Whitecaps FC-Galaxy Preview
The Vancouver Whitecaps began an extended stretch away from home with a defeat and will next face a team they've never beaten on the road.
The Whitecaps beat Los Angeles earlier this year but will have to snap the Galaxy's lengthy home unbeaten streak to sweep the season series for the first time Saturday night.
Vancouver (7-6-2) fell 2-1 to Montreal on Wednesday in the first of five consecutive road games because of the Women's World Cup. The Whitecaps gave up the go-ahead goal in the 83rd minute after Pedro Morales had tied it on a penalty kick in the 79th.
"It's a matter of taking confidence from this game and not getting down on ourselves," midfielder Russell Teibert said. "The best teams in the world lose games on the road and the best teams in the world lose games. We know we're going to lose matches but it's about bouncing back.
"We've been able to bounce back at times this year and we'll have to do it again."
Vancouver will face a club that has won all seven home games in the series by a combined 15-2, including playoffs. Los Angeles has also gone unbeaten in a team-record 23 straight at home, the third-longest such stretch in MLS.
The Galaxy (5-4-6) are unbeaten in 27 consecutive home games across all competitions have a three-game overall unbeaten streak following a 2-all draw with New England on Sunday.
Los Angeles was in line for a third straight win after Ignacio Maganto and Gyasi Zardes scored in the first half, but it gave up the tying goal in the 37th minute.
Zardes, second on the Galaxy with three goals, will miss this game due to U.S. national team duty for a pair of friendlies in Europe. Leading goal scorer Alan Gordon might play after leaving the game against New England with a calf injury.
"Alan always says he's ready to go," coach Bruce Arena told the team's official website. "We think that when everything comes around by Saturday, we'll have a lot of options."
The Galaxy might also get Robbie Rogers back in the lineup after missing four games due to an ankle injury, and Robbie Keane could return after sitting out last week's match to heal a strained groin. The statuses of Jose Villarreal (shoulder), Todd Dunivant (knee) and A.J. DeLaGarza (groin) are unclear.
Kekuta Manneh and Octavio Rivero scored in the second half of Vancouver's 2-0 victory over Los Angeles on April 4, the Whitecaps' second win in 12 regular-season meetings.