New York City FC Head Coach Patrick Vieira has made one enforced change to his lineup for tonight’s showdown with LA Galaxy.
With Maxi Moralez out suspended for the Boys in Blue, the Frenchman has selected Tommy McNamara in the midfield for the 11pm ET kick-off at the StubHub Center.
Otherwise, it’s the same team which overcame Red Bulls at Yankee Stadium last Sunday, with hat-trick hero David Villa leading the line in between Jack Harrison and Jonathan Lewis.
McNamara seems likely to be the most advanced of our midfield trio, ahead of Alex Ring and Yangel Herrera who will take turns in anchoring the midfield against a Galaxy team without a home win in eight.
At the back, Ben Sweat and Ethan White line up on the left and right, while Frederic Brillant and Alexander Callens continue in the heart of defense ahead of Sean Johnson in goal.
The returning Rodney Wallace is named as a substitute following a month on the sidelines and he’s joined on the bench by Ugo Okoli and Khiry Shelton who both helped turn the tide against Red Bulls in cameos last weekend.
Miguel Camargo, Maxime Chanot, Ronald Matarrita and James Sands are all missing with injuries and didn’t travel.
You can watch the game live on ESPN 2.
READ: Major Keys to NYCFC at LA Galaxy
NYCFC XI: Johnson, Sweat, Callens, Brillant, White, Ring, Herrera, McNamara, Lewis, Harrison, Villa (C)
NYCFC Subs: Johansen, Awuah, Lopez, Pirlo, Wallace, Shelton, Okoli
Key Stats
- The Galaxy have gone winless in their last eight home games, their longest streak since 2010, and only three short of tying the longest home winless in MLS since 2010, 11 from Colorado.
- Since beating cross town rival New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena, NYCFC has failed to win on the road conceding seven goals over two games.
- David Villa’s hat trick against the Red Bulls was his first in an NYCFC uniform, and the ninth that any MLS player has scored in the 2017 regular season.
- Maxi Moralez has created 52 chances so far this year, already the third most chances created by an NYCFC player in a single season with 11 games left to go in the season. The record is Andrea Pirlo’s 64 from last season (though David Villa has 54 chances created so far this season).
- The Galaxy have scored 19 left footed goals this year, tied for the most of any team in MLS. Only three other teams have scored 10 or more left footed goals this season (Atlanta-19, NYCFC-17, San Jose-10).
- In the 11 games that Jermaine Jones has started for the Galaxy this year, they average 0.8 points per game. In the 11 games that he has not started, that number increases to 1.3 points per game.
- NYCFC leads MLS with 129 shots on target so far this season. The Galaxy have the seventh fewest shots on target of any team in the league with 92.
- Jack Harrison has completed 42 dribbles so far this season, tied for the fourth most of any player in MLS.
