LA GALAXY vs. VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
StubHub Center | Carson, Calif.
Saturday, August 27 | Week #25 | MLS Game #262
10:30 pm ET (MLS LIVE; TSN1/4/5, RDS in Canada | TWCSN-LA)
A key contest in the MLS Cup Playoffs race is ahead when the LA Galaxy and Vancouver Whitecaps FC meet for a third time this season in a Western Conference clash Saturday evening at StubHub Center. The Galaxy return home after their current winless run was extended to five games in a 2-2 draw at the Chicago Fire, now sitting in fourth place in the West standings. Whitecaps FC have lost four games in a row in league play following their 2-0 MLS defeat at Sporting Kansas City last time out, sitting in ninth place in the conference table, just two points below the red line.
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- The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Robbie Keane and Jeff Larentowicz netted goals as the Galaxy claimed a 2-0 victory July 4 at StubHub Center; they reached a scoreless draw April 2 at BC Place.
- The Galaxy win in the last meeting ended a three-game Whitecaps FC undefeated streak in the series, after winning both league meetings between the teams in 2015. The Galaxy were 9-1-2 vs. Vancouver over the first 12 meetings between the teams, before last season.
- The Whitecaps FC win in the second meeting a year ago, on June 6, was their first ever vs. the Galaxy in Carson. The Galaxy had won the first six regular season home meetings with Whitecaps FC, outscoring them 13-1; they also took a victory there in the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs, a 2-1 win in the Knockout Round.
- Whitecaps FC return to league play in the Galaxy match with four consecutive losses in MLS matches, their winless streak now at six league games following the 2-0 loss at Sporting Kansas City on Saturday evening, which precedes their CONCACAF Champions League encounter three nights later at BC Place.
REFEREE: Alan Kelly. AR1 (bench): Anthony Vasoli; AR2 (opposite): Jeremy Hanson; 4th: Baldomero Toledo
MLS Career: 51 games; FC/gm: 25.8; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 12; pens: 22
SUSPENDED: VAN: Christian Bolanos (through Aug. 28)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: LA: Jelle Van Damme … VAN: Kendall Waston
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: LA: A.J. DeLaGarza … VAN: Blas Perez, Andrew Jacobson
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (15 meetings): Galaxy 9 wins, 25 goals … Whitecaps FC 3 wins, 11 goals … Ties 3
AT LA (8 meetings): Galaxy 7 wins, 15 goals … Whitecaps FC 1 win, 2 goals … Ties 0
2016 (MLS):
4/2: VAN 0, LA 0
7/4: LA 2, VAN 0 (Keane 12; Larentowicz 47)
- The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Robbie Keane and Jeff Larentowicz netted goals as the Galaxy claimed a 2-0 victory July 4 at StubHub Center; they reached a scoreless draw April 2 at BC Place.
- The Galaxy win in the last meeting ended a three-game Whitecaps FC undefeated streak in the series, after winning both league meetings between the teams in 2015. The Galaxy were 9-1-2 vs. Vancouver over the first 12 meetings between the teams, before last season.
- The Whitecaps FC win in the second meeting a year ago, on June 6, was their first ever vs. the Galaxy in Carson. The Galaxy had won the first six regular season home meetings with Whitecaps FC, outscoring them 13-1; they also took a victory there in the 2012 MLS Cup Playoffs, a 2-1 win in the Knockout Round.
- Coaches record: Bruce Arena vs. VAN: P15 W9 L3 T3 … Carl Robinson vs. LA: P7 W2 L3 T2
LAST MEETING:
- The Galaxy took the lead 12 minutes into the match through a stunning goal from Robbie Keane. Collecting a pass from Steven Gerrard, Keane turned and ran at the Whitecaps backline before curling a masterful shot from outside the box inside the right post.
- The Galaxy's second goal came just after the halftime break when Jeff Larentowicz headed home a Gerrard corner kick from right at the edge of the six-yard box.
- LA went down to 10 men after Nigel De Jong was sent off with 16 minutes left for a studs-up tackle on Blas Perez, but the 'Caps could not break through.
- LA GALAXY (4-2-3-1): Brian Rowe - A.J. DeLaGarza, Daniel Steres, Leonardo, David Romney - Nigel de Jong (ejected 74), Jeff Larentowicz - Giovani dos Santos (Mike Magee 90), Steven Gerrard (Alan Gordon 85), Gyasi Zardes - Robbie Keane (Baggio Husidic 77).
- VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC (4-4-1-1): David Ousted - Jordan Smith, Kendall Waston, Tim Parker, Jordan Harvey - Christian Bolanos, Matias Laba (Kianz Froese 81), Andrew Jacobson, Pedro Morales - Nicolas Mezquida (Blas Perez 67) - Erik Hurtado (Cristian Techera 71).
