Recap of April 4, 2015 Match: LA Galaxy vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

(Photo via Twitter User @LAGalaxy)

Well, it’s safe to say the LA Galaxy have encountered a bit of a slump. In their most recent match on April 4, 2015, against the Vancouver Whitecaps, something went most definitely wrong. It could be any number of issues that led to the Galaxy’s second loss (out of five games) of the season.

I thought the Galaxy might do worse against D.C. United than they did since they played without Robbie Keane, Gyasi Zardes, and Jaime Penedo, but they held their own for the most part. Yet, even with the return of Keane, Zardes, and Penedo, they failed to earn a point against Vancouver.

Starting Lineups and Substitutions

Because of a quadriceps strain, Leonardo could not play, but his absence allowed Tommy Meyer to start in his first match of the 2015 season. Bruce Arena changed the defensive roster up and started Todd Dunivant instead of Robbie Rogers. A hamstring injury also kept Jose Villareal from playing.

The LA Galaxy kept the match tied at 0-0 the entire first half, but the second half saw their downfall. Kekuta Manneh scored in the 56^th minute followed six minutes later by another goal from Octavio Rivero, who leads the league in goals. The Galaxy failed to score, but at least no more Whitecaps players converted their shots.

Bruce Arena’s expressions and post-game interviews said it all. The Vancouver Whitecaps clearly outplayed and out dominated the LA Galaxy. What happened to the 2014 MLS Champs? What went wrong? Was Leonardo the missing piece in the defense? How about Villareal in midfield? Could the LA Galaxy have won if both Leonardo and Villareal played?

Writer for LAG Confidential and fellow Galaxy fan, Sean Steffen wrote an excellent article about one issue facing the Galaxy—the hole left behind by Marcelo Sarvas. Steffen believes Bruce Arena needs to put Baggio Hussidic where Sarvas played, and because of his article, I completely agree. Looking at the stats in Steffen’s article, Hussidic’s performance, compared to that of Mika Vayrynen, proved he could do the job. I definitely encourage all Galaxy fans to read his very informative and eye-opening article.

On offense, the Galaxy barely played to their highest potential. Edson Buddle, Juninho, and Robbie Rogers all took two shots apiece. Yet, none scored, but Buddle came the closest with a header off of a cross from Stefan Ishizaki. Comparatively, Vancouver passed more accurately, possessed the ball more, and took three times more shots (18 total).

Although the Galaxy has not won a game since the home opener, Bruce Arena says he’s not worried about the rest of the season…at least for right now. If he’s not worried, when should we start?

With such a poor showing by the Galaxy against Vancouver, one can only hope that it propels them to overcome their winless streak. Since the Galaxy will play the Seattle Sounders next, they will need as much motivation and help as possible.

Sean Steffen’s article: http://www.lagconfidential.com/2015/4/6/8351647/midfield-holes-and-why-vayrynen-is-not-the-answer

MLS Matchcenter Recap of LA Galaxy vs. Vancouver Whitecaps: http://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2015-04-04-vancouver-whitecaps-fc-vs-la-galaxy/recap

Stay with us at Calisportsnews.com as we will keep you up-to-date on all things LA Galaxy and the rest of the LA sports teams! All Cali, all the time!

Related Posts

• 
  Sweetwater Valley Earns Berth In SoCal’s Final 10
• 
  Little League All-Star Girl To Play For Oregon Ducks
• 
  Star Of 2013 Little League World Series Dead After Freeway Wreck