VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC vs LA GALAXY
BC PLACE, Vancouver, B.C.
April 19, 2014 (WEEK 7, MLS Game #57)
4 p.m. PT (TSN; TWCSN-LA/TWCD)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the LA Galaxy meet for the second time in two weeks when the Western Conference clubs face off in the back end of their home-and-home series Saturday afternoon at BC Place. The Galaxy extended their undefeated streak to three games and handed Whitecaps FC their second consecutive defeat, Robbie Keane scoring the game’s only goal in the LA victory at StubHub Center.
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REFEREE: Silviu Petrescu. AR1 (bench): Jonathan Johnson; AR2 (opposite): Marco Arruda; 4th: David Gantar
MLS Career: 78 games; FC/gm: 27.6; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 10; pens: 12
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: VAN: Matias Laba
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (9 meetings): Whitecaps FC 1 win, 6 goals … Galaxy 7 wins, 19 goals … Ties 1
AT VANCOUVER (4 meetings): Whitecaps FC 1 win, 5 goals … Galaxy 2 wins, 8 goals … Ties 1
FUTURE MATCH: 8/23: LA Galaxy vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 7:30 p.m. PT
- This is the back end of a home-and-home series between the teams. It’s the second home-and-home already for the Galaxy this year, who started the year with such a series vs. Real Salt Lake.
- Whitecaps FC have won once in 10 meetings all-time in all competitions between the teams ñ a 3-1 win last May 11 at BC Place. The teams have played to one draw, in 2012 in Vancouver.
- The Galaxy have won all five meetings in Carson between the teams in league play. The 2-1 Galaxy victory last July 20 marked the only time Whitecaps FC had a scored a regular season goal there.
- Coaches record: Carl Robinson vs. LA: P1 W0 L1 D0 … Bruce Arena vs. VAN: P9 W7 L1 D1
LAST MEETING (MLS):
4/12: LA 1, VAN 0 (Keane 47)
- The game's lone goal came in the 47th minute. Stefan Ishizaki squared up a defender at the right edge of the Vancouver box then sent in a cross to the far post that an open Robbie Keane volleyed home with his left foot.
- Jaime Penedo was called upon to make four saves in preserving the clean sheet for the Galaxy, as he made his first start in three games.
- LA GALAXY (4-3-1-2): Jaime Penedo - Dan Gargan, Omar Gonzalez, Leonardo, A.J. DeLaGarza - Marcelo Sarvas (Rob Friend 79), Juninho, Baggio Husidic - Stefan Ishizaki (Gyasi Zardes 79) - Landon Donovan, Robbie Keane.
- VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC (4-3-1-2): David Ousted - Steven Beitashour, Andy O'Brien, Jay DeMerit, Jordan Harvey - Sebastian Fernandez (Erik Hurtado 70), Gershon Koffie, Russell Teibert - Pedro Morales (Kenny Miller 70) - Kekuta Manneh (Nicolas Mezquida 77), Darren Mattocks.
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC suffered their second consecutive defeat after a four-game undefeated run to open the season, in the loss to the Galaxy. Whitecaps FC sit in fifth place in the Western Conference with eight points from six games.
TEAM NEWS
- Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson made two changes to the team that suffered a 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rapids at BC Place. Sebastian Fernandez came into the midfield for the suspended Matias Laba, and Kekuta Manneh started up top in place of Kenny Miller.
- Whitecaps FC were shut out on the road for a second consecutive match, now having gone 182 minutes away from BC Place without a goal.
- “I thought the performance was very, very good,” Robinson said. “Obviously the result was disappointing because we didn't get anything out of the game. But I think we were excellent in the first half – very, very positive and caused them problems to try and break us down, but gave ourselves opportunities in the attacking transition.”
- After starting the first five matches, Kenny Miller was kept out of the first team, coming off the substitutes’ bench for the final 20 minutes.
- “Kenny [Miller] has played the first five games after having no preseason so I wanted to look after him as well. Rested Kenny obviously Nigel [Reo-Coker] has been out for two weeks working his way and I just felt that I need young legs in there,” said Robinson. “I went for Russell [Teibert] and [Gershon] Koffie but I spoke to the guys before the announcement and they were good and they were fine and they responded great.”
- Kekuta Manneh made his first start of the season, partnering with Darren Mattocks in attack, after coming off the bench in the first five games of the year.
- “He was great. He was great all week and it is about getting him up to speed with his fitness. No doubt in his ability and he showed it today. Away at LA is not an easy game. He was electric in the first half as was Darren [Mattocks] and Seba [Sebastian Fernandez],” said Robinson.
- Said Manneh: “Right now I am happy to be creating chances and the team was helping me with that as well so that is a positive. We have to keep the momentum going and next week we will take them on again and hopefully get three points next game. We can definitely hang with them, tonight we were unlucky to concede the goal, but the team performance was great and we played together and did what we wanted to do.”
- With Matias Laba suspended, Robinson opted to play Russell Teibert alongside Gershon Koffie as deep-lying holding players in a five-man midfield.
- “[Russell Teibert] as was fantastic as was Gershon Koffie. I think today some of my young players came of age,” said Robinson. “It’s a tough environment to come and play against a very good team, a very organized team, a very successful team and they showed that we can go head to head which was a pleasing thing.”
LA GALAXY
The LA Galaxy won for a second consecutive match and extended their undefeated streak to three games with the win against Whitecaps FC. The Galaxy sit in sixth place in the Western Conference with seven points from four games.
TEAM NEWS
- Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena made two changes to the team that strolled to a 3-0 win against Chivas USA at StubHub Center. Jaime Penedo came in between the posts in place of Brian Perk, and A.J. DeLaGarza started in the back four for Todd Dunivant.
- Robbie Keane scored the only goal of the game, his third goal in as many league games, and his fifth goal in the last four games in all competitions. In 59 league appearances since 2011, Keane has 37 goals and 22 assists.
- Playing for a second consecutive match in a playmaking midfield role behind the front two, Stefan Ishikazi recorded the assist. He has a goal and two assists in those two games.
- “Stefan performed the best of the year. We got close to 80 minutes out of him. He looked a lot better. We think he can certainly continue to get better,” said Arena. Added Keane: “I just knew with someone like him sending the ball there's a great chance he's going to find me. ... I know if I go into a space, then more than likely he's going to find me in that space.”
- With Todd Dunivant sidelined with an abdominal strain, A.J. DeLaGarza returned to the back four following a one-match absence, slotting in at left back.
- “I was comfortable out there. My first priority was defending, and for the most part the whole back line, all the midfielders, and everyone defending did pretty well,” said DeLaGarza.
- Jaime Penedo returned between the posts after a two-match absence and recorded his first clean sheet of the season, the second in a row for the Galaxy. The Galaxy have now not conceded a goal in 251 minutes, the second-longest streak this season in MLS.
- Landon Donovan is still just one goal away from becoming the all-time MLS goal-scoring leader, now six league games since his last goal (a two-goal performance last Oct. 6 vs. Chivas USA).
- “It’ll happen when it happens. I’m happy with every one of my performances this year, I’ve played well in every game, and I thought I played well [vs. Vancouver]. I want to contribute, if I can hit the net, it would be nice but at this point with winning games and playing well, I’m happy,” Donovan said. “I’m getting a lot of chances, and I had a lot against Chivas [USA]. I just have to keep doing the right things, hit the target and eventually it’s going to go in.”
- After five games, the Galaxy have still just played three opponents, with a second home-and-home series already vs. Vancouver. They will have their third bye week next weekend, their next match following May 3 vs. the Colorado Rapids.
- “It’s an interesting dynamic playing two times in a row, much like a playoff series. We’ll have to make adjustments, and I’m sure they’ll have to make some adjustments, and I’m sure the game will look different there,” Donovan said. “So we’ve got to be smart, we have a good road mentality. We understand how to play on the road, but we are going to have to be a little better if we want to get a result there.”
- Baggio Husidic made his third consecutive start in midfield, his first season with the Galaxy after returning to MLS from Sweden.
- “[My role is to] tuck in,” said Husidic. “We have three central midfielders playing almost flat across midfield. Juni plays more centrally [in the holding position], and it's Marcelo's and my job to help him defensively and, offensively, just play the way we play: play to feet, play a passing game, a possession game, and get forward when we can. Play the ball to our dangerous players, with Landon and Keane up top. They've been very dangerous partnered up top. We're there to support them.”
