CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy’s Alan Gordon isn’t in the prognostication business, but he did make a prediction this week as the defending MLS Cup champions prepared to take on the unbeaten New York Red Bulls on Sunday at Red Bull Arena (2 p.m., ESPN2, ESPN Deportes).
The veteran striker went so far as to say the Galaxy were going to win on the road this season. That may not seem like much of a boast, but considering the Galaxy haven’t won away from StubHub Center since last Aug. 20, when they rallied with three-second half goals to win at Colorado, there may be more merit to his statement than usual.
“I guarantee you we’re going to get a win on the road this year. We’re not going to go winless,” he said with a grin. “That’s a Gordo guarantee right there.
“It might as well be this one, and we’re going to go for it.”
The Galaxy (3-2-2), coming off a dramatic 2-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City, take on a Red Bulls (3-0-2) side that is the league’s lone unbeaten team and is 34-7-12 at home since the start of the 2012 season. Veterans Thierry Henry and Tim Cahill may have moved on – Henry to retirement and Cahill to China – but the Red Bulls have flourished under the coaching of Jesse Marsch and behind the likes of Sacha Kljestan, Lloyd Sam and Bradley Wright-Phillips, winner of the 2014 MLS Golden Boot award for being the league’s leading scorer with 27 goals.
“Obviously Wright-Phillips is an important part of their team,” Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said. “Their midfield has been reconstructed a bit with Klejstan and Felipe Martins and their back line is a little bit different with two new center backs (Matt Miazga and Damien Parrinelle). But there are a lot of qualities from last year’s team as well.
“They’re definitely different without Henry. They don’t have any Henrys on the field and neither do we. Henry is one of the great players in football. I don’t care what age he was; he was still a tremendous player. They don’t have those qualities, but they have a team that works real hard.
“It’s more of a team concept, not relying so much on individuals anymore.”
Speaking of individuals, the Galaxy still may be without captain Robbie Keane, who continues his recovery from a strained groin that has kept him out of the last two games – both victories. But Gyasi Zardes will be available for full-time duty after coming on as a late substitute last weekend and 18-year-old Bradford Jamieson IV could get more playing time after his impressive performance against Sporting Kansas City.
The Galaxy’s Robbie Rogers says he can’t wait for this weekend.
“I’m really excited for this game,” he said. “This is one of the games I’m actually most excited about so far this season. They’re such a good team, and we’re playing them at their stadium and they haven’t lost.
“What a great challenge it is for us.”
NEW YORK RED BULLS vs LA GALAXY
RED BULL ARENA, Harrison, N.J.
April 26, 2015 (WEEK 8, MLS Game #72)
5 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
One of the highest profile matches of the season is ahead when the New York Red Bulls play host to the LA Galaxy on Sunday afternoon at Red Bull Arena before an ESPN2 audience. The Red Bulls are the only undefeated team still remaining in MLS, following their 2-0 home win against the San Jose Earthquakes last weekend. The defending MLS Cup champion Galaxy have rebounded with back-to-back wins, coming off a last-gasp 2-1 victory against Sporting Kansas City last Saturday at StubHub Center.
- The Red Bulls remain the only team in Major League Soccer without a defeat this season, improving their record to 3-0-2 with a 2-0 win against the San Jose Earthquakes on Friday evening. It matches the longest undefeated start to a season in club history (they also went 3-0-2 to open 2007).
- Sacha Kljestan scored his first MLS goal since April 24, 2010, when he scored for Chivas USA, in the Red Bulls victory. Bradley Wright-Phillips – last year’s MLS Golden Boot winner with 27 goals – recorded his third assist of the season on the Kljestan goal, tied for second-most in MLS this season.
- The Galaxy won their second consecutive game on the heels of a four-game winless run, defeating Sporting Kansas City 2-1 on Saturday evening at StubHub Center, the winning goal scored deep in stoppage time by defender Omar Gonzalez off the substitutes’ bench.
- The Galaxy took the lone meeting between the teams a season ago by a 4-0 scoreline, Sept. 28 at StubHub Center, their first victory vs. the Red Bulls since 2010. New York had won four of the five meetings in between, with one draw, including 1-0 wins in the only meeting in 2012 and 2013.
- The Red Bulls have won their last two home meetings with the Galaxy, after LA defeated New York 1-0 on Aug. 14, 2010, the first meeting ever between the clubs in Harrison.
REFEREE: Ted Unkel. AR1 (bench): Matthew Nelson; AR2 (opposite): Kevin Klinger; 4th: Jorge Gonzalez
MLS Career: 18 games; FC/gm: 25.6; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 6; pens: 6
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SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: NYR: Damian Perrinelle
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: LA: Dan Gargan, Juninho
DISABLED LIST: LA: Brian Perk (season-ending injury)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (40 meetings): Red Bulls 18 wins (1 shootout), 56 goals … Galaxy 16 wins (1 shootout), 57 goals … Ties 6
AT RBNY (21 meetings): Red Bulls 12 wins (1 shootout), 34 goals … Galaxy 7 wins (1 shootout), 27 goals … Ties 2
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Robbie Keane suffers setback, likely to miss LA Galaxy's trip to New York
The Three-Headed Monster: Why the New York Red Bulls' midfield is best in MLS
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