First Touch: #LAGalaxy
- Updated: May 28, 2015
Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz
For the first time since they walked off the StubHub Center pitch just short of a championship, the Revolution face last year’s MLS Cup foe, LA Galaxy, on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:00pm.
Here are a few things to know about the visiting Galaxy going into the match:
*The Galaxy last saw the Revolution last December in the MLS Cup final at the StubHub Center in California, where LA prevailed with a 2-1 victory over the Revs. Robbie Keane scored the game winning goal in extra time, while Gyasi Zardes and Chris Tierney were the goal scorers in regulation. The match marked the fifth MLS Cup appearance and loss for the Revolution, who have also lost in the final three times to the LA Galaxy.
*Prior to the MLS Cup final, the Revolution fell 5-1 against the Galaxy last July in their only regular-season match in the regular season. The last match in Gillette Stadium between the two squads saw a blowout in the other direction, as the Revolution won 5-0 in June 2013.
*The defending MLS Cup champions have started the 2015 campaign sluggishly with a 5-4-5 record through 13 games. That record is tied for sixth place with Real Salt Lake, though Real Salt Lake has played one fewer game.
*The primary difference between last year’s MLS champions and this year’ iteration of the Galaxy is the absence of Landon Donovan, who retired from professional soccer at the end of the 2014 season.
*The Galaxy have also had difficulty finding the net so far in 2015, with 13 goals scored through 14 games. They join the Colorado Rapids, Portland Timbers, and New York City FC as the only MLS teams to average less than one goal per game.
*The offensive struggles have been present lately as the Galaxy have only scored two or more goals in a match once over in their last eleven games, after scoring twice in their first two matches of the year. They have scored only three goals in their five May matches, including one goal in their last three road games.
*The Galaxy snapped a five-game winless streak last week with a 1-0 home win over the Houston Dynamo last weekend. The Galaxy were 0-2-3 over that time span.
*The Galaxy’s leading scorer is Alan Gordon, who has scored four times so far in the 2015 campaign despite starting the majority of games on the bench. In eight substitute appearances, Gordon has scored three times, while scoring once in five starts. Robbie Keane and Gyasi Zardes have both scored twice for the Galaxy.
*The Galaxy primarily use a 4-4-2 formation, as they have started with this formation in 10 of their 13 games, going 3-4-3 in those matches. They have started with a 4-1-2-1-2, 4-1-4-1, and 4-2-3-1 formation one time each in the remaining three games.
*The primary Galaxy lineup and player ratings, according to www.whoscored.com, is presented below:
*The Galaxy are coached by Bruce Arena, one of the most successful soccer coaches in American history. Arena is the all-time winningest coach in U.S. National Team history, with a 71-30-29 record from 1998-2006, which included World Cup appearances in 2002 and 2006. Under Arena, the United States reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup in 2002 and won the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2002 and 2005.
*Arena has experienced great success in Major League Soccer as head coach of DC United from 1996-1998, the New York Red Bulls from 2006-2007 and the LA Galaxy from 2008 to the present. In his three years with DC United, Arena won two MLS Cups and a U.S. Open Cup championship. Arena’s success has continued in Los Angeles, where he has won another three MLS Cups with the club, becoming the first coach in MLS history to win five MLS Cups. Arena has also won three MLS Coach of the Year awards in 1997, 2009, and 2011.
*Here are highlights from last year’s MLS Cup between the Galaxy and Revolution:
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