MLS LA Galaxy

Pregame Notes: New England Revolution vs LA Galaxy

Published on June 1, 2013 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
LA Galaxy News Release


Riding a two-game winning streak, the New England Revolution play host to the LA Galaxy on Sunday afternoon atGillette Stadium before an NBC Sports Network audience. The Revolution made it two league wins in a row for the firsttime last weekend with a victory against Toronto FC, then strolled to an Open Cup win vs. Rochester at midweek. TheGalaxy are coming off a dominant home win against Seattle Sounders FC, though they were dumped out of the OpenCup in a loss at Carolina.

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REFEREE: Fotis Bazakos. AR1 (bench): Adam Garner; AR2 (opposite): Eric Proctor; 4th: Hilario Grajeda

MLS Career: 15 games; FC/gm: 24.5; Y/gm: 2.7; R: 1; pens: 3

DISABLED LIST: NE: Kevin Alston

SUSPENDED: none

WARNINGS:

SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none

SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: LA: Marcelo Sarvas

INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: LA: Robbie Keane (Ireland); Omar Gonzalez (USA); Oscar Sorto (USA U-20)

HEAD-TO-HEAD

ALL-TIME (36 meetings): Revolution 14 wins (1 shootout), 50 goals ... Galaxy 16 wins (2 shootout), 55 goals ... Ties 6

AT NEW ENGLAND (17 meetings): Revolution 9 wins (1 shootout), 29 goals ... Galaxy 6 wins (2 shootout), 25 goals ...Ties 2

LAST YEAR (MLS):

3/31: LA 1, NE 3 (Keane 78 - Rowe 10; Tierney 13; Sene 65)

This is the only meeting of the season between the two clubs. The teams met once a year ago, the Revolution coming away from The Home Depot Center with a 3-1 winagainst the Galaxy on March 31, ending a string of three winless meetings with the Galaxy in Carson. The Galaxy have won on two of their last three visits to Gillette Stadium, including a 1-0 victory in 2011, theirlast trip to New England. Coaches record: Jay Heaps vs. LA: P1 W1 L0 D ... Bruce Arena v NE: P25 W13 L9 D3

LA GALAXY

The LA Galaxy returned home and hit for four goals for the second time in three games, this time cruising to a 4-0victory against Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday evening at The Home Depot Center. The Galaxy are in fourth place inthe Western Conference with 20 points from 12 matches.

LAST MATCH

The Galaxy were in the lead after just 12 minutes. Following a partially cleared corner kick, Robbie Keaneplayed a give-and-go with Marcelo Sarvas on the right flank. Keane beat Jhon Kennedy Hurtado on the dribbleand whipped the ball into the goalmouth for Sean Franklin to tap home. (WATCH) The Galaxy made it 2-0 as Keane hit for his first just 12 minutes later. After a short corner, Landon Donovansent in a bristling cross from the right wing. It hit Omar Gonzalez, ricocheted off Seattle's Brad Evans and fell toKeane, who slotted into the right side of the net. (WATCH) LA put the game away from the penalty spot, with Keane finishing twice from the spot in the 34th and 44thminutes. On the first, after Gyasi Zardes was felled in the box by Sounders center back Djimi Traor�, MichaelGspurning stopped Keane's first effort. But referee Baldomero Toledo whistled Mauro Rosales forencroachment into the box, and Keane put his second try to the right side of the net. (WATCH) The fourth LA goal and Keane's third came after Evans took down Juninho from behind on a Zardes pass fromthe left byline, Keane beating Gspurning to the left side of the goal. Sounders midfielder Shalrie Joseph was sent off in the 87th minute after making contact with Marcelo Sarvas'face near midfield. (WATCH) Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena made three changes to the team that lost 1-0 to the New York Red Bulls atRed Bull Arena. Greg Cochrane came into the back four for Todd Dunivant, Michael Stephens started inmidfield in place of Hector Jimenez, and Gyasi Zardes came in up top for Jose Villarreal. LA GALAXY (4-4-2): Carlo Cudicini - Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, A.J. DeLaGarza, Greg Cochrane -Landon Donovan, Marcelo Sarvas, Juninho (Robbie Rogers 77), Michael Stephens - Robbie Keane (JoseVillarreal 73), Gyasi Zardes (Hector Jimenez 83).

TEAM NEWS

The Galaxy matched their season-high with four goals, hitting that total for the second time in 10 days (alsoscoring four vs. Philadelphia) and the third time this season, opening the year with a 4-0 win vs. Chicago. READ: Bruce Arena on rampant LA Galaxy win over Seattle: "We got the kind of result we deserved" "I think our start to the game was real good. Guys had a real good positive attitude about getting out theretonight," Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said. "I think this year, for a large part of the year, we've played prettywell. We've just been a little inconsistent, a little unlucky at times, and I think at least tonight we rewardedourselves a little bit and we got the kind of result we deserved." Robbie Keane scored the first hat trick of his MLS career to lead the Galaxy to a 4-0 win against SeattleSounders FC on Sunday at The Home Depot Center. It was his fifth multiple-goal game in 38 leagueappearances; he has 23 goals total in MLS regular season play. It was the second hat trick by a Galaxy player this season. The first came in the opening game of the seasonfrom Mike Magee. "It's always nice to score," Keane said. "One, two, three or four doesn't really matter. As a striker, your job is toscore goals, so it's of course great to score a hat trick, but I think the most important thing is getting the threepoints and bouncing back after the defeat last week against [the] Red Bulls, which we certainly didn't deserveto lose." Robbie Rogers made his Galaxy debut, coming on in the 77th minute. The rights to Rogers were acquired fromthe Chicago Fire in exchange for Mike Magee. READ: Robbie Rogers jovial after historic LA Galaxy debut "Once he's fully fit he's a true wide player that we haven't had in a long time and I know Bruce has beensearching for a player like that," said Landon Donovan. "On one hand, we lose one of our most influentialplayers, which is tough, but we're getting a guy who's been very effective in this league and we're really excitedto have him." Said Arena: "In a lot of ways the easy part is over, now the difficult part remains and that's getting himpositioned to play and that's going to take some time. Our expectations for Robbie are not anything big in thenear future, it's just going to take time. The plan is just to move him along and see how he progresses andhopefully he can get back to where we think he can be as a player." Home Grown Player Gyasi Zardes made his first MLS start and won the penalty that led the Galaxy's openinggoal. "I thought he played well he was dangerous and was a handful for the Seattle backline for the 80 some oddminutes he played," Arena said. "I think it was a good performance. He is going to get better as we moveforward he is still relatively young and we anticipate that he is going to continue to improve as a player." On Wednesday, the Galaxy were dumped out of the U.S. Open Cup at the first asking in a 2-0 third-round lossto the NASL's Carolina RailHawks. The game's goals came through Brian Shriver and Austin da Luz just afterthe hour mark. READ: No excuses from the LA Galaxy in another defeat to Carolina RailHawks Here's the Galaxy team: Brian Rowe; Hector Jimenez, Leonardo (Chandler Hoffman 78'), Tommy Meyer, GregCochrane; Michael Stephens, Rafael Garcia, Kenney Walker, Colin Clark (Robbie Rogers 62'); Jose Villarreal,Charlie Rugg (Gyasi Zardes 56')

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

The New England Revolution made it two wins from as many matches, defeating Toronto FC 2-0 on Saturday eveningat Gillette Stadium. The Revolution are in a tie for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 16 points from 12 matches.

LAST MATCH

The Revolution took the lead after 23 minutes. Chris Tierney sent in a curling service from the left hand sidethat froze the Reds back line and located Diego Fagundez at the far post, and he gleefully lashed home histhird goal in as many matches from the volley. The home side finished off the match in second-half stoppage time. This time it was from a Sa�r S�ne cross asJuan Agudelo moved into the right spot to divert the ball into the net from close range. Revolution head coach Jay Heaps made four changes to the team that came away with a 2-0 victory againstthe Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium. Chris Tierney came into the back four for Darrius Barnes,Scott Caldwell started in place of Clyde Simms, and Juan Agudelo and Jerry Bengtson stepped into the side inplace of Ryan Guy and Dimitry Imbongo. NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (4-1-4-1): Bobby Shuttleworth - Andrew Farrell, Stephen McCarthy, JoseGoncalves, Chris Tierney - Scott Caldwell (Andy Dorman 82) - Juan Agudelo, Juan Toja (Kelyn Rowe 61), LeeNguyen, Diego Fagundez - Jerry Bengtson (Saer Sene 72).

TEAM NEWS

The Revolution have won back-to-back games for the first time since defeating Chicago and Montr�al each by1-0 scorelines in the final two games of last season. The Revs won consecutive games twice last year, after notdoing so over the entirety of the 2011 season. For a second consecutive week, Diego Fagundez and Juan Agudelo were the goalscorers as the Revolutionwon 2-0 for the second game in a row. "He does everything for the team. He does all the little things, the hard work, gets his toes in, he's defending onthe top of the box," Heaps said of Agudelo. "So, right away he jumps up in that the players buy into what he'sdoing. His ability around the box he just shows he's really crafty he's really got good body control. The twogoals he's scored have been, to me, pretty incredible goals. He's kind of leaning, just getting his body there andjust getting enough on it and those are what goal scorers do they find a way and he's doing that." Fagundez has scored goals in three consecutive games, the first Revs player to do that since Saer Sene did itlast May 12-26. "The way we're playing right now it's very fluid in the offense, but we're pushing where Diego is and it's a littlebit wider and he has a little bit more freedom and so, he's getting good matchups. I think that he's an intuitiveplayer as well just like Juan (Agudelo) where they can sense weaknesses in an opponent," said Heaps. "... Ithink Diego is becoming a complete player. You see him forward and back doing both things and the better heis defensively the more he does offensively." Chris Tierney recorded his second assist in the last three matches, again assisting on a Fagundez goal. "We inserted Chris Tierney into that offensive winger position as a winger left back and it worked out," saidHeaps. "Unfortunately, our second half we dipped a little bit. It's kind of been counter to what we've done thisseason where we've been better in the second half. So, an area to work on is definitely the way we came out inthe second half." Saer Sene came off the bench for the seventh time in eight matches and contributed his first assist of theseason, setting up the second goal. "I'm looking at it like an international signing at this point. We've had a little glimpse of him but we know he's gotso much more and I think you're going to start seeing him start to pick up in training," said Heaps. "He's wellahead of schedule but now we're getting a confident Saer where he knows his body can do what he wants it todo and (against TFC) it showed." On Tuesday, the Revolution cruised into the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup with a 5-1 win against the USLPRO Rochester Rhinos. Kelyn Rowe scored twice and Andy Dorman, Jerry Bengtson and Chad Barrett addedgoals. Here's the Revolution team: Matt Reis, Donnie Smith (Chris Tierney 52), A.J. Soares, Darrius Barnes, GabeLatigue, Chad Barrett, Andy Dorman, Kalifa Cisse, Kelyn Rowe, Saer Sene (Jerry Bengtson 46), DimitryImbongo (Tyler Polak 33)

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