CARSON, Calif. (Monday, November 11, 2013) – Three LA Galaxy players have departed for international duty and will represent their countries in the upcoming FIFA International window. Omar Gonzalez will represent the United States in friendlies in Europe against Scotland and Austria while Robbie Keane is with Ireland for the home friendly against Latvia on Friday, November 15 and away to Poland on Tuesday, November 19. A.J. DeLaGarza rounds out the trio of Galaxy internationals as he will look to represent Guam for the first time in his career in friendlies against Cambodia and Laos.
Gonzalez, who has collected 12 of his 14 caps for the U.S. in 2013, last played for his country in September’s 2-0 win over Mexico that clinched a berth in the 2014 FIFA World Cup for the U.S. The 25-year-old played the full 90 minutes in each of the first eight World Cup Qualifiers that the U.S. played in the final round of qualifying before missing the last two with a hip injury, while also helping the U.S. win the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July. This year, Gonzalez appeared in 33 games in all competitions for the Galaxy, scoring twice and adding a pair of assists. He started all 27 regular season games that he appeared in and has now played in 128 regular season games since joining the Galaxy in 2009. He is also the only Galaxy player to appear in and start all 19 postseason games that the Galaxy have played since he first joined the club.
Keane is Ireland’s all-time leader in goals and appearances, scoring 61 times in 130 appearances for his country since debuting in 1998. His 61 international goals are the fifth most ever by a European player while fewer than 50 players in history have collected 130 or more caps. In 2013, Keane led the Galaxy with 16 goals and 11 assists in the regular season, adding three goals in the CONCACAF Champions League, as well as an assist in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Since joining the Galaxy in August 2011, he has 34 goals and 21 assists in 55 regular season games.
DeLaGarza, who has been capped twice by the U.S. National Team, has elected to represent Guam and is looking to make his debut in their two upcoming friendlies against Cambodia and Laos. He appeared in and started 28 regular season games for the Galaxy in 2013 before an elbow injury ruled him out for the final six games of the season. He returned to play in the final game of the CONCACAF Champions League Group Stage against Isidro Metapan and then came off the bench in both postseason games against Real Salt Lake. He has appeared in 127 regular season games since being drafted by the Galaxy in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft while also plying in 11 postseason games in that time.
