Gyasi Zardes needs to break out of his scoring slump for the Galaxy to get its season back on track.
By Ivan Yeo
Nothing to worry about, or perhaps a much greater cause for concern?
Once again, the Los Angeles Galaxy off to a slow start. Heading into Friday’s match against the Houston Dynamo at StubHub Center, the Galaxy are sitting in seventh place in the Western Conference with a record of 3-4-5 and 14 points.
That’s the cause for concern, but why it would not be a cause for concern for Galaxy fans is because they have seen this script before. In 2012, the Galaxy found themselves 3-8-2 after May, but caught fire in the second half and the playoffs and the end result was its second straight MLS Cup title. It was also last season that LA was waddling around the middle of the pack for most of the season, but again, caught fire starting in August and rode it two within a win of the Supporters Shield, then kept the momentum rolling in the MLS playoffs all the way to the MLS Cup title.
So here we are in May 2015, the Galaxy are once again treading water early in the regular season, and if they are to start turning things around, now would be the ideal time for the Galaxy to start the turnaround against Houston. The Dynamo after all are two points ahead of LA in the conference standings, so a win on Friday against the Dynamo could certainly be a springboard to a potential turnaround.
Injuries have certainly played a role in LA’s latest slow start. The Galaxy have been without Robbie Keane the last seven games, and the team didn’t appear to miss him at first, as they beat Seattle and Kansas City in the first two games. The last five games however have certainly made the case as to why they need him in the lineup, as they have gone 0-2-3 during that span, but the more pressing concern has to be the fact that they have scored just three goals in those last five games. Keane has recently returned to training, but his availability for Friday’s match is still unknown.
Houston is in its first year of the post Dominic Kinnear era. Owen Coyle has assumed the reins and so far, the results have been mixed. Houston is currently 4-4-4 (16 points), which has them in a playoff spot as of right now. The Dynamo are hoping to get a boost mid-season, as former Chivas USA striker Erick “Cubo” Torres is slated to join the team at the start of the Summer transfer window.
The Galaxy and Dynamo, long time playoff rivals, met back on March 21 at StubHub Center. Keane gave LA the lead three minutes in, but Nathan Sturgis equalized in the 11th minute and both teams battle to a standstill and an eventual 1-1 draw.
