Galaxy will test team’s progress in league
Off to their best five-game start in club history, the Dynamo will face what is arguably their toughest test of the early season against the L.A. Galaxy on Friday.
The road trip will be the Dynamo’s first to Los Angeles to play the Galaxy (5-1-0, 15 points) since overcoming a two-goal halftime deficit to defeat the Galaxy and end their playoff aspirations in the 2018 regular-season finale.
“Obviously one of the most dangerous teams in the league,” said defender A.J. DeLaGarza, who played for the Galaxy from 2009-16. “They have some very good firepower, bringing in some new guys defensively to help them out as well. This is our biggest challenge so far this year and we’re looking forward to it.”
Trips to Los Angeles used to be emotional for DeLaGarza, who was drafted by the Galaxy with the 19th overall pick in 2009. But his former club has yet to beat the Dynamo since he was traded ahead of the 2017 season.
“I think the first couple times maybe it was emotional, but we’ve had our success against them the last few years,” he said. “When I was in L.A., Houston was just a tough team to play against. They’re a team that grinded to sneak into the playoffs.”
The Dynamo (4-0-1, 13 points) hope not to grind for playoff qualification this year. But despite facing an opponent that was similarly desperate for points as the 2018 season wound down, Dynamo coach Wilmer Cabrera is more interested in seeing his team maintain and improve on its form.
“Right now it’s very early,” he said. “We don’t feel that we’re in a very good shape competitivewise. We just need to play, we just need to move forward; we need to try to add points, of course, because if you have points now it’s better than waiting at the end of the season.”
Through five matches, Cabrera has enjoyed greater productivity compared to his team this time last season. The Dynamo have scored more (12 goals to nine) and allowed fewer goals (six to eight) in that span.
The team has failed to record a shutout, but the players and coaches have enjoyed seeing a comprehensive defensive effort.
“I think we’re confident in ourselves
and the way we’re playing and the way we’re defending,” DeLaGarza said. “Our biggest problem is that we haven’t gotten a shutout yet this season so it’s just not good enough. I think we’ve been more effective this year using all 11 players getting behind the ball as a unit and really protecting ourselves.”
The Dynamo have also benefited from a degree of consistency at the heart of its backline where offseason additions Kiki Struna and Maynor Figueroa have helped the team tie for the second-fewest goals allowed in the Western Conference.
“It is important because when you have the same players — especially your back four — they’re going to have great communication,” Cabrera said. “They’re going to be more coordinated, they’re going to get to know each other better and the results will be better.”
Regardless of that growth, Cabrera and his defenders want to see improvement. They’ll be tested as a unit and as a team Friday when they face Zlatan Ibrahimovic, whose six goals are tied for second in MLS and who is Sweden’s all-time leading scorer.
“When you’re good is when you don’t concede goals,” Cabrera said. “We’re not talking about anything but one game at a time.”