New York Red Bulls vs. LA Galaxy: Preview and How to Watch

Los Angeles fought back from a 2-0 deficit last week to draw against the Chicago Fire after some drastic mid-game changes from head coach Curt Onalfo. New York, meanwhile, got clobbered by C.J. Sapong and the Union 3-0, but the Galaxy have to head to Red Bull Arena, where the Red Bulls are still unbeaten at home.

Long touted as one of the best teams since the league’s founding in 1996, this year has seen the Galaxy off to a torrid start. After nine games, they only have eight points, despite playing six matches at home. Last week’s game may indicate some big changes for the future, as captain Jelle van Damme got the hook in only the 33rd minute.

The New York Red Bulls, another of the original 10, have had more of an up and down season so far. Despite having a respectable five wins from 11 games, when the Red Bulls lose, they’re either shut out or blown out. With 16 points, the Red Bulls have the potential for a great season, but they’ll need to figure out how to pick up more points on the road.

New York Red Bulls

Current Record (W-L-D): 5-5-1

Last Time Out: 3-0 Loss at Philadelphia Union

Player to Watch For: At the heart of whatever his team has done this season, club captain Sacha Kjlestan has played up top, out wide, and in the middle of the park. There’s no one more important to this team than Kjlestan—not even Bradley Wright-Phillips. Leading the team with three assists and 31 key passes so far, Kjlestan’s value has to do with helping his teammates, rather than himself.

Why They Win: Unbeaten at home so far, the Red Bulls have four wins from their five home matches. Beyond that, though, they’re unbeaten in league competition in 19 matches when playing at home.

Why They Don’t: It’s rumored that both Jermaine Jones and Jelle van Damme have been bad locker room presences, and with Jones injured and van Damme apparently falling out with the coach, we could see a rejuvenated Galaxy on Sunday, who will look to exact revenge for their last several meetings with the Red Bulls.

Predicted Starting Eleven: Sean Davis will likely come back into the lineup due to the absence of 18-year-old Tyler Adams, who is away with the U.S. u20s. The 4-2-2-2 has been fairly successful for the Red Bulls, as they’ve picked up ten points when playing with that setup. On the other hand, the 4-2-3-1 that they’ve tried in recent weeks against Chicago, Sporting Kansas City, and Philadelphia has only seen them accrue three points.

LA Galaxy

Current Record (W-L-D): 2-5-2

Last Time Out: 2-2 Draw against Chicago Fire

Player to Watch For: Romain Alessandrini has been one of the few bright spots for a struggling Galaxy side this year. With four goals and three assists, he’s provided some impact in almost all of the Galaxy’s games. His contribution will likely hinge on the way that the Galaxy lineup, however, as he has shined especially brightly when playing in a 4-2-3-1.

Why They Win: The LA Galaxy showed a lot of grit to fight back from two-nil down last week against Chicago. Galaxy Coach Curt Onalfo’s decision to pull his captain was a gutsy gamble—one that some will argue was unnecessary—but it paid off nonetheless. Van Damme’s replacement, David Romney, kept a clean sheet during his time on the field and assisted Giovanni dos Santos for the equalizer. In his post-match press conference, Onalfo indicated that the believed the Chicago game was a turning point where a group of players became a team.

Why They Don’t: The Galaxy have only beaten the Red Bulls in one of their last eight games, have some potential locker room drama going on, and their away form is even worse than their home form. While they may have salvaged something against Chicago, they probably don’t have enough to topple New York.

Predicted Starting Eleven: I should note that this lineup is incredibly volatile at this point. Van Damme could start in place of David Romney, depending on his reaction in training this week. It’s also possible that due to the injury of Jermaine Jones, we see the team go back to a 4-4-2 or a 4-4-1-1, but neither of those formations has bred success for the Galaxy.

Final Score Prediction:

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How to Watch:

Where: Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey

When: Sunday, May 14, 6:00 PM

Channel: Fox Sports 1, Fox Deportes, Fox Sports 1 HD, Fox Deportes HD