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Galaxy Tie Whitecaps As Van Damme Suffers An Injury

@LAGalaxyInsider

As the 2016 MLS Playoffs come closer, the LA Galaxy needs to earn as many points as possible. Their last game ended in a disappointing draw with the Chicago Fire, the worst team this season. With a loss to NYCFC and the recent tie, LA must come out victorious against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Tonight, though, we saw the long-awaited return of Robbie Rogers to the lineup and Brian Rowe, even though Clement Diop played well in his absence. For what seems like the norm now, the LA Galaxy ended another match in a tie. If Jelle Van Damme stayed in the game, the result might have been different.

Oddly, Bruce Arena left Robbie Keane off the lineup. According to the Vancouver Whitecaps coach, Carl Robinson, Robbie Keane tweaked his groin before the Chicago match so that injury might be why. Of course, I’m not sure if it is true. He also will be traveling to Ireland for his final international game with the Ireland National Team on Wednesday.

Jelle Van Damme and Giovanni dos Santos combined in the first few minutes to nearly make the first LA attempt on goal. Van Damme sent a ball deep into the Vancouver defense, but Gio failed to control the ball and it went out-of-bounds.

In the 7th minute, Vancouver missed a goal by mere centimeters. Giles Barnes crossed the ball into the box as Ashley Cole and Leonardo followed him closely. They left Erik Hurtado completely open at the net. Hurtado headed the cross and the ball just bounced off the crossbar. Rowe and Cole both stopped to watch the ball as they thought he scored.

By the 30th minute, the stats showed LA needed a spark on offense. Only one shot and little movement to give the ball to Gio. Bruce subbed on Gyasi Zardes for Steven Gerrard in the 31st minute. Stevie suffered a hamstring injury at some point in the game.

Bruce then made the second sub in the game. Daniel Steres replaced Van Damme who suffered an injury to his left knee. The Belgian has evolved into a key part of the offense and defense for LA this season. If the injury keeps him out for long, the team’s performance will suffer greatly.

In the 49th minute, Rogers started a great opportunity. He crossed the ball into the box to Zardes who passed it back to Rogers. The latter attempted a cross to Alan Gordon, but goalkeeper David Ousted disrupted the play.

Throughout the entire game, Vancouver took many shots. Yet, most of them sailed high over the goal. No wonder the Whitecaps sit in 9th place in the Western Conference.

With Van Damme out, Rogers consistently moved forward on attack and returned for the defense. Lletget also stepped up his play when he switched to the center mid position for Gerrard. These two worked very hard when the team needed them. If only the rest of the team would put in more effort. The Galaxy might have more wins and goals as a result.

In the 86th minute, Bruce made his third sub and brought on Mike Magee. He replaced Zardes who went down hard earlier in the match and limped for several minutes because of his ankle. It might have affected him the rest of the game.

Unfortunately, the final sub failed to help LA finish the game with a win against the Vancouver Whitecaps. How will LA regroup in these final matches of the regular season? Will Van Damme’s injury keep him out for several games? These two questions will soon be answered.

Stay tuned for the next LA Galaxy match on Saturday September 3 against the Columbus Crew.

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