Match Preview: LA Galaxy at Seattle Sounders
LA set to face their toughest road game of the season against Seattle
The LA Galaxy starts a two-game road trip by facing the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field on Wednesday night. Following their 3-3 draw with the Portland Timbers on Saturday, the Galaxy find themselves still in the playoff rat race in the Western Confrence.
Coach Greg Vanney said Riqui Puig is “very questionable” for the game but is optimistic that he could participate in Saturday’s game in Minnesota. Given that Seattle plays on a turf pitch, it would be ideal for the Spaniard to make his return later this week.
Seattle currently sits third in the Western Confrence with 46 points. They have bounced back from an underwhelming 2022 MLS campaign and will look to clinch a playoff berth with a win versus the Galaxy. Their last match ended in a 0-0 draw against Nashville SC on the road.
The Storyline
The Galaxy is looking to break its 10-game winless run against the Sounders in MLS play. LA last beat the Sounders during the Round of 32 in the U.S. Open Cup in early May.
This current LA Galaxy team is completely different from the one that lost 2-1 back in April, mostly due to injuries. From that starting XI, only three players (Raheem Edwards, Tyler Boyd, and Mark Delgado) will likely start on Wednesday night.
The Sounders are uncharacteristically stumbling at home as they have yet to win in their last four games across all competitions. Seattle has never gone winless in five home games since they joined the league in 2009.
A win in Seattle would be the most impressive road win of the season. It will provide a morale and confidence boost to close the season as they compete for the final play-in spot in the West.
Players to watch
LA: Raheem Edwards, left back
I don’t know why, but something told me to include Edwards as the player to watch. He’s put in so much effort and emptied the tank in his latest appearances for the Galaxy. I wouldn’t be surprised to see if play limited minutes or start the game on the bench. He’s leaving it all out on the pitch.
The reason I highlight him is because he can be an enigma at times. He can dribble past players with ease but also have moments where his touch is off. On defense, he can lock wingers down but can also struggle to keep up and overcommits.
He’s going to give a lot of support on the left-hand side and he always plays higher up the field given his natural attacking instincts. He’ll be tested defensively against the likes of Cristian Roldan or Léo Chú. Edwards will be highly involved in different sectors of the pitch.
SEA: Jordan Morris, Forward
Raul Ruidiaz has a record for scoring against the LA Galaxy but he’ll miss Wednesday’s game due to injury. However, Jordan Morris has a knack for making an impact against the Galaxy.
The 28-year-old has scored eight goals and recorded two assists in 15 career games against the G’s. He opened the scoring in the reverse fixture back in April.
He’s gone cold on the scoring charts with just one goal in his last eight regular season games. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if he got back on the scoring charts. He’s going to be a difficult player for the Galaxy center backs to handle.
The Winning Edge: The Brazilian Wingers
Seattle’s Léo Chú and LA’s Douglas Costa briefly played together at Grêmio during the 2021 Brasileiro. Two years later, the pair of Brazilians play a critical role on their respective teams.
Chú has emerged as a genuine threat for the Sounders and currently leads the team with 12 goal contributions in 29 games. He has two goals in his last three starts for the Cascadia side.
The Galaxy has to be prepared to deal with him getting a majority of the Sounder’s progressive passes. He leads MLS with 12.6 progressive passes received per 90 and is in the 92nd percentile for touches in the penalty area with 5.9 per 90.
On the other side of the pitch, Costa’s evolved into a reliable offensive creator. He led the team with four chances created against the Timbers and his presence was missed when he came off the pitch. LA didn’t put a single shot up in the last 30 minutes of that game with him watching on the sideline.
Costa currently leads MLS with 0.94 assists per 90 minutes. He ranks in the 98th percentile for chances created among attacking midfielders with 3.4 per 90. He’s excellent at moving the ball forward and dribbling past defenders. His 5.2 progressive carries per 90 rank in the 97th percentile.
The two Brazilians give their team something different and provide a spark to the offense. I’ll be watching which player has a bigger impact on their team on the night through goal contributions. This will be the most fun matchup of the night.