CARSON, Calif. – Four games into the 2012 MLS season, the LA Galaxy were hardly a shadow of their former selves.
The team that waltzed through the MLS schedule en route to a Supporters' Shield crown and MLS Cup triumph was anything but dominant. Opponents were scoring goals at a higher rate than last year and the losses were piling up.
WATCH: LA vs Colorado Highlights
While the team has not quite returned to championship form, the defending champs have certainly picked themselves up off the ground. The Galaxy will head into Saturday's home match against FC Dallas with two wins in their last two games and have evened their record at 3-3, thanks to a 2-1 win in Colorado over the weekend.
RECAP: Saunders PK stop gives LA 2-1 win at Rapids
"It’s a big win. It’s just a stepping stone to obviously what we want to achieve," Galaxy midfielder David Beckham said. "We didn’t start the season off well but the last two games have been better, not just because we won the games but because we played as a team and we’ve done well."
The Galaxy’s win over the Rapids was especially important because it marked the second straight over a Western Conference foe, following a win against the Portland Timbers the week before that snapped a two-game losing streak.
"These points at this time of year are important, especially in conference games so we’re thankful we got out of [there] with three points," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said. "We haven’t started real well, so it’s important we piece some wins together."
As another Western Conference rival prepares to visit The Home Depot Center, the Galaxy will have yet another chance to collect points and continue their ascent up the Western Conference table. As of Monday, the club is in a three-way tie with Chivas USA and Colorado, and just two points back of third-place Vancouver.
“Obviously the locker room’s better now than it was two weeks ago because we’re playing as a team, were playing well, we’re winning games,” Beckham said. “We just need to continue that. This is not where it ends for us. We need to continue next week and the week after and all the way through the season.”
Luis Bueno covers the LA Galaxy for MLSsoccer.com and can be reached by email at buenodad@gmail.com.
