CARSON, Calif. – Yes, the LA Galaxy are coming off a dispiriting 2-0 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps. Yes, they have won just once in five games and are experiencing another one of their familiar slow starts to the season.
But before anyone thinks the defending MLS Cup champions are in trouble, a word of caution is in order.
The Galaxy (1-2-2) have played only five games as they prepare to take on the Seattle Sounders (2-1-1) on Sunday at StubHub Center (4 p.m., Fox Sports 1, Fox Deportes).
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“Actually I think the season’s over,” Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said with a sly grin when asked if it was too early in the season to be concerned with his team’s struggles. “I think we should fold the tent up and go home.
“Why would anyone with half a brain even think after five games that anything’s said and done?”
The regular season isn’t even close to being a third of the way through, but there clearly was an underlying sense of frustration during training, particularly early in the week. But the anguish of such a painful loss as the defeat in Vancouver, where the Galaxy were thoroughly outplayed, had eased somewhat by week’s end.
“The beginning of the week I think we were frustrated,” Galaxy central defender Omar Gonzalez admitted. “But now I think that’s out of the way. We all moved on from the Vancouver game and now we’re looking forward to the game against Seattle.
“Everyone recognizes the fact that it’s going to take a great effort to get a result here at home. We’re all on the same page right now.”
At first glance, the timing of Sunday’s match against such a bitter rival couldn’t be better, given the circumstances. But the Galaxy’s Stefan Ishizaki begged to differ on that point.
“I would rather come off a three-game winning streak,” he said with a laugh. “But yeah, it really doesn’t matter in these games. It’s going to be a tough game to play and hopefully we get out with all three points.”
Final preparations for Seattle match
The Sounders, led Clint Dempsey and Obafemi Martins, each of whom have three goals, surprisingly haven’t beaten the Galaxy in Southern California since their inaugural season in 2009. The teams played three times during the regular season a year ago, with the series going 1-1-1, and the sides have met three times in the last five seasons in the MLS Cup playoffs. One of those was last year’s Western Conference Championship, which the Galaxy won on away goals following a 1-0 victory at StubHub Center and a 2-1 loss at Seattle’s CenturyLink Field.
Arena said he isn’t looking at the past history between the clubs. But he is looking for something else.
“Everything. Just play better,” he said of the Galaxy, which have gone scoreless in consecutive matches for the first time since 2012. “At times you like to make things real complicated. They’ve just got to go out and play hard and play up to their capabilities and they’ll be fine.
“We’re just looking for guys to step up their games, win their battles individually and collectively play better.”
Added Ishizaki, “We have to start playing better, and why not do it against Seattle?”
LA GALAXY vs SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
STUBHUB CENTER, Carson, Calif.
April 12, 2015 (WEEK 6, MLS Game #55)
4 p.m. PT (FS1; FOX Deportes)
One of the hottest rivalries in recent seasons is renewed when the LA Galaxy play host to Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday afternoon at StubHub Center before a FOX Sports 1 audience. The Galaxy return home coming off back-to- back losses, their last match a 2-0 defeat at Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Sounders FC returned to their winning ways in their last contest, a 1-0 victory against the Houston Dynamo at CenturyLink Field.
- The Galaxy suffered their second consecutive defeat on Saturday evening, falling 2-0 to Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place. It’s the first time the Galaxy have been shut out in back-to-back league matches since the 2012 season (0-2 at Seattle on May 2; 0-1 vs. New York Red Bulls on May 5).
- Obafemi Martins made it three goals in three matches and Clint Dempsey made it three goals and two assists from his three games, as Sounders FC rebounded for a 1-0 win over the Houston Dynamo at CenturyLink Field on Saturday. Martins and Dempsey have combined for all six Sounders FC goals this season.
- The teams have met three times in the last five seasons in the MLS Cup Playoffs, including the Western Conference Championship a year ago, when the Galaxy won on away goals after a 1-0 win at StubHub Center and a 2-1 Sounders FC victory at CenturyLink Field.
- The teams met three times in the regular season a year ago, each winning once with one draw. The Sounders FC victory in the season finale at Seattle secured the club’s first Supporters’ Shield. Sounders FC have not won at the Galaxy since 2009, now nine trips in league and MLS Cup play without a win.
REFEREE: Mark Geiger. AR1 (bench): Sean Hurd; AR2 (opposite): Joe Fletcher; 4th: Ricardo Salazar
MLS Career: 131 games; FC/gm: 26.7; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 32; pens: 42
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SUSPENDED: SEA: Gonzalo Pineda (through April 12)
DISABLED LIST: LA: Brian Perk (season-ending injury)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (15 meetings): Galaxy 6 wins, 21 goals … Sounders FC 4 wins, 16 goals … Ties 5
AT LA (7 meetings): Galaxy 3 wins, 11 goals … Sounders FC 1 win, 6 goals … Ties 3
RETURN MATCHES: 8/9: LA Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders FC, 1 p.m. PT (ESPN); 10/4: Seattle Sounders FC vs. LA Galaxy, 6:30 p.m. PT (FS1)
LAST YEAR (MLS)
7/28: SEA 0, LA 3 (Zardes 8; Donovan 18; Ishizaki 36)
10/19: LA 2, SEA 2 (Husidic 46+; Sarvas 50 – Dempsey 69; Neagle 72)
10/25: SEA 2, LA 0 (Pappa 85, 95+)
- The teams have met three times in the last five seasons in the MLS Cup Playoffs, including in the Western Conference Championship a year ago, when the Galaxy won on away goals after a 1-0 win at StubHub Center and a 2-1 Sounders FC victory at CenturyLink Field.
- The teams met three times in the regular season a year ago, each winning once with one draw, the Sounders FC victory in the season finale at Seattle securing that club’s first Supporters’ Shield.
- Sounders FC have not won at the Galaxy since 2009, now nine trips in league and MLS Cup play without a win.
- Coaches record: Bruce Arena vs. SEA: P15 W6 L4 D5 … Sigi Schmid vs. LA: P21 W7 L7 D7
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Sounders' Schmid, Keller humbled by Hall of Fame induction
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