Galaxy vs. Fire: Preview

Be sure to watch Chicago player Calen Carr tonight. If he plays. He fascinates me.

Seriously. He is one of the prettiest, most delicate-featured guys ever in the history of professional sports. And he complicates matters by wearing a thick, white, (girly-looking) headband. And by alternating between being incredibly good, and sucking prodigiously. I cannot figure him out.

But anyhoo. The game tonight. What to expect:

When the Fire are on, they have a lovely passing game. I am a sucker for a lovely passing game. (It’s so…so…French.) And when they’re not on? Well, they play a lot like they did in Sunday’s nil-nil draw against the Rapids. I don’t think I’ve fully woken up from that one. (Truly. I think I just emitted a flashback snore.)

But enough about the Fire. What about the Galaxy?

The good news, as we’ve talked about, is that Landon Donovan will be back, and Carlos Pavón will be joining the team for the first time. (Woohoo!) And am I overly optimistic, or can I assume that our new player Kelly Gray will be playing as well? Possibly at the painfully Albright-free rightback position? Or not, whatever. We’ll just take this as it comes.

The Galaxy Game Guide (woohoo! the Game Guide!) gives us the following injuries. (And, for once, the opposing team has a bunch more than we do. I’ll take this as a positive omen.)

LOS ANGELES GALAXY – OUT: MF Kevin Harmse (L knee sprain); DF Chris Albright (R hamstring), DF Kyle Veris (R quadriceps); PROBABLE: FW Alan Gordon (L foot stress fracture); DF Troy Roberts (R hip) … CHICAGO FIRE – OUT: DF Osei Telesford (L groin strain); FW Chris Rolfe (L ankle sprain); DF Jordan Russolillo (spondylolisthesis [back pain]); DOUBTFUL: MF Brian Plotkin (L foot contusion); DF Mike Banner (R groin strain); FW Jerson Monteiro (L ankle contusion); PROBABLE: MF Chris Armas (hip pain)

So what did Kyle Veris do to his quadricep? And when the hell did Kevin Harmse sprain his knee? Anybody know? I feel so out of the loop.

(I sprained my knee yesterday too, Kevin. Roller-blading. Hurts like hell. I feel your pain.)

But it would be incredibly nice to see Alan Gordon playing at last.

The Game Guide lists the following starting lineup, which is, of course, never accurate:

————–Donovan———–Buddle—————
——–Martino—-Klein—-Vagenas—-Jones————
——Jazic——-Harden——-Javier——-Kirk——–
————————-Cannon———————-

Me personally? I’d be amazed to not see Pavón starting. So I’m guessing Buddle and Pavón up front, with Donovan somewhere in the midfield. Like…um…sorry, Kyle. (I adore Kyle Martino, so I’m hoping I’m wrong. But what can you do?)

July 4, 7:30 Pacific at the Home Depot Center, DK, FSN-W, MLSLIVE.tv.

Some Related Galaxy Posts:

Category: 2007 Games, Player News