LA Galaxy Starting XI
Clement Diop; Oscar Sorto, A.J. DeLaGarza ©, Leonardo, Dave Romney; Raul Mendiola, Rafael Garcia, Jeff Larentowicz, Emmanuel Boateng; Jose Villarreal, Alan Gordon.
Substitutions
Brian Rowe, Daniel Steres, Baggio Husidic, Alejandro Covarrubias, Mike Magee, Sebastian Lletget, Jack McBean.
Lineup Notes
- Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena will start a lineup mixed with talented youth and veteran leadership in the team’s first U.S. Open Cup competition of 2016.
- Oui, Clement Diop will get his first start for the LA Galaxy Tuesday night at StubHub Center. The Frenchman has been a standout for LA Galaxy II in USL since joining last season, earning a first-team contract in MLS during the offseason. This year, he has made 24 saves for a 1.18 GAA in USL play.
- Oscar Sorto will make sure not to have a sore toe Tuesday night as he makes his first start of the season. Sorto has made four MLS appearances for the Galaxy and has featured extensively this year for LA Galaxy II.
- In the center of the defense, defender A.J. DeLaGarza gets the start against La Máquina. On the Galaxy’s current roster, no player has made more appearances for LA than DeLaGarza, who was drafted in 2009.
- Alongside DeLaGarza, Leonardo makes the start. The tall, Brazilian central defender was named LA Galaxy Defender of the Year last season. On Tuesday night, he will debut a full beard.
- On the left side of defense, Dave Romney earns the nod. After joining Los Dos before the start of the last season, Romney became the first-ever player to sign with the Galaxy from Galaxy II after stellar play throughout the year.
- Raul Mendiola starts on the right side of the midfield Tuesday night. The talented LA Galaxy Homegrown player led the USL in assists a year ago for LA Galaxy II.
- In the center of the pitch, Jeff Larentowicz will make the start in the Galaxy’s first USOC match of 2016. Since recovering from a preseason injury, Big Red has since made seven MLS appearances for LA.
- Alongside Larentowicz, Rafael Garcia starts in central midfield. Garcia has been a steady and reliable contributor in the Galaxy lineup since joining in 2012.
- On the left, the speedy Ghanaian Emmanuel Boateng makes his USOC debut. The short and speedy winger has been a spark for the Galaxy since joining from Helsingborgs IF this offseason.
- Up top, LA Galaxy Homegrown Player Jose Villarreal will make his first start of the season for LA. The Inglewood product is second on LA Galaxy II in goals this season, scoring five on the year.
- Alongside Villarreal is Alan Gordon. The MLS veteran has made 229 appearances and scored 49 goals in MLS since 2004.
Game Notes
- LA Galaxy and La Máquina kick off in the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup.
- Tuesday marks the first-ever competition between La Máquina and the LA Galaxy.
- LA Wolves and La Máquina faced off at Westminster High School in the third round of the tournament, with La Máquina advancing with a 2-0 win over their fellow United Premier Soccer League counterparts.
- The Galaxy have recorded a 27-15-1 all-time record in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
- LA have entered the Open Cup every year since 1999.
- LA have won the tournament in 2001 and 2005 and reached the Open Cup Final on two other occasions.
- Last year, the Galaxy fell to Real Salt Lake in the quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
- 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Schedule
- Round of 16: June 29
- Quarterfinals: July 20
- Semifinals: August 10
- Final: September 21
Storylines
- Can the Galaxy take care of La Máquina as the heavy favorite?
- How will than adjusted lineup perform Tuesday evening?
- How will goalkeeper Clement Diop perform in his first start with the Galaxy?
- What will the striker partnership of Alan Gordon and Jose Villarreal yield?
Quick hits
Quotable
Clement Diop:
- A game is a game. I just need to play my game, to be focused and perform like I used to do with the second team. I think the coaches know my abilities. Maybe after a game with the first team we get a better idea of what I can do. I trust my teammates; there is no problem for me tomorrow. I’m ready for it.”
