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FC Dallas Vs Los Angeles Galaxy: Head to Head Preview
It's a Western Conference showdown.
May 18, 2010 11:29:00 PM
By Ramin Majd and Jonathan Vera
On Form
FC Dallas, by Ramin Majd: Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman was on the verge of his third straight shutout win before Danny Mwanga’s equalizer in stoppage time last Saturday against the Philadelphia Union. The former Galaxy player has looked sharp since claiming the staring position in Dallas. Brek Shea got his well-earned, first-ever MLS goal against the Union and rookie Zach Loyd made plays all over the field.
Los Angeles Galaxy, by Jonathan Vera: One of the major things that distinguishes Los Angeles from other clubs, beside the obvious point differential, is their uncanny ability to create scoring chances. Even if the ball isn't bouncing their way, an opportunity is bound to be forged. Even more astounding, four out of their last five goals have been netted by someone other than Edson Buddle (nine goals) or Landon Donovan (eight assists).
Off Target
Dallas: Last year's Golden Boot winner Jeff Cunningham has just one goal in the run of play this season. The Union game was typical of his 2010 campaign: Either he was making runs and there were no teammates to help out, or his teammates were setting him up and he couldn’t finish.
While Cunningham did assist on Brek Shea's goal, Philadelphia defender Danny Califf shut Cunningham down for the most part. When he did get a breakaway in the 39th minute, he sailed his shot over the crossbar. Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman was not impressed, and subbed out Cunningham in the 62nd minute.
Los Angeles: Los Galacticos had a real off day last week in their match against Toronto FC. Time after time, LA couldn't put the finishing touch on a play. The chances were there, but putting one through the net was not. Could they have been distracted by the fact they were sending off Donovan and Buddle to the U.S. national teams training camp? Absolutely! Defender Todd Dunivant noted they "pushed maybe a little too much, a little desperate to get the result." Forcing the ball to go your way will only anger the soccer gods. They need to be patient, look for opportunities and let the ball dictate the pace of the game.
Tactics
Dallas: Assuming he hasn’t completely lost confidence in Cunningham, Hyndman will deploy his usual 4-5-1, with the Jamaican-born striker up top. Dallas leads MLS in both shots and shots on goal, but are just ninth in goals scored. FCD's tactics are fine—they’re certainly creating opportunities—but nobody seems to be able to capitalize on a regular basis.
Los Angeles: It almost seems like divine intervention that LA would be bringing back key injured players at the same time they'd be saying "buh-bye" to Donovan and Buddle. Midfielder Clint Mathis has been getting some play time as he makes his comeback from offseason knee surgery, and defender Sean Franklin is due to return from an ankle injury sustained back on April 17 against Real Salt Lake, just to name a few. So expect chief Bruce Arena to unleash his arsenal of troops on the "Bovine Blue." My guess is he'll test the water with a 4-5-1 formation, but bring up an attacker if needed. Still at net, Josh Saunders. In "D," Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, Gregg Berhalter, and Todd Dunivant. Clint Mathis, Juninho, Michael Stephen, Jovan Kirovski and, Chris Birchall will supervise the middle. And Mike Magee as the lone gunman.
Intangibles
Dallas: We’ll find out early on in this game if the Hoops have any hangover from blowing a road win in stoppage time last Saturday. They need to score first to restore their confidence. And even if they go into the final minutes with a lead, it’s hard to imagine they won’t be thinking about what happened against the Union.
Los Angeles: This is the first of a few critical matches for the white shirts, given that they'll be without Buddle and Donovan. What will truly define the Galaxy as an overall powerhouse and a playoff competitor is not the games they win with the dynamic duo on the pitch, but the matches they win without them.
Outcome
Dallas: With Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle away training for the World Cup, the Hoops are catching MLS’ best team at just the right time. If FCD can’t get it together against a side missing its two best players, they might as well fold up the tent and call it a season. FC Dallas 2-1 LA Galaxy.
Los Angeles: Last week the Galaxy tried too hard to get a result; a gamble that didn't necessarily bounce their way. Now, they're going to try to prove they can tally three points without the "Perfect Pair" on the roster. However, expect them to (unlike last week) take a chill pill, relax and play a patient, opportunistic match. LA over Dallas 2-1.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
FC Dallas, by Ramin Majd: Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman was on the verge of his third straight shutout win before Danny Mwanga’s equalizer in stoppage time last Saturday against the Philadelphia Union. The former Galaxy player has looked sharp since claiming the staring position in Dallas. Brek Shea got his well-earned, first-ever MLS goal against the Union and rookie Zach Loyd made plays all over the field.
Los Angeles Galaxy, by Jonathan Vera: One of the major things that distinguishes Los Angeles from other clubs, beside the obvious point differential, is their uncanny ability to create scoring chances. Even if the ball isn't bouncing their way, an opportunity is bound to be forged. Even more astounding, four out of their last five goals have been netted by someone other than Edson Buddle (nine goals) or Landon Donovan (eight assists).
Off Target
Dallas: Last year's Golden Boot winner Jeff Cunningham has just one goal in the run of play this season. The Union game was typical of his 2010 campaign: Either he was making runs and there were no teammates to help out, or his teammates were setting him up and he couldn’t finish.
While Cunningham did assist on Brek Shea's goal, Philadelphia defender Danny Califf shut Cunningham down for the most part. When he did get a breakaway in the 39th minute, he sailed his shot over the crossbar. Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman was not impressed, and subbed out Cunningham in the 62nd minute.
Los Angeles: Los Galacticos had a real off day last week in their match against Toronto FC. Time after time, LA couldn't put the finishing touch on a play. The chances were there, but putting one through the net was not. Could they have been distracted by the fact they were sending off Donovan and Buddle to the U.S. national teams training camp? Absolutely! Defender Todd Dunivant noted they "pushed maybe a little too much, a little desperate to get the result." Forcing the ball to go your way will only anger the soccer gods. They need to be patient, look for opportunities and let the ball dictate the pace of the game.
Tactics
Dallas: Assuming he hasn’t completely lost confidence in Cunningham, Hyndman will deploy his usual 4-5-1, with the Jamaican-born striker up top. Dallas leads MLS in both shots and shots on goal, but are just ninth in goals scored. FCD's tactics are fine—they’re certainly creating opportunities—but nobody seems to be able to capitalize on a regular basis.
Los Angeles: It almost seems like divine intervention that LA would be bringing back key injured players at the same time they'd be saying "buh-bye" to Donovan and Buddle. Midfielder Clint Mathis has been getting some play time as he makes his comeback from offseason knee surgery, and defender Sean Franklin is due to return from an ankle injury sustained back on April 17 against Real Salt Lake, just to name a few. So expect chief Bruce Arena to unleash his arsenal of troops on the "Bovine Blue." My guess is he'll test the water with a 4-5-1 formation, but bring up an attacker if needed. Still at net, Josh Saunders. In "D," Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, Gregg Berhalter, and Todd Dunivant. Clint Mathis, Juninho, Michael Stephen, Jovan Kirovski and, Chris Birchall will supervise the middle. And Mike Magee as the lone gunman.
Intangibles
Dallas: We’ll find out early on in this game if the Hoops have any hangover from blowing a road win in stoppage time last Saturday. They need to score first to restore their confidence. And even if they go into the final minutes with a lead, it’s hard to imagine they won’t be thinking about what happened against the Union.
Los Angeles: This is the first of a few critical matches for the white shirts, given that they'll be without Buddle and Donovan. What will truly define the Galaxy as an overall powerhouse and a playoff competitor is not the games they win with the dynamic duo on the pitch, but the matches they win without them.
Outcome
Dallas: With Landon Donovan and Edson Buddle away training for the World Cup, the Hoops are catching MLS’ best team at just the right time. If FCD can’t get it together against a side missing its two best players, they might as well fold up the tent and call it a season. FC Dallas 2-1 LA Galaxy.
Los Angeles: Last week the Galaxy tried too hard to get a result; a gamble that didn't necessarily bounce their way. Now, they're going to try to prove they can tally three points without the "Perfect Pair" on the roster. However, expect them to (unlike last week) take a chill pill, relax and play a patient, opportunistic match. LA over Dallas 2-1.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
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