LOS ANGELES GALAXY vs NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
THE HOME DEPOT CENTER, Carson, Calif.
July 4, 2009 (WEEK 16) / MLS Game #117
8 p.m. PT (FSC/FSE)
It's once again the Fourth of July, and once again the New England Revolution take on the Los Angeles Galaxy in southern California. The Revolution are playing a league game for the first time in three weeks after successfully beginning defense of their SuperLiga title; the Galaxy are coming off a win against MLS overall leader Houston that snapped a two-game losing skid. New England hasn't lost to LA in league play in five years, winning the last three meetings in Carson after going nearly a decade without a win at LA. This is the sixth July 4 meeting between the clubs, all at the Galaxy's home, with the Revolution holding a 2-1-2 edge.
REFEREE: Mark Geiger. SAR (bench): Adam Garner; JAR (opposite): Emiliano Monje; 4th: Alejandro Mariscal MLS Career: 54 games; FC/gm: 28.8; Y/gm: 4.0; R: 9; pens: 21
INJURY REPORT: LOS ANGELES GALAXY - OUT: DF Sean Franklin (R hamstring surgery); DF Julian Valentin (R foot fracture); QUESTIONABLE: MF Dema Kovalenko (L calf contusion); DF Yohance Marshall (R MCL sprain); PROBABLE: GK Josh Saunders (R ankle sprain) ... NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION - OUT: DF Chris Albright (L lateral meniscus surgery); MF Mauricio Castro (L hamstring strain); MF Shalrie Joseph (R knee cartilage defect/bone bruising); MF Steve Ralston (R hamstring strain), FW Taylor Twellman (concussion); QUESTIONABLE: DF Kevin Alston (R hamstring tightness); DF Gabriel Badilla (bulging disk)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: LA: Donovan Ricketts (JAM; CONCACAF Gold Cup) ... NE: Jay Heaps (USA; CONCACAF Gold Cup)
SUSPENDED: NE: Emmanuel Osei (through July 4)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: NE: Wells Thompson
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: LA: Omar Gonzalez, Alan Gordon, Eddie Lewis, Stefani Miglioranzi ... NE: Jay Heaps, Kenny Mansally
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (29 meetings):
Revolution 12 wins (1 shootout), 43 goals ... Galaxy 12 wins (2 shootout), 48 goals ... Ties 4
AT LOS ANGELES (15 meetings):
Revolution 4 wins (0 shootout), 17 goals ... Galaxy 8 wins (0 shootout), 26 goals ... Ties 3
RETURN MATCH:
8/8: Los Angeles Galaxy at New England Revolution, 6 p.m. ET
LAST YEAR (MLS):
7/4: LA 1, NE 2 (Beckham 66 - Cristman 33, 38)
8/30: NE 2, LA 2: (Twellman 22; Joseph 71 - Donovan 33, 55)
• The Revolution have won the season series for each of the last three years, winning at The Home Depot Center and drawing at Gillette Stadium last season.
• While the draw snapped a five-game winning streak for the Revolution against the Galaxy, New England hasn't lost in league play to the Galaxy since a 3-2 loss April 3, 2004 at The Home Depot Center, a span now of nine league matches.
• Of course, over that timeframe, the Galaxy did win one matchup - a 1-0 extra-time victory in MLS Cup 2005 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. That was the second MLS Cup Final match between the clubs, the first ending the same way - a 1-0 Galaxy win in extra time at Gillette Stadium in 2002.
• After going almost a decade without winning in southern California against the Galaxy, the Revolution have won on their last three visits to Victoria Street.
• The Revolution's victory on April 1, 2006 at The Home Depot Center was New England's first against the Galaxy on the road in nearly a decade. The Revs won on their first trip ever to face the Galaxy - a 1-0 win on July 4, 1996 at the Rose Bowl - then went the next 11 visits to face the Galaxy in LA without a victory, going 0-8-3.
• This is the sixth time the teams are meeting on July 4, all in the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Revolution have won two, the Galaxy one, with two draws.
• Coaches record: Steve Nicol vs. LA: P15 W8 L3 D4 ... Bruce Arena v NE: P19 W9 L7 D2
LOS ANGELES GALAXY
The Los Angeles Galaxy snapped a run of back-to-back losses, knocking off MLS overall leader Houston Dynamo 1-0 on Sunday evening at The Home Depot Center. The Galaxy have 18 points from 15 matches, sitting in sixth place in the Western Conference, now 10 points behind the Dynamo.
LAST MATCH
• The Dynamo had seen a five-game winning streak ended with a late 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake in their last match, but still had equaled the club-record 11-game unbeaten streak, set first June 3-July 22, 2007. After reeling off 10 games without a loss (featuring eight draws), the Galaxy had lost back-to-back games for the first time this season.
• The game's lone goal came in the 24th minute. From a corner kick played short, Mike Magee cut into the penalty area from the left and hit a low shot aimed for the far post. Todd Dunivant turned it inside the far netting with the slightest of touches, his first goal on the season and the fourth of his MLS career.
• Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena made two changes to the team that lost 2-1 to the San Jose Earthquakes the weekend before. Eddie Lewis returned from suspension and Alan Gordon also came back into the team, in place of Chris Klein and Kyle Patterson.
• Here's Arena's team (4-4-2): Donovan Ricketts - A.J. DeLaGarza, Gregg Berhalter, Omar Gonzalez (Tony Sanneh 62), Todd Dunivant - Jovan Kirovski, Mike Magee, Stefani Miglioranzi, Eddie Lewis (Chris Klein 84) - Edson Buddle, Alan Gordon (Bryan Jordan 72). Substitutes Not Used: Leonard Griffin, Kyle Patterson, Josh Saunders, Josh Tudela
TEAM NEWS
• The Galaxy had recorded clean sheets in two of their first six games on the season, then hadn't recorded one again until the win against the Dynamo, a span of eight games in between.
• "I thought for the first time this year our central backs played extremely well over 90 minutes. They were pretty consistent. They didn't make any mistakes. They controlled the line very well, and organized the team extremely well," said Arena. " ... To me, it was all about our central backs, the start of the game was better. We consistently at home have given up the first goal, played with 10 players and done all the things you do to lose games. Fortunately, we got a point out of a lot of them. We corrected those mistakes tonight. We didn't put ourselves behind the eight ball and chase the game."
• Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts was called upon to make three saves, his final appearance for the Galaxy before joining Jamaica for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
• "As usual, if [Donovan] Ricketts is called upon to make a save - he can do that. We haven't treated Donovan well, I think, over the past eight games or so. We need to ask Donovan to help us once in a while, and not all the time," said Arena. "I think tonight was an occasion where the group in front of him played really well, and when he was called upon to make a big save - he did that."
• Edson Buddle and Alan Gordon were together again as the strike partnership after Gordon came off the bench against San Jose; they had paired in the 2-0 loss to Real Salt Lake. Buddle was starting his third consecutive game after missing five starts; Gordon had a string of six consecutive starts ended in the Earthquakes game.
• "I thought Alan Gordon had an excellent first half and [Edson] Buddle was so-so. I thought were Edson really shined was in the last 10 minutes of the game, actually. He's still coming back, finding his rhythm, getting fit. His last 10 minutes were actually marvelous," Arena said. "I think in the first half the two strikers did well."
• When the Galaxy have scored the first goal, they are undefeated. But it's happened just four times in 15 games - LA has won three.
• "We talked about trying to get ahead of in games, and play the game on our terms while also doing a better job in reacting to goals against us if we do fall behind," Eddie Lewis said. "But in general, it was a very good win for us. It is another building block for us as we move on in the season."
• On Wednesday the Galaxy acquired forward Alecko Eskandarian from Chivas USA in exchange for allocation money and a conditional pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. The 26-year-old forward has 28 goals and 12 assists in 122 games during his seven-year MLS career. Originally drafted by D.C. United with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft, Eskandarian has also played with Toronto FC and Real Salt Lake.
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
The New England Revolution return to league play for the first time in three weeks after successfully beginning defense of their SuperLiga crown, their last MLS game a 3-1 loss to the Kansas City Wizards at CommunityAmerica Ballpark on June 13. The Revolution have 16 points from 12 matches, now in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, seven points behind division leaders D.C. United but with games in hand on the remainder of the conference.
LAST MATCH
• The Revolution were coming off back-to-back victories after a six-game winless streak, while the Wizards had won just once in their last seven games.
• The home side nosed in front on 19 minutes. Davy Arnaud finished off a neat quick passing sequence through the heart of the Revolution defense, tapping home a Claudio Lopez pass from close range for his fifth of the season.
• But the Revolution were level nine minutes later. A corner was cleared back out to the left and Steve Ralston swung in a pinpoint cross to the far post where Shalrie Joseph headed it off Kevin Hartman and into the side netting for his fifth goal of 2009.
• The game then exploded. Emmanuel Osei was sent off by referee Ricardo Salazar after striking out at Lopez, and two minutes later the Wizards took the lead. A Herculez Gomez shot was saved by Matt Reis, but the rebound hit a retreating Jeff Larentowicz and bounced into the New England goal.
• The Wizards put the game away three minutes later. Josh Wolff's header from a corner kick was saved by Reis, but the rebound was headed back across goal by Jimmy Conrad, and Aaron Hohlbein snuck it to poke it home from close range for his second goal of the season.
• Revs head coach Steve Nicol made no changes to the team that defeated the New York Red Bulls 4-0 the Sunday before at Gillette Stadium.
• Here's Nicol's team (4-4-1-1): Matt Reis - Kevin Alston, Darrius Barnes, Emmanuel Osei, Jay Heaps - Sainey Nyassi, Jeff Larentowicz, Pat Phelan (Kheli Dube 71), Kenny Mansally - Steve Ralston - Shalrie Joseph. Substitutes Not Used: Stephane Assengue, Amaechi Igwe, Brad Knighton, Wells Thompson, Chris Tierney, Michael Videira
TEAM NEWS
• The Revolution return to league play after reaching the semifinals with an undefeated run in group play in defense of their SuperLiga crown. The Revolution wrapped victories against Mexican sides Santos Laguna (4-2) and Atlas (1-0) around a 1-1 draw with Kansas City.
• With Michael Videira unavailable through suspension for the SuperLiga group final, injuries limited Nicol to just four available substitutes as the Revs sought the point they needed in order to ensure safe passage to the SuperLiga semifinals.
• "I don't know if you guys have looked at our bench, but it's looking pretty slim. We only have three or four guys. Rosters were cut this year and it's become a lot more difficult on us," said defender Jeff Larentowicz. "At this point, we're playing in essentially three different competitions right now so we're going to have four or five games in two weeks. It's a lot of games with half the roster."
• Here's Nicol's team for the final SuperLiga group game: (4-5-1): Matt Reis; Amaechi Igwe, Emmanuel Osei, Darrius Barnes, Jay Heaps, Kenny Mansally, Jeff Larentowicz, Pat Phelan, Sainey Nyassi (Chris Tierney 76), Nico Colaluca (Wells Thompson 67), Kheli Dube
• After scoring in the first game of the season, Kheli Dube had gone 11 league games without hitting the back of the net. He scored twice in two SuperLiga games - the goal against Kansas City coming after he was left as a lone striker following the ejection of Mike Videira - and also set up two goals.
• On Tuesday, the Revolution's injury crisis finally hit home as they were eliminated in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup by the USL-2 Harrisburg City Islanders. The Revs made three changes - their only available field substitutions - when the game was delayed at halftime, then finished the game with eight men when Kheli Dube and Mike Videira were injured during the second half and Nico Colaluca was sent off during extra time.
• Here's Nicol's team: Brad Knighton, Chris Tierney, Emmanuel Osei, Darrius Barnes (Gabriel Badilla 46), Amaechi Igwe, Kenny Mansally (Sainey Nyassi 46), Jeff Larentowicz (Pat Phelan 46), Mike Videira, Nico Colaluca, Stephane Assengue, Kheli Dube
• "We're already bare-bones coming into the game," Revolution defender Chris Tierney said. "What did we have, 15 guys? We've had so many games. Guys are struggling with knocks and we just can't take risks. If someone pulls something, they have to come out. There's nothing we can do about it. We had to try to do our best and that was it."
