Galaxy, Dynamo clash for West crown

Houston visits L.A. in Western Conference Championship Friday

MLSnet.com Staff

LA's Dema Kovalenko and Stuart Holden's Dynamo played to a 0-0 draw in their last meeting. (Getty)

WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
LOS ANGELES GALAXY v HOUSTON DYNAMO
Fri., Nov. 13, The Home Depot Center (8:25 p.m. PT; ESPN2/Deportes)

LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD:
LA 3 wins, 9 goals scored ... HOU 4 wins, 13 goals scored ... Ties 4

2009 HEAD-TO-HEAD: LA 1 win, 1 goals scored ... HOU 0 wins, 0 goals scored ... 1 tie
AT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER: 6/28: LA 1, HOU 0 (Dunivant 24)

MLS CUP PLAYOFFS: first meeting

REFEREE: Terry Vaughn.
SAR (bench): Thomas Supple; JAR (opposite): Darren Clark;
4th: Paul Ward

INJURY REPORT:
LOS ANGELES GALAXY -- OUT: DF Julian Valentin (R foot fracture); FW Alecko Eskandarian (head); QUESTIONABLE: MF Stefani Miglioranzi (L groin strain) ...
HOUSTON DYNAMO -- OUT: DF Richard Mulrooney (R knee surgery); PROBABLE: FW Luis Angel Landin (L knee tendonitis); DF Geoff Cameron (R knee contusion)

SUSPENDED:
HOU: Mike Chabala (yellow card accumulation; through 11/14) WARNINGS (fined next yellow): LA: Sean Franklin ... HOU: Geoff Cameron

GALAXY:

The Western Conference Championship was always going to come down to defense, and based on the regular season meetings between the Galaxy and the Dynamo, it will certainly come to fruition. Over the two games, the teams combined for just a single goal -- from Todd Dunivant in the 24th minute of the 1-0 Galaxy win on June 28. "Their physicality is their number one thing," Dunivant said. "They get after the ball, they pressure you, they fight, they foul. They're a chippy team ... that's their number one attribute. They're on you the entire game, they're relentless. We faced that twice this year with them and did a good job of keeping them at bay. But the playoffs are a different feel and we have to step it up even more." ... The Galaxy went three years without an appearance in the postseason, but they still have a six-game unbeaten streak alive, after winning all four playoff games in their drive to MLS Cup 2005. "It's huge for our franchise," Donovan said. "Myself, Gordo (Alan Gordon), Cobi (Jones) ... we kind of understand what this all means. But we're not satisfied ... that's not good enough for us. Now we have a big opportunity to do something special. If you told me before the year we had a game at home against Houston to go to the MLS Cup Final I'd be excited. And I'm real excited for it." ... The Dynamo have five players on their roster who have won three MLS Cups with Houston and San Jose (before the team moved). The Galaxy have only three players -- Donovan, Gordon and Dunivant -- who were with the team during that 2005 Cup run. "Houston is probably the most playoff-tested, veteran team in this league," Dunivant said. "We have a lot of veteran guys who have been around the block, but Houston has been a team that's been together for five, six years now. That's a big advantage for them. They've been in every situation, every playoff situation and they have difference-makers." ... Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, who was a winner in an MLS Cup Playoffs game for the first time since winning the Eastern Conference Final in 1998 with D.C. United., was named MLS Coach of the Year. It was his second time winning the honor -- the first came in 1997, when he won the second of two MLS Cups with D.C. United. "This has been one of my more enjoyable jobs in the last 30-35 years. I come in every day and these guys are a pleasure to work with. I think their vested interest in the team has made a difference. They lead, they get things right and they make my job a lot easier."

DYNAMO:

After recording eight shutouts in the first 16 games of the season, the Dynamo managed just two more the rest of the way. But they kept clean sheets in both games vs. Sounders FC, their first consecutive shutouts since June. "I think the guys up front made it easy (for our defenders), and so did the guys in the midfield," said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear. "Pat made a couple of really great saves, and came out well to catch some balls, and that really took some of the pressure off us. I thought the work that Ricardo (Clark) and the guys in the midfield did was excellent, but it starts up top. I think that Brian and Dom were just a handful on both sides of the ball. They just didn't have too many clear-cut chances." ... The Dynamo's last shutout before the semifinal series came against the Galaxy, part of a scoreless draw on Oct. 18 at Robertson Stadium -- which was Houston's first shutout in more than two months. "The biggest thing with [L.A.] is you have to keep your shape in attack," said Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad. "You've got guys like Beckham with the ability to hit a 40-yard ball, and you have to make sure you're organized defensively, otherwise he'll punish you with Landon making his runs." ... For Ching, his series winner was his first goal since Sept. 19, in a 3-2 win vs. Real Salt Lake. It was the third time he'd scored the winning goal to clinch a semifinal series, also hitting in 2006 (stoppage time vs. Chivas USA) and 2007 (extra time vs. FC Dallas). "I felt like I was playing pretty good my last few games, but I just didn't score," Ching said. "I was holding the ball up well, making good runs and putting myself in good positions. ... Hopefully that goals allows me to go on a streak, which would be nice, but for me it's just about playing well and helping the team win." ... Kinnear was able to maintain the same team for both semifinal matches, but he'll be forced into a change for the conference final, with left back Mike Chabala suspended after receiving a yellow card in both legs. Wade Barrett is expected to take over at left back; Barrett last played in a league game on Aug. 30, also missing two lengthy spells with a calf strain. "The expectations don't really change as far as who is starting and who is not," said Kinnear. "Whoever is out there, whether it has been guys who have been with the group for five to six years, or whether it is someone making his debut ... I don't think you can lose your focus as to what is most important and that is to win the game."