Enemy Scouting Report - LA Galaxy
(image via Ringo H.W. Chiu/Associated Press)
The Houston Dynamo’s road woes are well-documented this season, but the good news for Ben Olsen and the squad is they will be playing at home this weekend. The LA Galaxy come to town as the Dynamo hope to remain unbeaten at Shell Energy Stadium.
LA Galaxy are yet to find their rhythm early in the season and a big part of that has been the absence of their star player, Javier Hernandez. Chicharito suffered a knock days before the start of the regular season which has kept him off the team sheet as of late. The good news for the Galaxy, coming into the match against the Dynamo, Chicharito will likely suit up and see minutes in Houston. This will allow the Hector Herrera vs Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez headline to intrigue the Mexican fan base.
Even though LA haven’t won a match yet, does not mean that the team is awful. They have one of the best midfield groups in Major League Soccer that includes Spaniard Riqui Puig and Uruguayan Gaston Brugman. The pair have been outstanding, and their chemistry just gets better every game. The struggle for the Galaxy is something so familiar to Houston, being dangerous in the final third and having a lethal striker in the box. But unlike the Little Pea, Houston DP striker Sebastian Ferreira has sat on the bench due to fitness concerns.
The players that the Dynamo will need to contain, other than the names mentioned above in the midfield and the Mexican striker, will be Douglas Costa, Efrain Alvarez, and Memo Rodriguez. Yes, that’s right, Memo Rodriguez. The Houstonian returns home to face off against his old club. Memo has played in every match for the Galaxy and like the rest of his teammates, he has struggled to make a difference on the pitch. The return of Javier Hernandez will likely turn the tides for the club, especially for Memo, as him and Chicharito quickly found a good partnership during the preseason.
LA Galaxy Record: 0W-2L-3D
Results in the last 30 days:
March 4 – FC Dallas 3-1 LA Galaxy
March 11 – Sporting KC 0-0 LA Galaxy
March 18 – LA Galaxy 1-1 Vancouver
March 25 – Portland 0-0 LA Galaxy
April 1 – LA Galaxy 1-2 Seattle Sounders
Past Match Staring XI (from mlssoccer.com)
There will likely be some variation but look to see many of the players in the graphic starting.
2023 Active Roster
Goalkeepers: Jonathan Bond, Jonathan Klinsmann
Defenders: Lucas Calegari, Julian Aude, Sega Coulibaly, Eriq Zavaleta, Oriol Rosell, Chris Mavinga, Kelvin Leerdam, Martin Caceres, Jalen Neal, Marcus Ferkranus, Chase Gasper
Midfielders: Gaston Brugman, Riqui Puig, Efrain Alvarez, Mark Delgado, Douglas Costa, Tyler Boyd, Memo Rodriguez, Daniel Aguirre, Adam Saldana, Raheem Edwards, Jonathan Perez
Forwards: Dejan Joveljic, Javier Hernandez, Preston Judd
Will the Houston Dynamo be able to stay unbeaten at home against Chicharito and company?
