Saunders ready to step in for Ricketts
Goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts gets a call; back-up stopper gets a chance
But they also lose goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, who was called up to the Jamaican national team, which began play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Friday against Canada. Taking his place will be second-year keeper Josh Saunders, who has two starts to his credit this season.
Saunders was pressed into duty earlier in the year with Ricketts out with leg injuries and was in the nets for the season opener, a 2-2 tie with D.C. United, and the following week's 3-2 loss to the Colorado Rapids that featured Conor Casey's stunning goal just 16 seconds in. Saunders insists he is better-prepared mentally and physically for his third appearance of the season.
"Playing at this level since the beginning of the year has helped me," Saunders said. "I've adjusted more to the speed of the game, more so than at the beginning of the year. I'm more comfortable with the team through practices and scrimmages.
"Now I have a little more experience and feel more comfortable going into this game."
Saunders, who also has recovered from a minor left ankle sprain suffered two weeks ago, will be fine, according to Galaxy goalkeeper coach Ian Feuer.
"I think at the start of the season everybody was nervous with all the new players," Feuer said. "Everybody was kind of feeling their way. With Josh, you can't ask for anything more of a professional. He trains as hard as anyone, he's always on time and he has a great attitude every single day.
"He's been waiting for his chance, and I have absolutely no worries. I'm happy for him that he's getting some playing time. He deserves it and he's definitely more than capable of doing the job for us."
The Galaxy (3-3-9), coming off a surprising 1-0 victory against the Houston Dynamo last Saturday, take on a Revolution (4-4-4) team that has dominated them at The Home Depot Center. The Revolution, in fact, are 3-0-1 in their last four visits to the Home Depot Center and haven't lost there to the Galaxy since April 3, 2004. The Revolution also are 6-0-3 in the last nine regular-season meetings between the clubs and have outscored the Galaxy 17-8 during that time.
Any chance the Galaxy have of ending that winless spell against their Eastern Conference counterparts likely will rest on the shoulders of the 6-foot-4, 210-pound Saunders, who said he's enjoyed watching Ricketts, who has played a major role in helping transform a Galaxy defense that led the league in goals allowed in 2008.
"It's been a joy coming out here and training with him every day," Saunders said. "He definitely forces me to get better. Besides the fact he's a great guy, his athletic ability, his game sense ... he just knows how to play the game.
"I can't complain sitting on the bench because of how he's played. He's definitely helped us as a team, and it hasn't been frustrating because he's a great player. I feel I've improved a lot, but you never know until you go out and play. This is my job, it's what I love to do."
Larry Morgan is a contributor to MLSnet.com
