Giovani dos Santos will still be handful for Portland (photo credit: Debby von Winckelmann)
Two teams will be counting on their depth when the LA Galaxy host the Portland Timbers at 4 p.m. PST, on Fox Sports 1, Fox Deportes.
Last week’s loss to FC Dallas marked only the third time the LA Galaxy lost in Carson since the beginning of the 2014 season. While they were far and few between, you’d have to go way back to find the last time the LA Galaxy lost back-to-back games at home. It may never even have happened, Portland Timbers head coach Caleb Porter mused in remarks to the press this Thursday.
A loss for the home side would be catastrophic for LA, but would be cause for ample celebration for a re-tooled Portland team that would love nothing more than to put to the bed the specter of a 2016 season where they went winless on the road.
Neither side will be going full strength; Portland has suffered a rash of injuries to its back line, while the Galaxy will be minus midfielder Jermaine Jones and defender David Romney to Disciplinary Committee action. Robbie Rogers, Ashley Cole and Gyasi Zardes, both limited with injuries, may not be in the line-up as well.
Even at full-strength, the Galaxy will seldom resemble past incarnations of the team. Gone is most of the coaching staff. Gone too is Robbie Keane and his PlayStation-like numbers; In 125 MLS appearances, Keane had 59 games with two or more goals.
Keane’s departure, coupled with Curt Onalfo coming up from the LA Galaxy II, possibly signals the end of the triumvirate. Since Keane’s first full season in the league, three Galaxy players lead the team in scoring with an eerie symmetry (see chart below).
MLS 3.0 is about youth development. Like every other trend, LA leads the way. There is, arguably, no team that is more forward thinking than Los Angeles. The Galaxy was the first team to have a Designated Player. The Galaxy were the first team to create and co-opt an entire USL franchise. The Galaxy were even the first MLS team able to turn a profit.
While LA is committed to growing through youth, they still have several impactful veterans who can cause much consternation for the Timbers. Giovani dos Santos had several chances last week and was, perhaps, unlucky to finish with only one goal. Center back Jelle Van Damme still anchors the back line that will be difficult to break down.
While Portland looked to bring the game to the wings, the Galaxy did as well bringing on Frenchman Romain Alessandrini who will test Marco Farfan. On the opposite wing is LA Galaxy II product Emmanuel Boateng who game the Timbers fits in the US Open Cup match last summer.
Another interesting battle will be between Diego Chara and João Pedro, the Portuguese midfielder who paired well with Jones last week. It’s unclear if he’ll be more box-to-box or take a holding role.
Portland
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