Kansas City at Los Angeles
Location: Rose Bowl. Kickoff (ET): 10: 00 p.m. Television:
KYFC-Kansas City. Satellite: Galaxy C4, Tr. 5
Series History: May 19 at the Rose Bowl — Jorge Campos saved a penalty, and Mauricio Cienfuegos scored on a perfect free kick as L.A. rolled 2-0; July 6 at Arrowhead Stadium — Scott Uderitz, Preki, and Digital Takawira each tallied in K.C.’s 3-1 win; Aug. 11 at Arrowhead Stadium — Paul Wright had an assist and scored the clinching shootout goal as the Wiz prevailed 3-2.
Injuries: Kansas City — D Uche Okafor (strained patella tendon), D Diego Gutierrez (bruised knee), and M Frank Klopas (strained hamstring) are probable; Los Angeles — D Dan Calichman (pulled hamstring) is probable, F Jose Vasquez (re-injured foot) is out.
Of Note: A showdown for first place in the Western Conference…. Kansas City is one of the hottest clubs in the league right now, as it has won five of six…. The Wiz boasts the league’s top offense (56 goals scored), but only 19 of those scores have come on the road…. The Galaxy have dropped eight of eleven after falling 2-1 to D.C. United over the weekend.
PROBABLE LINEUPS
Kansas City — Lagerwey, Uderitz, Okafor, Bowers, Gutierrez, Klopas, Sorber, Preki, Chung, Takawira, Johnston.
Los Angeles — Campos, Calichman, Fraser, Salcedo, Semioli, Armas, Cienfuegos, Vanney, Jones, Karapetyan, Hurtado.
Prediction: Galaxy stars shine in a 3-1 win.
Tampa Bay at New England
Location: Foxboro Stadium. Kickoff (ET): 7:30 p.m. Television: WABU-68 Boston. Satellite: none.
Series History: April 13 at Tampa Stadium — Steve Pittman scored the winner off an indirect free kick as Tampa won its home opener over the Revs 3-2. Rob Ukrop, no longer with New England, scored both Revolution goals.
Injuries: Tampa Bay — M Derek Backman (scalp laceration) and M Steve Ralston (bruised hand) are probable, D Steve Pittman (bruised knee), F Giuseppe Galderisi (strained Achilles) and F Roy Lassiter (hip flexor) are questionable, D Cle Kooiman (fractured cheekbone), and M Peter Hattrup (torn ACL and MCL) are out; New England — G Aiden Heaney (migraine headaches), D Iain Fraser (sore groin) and M Welton (sprained ankle) are probable, D Mike Burns (recovering from knee surgery) and F John Kerr (strained groin) are out.
Of Note: The Mutiny limp into Foxboro with several injuries…. Defender Cle Kooiman underwent several hours of surgery Sunday to repair a broken cheek bone suffered against the MetroStars…. Kooiman did not travel with the team and is likely out for two to three weeks…. In addition, MLS top goalscorer Roy Lassiter, Steve Pittman, and Giuseppe Galderisi (playing against his former team for the first time) are all listed as questionable…. New England has won four straight at home…. Joe-Max Moore has scored six goals since joining the Revolution, and all six have been assisted by Argentine midfielder Alberto Naveda.
PROBABLE LINEUPS
Tampa Bay — Dougherty, Pittman, Yallop, Vasquez, Hejduk, Ralston, Backman, Valderrama, McKinley, Wise, Lassiter.
New England — Heaney, Lalas, Fraser, Wylie, Okaroh, Naveda, Aunger, Sawatzky, Debrito, Moore, Baba.
Prediction: Undermanned Mutiny can’t stop Moore — 2-1 Revs.
D.C. United at MetroStars
Location: Giants Stadium. Kickoff (ET): 7:30 p.m. Television:
MSG Network; Home Team Sports (delayed until 11:30 p.m. eastern) Satellite: Satcom C4, Tr. 6; Spacenet 3, Tr. 23.
Series History: May 12 at RFK Stadium — Giovanni Savarese tied the game in the second half, and the MetroStars earned a 2-1 shootout win; May 31 at Giants Stadium — Marco Etcheverry had a pair of assists as D.C. won 2-1.
Injuries: D.C. United — D Jeff Agoos (sprained foot), D Eddie Pope (sprained foot), M John Harkes (strained calf), M Marco Etcheverry (sore heel, bruised quad), M Richie Williams (strained calf), and F Steve Rammel (sprained foot) are probable, G Jeff Causey (sprained lower back) is questionable, M John Maessner (strained neck), and D Mike Huwiler (aggravated groin) are out; MetroStars — M Manny Lagos (torn ACL) is out.
Of Note: A battle between the clubs vying for the second playoff spot in the Eastern Conference…. D.C. is coming off of an impressive 2-1 victory over the L.A. Galaxy on Sunday…. The game will be played on artificial turf at Giants Stadium…. Metros GK Tony Meola leads MLS with eight shutouts, but he’ll be hard pressed to blank United’s Raul Diaz Arce and Jaime Moreno for 90 minutes…. Defender Matt Knowles sits out tonight’s game after picking up his fifth yellow card in Tampa on Saturday.
PROBABLE LINEUPS
D.C. United — Simpson, Peay, Pope, Agoos, Gori, Williams, Harkes, Sanneh, Etcheverry, Diaz Arce, Moreno.
MetroStars — Meola, Zaun, Harty, Caricola, Vermes, Donadoni, Unger, Ramos, Joseph, De Avila, Johnson.
Prediction: Offensive fireworks in Metros’ 3-2 win.
Thursday, August 22
Dallas at San Jose
Location: Spartan Stadium. Kickoff (ET): 10:00 p.m. Television: ESPN2. Satellite: Galaxy 5, Tr. 14.
Series History — April 14 at the Cotton Bowl — Dallas won its home opener 1-0 in a shootout; June 9 — Hugo Sanchez scored on a memorable bicycle kick in Dallas 4-1 trashing of the Clash.
Injuries: Dallas — D Tom Soehn (torn ACL) is out; San Jose — D Troy Dayak (hip flexor) and M Paul Bravo (strained groin) are probable, M Paul Holocher (torn ACL) is out.
Of Note: An important match for San Jose, which is trying to stay ahead of Colorado in the race for the final Western Conference playoff berth…. Dallas has won five of six behind the play of Gerell Elliott…. The Burn is 13-3 with Leonel Alvarez in the lineup, and he’s back in uniform tonight after missing the team’s loss to Columbus because of a yellow-card suspension…. Troy Dayak should be back in the San Jose lineup, as will Eric Wynalda, who also served a one-game suspension for yellow cards.
PROBABLE LINEUPS
Dallas — Dodd, Farrer, Santel, Ibsen, Lozzano, Sonora, Alvarez, Kreis, Haynes, Sanchez, Elliott.
San Jose — Liner, Martin, Dayak, Doyle, Draguicevich, Emenalo, Baicher, Rodas, Bravo, Espinoza, Wynalda.
Prediction: Dallas wins 1-0 in a physical affair.