CARSON, Calif. – Didier Drogba's hat trick in his first MLS start didn't open any eyes – everyone in the league is aware of what he's capable – but it offered a stern reminder that if you give the big Ivorian forward even a little space, he will punish you.
That's the LA Galaxy's big challenge Saturday, when the Montreal Impact visit StubHub Center (10:30 pm ET: MLS LIVE).
LA's defending hasn't matched the level of their attack the past couple of months, and it doesn't get easier with starting center back Leonardo, playing perhaps the best soccer of his career, serving a red-card suspension.
The Galaxy (13-8-7), who can retake the top spot in the Western Conference and Supporters' Shield races with a victory, have scored 43 goals in their last nine competitive home games – 27 in six MLS encounters – so this could turn into a wild shootout.
How well LA defends Drogba likely will determine whether they corral all three points.
“World-class talent,” praised Galaxy midfielder Steven Gerrard, who battled Drogba for nearly a decade when he played for Liverpool and the 37-year-old striker starred at Chelsea. “I know a lot of people from the outside talk about age in this game, but, for me, it's only a number, and he looked very good [in last weekend's 4-3 win over Chicago]. Start was really good, and I'm sure he's going to be aiming to build on that.”
Drogba scored a “perfect” hat trick to lift the Impact (9-11-4) – one goal with his right foot, one with his left, another with his head – and his physical strength, intensity, ability to hold the ball and find teammates and that knack for finishing makes him among the world's most difficult forwards to defend.
Gerrard has been offering advice to teammates.
“I've been chatting to defenders and trying to help them a little bit more with Drogba ... ,” the Englishman said. “They have to be on their game. There's no doubt about it, if we want to win this game and get three points, we have to defend well.”
What kind of things has he told them?
“I think you'd have to be careful and play Drogba very careful because he's very clever,” Gerrard said. “His movement's good, he's very strong. It's important not to get into a fight with him because usually there's only one winner. So you have to play him cute and, you know, be aggressive with him at the right times and try not to give set pieces away around the box because he's clinical from there as well.”
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Captain Robbie Keane, who also battled Drogba while with Tottenham, primarily, said that “it's difficult” to stop him. Center back Omar Gonzalez, who at 6-foot-5 has a three-inch advantage, will be critical to the equation.
“Omar's very good in the air, so I'm sure it's going to be an interesting battle,” Keane said. “[Drogba is] very, very strong, he can obviously score goals, which he's done all of his career, so, hopefully, our center halves are ready for the game, ready for a big test, and this is going to be a big test for them.”
Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena has a couple of options to replace Leonardo. He could move A.J. DeLaGarza into the middle – he's played centrally with Gonzalez most of his career – and bring in Dan Gargan at right back. DeLaGarza reads the game exceptionally well and makes good decisions, but he's only 5-9. Fourth-year pro Tommy Meyer, who is 6-2, could step in; he's played in only four league games this season.
Arena isn't revealing his plans.
“We've got to play better defense than we have in the last couple of games,” he said. “Hopefully, we can do that and neutralize him a bit. ... [We need to] have better concentration, be better individually, be better as a unit. All of those things. If we start the game in better shape, we'll be fine.”
