Steve Carrillo

It’s a Big Deal when LA Galaxy Play Toronto FC

Missing players but capable of stealing points. The LA Galaxy get ready for TFC.

Toronto, Canada – The LA Galaxy travel to play in another country against the Eastern Conference’s Toronto FC at BMO Field at 4:30 PM Pacific on June 18th.

Before the break for Copa Americana Toronto had their winless record reach four games, with a 3-0 loss against New York Red Bulls leaving them in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The Galaxy are also on a four game winless streak after a 0-0 tie against Sporting KC. Los Angeles sit in fourth place (a tie) coming into the match.

Both clubs have players out either due to international call ups, or injury: Toronto has Jozy Altidore out due to a hamstring, and Michael Bradley is still playing in Copa America for the United States. For the Galaxy, Robbie Keane is with Ireland during the Euro’s in France, and Gyasi Zardes joins Bradley on the USA team during Copa. There are no current suspensions due to yellow card accumulation, and the ref for the match is Ricardo Salazaar.

The all time record in fourteen games is 6-2-6 in favor of Los Angeles Galaxy, with 23 goals to 13 goals again in the favor of the Galaxy. The last and only time that the two clubs met last year was on the fourth of July when the Galaxy won 4-0, with Robbie Keane getting a hatrick in the first hour of the game, and Sebastian Lletget finished off the scoring in the 94th minute. Los Angeles have a ten match unbeaten streak against Toronto, and Toronto has not scored against the Galaxy in 192 minutes.

Toronto may line up with a 4-2-3-1 = Irwin, Beitashour, Moor, Perquis, Morrow, Johnson, Champman, Osorio, Babouli, Endoh, Giovinco. The leading scorer is Giovinco with 8 goals, no other player is over two goals, and that’s Will Johnson.  Jozy is still scoreless for the year.

Bruce Arena lines up the Galaxy in a 4-4-2 = Rowe, Cole, Van Damme, Steres, Rogers, Boateng, Gerrard, de Jong, Magee, Lletget, Dos Santos. Because of many call ups, there might be some players who normally play for LA Galaxy II on the bench for the match.

The match can be found on Time Warner Cable SportsNet and Time Warner Cable Deportes.