(Editorial) – The Los Angeles Galaxy do not have another match in any competition until Sept. 12, when they host the Montreal Impact. For a number of reasons, this 14 day break could not have come at a better time. LA Galaxy II do have a game on Sept. 5 on the road against the Orange County Blues.
Thanks to this break, they will not play a game short handed due to international call ups. In total, 10 of 20 MLS teams do not have league matches this weekend, during the September FIFA dates. Both Omar Gonzalez and Gyasi Zardes have been called up to the USMNT for friendlies against Peru (Sept. 4) and Brazil (Sept. 8).
Likewise, Captain Robbie Keane will lead the Ireland National Team as they continue the hunt to qualify for the UEFA European Championship. Keane did not play well in San Jose but has been on fire this season. He is tied for third in the MLS Golden Boot race with 15 goals, even though he was injured for the better part of two months earlier this season.
AJ DeLaGarza will be joining Guam for a pair of World Cup Qualifying matches this week and next. DeLaGarza did exit Friday night’s match early with a knee injury, but appears to be ok. He won’t play if the injury is hampering him.
In addition, reserve right back Oscar Sorto has been called up to the U.S. U23 team, which will have camp and a pair of friendlies in England over the same time period.
Assuming DeLaGarza’s knee is fine, all of these players are fit and healthy for their national team duty but will not miss any club matches.
This two week break will also give several injured players a chance to get fit in time for the next match. Baggio Husidic has not played in the last six games due to a calf injury. Jose Villarreal has not played in the last seven matches due to a knee injury. Both players went an hour with Los Dos on Saturday night and appear to be close to full recovery.
Another two weeks and they should be ready to participate in a game with the first team. Should they need or desire a bit more game action, they can play again with Los Dos in Orange County. Their return will noticeably improve the bench depth at midfield for the LA Galaxy.
Also on the mend is left back Todd Dunivant. Earlier this week, Dunivant announced that he will retire at the end of the 2015 season. The 34-year-old has played in only three games this season due to a foot injury but was listed as questionable this past week. Perhaps another two weeks and he’s ready to be in the 18. An appearance in the Los Dos game would be a good omen.
Lastly, this LA Galaxy bye week will give them a chance to regroup after a tough loss in San Jose. The back line was suspect for long stretches and the team never got in sync offensively. Two weeks off will give them extra time to look at film and correct their issues. It will also give head coach Bruce Arena more time to figure out a lineup with several players potentially coming back from injury and the absence of Leonardo due to a red card last match.
