Match Preview - LA Galaxy
Game Info
Kickoff: Saturday April 27 @ 12:54pm CT
Watch: FOX/Apple TV
All-Time H2H Record
The Galaxy have owned this head-to-head matchup through three seasons with a 4-1-1 record. Last season LA won the first matchup 2-0 at their place in April, then completed a late comeback in Austin in September to end that match in a 3-3 draw.
Austin FC’s only win in this series came in September of 2021, a 2-1 home victory behind goals from Moussa Djitte and McKinze Gaines.
LA Galaxy Recent Form
This time last year the Galaxy were in shambles. They were in the midst of a boycott by their supporter’s groups due to nearly a decade of perceived ineptitude in the front office that produced just four playoff appearances in the nine seasons following a stretch of three MLS Cup titles in four years. Their designated players weren’t up to snuff in 2023, with Chicharito bagging just one goal in his nine appearances before going down with a torn ACL and Douglas Costa starting less than half of the matches (a stat that was consistent over his two seasons in LA). As bad as last season was for Austin FC, the Galaxy finished three points below ATX in the Western Conference table.
Fast forward to this week and this team is a perfect example of how quickly things can change for a club in MLS with some spending power and creative salary cap gymnastics. After trading for beloved Austin FC winger Diego Fagundez at the trade deadline last season, GM Will Kuntz wasted no time in bringing in higher caliber wingers to play over him. The Galaxy spent a combined $19 million to acquire Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil to fill the two vacated DP slots on their roster, creating the most fearsome frontline in the league with the exception of Inter Miami.
Those two additions, along with holdovers like DP midfielder Riqui Puig and striker Dejan Joveljić, are the main reasons why the Galaxy are sitting tied with Inter Miami atop the Supporter’s Shield standings. They’ve amassed 21 goals in just nine games while winning four of their last five matches including impressive road wins over Sporting KC and Vancouver Whitecaps. Joveljić is third in MLS in goals, sitting behind only Chicho Arango and Lionel Messi, with an xG per 90 behind only Tom Barlow of Chicago (who has only played 90 total minutes this season) and the highest total xGOT (expected goals on target) in MLS at 7.8.
Paintsil was ready to go opening week and wasted no time putting the rest of the league on notice that this is a new-look LA team. Pec came along a bit slower, but has grown into his starting role over the last month, with three goal contributions in his last four matches. At times, all three of those attacking players feel like puppets dangled from the strings of the midfield maestro Puig. The young phenom leads MLS in accurate passes per 90 and possesses his own danger in and around goal, finding the back of the net three times already this year. Puig also just signed a contract extension this week, further raising the outlook of this club for the long term.
One of the largest knocks on Puig, and a big reason why Barcelona let him walk on a free to LA in 2022, is his lack of defensive acumen. Those shortcomings have been somewhat papered over to start this year by the health of Marky Delgado and Gastón Brugman. Their combination of effective and clinical passing combined with above average defensive technique allows Puig to roam free. You won’t see the flashy plays and goal contributions with any sort of volume from those two but make no mistake, the Delgado/Brugman combo is a key factor in the Galaxy’s early season form.
Their defense is the weak point. The underlying numbers for Austin FC have driven conversation this week among both local and national media, with many Verde fans concerned that recent results are more a result of “luck” than gameplan or execution. But look to the Galaxy defense, who has posted an identical 17.0 xGA through nine games, and you’ll see no such worries. Flashy offense that consistently executes and produces can cover up a porous defense, just harken back to the 2022 season for Austin. But on a game-to-game basis, the Galaxy remain vulnerable at the back.
Austin’s Recent Form
What a month for Austin FC. Bringing home three points on the road this past weekend for the first time in nearly 300 days, the Verde & Black are one of the hottest teams in MLS from a results standpoint, racking up nine points from their last four matches. They’ve positioned themselves nicely to stay in touch with the playoff line (the team’s stated goal this preseason), no matter the results, for the next few weeks.
The recent run of form couldn’t have come at a better time, because the schedule is about to rachet up again in a big way. We just discussed how dangerous this visiting Galaxy team is, but if you peek ahead, you’ll see road dates against Vancouver (where ATX has never won), Dallas (where ATX has never won) and San Jose (where ATX has never won) all on tap in the next calendar month. To keep the good vibes going, or at least somewhere in the vicinity, Austin FC will have to pick up results in unfavorable spots. Even at home this weekend, a matchup against the Galaxy qualifies as such.
How Austin FC is going to approach this match is what I’m most interested to see in the first half hour on Saturday. Will they sit back, content to defend with the throttled-up intensity that we’ve seen propel them to the middle of the Western Conference table and attempt to hit the Galaxy on the counter? Or will they see the aging center back pairing combined with an overall leaky defense and try to best LA in a high scoring affair? Head coach Josh Wolff and his staff have their hands full prepping for this one.
There are also a few positional question marks headed into this match for Austin. Let’s start on the wing, where Owen Wolff’s status is still up in the air. I’ve heard through the grapevine that this is expected to be a multi-week injury, but no official update will come until Coach Wolff’s Thursday media availability or the official MLS injury report on Friday. If Owen is sidelined again, what will the elder Wolff do? Against Houston it was Ethan Finlay who got the nod, but both Emiliano Rigoni and CJ Fodrey subbed on in the final 20 minutes and combined for the winning goal in H-Town. I think we’ll end up seeing a similar outcome on the wing, but it’s certainly possible that the DP winger will be inserted into the XI in an attempt to build on the whiff of confidence Rigoni exuded after knocking in the winner last week.
Then there’s the question of the center back pairing. Julio Cascante will be back from his suspension and Leo Väisänen gets closer to his return to action by the day. But Brendan Hines-Ike has the Verde fans abuzz with his performances to begin his ATX tenure, especially after his outing against Houston that saw him block multiple Dynamo shot attempts including one from Latif Blessing that would have been a certain goal. Matt Hedges has also been extremely solid in his time on the pitch in 2024 as well. It’s a new feeling for Austin FC to have real decisions to make at the back and the way this depth chart continues to evolve isn’t just something to watch for this game, but over the jam-packed schedule that lies ahead.
Injury Report
ATX – Leo Väisänen (Questionable – Foot), Owen Wolff (Questionable – Ankle)
LAG – Eriq Zavaleta (OUT – Red Card Suspension), Dejan Jovelič (OUT - Thigh)
LA Galaxy Players To Watch
Riqui Puig – The 24-year-old who has goals for Barcelona and caps for Spain is the most talented player that will take the pitch at Q2 Stadium this Saturday. Puig is a joy to watch, at least when he’s not streaking towards goal against your own team with DP level wingers flanking him. I expect Austin to not only try to take Puig off the ball as much as possible, but to also get physical with him at times. Are they out of the woods forcing the ball to the feet of Delgado, Brugman, Paintsil or Pec? Far from it. But attempting to get in Puig’s head a bit by making sure he hits the grass a few times each half is a good idea. The only Austin FC player on yellow card accumulation warning is Diego Rubio. Everyone else, have at him.
Joseph Paintsil – The Ghanian national hasn’t skipped a beat arriving to his new digs. After posting 17 goals and 12 assists for Genk in 36 league games last season, Paintsil inked a four-year deal that keeps him with the Galaxy through 2027. That’s a big yikes for the rest of the Western Conference. We’ll be worried about Paintsil at least twice a year for a while, Jon Gallagher has got his work cut out for him.
Gabriel Pec – It’s not like Guilherme Biro is going to have it any easier than Gally on Saturday. Pec, a 23-year-old Brazilian, is coming into his own in a Galaxy uniform. He signed a five-year deal after the Galaxy shelled out a club record $10 million to Vasco da Gama in January for his services. He’s occupying a young designated player slot, a salary cap mechanic that allows him to hit the LA cap sheet at a lower number than your normal DP.
Austin’s Keys To The Game
Wake Up – With kickoff set for 12:54pm CT, this will be just the second time that Austin FC kicks off before 1:00pm CT in club history (4/30/22 @ Houston). It’s not just imperative that the boys are revved and ready, but the fans will have to gear up to bring the noise at an unusual time as well. The brunchtime tailgates will be a fun twist on this weekend’s gameday experience. If the team comes out flat, best believe that the Galaxy will take advantage and wake up the Verde & Black themselves by hitting the back of the net. Everyone from those involved on the pitch to the 20,738 in the stands has a part to play to make sure we’re all wide awake to welcome in the national TV audience when FOX turns on the bright lights this Saturday afternoon.
Keep Pushing – One thing is nearly guaranteed in this one, the Galaxy will find a way through. It’s not likely that the team with the most scoring prowess, outside of the roster with Lionel Messi, won’t be able to beat the defense with the worst xGA outlook out of the 29 teams at least once. But as we know from some of the fantastic finishes that we’ve seen at Q2 Stadium this year, both for and against the home side, that nothing is over until that final blow of the whistle. Don’t dwell on any success LA might find during this match, keep moving to the next play, the next assignment, the next rotation. Do that and Austin will be just fine.
The North End’s Predictions
ZG: 3-2 LA Galaxy
E: 3-2 Austin FC
