Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy | MLS Match Preview

#HOUvLA: Gerrard comes to Texas for 1st time | 9 pm ET, MLS LIVE

Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy, July 25, 2015

Houston Dynamo vs. LA Galaxy
BBVA COMPASS STADIUM, Houston, Tex.
July 25, 2015 (MLS Game # 208)
9 pm ET (MLS Live, ROOT Sports SW, TWCSN-LA)

A pair of clubs in opposite positions in the Western Conference meet when the Houston Dynamo play host to the LA Galaxy in the third meeting of the season between the clubs. The Dynamo come into the match in ninth place in the division, eight points out of a playoff position, following their 2-0 loss at Real Salt Lake last weekend. The Galaxy are in second place, one point behind leaders FC Dallas, after yet another dominant home performance in a 5-2 victory against the San Jose Earthquakes at StubHub Center last Friday evening.


  • Robbie Keane scored a hat trick for a second consecutive match in league play – and his third in all competitions this season – and Steven Gerrard scored a goal and added an assist in his MLS debut, as the Galaxy rolled to a 5-2 win against the San Jose Earthquakes on Friday at StubHub Center.
  • Keane has seven goals and three assists in the last five games, which includes four wins at StubHub Center where the Galaxy have scored 19 goals. The back-to-back hat tricks were a second in MLS history (Eddie Johnson did it in the 2007 season).
  • The teams are meeting for the third time this season. The Galaxy’s Robbie Keane and the Dynamo’s Nate Sturgis traded goals in the opening 11 minutes as the clubs reached a 1-1 draw, March 21 at StubHub Center; Alan Gordon scored the game’s lone goal in second-half stoppage time for a Galaxy victory May 22 in Carson.
  • The win in the last meeting was the Galaxy’s first league victory against the Dynamo since May 25, 2011, a 1-0 win in Carson. The Dynamo had won four consecutive league meetings between the teams before the draw in the first encounter this year.


DOWNLOAD FULL GAME GUIDE (PDF)

REFEREE: Silviu Petrescu. AR1 (bench): Anthony Vasoli; AR2 (opposite): Kevin Klinger; 4th: Nima Saghafi MLS Career: 100 games; FC/gm: 27.6; Y/gm: 3.6; R: 14; pens: 18


SUSPENDED: HOU: Kofi Sarkodie (through July 26); Luis Garrido (caution accumulation; through July 26) … LA: Robbie Rogers (caution accumulation; through July 26)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: HOU: Ricardo Clark, Kofi Sarkodie, Jermaine Taylor, Giles Barnes, Raul Rodriguez … LA: Baggio Husidic
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: LA: Juninho, Mika Vayrynen, Omar Gonzalez
DISABLED LIST: LA: Brian Perk (season-ending injury)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: HOU: DaMarcus Beasley (USA, CONCACAF Gold Cup); Giles Barnes (Jamaica, CONCACAF Gold Cup) … LA: Alan Gordon, Omar Gonzalez, Gyasi Zardes (USA, CONCACAF Gold Cup); Jaime Penedo (Panama, CONCACAF Gold Cup)


HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (20 meetings): Dynamo 8 wins, 22 goals … Galaxy 7 wins, 20 goals … Ties 5
AT HOUSTON (10 meetings): Dynamo 5 wins, 12 goals … Galaxy 3 wins, 8 goals … Ties 2


Related Content:


After injury-marred start to 2015, Keane feels "like I'm at my best now"
Cubo Torres likely to have substitute role in MLS debut vs. LA Galaxy
Bruin hopes continued evolution in No. 9 role leads to USMNT opportunity
CHECK OUT THE INJURY REPORT HEADING INTO THE MATCH
CHECK OUT THE DISCIPLINARY REPORT HEADING INTO THE MATCH