LA GALAXY vs. SPORTING KANSAS CITY
STUBHUB CENTER, Carson, Calif.
June 2, 2016 (Week 14, MLS Game #140)
10:30 pm ET (TWCSN-LA, KMCI-38, MLS LIVE)
A critical match in the Western Conference will be the final MLS match before the Copa America break when the LA Galaxy play host to Sporting Kansas City on Thursday evening at StubHub Center. The teams are separated by just three points in the divisional table, having gotten there in different ways. The Galaxy return home after seeing their nine-game undefeated run put to an end last weekend in a 3-2 loss at the Montréal Impact. Sporting have just one win in their last 10 games, dropping a second match in a row last Friday in a 1-0 home loss to D.C. United.
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REFEREE: Hilario Grajeda. AR1 (bench): Jonathan Johnson; AR2 (opposite): Mike Kampmeinert; 4th: Juan Guzman
MLS Career: 128 games; FC/gm: 24.0; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 22; pens: 21
SUSPENDED: none
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: LA: Jelle Van Damme, Daniel Steres … KC: Roger Espinoza
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: LA: Gyasi Zardes (USA; Copa America); Robbie Keane (Ireland; Euro 2016); Baggio Husidic (Bosnia and Herzegovina; Kirin Cup) … KC: Matt Besler, Graham Zusi (USA; Copa America); Soni Mustivar (Haiti; Copa America)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (56 meetings): Galaxy 24 wins (0 shootout), 85 goals … Sporting 20 wins (2 shootout), 67 goals … Ties 12
AT LA (28 meetings): Galaxy 16 wins (0 shootout), 48 goals … Sporting 5 wins (1 shootout), 26 goals … Ties 6
FUTURE MATCH: 9/18: Sporting Kansas City vs. LA Galaxy, 12 noon (ESPN)
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. SKC’s Brad Davis and the Galaxy’s Giovani dos Santos traded first-half goals as the clubs finished in a 1-1 draw, May 1 at Children’s Mercy Park.
- Sporting’s last win against the Galaxy in Carson came in 2010 – the last victory by the visiting team in the series; the Galaxy have won their last three home meetings with KC. The Galaxy have not won in Kansas City since 2007; Sporting have won four of their eight home games since, with four draws.
- Coaches’ record: Peter Vermes vs. LA: P10 W4 L3 D3 … Bruce Arena vs. KC: P26 W8 L11 D7
LAST MEETING (MLS)
5/1: KC 1, LA 1 (Davis 30 – dos Santos 42)
- Sporting took the lead on the half-hour. Matt Besler sent a long diagonal ball to Graham Zusi, who cushioned a header into the path of Brad Davis along the right flank, and he cut inside the area before curling the ball past the outstretched goalkeeper and just inside the far post.
- But the Galaxy drew level in the 42nd minute on a swift counterattack. Gyasi Zardes spread a pass wide to Giovani dos Santos on the right, raced into the penalty area before chipping past SKC goalkeeper Tim Melia in a world-class finish.
- The Galaxy finished a man down after fullback Ashley Cole saw two yellow cards in less than a minute's time from referee Chris Penso, but honors still ended even.
- SPORTING KANSAS CITY (4-1-2-3): Tim Melia - Graham Zusi, Ike Opara, Matt Besler, Seth Sinovic - Nuno Andre Coelho - Benny Feilhaber, Roger Espinoza - Jimmy Medranda (Justin Mapp 82), Dom Dwyer, Brad Davis.
- LA GALAXY (4-2-3-1): Brian Rowe - A.J. DeLaGarza, Daniel Steres, Jelle Van Damme, Ashley Cole (ejected 70) - Mike Magee (Robbie Rogers 72), Baggio Husidic - Sebastian Lletget (Jeff Larentowicz 62), Giovani dos Santos (Jose Villarreal 90), Emmanuel Boateng - Gyasi Zardes.
