CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy sit just one game from a trip to MLS Cup, but to get to the final, they’ll have to improve their form away from the friendly confines of the StubHub Center in Carson.
Amid their run to the Western Conference Championship, the Galaxy have gone winless in their last six road matches away from their home ground. LA’s last win away from Carson came way back on Aug. 20 when they dramatically defeated the Colorado Rapids with a second half rally.
Now with their season hanging in the balance ahead of their Western Conference Championship second leg with Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field, the Galaxy believe they have the remedy to their road woes.
“The key is just coming out like we do at home. We just need to come out and get all over the teams and not let them breathe,” said midfielder Baggio Husidic. “We have to get back to that pressure that we provide at home. Look, we feel comfortable that we can get the result that we need to get to play the final in front of our fans.”
Added right back Dan Gargan, “We just need to play our game. We’ve played in some tough conditions and some tough environments away from home and it won’t be anything different this weekend. I also don’t think that it is a place that we can’t pick up a win this weekend.”
LA have enjoyed success on the carpet at CenturyLink Field this season as they notched a dominating 3-0 victory over the Sounders back in July before putting forth a solid showing in a 2-0 defeat on the last day of the regular season that saw the Galaxy control much of the game until Seattle’s late barrage.
“We got a great result in July and we put forth a solid performance in October in a losing effort,” said Gargan. “We all feel comfortable going over there playing. We know the environment that it will be and we know what we are capable of.”
But even if the Galaxy can’t find their first win since the beginning of autumn; their slim 1-0 aggregate lead could see them through. A scoreless draw or a victory will put LA through automatically, but the Galaxy can also advance—without extra time—through a draw in which goals are scored or a one-goal lead.
And that cushion provides a small amount of comfort for the Galaxy heading into Sunday’s decisive second leg.
“It’s a little cushion because if we tie any score or we score a goal and lose by one goal then we still go through,” said Husidic. “We still have a little cushion even if we make a mistake that we can go there and still win the series.”
