LA Galaxy vs. DC United | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

LA Galaxy vs. D.C. United
2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 19
StubHub Center — Carson
July 4 - 10:30 pm ET
WATCH: ESPN+, MLS LIVE on DAZN (Canada)

With one loss in their just six games, including a wild 3-3 California Clasico draw against the San Jose Earthquakes, the LA Galaxy can move above the playoff line in the Western Conference with a win over a D.C. United side that is winless in their last four after a 3-2 defeat at New England.

D.C. United has won just once at the StubHub Center since the start of the 2001 season (8L-5D). The Galaxy has outscored United 26-12 in those games, per Opta.

LA Galaxy

It was more Cali Clasico drama at Stanford Stadium, but not the kind the LA Galaxy (6-7-3) like as they saw a 3-1 lead evaporate and they had to settle for a 3-3 draw with the Earthquakes Saturday night.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic put the visitors in front in the first minute and added his brace five minutes after Romain Alessandrini scored as the Galaxy had a 3-1 lead after just 25 minutes. Vako pulled San Jose within a goal in the 39th minute and Chris Wondolowski leveled with his second penalty kick of the game in the 69th minute.

“When you have a 3-1 lead, you’re hoping to get all three points. But on the other hand, getting a point away from home, it is a good thing,” head coach Sigi Schmid said. “I don’t think we’ve won here in like the last four tries. So it’s been a while so from that standpoint that’s better as well. I mean, you want to get something on the road, if we can win our games at home and tie our games on the road we’ll be okay, but this one feels a little bit different because we had a 3-1 lead.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: F - Giovani dos Santos, M - Jonathan dos Santos
Injury Report: OUT: D - Rolf Feltscher (shoulder surgery); QUESTIONABLE: M - Sebastian Lletget (ankle injury), F - Ola Kamara (calf injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: David Bingham — Dave Romney, Michael Ciani, Jorgen Skjelvik, Ashley Cole — Perry Kitchen, Joao Pedro — Chris Pontius, Romain Alessandrini, Bradford Jamieson — Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Notes: Last weekend, the Galaxy became just the sixth team since 2010 with multiple goals from direct free kicks in a league match, and the second to do this year. Only one team has more than two direct free kick goals in 2018 (LAFC). … LA have lost just one of their last six games (3W-2D) following a four-game losing streak. They have scored in nine straight MLS matches, their longest streak since scoring in 25 straight in 2014.

D.C. United

Their first game at their new home is right around the corner and they got their new Designated Player with the signing of Wayne Rooney, there are a lot of positives on the horizon for DC United (2-7-4), but they head to LA winless in their last four following a 3-2 loss to New England.

Yamil Asad leveled twice — three minutes from halftime and again with a 73rd-minute penalty kick, but five minutes later Cristian Penilla gave the Revolution the win from the penalty spot.

“I think we’re a good team and we play well at times. Scoring goals on the road isn't the issue, it’s the other part that needs to get better. We need to better understand the moments that matter in order to earn points… That's been a little bit of a struggle,” manager Ben Olsen said. “We’re a young team and we’re on the road for what seems like forever but we are running out of excuses. We have to start getting points or else we won't reach our goal, which is the postseason.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D - Taylor Kemp (labrum surgery), D - Chris Odoi-Atsem (compartment release surgery), M - Ulises Segura (knee injury), M - Nick DeLeon (knee injury), D - Kofi Opare (knee injury), M - Paul Arriola (hip flexor injury); QUESTIONABLE: D - Joseph Mora (hamstring injury); PROBABLE: M - Russell Canouse (knee injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-1-4-1, right to left)
GK: David Ousted — Jalen Robinson, Frederic Brillant, Steve Birnbaum, Oniel Fisher — Chris Durkin — Zoltan Stieber, Ian Harkes, Luciano Acosta, Yamil Asad — Darren Mattocks

Notes: With his brace last weekend, Asad has seven goals in 13 appearances this year, as many goals as he had for Atlanta United in all of 2017 (32 appearances). No United player had more than five goals a year ago. … D.C. United have scored in eight consecutive league matches. However, they have gone just 2W-4L-2D in that time.

All-Time Series

Overall: LA Galaxy 20 wins, 71 goals … DC United 14 wins, 54 goals … 10 draws
At LA: Galaxy 11 wins, 35 goals … DC United 5 wins, 20 goals ….5 draws
Last meeting at LA: LA Galaxy 4, DC United 1 (March 6, 2016)