, 13 points in arrears of MLS overall leader Chivas USA.
LAST MATCH
• Sounders FC were coming off a 1-1 draw in Chicago after going a man down early in the second half, the first draw in club history, while the Galaxy had played to their fourth draw in five games, coming back two goals in stoppage time for a 2-2 tie with Real Salt Lake.
• The home side took the lead in the 22nd minute. A long ball over the top from Steve Zakuani caught out the Galaxy defense and Nate Jaqua raced alone toward goal. Donovan Ricketts was quickly off his line, but Jaqua slid the ball to Sebastian Le Toux advancing on the left, and he dribbled the ball into the goal for his first MLS score.
• The Galaxy pulled even 13 minutes later. Alan Gordon took a pass from Dema Kovalenko, moved it forward to Mike Magee on the left, then raced into the area, where he got on the end of Magee's chip to head home past Kasey Keller for his second goal on the year. It was the first goal ever conceded by Keller at Qwest Field in seven career matches.
• Sounders FC went down a man for the third time on the season when defender James Riley was sent off by referee Tim Weyland, but the teams settled for yet another draw.
• Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena made four changes to the team that played to a 2-2 draw at Real Salt Lake at midweek. Tony Sanneh came into the back four, Jovan Kirovski and Mike Magee into a new-look midfield and Alan Gordon up top, with Chris Klein, Edson Buddle and Eddie Lewis going to the substitutes' bench and Sean Franklin dropped.
• Here's Arena's team (4-2-3-1): Donovan Ricketts - Tony Sanneh, Gregg Berhalter, Omar Gonzalez, Todd Dunivant - Stefani Miglioranzi, Dema Kovalenko (Edson Buddle 84) - Landon Donovan, Jovan Kirovski (Chris Klein 63), Mike Magee - Alan Gordon (Eddie Lewis 76). Substitutes Not Used: A.J. DeLaGarza, Bryan Jordan, Josh Saunders, Josh Tudela
• "This was our third game in like eight days, with two on the road, so we were a little fatigued today for sure," said Arena. "We haven't lost a game since the second game of the season. The problem is we haven't won a lot."
TEAM NEWS
• Arena said the changes to his team were based on facing a second road contest, in a difficult environment to play, within a four-day span.
• "I think today we had to make changes simply because of the number of games we've played in a short period of time," he said. "We made four changes just based on guys being a little fatigued on Wednesday. It's natural with the number of games and the travel and throwing some altitude in the middle of the week. It tests the players physically."
• The six-game unbeaten run is now the longest for the Galaxy since going seven games without a defeat (5-0-2) at the end of the 2007 season, a run from Sept. 19-Oct. 18 that ended just short of snatching a playoff berth.
• "We didn't do a good enough job in the last 10 minutes of that game to position ourselves to try to win the game," he said. "That would be my criticism of our team. We didn't pass it well enough. We didn't tactically do the things you can do at the end of the game with the extra player to create a chance that maybe gets you the three points."
• The Galaxy now have come away with draws from each of their four road matches on the season - all against Western Conference opposition. The Galaxy and the undefeated Chicago Fire (1-0-3) are the only teams left this season without a loss on their travels.
• "I think it is bittersweet. It is good to get a point on the road especially, but the situation like this we need to get three points. When we go up a man the advantage goes to us and we have to start getting wins," said Alan Gordon. "With that being said I think we played well and we got a point. They are a good team. We are not happy but we are satisfied."
• It was the fifth time on the season the Galaxy were able to secure a result after conceding the opening goal of the game, which they've done in six of their eight contests (as well as playing to a scoreless draw).
COLUMBUS CREW
The Columbus Crew won for the first time on the season, claiming a 3-2 victory against the Kansas City Wizards to celebrate the10th anniversary of the opening of Crew Stadium on Saturday evening. The Crew have eight points from eight matches on the season, sitting in a tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with the New York Red Bulls, six points off the pace of D.C. United.
LAST MATCH
• The Crew were off to the worst start of any defending champion, with two losses and five draws from the opening quarter of the season, while the Wizards were coming off a midweek 1-1 draw with D.C. United at home.
• As they have done in each of their four home games this season, the Crew took a first-half lead. A neat series of passes in and around the Wizards penalty area seemed to have fizzled out when K.C. defender Jimmy Conrad knocked the ball away, but Emmanuel Ekpo came sliding in to stab the ball home for his second goal in as many weeks.
• After the break, the Wizards pulled level when Claudio Lopez -- who came on as a halftime substitute -- swung in a free kick from the right flank that eluded everyone and bounced into the goal (51). But four minutes later, the Crew nosed back in front when Frankie Hejduk flighted a cross that slipped all the way to the back post where Guillermo Barros Schelotto headed home from almost on the goal line.
• Twelve minutes from the end, Eddie Gaven put the Crew two goals ahead when he took a cross from Robbie Rogers from the left corner and side-footed home a first-time shot from the heart of the area, his first goal on the season. But the Wizards pulled one back barely a minute later, Josh Wolff flashing in to head home a Jack Jewsbury cross for the second time in as many games, yet Kansas City could get no closer.
• Crew head coach Robert Warzycha made two changes to the team that played to a 1-1 with Toronto FC the previous weekend. Frankie Hejduk came back from injury and Gino Padula came back from suspension, into the back four for Jed Zayner and Eric Brunner.
• Here's Warzycha's team (4-1-3-1-1): Andy Gruenebaum - Frankie Hejduk, Chad Marshall, Danny O'Rourke, Gino Padula - Brian Carroll - Emmanuel Ekpo, Eddie Gaven (Duncan Oughton 94+), Robbie Rogers (Eric Brunner 91+) - Guillermo Barros Schelotto - Alejandro Moreno. Substitutes Not Used: Kevin Burns, William Hesmer, Steven Lenhart, Pat Noonan, Jed Zayner
TEAM NEWS
• After eight games, the Crew have now overcome the mark of the worst start for a defending champion in league history. The Los Angeles Galaxy began with four losses and four draws in 2003 - all on the road - before getting their first victory of the season in the first game ever at The Home Depot Center.
• "Obviously we've been waiting for this since the beginning of the season. That's a good three points for us," Warzycha said. "We've been playing well. The games we tied -- Toronto last week and at home to Chicago -- sometimes the ball doesn't bounce our way. Today we had some opportunities and guys had some good finishes and we scored three goals. That was enough to win the game."
• Despite receiving congratulations to that effect, it was not Warzycha's first victory as a head coach - though it was his first as permanent head coach since replacing Sigi Schmid in December. Warzycha had a 7-6-3 mark as interim coach in 2005; his all-time record in MLS play is now 8-8-8.
• "From this moment it's going to be easier to play because it was tough not win the first seven games," he said. "Everybody was questioning how many games we're going to go without winning. These guys needed a win (Saturday) just to stay tough. I think from this moment we get better. We got the win and can move on from there."
• While Guillermo Barros Schelotto has just one assist this season - after leading MLS with 19 a year ago - he now has four goals on the year after hitting for seven in 2008.
• "I think he's playing better than last season," Warzycha said. "You see how many goals he has. He has four goals and seems very active. He's one of the best players on the field every time he steps out there for our team. Even at the end of the game you see him making tackles and chasing the defenders. That's a player you want on the team."
• Frankie Hejduk returned after missing six games to injury, and goalkeeper William Hesmer should be available for selection this weekend as well. If Hesmer does return, the Crew could have their 10 returning starters from MLS Cup on the field together at The Home Depot Center for the first time since the season opener at Houston on March 21.
• After a scoring a single goal in the first game with Eddie Gaven in a central midfield role, the Crew hit for their season high against Kansas City. Gaven scored the winning goal, while Emmanuel Ekpo, now manning the right flank, scored for the second consecutive game. Robbie Rogers collected his first assist of the season.
• "More than anything we were trying to put the best team on the field. With Robbie and Ekpo playing well, Eddie Gaven was also playing well so we were trying to keep him on the field," Warzycha said. "Obviously, with Ekpo being inside that didn't work as well we thought it would. That was a switch that probably was necessary."
