Lineup
Jon Kempin; Bradley Diallo, Dave Romney, Daniel Steres, Ashley Cole ©; Romain Alessandrini, João Pedro, Jermaine Jones, Emmanuel Boateng; Bradford Jamieson IV, Gyasi Zardes.
Bench
Brian Rowe, Hugo Arellano, Rafael Garcia, Raul Mendiola Jose Villarreal, Jack McInerney, Jack McBean.
Lineup notes
- The Galaxy will take the field at StubHub Center for the second-straight week when they host the Western Conference Colorado Rapids Saturday night.
- Head Coach Sigi Schmid, the winningest coach in MLS history, will coach his sixth contest since taking over as head coach. He will make three changes to the starting XI from Wednesday’s game as Jermaine Jones, Ashley Cole and Romain Alessandrini all make the start in place of last Sunday’s starters Pele Van Anholt, Jonathan dos Santos and Giovani dos Santos.
- In net, Jon Kempin will make his fourth start in net for the LA Galaxy as Schmid continues with the 24-year-old keeper. In his career, Kempin has made 10 appearances and nine starts total between LA and SKC.
- At right back, the versatile Bradley Diallo gets the nod in place of the injured Pele van Anholt and the suspended Nathan Smith. Diallo has played in multiple spots along the backline, and filled in well when called upon this year.
- In the central defense, the versatile, left-footed defender Dave Romney will continue in the starting lineup after the departure of former captain Jelle Van Damme. Romney, the first-ever Galaxy signing from Galaxy II, has played well this season in various spots on defense.
- Next to Romney is fellow Galaxy II product Daniel Steres, who has been one of the most consistent field players for LA since signing with the team prior to the start of last season. Overall, Steres has made 50 appearances for LA since last year.
- On the left, the veteran Ashley Cole returns to the starting lineup after serving a one-game suspension during the team’s match against San Jose. Despite aging legs, Cole’s form hasn’t dipped this year as he continues to be one of MLS’ best left backs.
- Holding down the center of the field, Jermaine Jones returns to the starting XI after not featuring in the previous two matches due to a foot laceration, which required stitches, that he suffered during the team’s match vs. NYCFC.
- Alongside Jones is João Pedro, who is set to make his team-leading 24th start of the season. Pedro has been one of the most consistent players on the field this year for the Galaxy in his first season with the club. He is only 24 years old.
- On the right, it’s the brand-new father Romain Alessandrini, who welcomed his daughter Naomi into the world. He returns after missing last weekend’s game due to the birth of his child. This year, his 8 goals and 8 assists lead the Galaxy.
- On the left, the very-short-but-very-fast Emmanuel Boateng continues in the starting lineup. Once again, he will be the fastest player on the field Saturday and look to stretch the field for the Galaxy offense.
- Up top, Homegrown forward Bradford Jamieson IV makes his third-straight start and will look to provide a spark on offense for the Galaxy attack. Jamieson IV is one of the most talented players to come through the Galaxy Academy and will look to showcase that Saturday.
- Up top, forward Gyasi Zardes continues to lead the attack as he looks to score his first of the year. Zardes has a solid performance with the USMNT during the Gold Cup this summer and will look to find the back of the net Saturday.
Additional:
· LA will be without Giovani dos Santos, Jonathan dos Santos and Clement Diop, who were all called in for World Cup Qualifiers by their respective countries.
Game notes
- The Galaxy are 23-7-5 against Colorado at home, and 36-25-10 all-time against the club.
- The two clubs have played to draws in each of the last three MLS Regular Season contests at StubHub Center.
- The Rapids are winless on the road in 2017, going 0-10-2 on the season.
- The Galaxy will be looking for their first home win since April 7 as they try to keep their playoff hopes alive.
- The Galaxy are 1-8-4 at home this season.
- The Galaxy are 4-1-0 when scoring the first goal this season and 4-2-0 when leading the game at halftime, so we’ve got that going for us, which is nice.
- Conversely, LA have gone 2-13-2 when conceding first and are 1-9-1 in matches when trailing at the half.
Storylines
- Can the Galaxy find their first win under Sigi Schmid?
- Will the Galaxy find success at StubHub Center after a difficult season at home?
- Can Gyasi Zardes find his first goal of the year?
- How will the Galaxy cope without Giovani and Jonathan Dos Santos?
- Can the Galaxy get momentum during the stretch run of the season?
Hall & Oates Lyrics
What I want, you've got
And it might be hard to handle
But like the flame that burns the candle
The candle feeds the flame, yeah yeah
What I've got's full stock of thoughts and dreams that scatter
You pull them all together
And how, I can't explain,
Oh yeah, well well you
Well well you (ooh ooh ooh ooh)
You make my dreams come true (you you) you
(you you)
Well well well you (ooh ooh ooh ooh)
Oh yeah you make my dreams come true
(ooh oooh ooh ooh) hell yeah
– Hall and Oates (2017)
