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| MLS Preview: LA Galaxy vs. Columbus Crew |
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET and will be televised by Fox Sports Prime Ticket. The LA Galaxy return to league play, extending their league unbeaten streak to 12 games last time out, a 2-1 win against the Chicago Fire at The Home Depot Center on July 9. The Galaxy have 39 points from 21 games on the season, leading the Western Conference. The Columbus Crew returned to action after a long layoff with a scoreless draw against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday evening at Crew Stadium. The Crew have 28 points from 19 games on the season, in third place in the Eastern Conference. With the Seattle Sounders recording a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Rapids, the pressure is on Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy to respond when they face the Columbus Crew in league play on Wednesday, July 20 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. This will be the first of two matches without the services of Chris Birchall, who was suspended for a rough challenge in a match against the Chicago Fire. Los Angeles are 10-2-9 (39 points), and while they do have a game in hand over the second-place Sounders, they are only ahead by one point. Potentially, this could be the week where Los Angeles relinquishes the top spot in the overall Major League Soccer standings. Never mind that the Galaxy are coming off a terrible week, with a 3-1 defeat to the Sounders in the U.S. Open Cup and an embarrassing—yet—predictable 4-1 mule—kicking against Real Madrid in the Herbalife World Football Challenge. In short, while the Galaxy's league—unbeaten streak stands at 12 games, they also have a two—game losing streak for the entire calendar year. “At the end of the day, we always knew it was going to be a tall order trying to get a result against Real Madrid,” David Beckham told MLSSoccer.com's Luis Bueno on Saturday. “But we got a lot of young players out there, a lot of players who have not played against a Real Madrid team before. “You know what, they can take a lot from it. They played against some of the best players in the world and one of the best teams in the world and a great historical stadium with a lot of people here.” But while it has been a learning experience for the Galaxy against Real Madrid, could those lessons be applied on Wednesday against a presumably weaker opponent in the Columbus Crew? Robert Warzycha's club is 7-5-7 (28 points), good enough for third place in the MLS Eastern Conference, and they have two games in hand over the Galaxy. They have been unbeaten in four out of their last five matches, with three of those being victories. Last year, at the Home Depot Center on September 11, the Galaxy (with current Ingolstadt striker Edson Buddle) cruised past the Crew 3-1. On Wednesday, LA can expect an improved and determined Columbus outfit. America's Hardest Working Team is led by Andres Mendoza, who has seven goals to his credit. Emilio Renteria has also contributed in the goals department, with four so far this year. Dilly Duka and Justin Meram are the Crew's main providers, each with two assists. The Crew's back line is anchored by SuperDraft selection Rich Balchan, Julius James, captain Chad Marshall and Sebastian Miranda. This back line is capable of intercepting Beckham's deliveries in the air and will have to rely on their quickness to disrupt the Galaxy's sequences. The mid field's X—factors are Emmanuel Ekpo and Eddie Gaven. If they can find Renteria and Mendoza on the counter, Columbus will have a shot at turning the tables. Goalkeeper William Hesmer has a 7-5-7 record to go with a 70.6 percent save percentage and a 1.06 goals against average on 48 saves. Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Saunders did not acquit himself well against Seattle and will need an improved performance against the Crew. Saunders has a 4-1-3 record, a 71 percent save percentage and a 1.22 GAA. Offensively, Landon Donovan and Beckham continue to lead Los Angeles in the goals and assist departments. Donovan has nine goals, while Beckham has eight assists this season. Beckham has an assortment of other options besides Donovan. Chad Barrett has four goals to his name, while Juan Pablo Angel and Juninho have tallied three goals this year. Gregg Berhalter, Todd Dunivant, A.J. DeLaGarza and Sean Franklin have had to deal with Omar Gonzalez's absence as a result of a hip pointer sustained in the Galaxy's 2-1 victory at home to the Fire. Without Birchall's presence, the onus will be on the Galaxy's back line to stop Mendoza and Renteria from stretching them too thin. Watch for the play making ability of Juninho and Miguel Lopez on Wednesday. Birchall's absence means that Lopez, the Argentinean, gets a chance to help string a set of passes in the team's buildups. Juninho, the Brazilian from Sao Paulo, has proven that he can score from long distance, and will need to take a chance if the situation gets too tense for Arena's liking. This will be one of the most closely contested games of the evening but in the end look for the Galaxy to emerge victorious by the final score of 3-1. MLS Free Pick: LA Galaxy 
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The MLS Soccer schedule has plenty of great matches for Wednesday night, but the match between LA Galaxy vs. Columbus Crew is a must-see. Online Sportsbook BetPhoenix has the latest odds on this event and all of your soccer betting needs.
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