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Starting XI

Brian Rowe; Robbie Rogers, Daniel Steres, Jelle Van Damme, Ashley Cole; Jeff Larentowicz, Sebastian Lletget; Baggio Husidic, Giovani dos Santos, Emmanuel Boateng; Robbie Keane ©

Substitutions

Dan Kennedy, A.J. DeLaGarza, Rafael Garcia, Steven Gerrard, Landon Donovan, Mike Magee, Alan Gordon

Lineup notes

LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena will make two changes to his lineup from last Sunday’s match at Kansas City as Giovani dos Santos and Baggio Husidic start in place of Raul Mendiola and Alan Gordon.
In net, Brian Rowe continues for the Galaxy during his best year in MLS, making his 28^th appearance and his 27^th start for LA this season. Rowe’s previous career-high was just seven starts in a season. The former UCLA star has recorded seven shutouts and a 1.05 GAA on the year.
On the right side of defense, Robbie Rogers continues in strong form since returning to action from an ankle-surgery that kept him sidelined around two months. Since making the move to defense full-time with a start against Chivas USA on June 8, 2014, the Galaxy have gone 30-11-21 in all MLS competitions in which Rogers has appeared, including MLS Cup Playoffs and the 2014 MLS Cup Final.
In the center of defense, Daniel Steres makes his team-high 30^th appearance of the season. Steres has been one of the most unheralded successes in MLS this year after joining the Galaxy from LA Galaxy II in USL. He has been one of the league’s most reliable defenders.
Alongside Steres in central defense, the top candidate for MLS Defender of the Year, Jelle Van Damme, is set to make his 26^th start. Jelle has been really Damme good this season.
On the left, the Englishman Ashley Cole continues his standout year in what will be his 24^th appearance of the season. Cole has proved the critics wrong this season and been one of the top left backs in MLS.
In the center of the field, the reliable red-head Jeff Larentowicz makes the start, his 15^th of the year. Larentowicz signed with the Galaxy this offseason as part of the league’s first-ever crop of free agents and has been a strong veteran presence in the center of the field for LA.
Next to Larentowicz, midfielder Sebastian Lletget will continue in the center of the field, where he has excelled in a partnership with Jeff Larentowicz since the departure of Nigel de Jong. Da’ Boy has eight goals and nine assists in his Galaxy career.
On the right side, the brand-new father Baggio Husidic makes the start. Baggio and his wife, Fay, welcomed their son Finn August Husidic on Thursday. Husidic has been a steady contributor to the Galaxy since 2014.
Pulling the strings on offense, Mexican International and MLS MVP candidate Giovani dos Santos returns to the lineup after sitting out for precautionary reasons last week against Kansas City. Gio has been lights out this year, recording 14 goals and 11 assists (both stats are top five in MLS). Only he and Giovinco have recorded 10+ goals/assists this year. In his last three games, Giovani dos Santos has scored five goals and tallied three assists.
On the left, the small but speedy Ghanaian Emmanuel Boateng will continue in the starting XI after recording strong performances in recent weeks. Boateng has recorded a goal and two assists in his previous three games. On the year, Boateng now has two goals and five assists.
Up top, the unfathomably-handsome Irishman Robbie Keane gets the start. Keane all time MLS stats: 81 goals, 42 assists, 23 game-winning goals, 16 game-winning assists in just 123 appearances.

Game notes:

LA Galaxy’s 1.13 GAA is the fourth-lowest in the league behind Colorado (0.86), San Jose (1.07) Toronto (1.10)
The Galaxy’s 6-game unbeaten streak is the longest streak in the Western Conference.
LA have the longest standing home undefeated streak in MLS (15).
This season, the Galaxy remain undefeated at home with a 8-0-7 record at StubHub Center, scoring 30 goals while allowing just 14.
LA Galaxy are one of two teams in MLS unbeaten at home this season (COL).
he Galaxy have been one of the most successful MLS teams at home during the last four seasons, scoring 147 total goals at StubHub Center.
The Galaxy’s home MLS record throughout the last four seasons is 42-5-18, with 147 goals for and just 50 against (+97 goal differential).
Since 2014, the Galaxy have only lost five of their previous 65 MLS games at StubHub Center.

Storylines:

Can the Galaxy find their third win in their last five games?
Will Giovani dos Santos continue his strong form?
Can the Galaxy build momentum in their last four games of the season?
How many minutes will Landon Donovan see? Steven Gerrard?
Will the Larentowicz-Lletget partnership continue to thrive?
How will the LA heat affect the match?

Quick hits:

Quotable:

Bruce Arena:

“Right now we have to take it one game at a time. Last year at this time of year you would have said everything’s great. We were No. 1 in the Supporters’ Shield (race) at the time and then things didn’t end up that well.”

Robbie Keane

On Alexi Lalas saying the Galaxy are the 9^th best team in MLS:

“He must have had at least 10 whiskeys to say that. I like the position we’re in. Second in the conference? Second in the league? Do the math. I don’t know how that makes us the ninth-best or ninth-worst team. I don’t know how you can explain that one.”

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