Galaxy’s Dave Romney makes the most of his field days

In four years at the University of San Francisco, Dave Romney rarely came off the field. For much of his first two pro seasons with the Galaxy, he’s rarely been on it.

And that’s made for a challenging transition.

“It’s definitely tough to stay positive when you’re not getting playing time,” he said. “It’s easy to get down.”

Which makes it that much more important to seize the opportunity when you finally get a chance to play, as Romney has done recently after a series of injuries and suspensions depleted the Galaxy’s backline. If Romney starts Friday against the Houston Dynamo at the StubHub Center (8 p.m. PDT, UniMas), it will mark his fifth consecutive start and sixth consecutive game, bettering the number of appearances he made all of last season.

However, Romney has done more than just play; he’s contributed. The Galaxy have yet to lose a game he’s started this season, posting shutouts in three of those four matches while giving up just one goal in the 375 minutes Romney’s been in the lineup. And he got that goal back last week in Seattle, where his quick pass led to the game’s only score in a 1-0 win, netting Romney his first MLS assist.

“Some of it’s probably coincidence and some of it’s probably a testament to, I guess myself, and the way the defense has been playing,” he said. “I’m trying to just do the best I can. It’s been sloppy at times but we’ve managed to get some shutouts.”

Romney started the last two games at left back in place of Ashley Cole, who strained a hamstring in training. Before that he spelled the injured Daniel Steres at center back, the position the Galaxy see as more natural for Romney who, at 6-foot-2 and 175 pounds, is the third-biggest player on the team. And that versatility has helped Coach Bruce Arena piece together a defense that has allowed only two goals in its last six MLS games.

“We’ve gotten better,” said Arena, who will also be missing defensive midfielder Nigel de Jong on Friday after the league extended his suspension for a dangerous tackle two weeks ago. “It’s still not where we want it to be. We’ve tested the depth for sure.”

Once that test is over and the Galaxy return to full strength, Romney figures to return to the bench – maybe even to Galaxy II, the USL reserve team f he’s played six games for this season. In the meantime, he’s trying to learn as much as possible from Cole, a three-time World Cup starter, and center back Jelle Van Damme, watching how they go about their business in practice and studying hours of video from their games.

“Thankfully I’m still young. I know my time will come eventually,” said Romney, a 23-year-old from Irvine. “And then once I finally get my time, just never look back.

kevin.baxter@latimes.com