CARSON, Calif. – Alan Gordon has caught fire down the stretch for the LA Galaxy, and he’s being rewarded by head coach Bruce Arena with a regular place in the starting XI.
Gordon started his second postseason match in a row on Sunday as the Galaxy earned a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids in their Western Conference Semifinal first leg.
The 35-year-old has been impressive as of late with four goals and two assists in his last eight games for Los Angeles. Against the Rapids, Gordon didn’t find the back of the net but did wreak havoc on a Rapids back four that struggled to deal with the forward’s trademark physicality. Gordon's ability to cause problems for the Rapids defense was on full display on Giovani dos Santos' goal as defenders were forced to deal with the target man, allowing the Mexican international to find the room he needed to score the game's only goal.
Although captain Robbie Keane has returned from a hip flexor injury that he sustained earlier in the month, Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena believes Gordon has earned his spot in the lineup, even at the expense of the Irishman.
“[With Keane] coming back from injury and having a team that played a good game on Wednesday and deciding not to change the lineup, I think Alan Gordon has played well and deserved to get the start [Sunday],” Arena said. “The decision was made that this is the right team to start in this game. I can promise you, Robbie is not happy with that. It’s the way it is.”
