LA Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids | 2017 MLS Match Preview

Benjamin Baer

LA Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids
2017 MLS Match Preview
StubHub Center – Carson, Calif.
Saturday, September 2 – 11 pm ET
WATCH: MLS LIVE (Free Stream of the Week)

The LA Galaxy's and Colorado Rapids' chances of reaching the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs have essentially evaporated as we enter Week 26, with FiveThirtyEight putting each of their probabilities of making the playoffs at less than one percent. On Saturday, the two teams will be facing off for the second time this season but with different coaches at the helm.

Sigi Schmid took over the Galaxy on July 27 and has not been able to turnaround one of the worst seasons in club history. Schmid has lost four of five games since returning to the Galaxy and hired MLS coaching legend Dominic Kinnear as an assistant this week as they begin to build for 2018. On Saturday they will be without the dos Santos brothers, who are both with the Mexican national team.

Steve Cooke was named interim head coach of the Rapids on August 15, after the club parted ways with Pablo Mastroeni. Since then, Cooke has tried to unveil a more attacking style of play to unflattering results. Colorado have lost all three games under Cooke by a combined score of 7-2.

The clubs and the coaches will be looking to jumpstart their rebuilds at StubHub Center on Saturday night in a match in which neither club has anything to lose.

LA Galaxy

Suspended: D Nathan Smith (red card)
Int’l Duty: GK Clement Diop (Senegal), M Jonathan dos Santos (Mexico), F Giovani dos Santos (Mexico)
Injury Report: OUT: D Robbie Rogers (ankle injury), M Sebastian Lletget (foot surgery), M Baggio Husidic (fractured fibula), D Pele van Anholt (torn ACL/meniscus)

Projected Starting XI (4-2-3-1): GK: Jon Kempin — Bradley Diallo, Daniel Steres, Dave Romney, Ashley Cole — Rafael Garcia, Jermaine Jones — Bradford Jamieson IV, Jose Villarreal, Emmanuel Boateng — Gyasi Zardes

Notes: The Galaxy have failed to win in 10 straight home games, including failing to score in their last four at home (3L-1D). The current four game home scoreless streak is the worst in franchise regular season history.

Colorado Rapids

Suspended: F Alan Gordon (red card)
Int’l Duty: D Mekeil Williams (Trinidad & Tobago), GK Tim Howard (USA)
Injury Report: QUESTIONABLE: D Bobby Burling (foot injury), F Caleb Calvert (illness)

Projected Starting XI (4-3-3): GK: John Berner — Marlon Hairston, Jared Watts, Axel Sjoberg, Eric Miller — Mohammed Saeid, Micheal Azira, Nana Boateng — Shkelzen Gashi, Dominique Badji, Kevin Doyle,

Notes: Colorado has lost 10 of 12 away games this year (2D). They lost 14 of their 34 away games in the previous two years combined (8W-12D).