LA GALAXY vs. SEATTLE SOUNDERS
StubHub Center | Carson, Calif.
Sunday, Sept. 25 | Week #29 | MLS Game #301
4 pm ET (ESPN in the US, MLS LIVE in Canada)
If the Seattle Sounders are to keep their playoff hopes alive for another week, they’ll have to pick up a result in one of MLS’ most difficult environments.
The seventh-place Sounders are five points behind Sporting Kansas City, but hold two games in hand on both the sixth-place club and fifth-place Portland. Now, they'll travel to LA this weekend for a nationally televised encounter at the Galaxy.
Seattle won’t be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss on Sunday, but failing to pick up a point at StubHub Center would severely lessen their chances of qualifying for their eighth-straight post-season. Unfortunately for them, LA – who are unbeaten in their last six – are perhaps the top team in the league at home. They've posted a 8-0-7 record at StubHub Center in 2016 and a 42-5-18 mark with a +92 goal differential in LA over the last four seasons.
The Galaxy have plenty to play for, as well, as the second-place club will clinch a playoff berth with a win against the Sounders. LA will also be looking to consolidate their top-two position in the West with an eye on a first-round bye in the upcoming MLS Cup Playoffs.
- Landon Donovan scored his MLS all-time leading 145th league goal in the second game of his return from retirement, as the Galaxy reached a 2-2 draw with Sporting Kansas City on Sunday afternoon at Children’s Mercy Park.
- Jordan Morris scored the 10th goal in his rookie season – his fifth game-winning goal – as Sounders FC snapped a three-game winless run with a 1-0 victory against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday afternoon at CenturyLink Field.
- The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Robbie Keane scored the game’s lone goal to give the Galaxy the victory July 9 at CenturyLink Field. On July 31 at CenturyLink Field, Cristian Roldan gave Sounders FC a first-half lead, but Sebastian Lletget netted the equalizer 12 minutes from time to leave the teams in a 1-1 draw.
- Sounders FC have not won at the Galaxy since 2009, now 11 trips in league and MLS Cup play without a win.
- The teams have met four times in the last six seasons in the MLS Cup Playoffs, including in the Knockout Round last year; last year’s victory was the first time Sounders FC have advanced.
- The teams also met this year in a US Open Cup quarterfinal on July 20, the Galaxy coming back for a 4-2 win at the StubHub Center Track & Field Stadium. Giovani dos Santos netted the equalizer late in the second half, then Sebastian Lletget scored twice in the final minutes to put the game away.
REFEREE: Armando Villarreal. AR1 (bench): Corey Parker; AR2 (opposite): Kyle Atkins; 4th: Nima Saghafi
MLS Career: 73 games; FC/gm: 22.6; Y/gm: 2.9; R: 19; pens: 19
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: LA: Jeff Larentowicz, Jelle Van Damme...SEA: Osvaldo Alonso, Joevin Jones
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: LA: A.J. DeLaGarza...SEA: Andreas Ivanschitz, Nicolas Lodeiro
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (20 meetings): Galaxy 9 wins, 28 goals...Sounders FC 4 wins, 19 goals...Ties 7
AT LA (9 meetings): Galaxy 5 wins, 15 goals...Sounders FC 1 win, 7 goals...Ties 3
- The teams are meeting for the third time this season. Robbie Keane scored the gameís lone goal to give the Galaxy the victory July 9 at CenturyLink Field. On July 31 at CenturyLink Field, Cristian Roldan gave Sounders FC a first-half lead, but Sebastian Lletget netted the equalizer 12 minutes from time to leave the teams in a 1-1 draw.
- Sounders FC have not won at the Galaxy since 2009, now 11 trips in league and MLS Cup play without a win.
- The teams have met four times in the last six seasons in the MLS Cup Playoffs, including in the Knockout Round last year; last year's victory was the first time Sounders FC have advanced.
- The teams also met this year in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal on July 20, the Galaxy coming back for a 4-2 win at the StubHub Center Track & Field Stadium. Giovani dos Santos netted the equalizer late in the second half, then Sebastian Lletget scored twice in the final minutes to put the game away.
- Coaches record: Bruce Arena vs. SEA: P20 W9 L4 T7...Brian Schmetzer vs. LA: P1 W0 L0 T1
LAST MEETING (MLS):
7/31: SEA 1, LA 1 (Roldan 49...Lletget 78)
- Sounders FC finally broke through shortly after the second half restart. Nelson Valdez controlled the ball in the LA box and left it for a waiting Cristian Roldan, and he fired home past Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Rowe.
- But the Galaxy equalized in the 78th minute after a feed from Steven Gerrard landed in between Sounders ëkeeper Stefan Frei and center back Brad Evans, leaving Sebastien Lletget with a tap-in from point blank range.
- SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC (4-2-3-1): Stefan Frei - Tyrone Mears, Brad Evans, Chad Marshall, Joevin Jones - Osvaldo Alonso, Cristian Roldan - Nicolas Lodeiro, Clint Dempsey, Jordan Morris - Nelson Haedo Valdez (Herculez Gomez 57).
- LA GALAXY (4-2-3-1): Brian Rowe - A.J. DeLaGarza, Daniel Steres, Jelle Van Damme, Ashley Cole - Nigel de Jong, Jeff Larentowicz (Mike Magee 71) - Giovani dos Santos (Baggio Husidic 90), Steven Gerrard, Emmanuel Boateng (Sebastian Lletget 63) - Robbie Keane.
