One last west coast trip as the Reds take on the five-time champs. Here are the Benjamin Moore three keys to the match vs. LA Galaxy.
Making Up for Absences
If the Reds are to get a result at the StubHub Center on Saturday night, they’ll have to do it without the considerable services of Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco up top.
The duo is dealing with some nagging injuries and did not make the trip to California, leaving head coach Greg Vanney with the task of filling the void. Simply put, there is no like-for-like substitution in the league for these two players, let alone on the TFC bench. But that doesn’t mean the Reds have a shortage of options to choose from.
Vanney could very well deploy a similar formation that saw a depleted TFC side secure a 1-0 win in Seattle earlier this season, with two attacking midfielders playing underneath the lone striker. Tosaint Ricketts is the obvious choice to lead the line, while Jay Chapman, Victor Vazquez and Jonathan Osorio could certainly factor into the proceedings on Saturday night.
Getting Behind the Backline
There are plenty of reasons why the Galaxy have struggled in 2017, with the frailties of their defensive core being one of them. LA has conceded 48 goals this season, tied for the third-most in the league.
Things won’t be getting any easier for them as the league’s most potent attack comes to town. The Reds have tallied a staggering, league-high 59 goals thus far, 10 more than any other team in MLS. Add in the fact that the Galaxy have recently sold their best defender in Jelle Van Damme, and things go from bad to worse.
If Ricketts does end up getting the start, his pace could cause fits for the Galaxy backline.
Beware of the Dos Santos Brothers
Even in a down year, the Galaxy still boast an impressive amount of star power.
In Giovanni and Jonathan dos Santos, LA have two game-changing talents that have come through the vaunted FC Barcelona youth system. The two have been fixtures in the Mexican national team for years and bring international pedigree to the pitch, with Giovanni still a dangerous attacking talent with pace and technical ability, while Jonathan brings a bit more bit and vision to the midfield.
The Reds will need to bottle up these two on Saturday night if they are to walk away from Carson with a point (or three).
