Match Preview Presented by O4 Water: LA Galaxy frustrated by road form ahead of Colorado Rapids clash

Larry Morgan

CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy have lost just once at StubHub Center since the 2014 season opener and have become one of the most feared teams at home in MLS.

On the road, however, is a completely different story.
The defending MLS Cup champions have not won on the road since last Aug. 20 against the Colorado Rapids in Commerce City, Colo., and are 0-6-5 on the road this season. They get another chance to end that downward spiral on Saturday at the scene of that long-ago road win, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, when they face the same Rapids (6 p.m., Time Warner Cable SportsNet, Time Warner Cable Deportes) in a battle of Western Conference rivals.
“I think that’s the million-dollar question,” defender Dan Gargan said, “if we could figure out why we can’t put performances together on the road like we’re putting them on at home.

“I think our lives would be a lot easier,” he added with a laugh.

The Galaxy (9-7-7, 34 points) have been outscored 21-8 on the road this season and are coming off a 3-0 loss at Houston last weekend. They will be facing the Rapids (5-6-9, 24 points), who are the league’s lowest-scoring team with 18 goals but have allowed the fewest, 19. The Galaxy, on the other hand, have scored the most goals in MLS with 36.

But it’s not necessarily what they’ve done on offense. It’s what they haven’t done – namely, win on the road – and an old story is getting to be just short of exasperating for coaches and players.
“Home or away, losses are frustrating,” head coach Bruce Arena said. “And that’s the bottom line. Expectations are to win the game. We know every team is going to play their best against the Galaxy. We have to be ready to play well.
“It’s that simple.”
Gargan echoed his teammates who continually have been searching for answers regarding their lengthy road woes. He can’t explain it either.

“It’s not for a lack of effort,” he said. “We want to win on the road as much as we want to win at home. We haven’t quite found the solution yet, and this weekend will give us another opportunity to try for that.”

The Galaxy entered last year’s game in Colorado on the heels of a 4-1 loss at Columbus just four days earlier. The Galaxy trailed the Rapids 3-1 at halftime but rallied behind second-half goals from Omar Gonzalez, Alan Gordon and Landon Donovan’s game-winner for a stunning 4-3 victory.

Gordon called that win “a turnaround game” and remained confident the Galaxy will reverse its road fortunes, perhaps as early as this weekend.
“I don’t feel like we’ve hit the panic button yet,” he said. “It’s just something we’re trying to open the floodgates and get that first win and get the monkey off our backs.
“This is where it all counts. Nothing before this game matters. All the other road losses don’t matter. It’s about this game and this game only, and we’re more than capable of getting a win.”

Colorado Rapids vs. LA Galaxy
DICK’S SPORTING GOODS PARK, Commerce City, Colo.
August 1, 2015 (MLS Game #219)
6 pm PT (MLS LIVE, Altitude, TWCSN-LA)

A crucial match for different reasons in the Western Conference is ahead when the Colorado Rapids play host to the LA Galaxy on Saturday evening at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The Rapids come into the game riding a three-game winning streak, but still eight points out of the final playoff position, after their 1-0 win at Seattle Sounders FC two weeks ago. The Galaxy haven’t won on the road in nearly a year, now sitting in third place in the conference after starting the road swing with a 3-0 defeat at the Houston Dynamo last weekend.

The Rapids have won three consecutive games for the first time this season, winning on the road for just the second time this year in a 1-0 victory at Seattle Sounders FC last weekend. Kevin Doyle scored his second goal in the last three games.
The Galaxy remained winless on the road for the season, falling 3-0 to the LA Galaxy on Saturday evening at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Galaxy are now winless in their last 15 league away games, tied for the second-longest stretch in club history.
The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Gabriel Torres gave the Rapids a first-half lead, but Alan Gordon came off the bench to hit for a 75th-minute equalizer, to leave the teams in a 1-1 draw May 2 at StubHub Center.
The Galaxy won the final two meetings between the teams a year ago, including a 6-0 triumph on Sept. 5 at StubHub Center, the highest margin of victory in the 19-year history between the teams.
The Rapids had won back-to-back meetings at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park before a 4-3 Galaxy win there last Aug. 20. The Rapids wins were the first in the series at home since 2008, ending a five-game winless run.

DOWNLOAD FULL GAME GUIDE (PDF)

REFEREE: Juan Guzman. AR1 (bench): Joe Fletcher; AR2 (opposite): Kyle Atkins; 4th: Alex Chilowicz
MLS Career: 57 games; FC/gm: 25.5; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 20; pens: 14

SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: COL: Jared Watts, Lucas Pittinari … LA: Baggio Husidic
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: COL: Sam Cronin, James Riley, Axel Sjoberg, Drew Moor … LA: Juninho, Mika Vayrynen, Omar Gonzalez
DISABLED LIST: LA: Brian Perk (season-ending injury)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (66 meetings): Rapids 24 wins (1 shootout), 76 goals … Galaxy 34 wins (2 shootout), 105 goals … Ties 8
AT COLORADO (33 meetings): Rapids 17 wins (0 shootout), 45 goals …Galaxy 11 wins (1 shootout), 38 goals …Ties 5

The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Gabriel Torres gave the Rapids a first-half lead, but Alan Gordon came off the bench to hit for a 75th-minute equalizer, to leave the teams in a 1-1 draw May 2 at StubHub Center.
The Galaxy won the final two meetings between the teams a year ago, including a 6-0 triumph on Sept. 5 at StubHub Center, the highest margin of victory in the 19-year history between the teams.
The Rapids had won back-to-back meetings at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park before a 4-3 Galaxy win there last Aug. 20. The Rapids wins were the first in the series at home since 2008, ending a five-game winless run.
Coaches record: Bruce Arena vs. COL: P28 W16 L8 D4 … Pablo Mastroeni vs. COL: P4 W1 L2 D1

LAST MEETING (MLS)
5/2: LA 1, COL 1 (Torres 40 – Gordon 75)

The Rapids took the lead five minutes before the halftime break. A Galaxy pass from midfield went straight to Rapids left back Michael Harrington, who sent it first-time behind the LA backline. Gabriel Torres outsprinted a pair of defenders to race in alone on goalkeeper Jaime Penedo before firing home from the edge of the box.
The Galaxy pulled level and maintained their home undefeated run with a quarter-hour to play. A couple of minutes after coming off the substitutes' bench, Alan Gordon created space in the center of the penalty area and headed a Stefan Ishizaki corner kick inside the right post for the equalizer.
LA GALAXY (4-3-1-2): Jaime Penedo - Dan Gargan, Omar Gonzalez, Leonardo, Robbie Rogers - Baggio Husidic, Rafael Garcia (Stefan Ishizaki 69), Ignacio Maganto (Alan Gordon 72) - Mika Vayrynen (Juninho 58) - Bradford Jamieson, Gyasi Zardes.
COLORADO RAPIDS (4-2-3-1): Clint Irwin - James Riley, Shane O'Neill, Axel Sjoberg, Michael Harrington - Sam Cronin, Lucas Pittinari - Nick LaBrocca (Dominique Badji 62), Dillon Powers (Vicente Sanchez 84), Juan Ramirez (Dillon Serna 76) - Gabriel Torres.

Larry Morgan