After earning a point on the road in Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League action on Wednesday, Sounders FC travels to the StubHub Center for the second time this season to face the LA Galaxy. Here to provide his thoughts on Sunday's match is former Sounders goalkeeper and current broadcaster Kasey Keller.
On the Sounders ending their scoring drought in Vancouver:
I think you really have to look at Vancouver making 11 changes and the Sounders making eight changes. So how much momentum can you gain by playing more or less a completely different team? I think you just look at it and say it was great for Lamar [Neagle] to get a goal. I look at it from more of a positive side for Lamar, and the confidence that he takes from getting on the score sheet. I think we’re going to see a significantly different lineup down in LA.
On the keys to overcoming LA at the StubHub Center:
You’ve got to stay compact, because it’s such a big pitch and you know they’re going to have the attacking forces. If you get yourselves spread out and allow LA to get into a rhythm, it could be a very long day. In some ways, it has to be a little bit of patience. I’m not saying go in and park the bus, but you have to be careful when you commit numbers forward. You have to make sure you get your defensive shape right, and then take advantage of set pieces.
On new Galaxy DPs Steven Gerrard and Giovani dos Santos:
On paper, it sounds tremendous. It sounds like they’re the team to beat in MLS once again. But as we know, the game’s not played on paper. So it will depend on how quickly these guys can assimilate into not only the Galaxy, but also MLS. It’s all about balance. We’ve seen a lot of midseason Designated Players come into the league, and it takes them six months to a year to become what everybody thought they were going to become. So that’s the big question mark.
On the Galaxy parting ways with goalkeeper Jaime Penedo:
It can definitely hurt a team if the new guy that comes in isn’t able to play at the same level or connect in the locker room. We’ll wait and see how [Donovan] Ricketts plays, but having a keeper that has been with the team before and has played with some of their players will certainly help.
