SEATTLE –Avoiding the Knockout Round was a major objective for the LA Galaxy during the final stretch of the regular season and with that goal accomplished, they plan on taking advantage of the six days to prepare for the first leg of their Western Conference Semifinal against Real Salt Lake on Sunday.
The rest is sorely needed with Landon Donovan (left ankle inflammation), Omar Gonzalez (left hip strain), and Todd Dunivant (right MCL sprain) dealing with injuries while others like A.J. DeLaGarza, Pablo Mastroeni, and Robbie Rogers are still seeking to regain full match sharpness.
“This is huge. Because the effort we put out tonight, it would have been hard to go again on Wednesday,” Gonzalez said. “So to get this draw and put us in for a game on the weekend is huge. I know some guys need some treatment, including myself, so we're going to take this week to put in a good effort in practice, get the bodies ready and concentrate toward Salt Lake.”
Following the match, Donovan admitted the team will “happily take a week of rest” ahead of a match against a Real Salt Lake that should provide a major test for the Galaxy.
“The beauty with playing them is that both teams try to play and attack, so it should make for a very exciting series,” said Donovan “A lot of times in the playoffs, you'll see teams sort of bunker in and be safe, but we know when they come to LA, they like to pllay. It's a big field, they'll try to play, and we always try to play at home. And when we go there [for the second leg], it will be the same.
“It should be an exciting series, and it's going to come down to who makes the most plays.”
