Galaxy travel to KC to face Wizards
MLS's hottest club faces shorthanded host team
Related
COMMUNITYAMERICA BALLPARK, Kansas City, Kan.
July 25, 2009 (WEEK 19) /MLS Game #133
7:30 p.m. CT (ESPN2)
The hottest team in Major League Soccer, the Los Angeles Galaxy remain on the road for a second consecutive week when they take on the Kansas City Wizards for the second time this season at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The Galaxy have won four consecutive matches in moving into a tie for third place in the Western Conference. The Wizards return to action after a weekend off, having gone their last two league matches without a goal scored.
REFEREE: Terry Vaughn. SAR (bench): George Gansner; JAR (opposite): Jeff Muschik; 4th: Mark Kadlecik MLS Career: 112 games; FC/gm: 29.1; Y/gm: 3.9; R: 37; pens: 36
INJURY REPORT: KANSAS CITY WIZARDS - OUT: GK Eric Kronberg (shoulder surgery); DF Chance Myers (fifth metatarsal fracture); MF Kevin Souter (sports hernia surgery) ... LOS ANGELES GALAXY - OUT: DF Sean Franklin (R hamstring surgery); DF Julian Valentin (R foot fracture); QUESTIONABLE: MF Dema Kovalenko (L calf contusion); PROBABLE: FW Edson Buddle (R foot hyperextension); FW Alecko Eskandarian (nose contusion)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: KC: Jimmy Conrad, Davy Arnaud (USA; CONCACAF Gold Cup); Roger Espinoza (HON; CONCACAF Gold Cup)
SUSPENDED: KC: Lance Watson (through July 25)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: KC: Davy Arnaud, Jack Jewsbury
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: KC: Matt Besler; Roger Espinoza, Herculez Gomez, Claudio Lopez, Lance Watson ... LA: Omar Gonzalez, Alan Gordon, Eddie Lewis, Stefani Miglioranzi
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (45 meetings): Wizards 16 wins (2 shootout), 54 goals ... Galaxy 21 wins (0 shootout), 71 goals ... Ties 8 AT KANSAS CITY (22 meetings): Wizards 12 wins (1 shootout), 32 goals ... Galaxy 8 wins (0 shootout), 31 goals ... Ties 2• When the Wizards claimed a 2-0 victory at Arrowhead Stadium in the second meeting last season, it was their first victory against the Galaxy since since Oct. 16, 2004, a 2-1 victory at Arrowhead Stadium. In the six matches in between, the Galaxy won four, with two draws.
• Kansas City's last win at The Home Depot Center came in the first meeting of the 2004 series, a 2-1 win. The Galaxy have won three of the six visits by the Wizards since, with three draws.
• The teams met four times in the first nine years of league history in the MLS Cup Playoffs, each team advancing on two occasions.
• Coaches record: Curt Onalfo v LA: P5 W1 L2 D2 ... Bruce Arena vs. KC: P15 W5 L7 D3
LAST MEETING (MLS)
5/30: LA 1, KC 1 (Buddle 87 - Arnaud 84)• The Los Angeles Galaxy answered a late Kansas City Wizards goal with one of their own for a 1-1 result May 30 at The Home Depot Center.
• In the 59th minute, Galaxy defender Gregg Berhalter pulled back Claudio Lopez as he appeared to be in alone on goal, and the former U.S. international was sent off for the second time in his MLS career.
• Kansas City finally broke through in the 84th minute. Roger Espinoza flighted a cross from the left and Herculez Gomez headed it back across goal where Davy Arnaud got a final touch to it to redirect into the net and his fourth goal on the season.
• Yet just three minutes later, the Galaxy had once again secured a draw. Landon Donovan played a pinpoint through ball for Edson Buddle to run onto in the left of the penalty area, and he hammered home a left-footed drive first-time inside the near post past goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.
• Here's Arena's team (4-4-2): Donovan Ricketts - A.J. DeLaGarza, Gregg Berhalter, Omar Gonzalez, Todd Dunivant - Mike Magee (Tony Sanneh 61), Dema Kovalenko, Josh Tudela, Eddie Lewis (Chris Klein 78) - Landon Donovan, Alan Gordon (Edson Buddle 66). Substitutes Not Used: Bryan Jordan, Jovan Kirovski, Stefani Miglioranzi, Josh Saunders
• Here's Onalfo's team (4-1-3-2): Kevin Hartman - Lance Watson, Jimmy Conrad, Aaron Hohlbein, Matt Besler - Jack Jewsbury - Davy Arnaud, Kevin Souter (Roger Espinoza 61), Michael Harrington (Graham Zusi 61) - Herculez Gomez (Abe Thompson 88), Claudio Lopez. Substitutes Not Used: Michael Kraus, Rauwshan McKenzie, Kurt Morsink, Boris Pardo
KANSAS CITY WIZARDS
The Kansas City Wizards return to action after a weekend off, their last match a second consecutive shutout, this time in a scoreless draw with the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium. The Wizards have 20 points from 16 matches, tied for fifth place in the Eastern Conference with the Revolution, eight points behind division leaders Chicago Fire.LAST MATCH
• The Revolution and Wizards were meeting for the third time in less than a month, Kansas City having taken a 3-1 win in MLS play on June 13, and the teams playing to a 1-1 draw in SuperLiga. The Revolution were coming off back-to-back league losses; the Wizards had just that one win in their last five.
• Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis made a career-high 11 saves to ensure the teams would share the points. The Wizards held out for the last nine minutes after defender Lance Watson was shown a straight red card by referee Baldomero Toledo.
• Wizards head coach Curt Onalfo made no changes to the team that lost 1-0 to the Houston Dynamo on July 4 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.
• Here's Onalfo's team (4-1-3-2): Kevin Hartman - Lance Watson, Aaron Hohlbein, Rauwshan McKenzie, Matt Besler - Santiago Hirsig - Michael Harrington (Michael Kraus 56), Jack Jewsbury, Herculez Gomez - Josh Wolff (Abe Thompson 85), Claudio Lopez (Kurt Morsink 83). Substitutes Not Used: Jonathan Leathers, Matt Marquess, Boris Pardo, Graham Zusi
TEAM NEWS
• The weekend off came after a busy stretch where the Wizards competed in three competitions - especially rough over the previous three weeks.
• "We were away from home and just played seven games in 20 days, five of which have been on the road. We played as far west as you possible can and pretty much as far east as you possibly can. It's been a long stretch and the fact that our guys were able to be as strong as they were in the second half is a real positive sign," Onalfo said. "We got through the stretch without any injuries, which is not an easy task. Unfortunately, we walk away here with one point when we thought we could have had more today."
• In New England, the Wizards had the better of play in the second half and outshot the Revs 10-6 after halftime and 16-11 for the game. But they were unable to put the ball past Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis, who made a career-high 11 saves.
• "We had a couple of chances off their mistakes in the first half and in the second half I thought we were good enough to get one," Jack Jewsbury said. "Obviously he had some key saves, but at the end of the day I think we need to be a little bit better in front of the goal."
• Kansas City has now gone three games in all competitions without scoring. Since the start of June, the Wizards have scored just eight goals in nine games in all competitions (three in SuperLiga, two in the U.S. Open Cup), shut out in five and with three of those goals coming against the USL1 Minnesota Thunder.
• "We've having problems putting balls into the back of the net over the last couple of weeks," Onalfo said. "The positive is that we're creating chances, the negative is that we're not putting them away."
• After he was an unused substitute in the opening game of the season, Lance Watson stepped into the starting lineup in Week 2 - and has been there ever since. However, he will miss the Galaxy game through suspension.
• "I was disappointed. I think it was a late challenge, but not one that warranted an ejection. Whenever you have those situations, you put the referee in a position where he has to make a decision. I think it was unfortunate," Onalfo said. "We've been on the receiving end of it an awful lot of it this year, where we've played with an extra player, so we had to buckle down and not let them score. I think we did a good job of managing that part of it and actually got ourselves a chance or two."
LOS ANGELES GALAXY
The Los Angeles Galaxy extended their winning streak to four games, getting three spectacular first-half goals on their way to a 3-1 win against the New York Red Bulls on July 16. The Galaxy now sit in a tie for third place in the Western Conference with Chivas USA with 27 points from 18 matches, five points behind MLS overall leaders Houston Dynamo.LAST MATCH
• The Galaxy had won three consecutive games by 1-0 scorelines, all in Carson, while the Red Bulls were finally back home after a long stretch of road matches, having lost three in a row and winless in their last 10.
• But by halftime, the Galaxy were ahead by three goals -- all from truly stunning strikes. In the third minute, from well outside the area, Alecko Eskandarian popped a ball over a New York and ripped a full-blooded, dipping volley past Danny Cepero inside the right post, his second goal in three games since coming from Chivas USA.
• Then in the 31st minute, again from all of 30 yards from goal, Landon Donovan took a nodded down clearance from a corner kick and smashed a swerving right-footed instep drive that sailed into the upper right corner for his seventh goal of the season, his first after missing five games to national team duty.
• But the Galaxy weren't done yet. Donovan picked out Eddie Lewis with a long cross from the right flank, and Lewis met it with a perfect left-footed side volley, lashing the ball inside the far post for his second goal.
• Still, the Red Bulls made it interesting at the end. In the 87th minute, Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez was ruled to have knocked a cross with his arm, and Juan Pablo Angel converted the resulting penalty kick for his seventh goal on the year.
• Remarkably, three minutes later, Gonzalez was again called for a handball in the area, and again Angel stepped to the spot. This time, though, Jamaican international goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts dove to his left and parried the shot, collecting it as it bounced back off the post.
• Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena made three changes to the team that defeated Chivas USA 1-0 the weekend before at The Home Depot Center. David Beckham made his Galaxy season debut, coming into the midfield with Eddie Lewis for Jovan Kirovski and Mike Magee. Donovan Ricketts return from international duty in place of Josh Saunders.
• Here's Arena's team (4-1-3-2): Donovan Ricketts - A.J. DeLaGarza, Gregg Berhalter, Omar Gonzalez, Todd Dunivant - Stefani Miglioranzi - Eddie Lewis (Chris Klein 85), David Beckham (Christopher Birchall 70), Landon Donovan - Edson Buddle, Alecko Eskandarian (Mike Magee 74). Substitutes Not Used: Alan Gordon, Jovan Kirovski, Tony Sanneh, Josh Saunders
TEAM NEWS
• In his first game back with the Galaxy, Beckham played in a driving central midfield role with Eddie Lewis and Landon Donovan stationed on either side.
• "David is a competitive guy," Arena said. "At halftime, I told him we were going to go to 60 minutes. Then he told me 65 and then 70. If he had his way, he'd keep going. Like any player, he's kept himself reasonably fit from his break with AC Milan and the national team. However, you have to get back in training and get some games."
• It was just the second game back for Donovan after missing five league matches while on U.S. national team duty. But after a relatively first game, he recorded a goal and an assist - meaning he's been involved in 15 of the Galaxy's 22 goals scored on the season.
• "It was fantastic," Donovan said of teaming with Beckham. "The first day he got back in training -- with players like that you don't worry about chemistry because he sees the game the same way. I think even with a little time to practice and get back on the same page, we'll figure things out a little bit more."
• On Sunday, the Galaxy played to a 2-2 draw in a high-profile friendly with AC Milan at a sold out Home Depot Center. Davide Di Gennaro gave Milan a 16th-minute lead, but Alan Gordon tied it on the half-hour. Milan retook the lead in the 61st minute through Filippo Inzaghi, but Bryan Jordan converted a Beckham corner just five minutes later for the leveler.
• "With teams like Milan and at that level, you want to compete against them," said Beckham. "We don't want to look silly, and we definitely didn't look silly. We played some great soccer at times. So did they. It was a good workout for them and it was great for the way we played as well."
• It continued a rich vein of form for the Galaxy, who have lost just twice on the field since April 11 - back-to-back losses June 13 (0-2 v Real Salt Lake) and June 20 (1-2 v San Jose).
• "We're pretty confident where we are as a team regardless of the result," Chris Klein said. "I think we showed ourselves pretty well. To get a result against them is good for us."
• Here's Arena's team: Donovan Ricketts (Josh Saunders 46); Todd Dunivant (Leonard Griffin 46), Omar Gonzalez, Eddie Lewis (Chris Klein 65), Landon Donovan (Jovan Kirovski 46), Alecko Eskandarian (Bryan Jordan 50), Edson Buddle (Alan Gordon 23 / Kyle Patterson 83), Stefani Miglioranzi (Chris Birchall 46), Gregg Berhalter (Tony Sanneh 46), A.J. DeLaGarza, David Beckham (Mike Magee 75)
