LA Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids | MLS Match Preview

LA Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids - Match Preview Image

LA GALAXY vs. COLORADO RAPIDS
STUBHUB CENTER, Carson, Calif.
June 22, 2016 (WEEK 16, MLS Game #152)
10:30 p.m. ET (MLS LIVE, Altitude, TWCSN-LA)

A tantalizing matchup in the Western Conference is ahead when the LA Galaxy return home to face the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday evening at StubHub Center. The Galaxy come back home after seeing their winless run extended to five games in a second successive shutout, in a 1-0 loss at Toronto FC last weekend. The Rapids sit atop the conference standings and the MLS overall table, their undefeated streak now at a club-record 10 games after their 2-1 win against the Chicago Fire on Saturday evening at Dickā€™s Sporting Goods Park.


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  • The Galaxy had their winless streak extended to five games with a second consecutive offensive shutout, falling 1-0 at Toronto FC on Saturday evening. Itā€™s the first time the Galaxy have been blanked in back-to-back games this season.
  • The Rapids extended their undefeated streak to a club-record 10 matches, dating back to April 13, with a seventh victory in that time, defeating the Chicago Fire 2-1 on Saturday evening at Dickā€™s Sporting Goods Park. Marco Pappa scored the game-winning goal in the 89th minute; both of his goals have been game-winners coming in the 89th minute or later.
  • The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Marco Pappa scored the gameā€™s lone goal five minutes into second-half stoppage time to give the Rapids the victory March 12 at Dickā€™s Sporting Goods Park.
  • The Rapids win ended a four-game Galaxy undefeated streak alive in the series. It also ended a two-game Galaxy winning streak in Commerce City.
  • The last Rapids win at StubHub Center came in 2013. The Galaxy won 6-0 there in 2014 ā€“ the largest-ever victory in the all-time series; the teams reached a 1-1 draw last May 2 in the only Carson meeting.


REFEREE: Chris Penso. AR1 (bench): Frank Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Jeffrey Greeson; 4th: Baldomero Toledo
MLS Career: 87 games; FC/gm: 24.0; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 29; pens: 30


SUSPENDED: COL: Marc Burch (through June 22; caution accumulation) 
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: LA: Daniel Steres 
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: LA: Jelle Van Damme ā€¦ COL: Mekeil Williams, Jermaine Jones, Shkelzen Gashi DISABLED LIST: none 
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: LA: Gyasi Zardes (USA; Copa America); Robbie Keane (Ireland; Euro 2016) ā€¦ COL: Jermaine Jones (USA; Copa America); Shkelzen Gashi (Albania; Euro 2016) 


HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (68 meetings): Galaxy 35 wins (2 shootout), 108 goals ā€¦ Rapids 25 wins (1 shootout), 78 goals ā€¦ Ties 8
AT LA (33 meetings): Galaxy 23 wins (1 shootout), 67 goals ā€¦ Rapids 7 wins (1 shootout), 31 goals ā€¦ Ties 3 
FUTURE MATCH: 8/13: LA Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids, 7:30 p.m. PT 


LAST MEETING (MLS) 
3/12: COL 1, LA 0 (Pappa 95+)


  • The match was meandering toward a goalless draw deep into stoppage time when Marco Pappa latched onto an errant headed clearance and thundered a volley home off the underside of the crossbar to give the Rapids all three points in their 2016 home opener.
  • COLORADO RAPIDS (4-2-3-1): Zac MacMath - Mekeil Williams, Jared Watts, Axel Sjoberg, Marc Burch - Micheal Azira, Sam Cronin - Dominique Badji (Marco Pappa 67), Dillon Powers, Shkelzen Gashi (Dillon Serna 83) - Kevin Doyle.
  • LA GALAXY (4-4-2): Brian Rowe - A.J. DeLaGarza, Daniel Steres, Jelle Van Damme, Robbie Rogers - Sebastian Lletget (Baggio Husidic 78), Steven Gerrard, Nigel de Jong, Gyasi Zardes - Robbie Keane, Mike Magee (Emmanuel Boateng 67).


MLS Injury Report
MLS Disciplinary Summary