CARSON, Calif. – LA Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Rowe said he isn’t much of a standings watcher, but he can’t help but look at how the postseason race is shaping up in the West.
FC Dallas tops the conference with 51 points, and three teams – the Galaxy, Colorado and Real Salt Lake – are tied for second eight points behind. Sporting Kansas City is fifth with 38 points and defending MLS Cup champion Portland is sixth with 35.
Only the top six teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs, which makes Wednesday’s showdown between the Galaxy (10-4-13) and Real Salt Lake (12-8-7) at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah (6:30 p.m., Time Warner Cable Sportsnet, Time Warner Cable Deportes) one of the biggest games of the season.
Rowe, however, prefers to take an even-keel approach to the meeting.
“I think every game now as we get down to the end is a big game,” said Rowe, whose 0.91 goals-against average is third in MLS behind only Houston’s Tyler Deric (0.60) and Colorado’s Zac MacMath (0.76). “But we don’t want to blow it up any bigger than it is.
“I think the media and the press say it’s a great story and you can build it up as much as you want, but the larger you make it the more pressure you add to it.
“We just want to go in there and take care of business.”
That figures to be a difficult task, considering Real Salt Lake is one of four teams in MLS (along with the Galaxy, Colorado and FC Dallas) to be unbeaten at home (8-0-5). Real Salt Lake, led by Yura Movsisyan’s nine goals and two assists, is coming off a 2-1 triumph over Colorado and has won three of its last four games.
The Galaxy are just 3-6-6 all-time in Utah and already have a 5-2 win over their conference rivals to their credit this season. But that was at StubHub Center in April and with a full roster, a luxury the five-time MLS Cup champions will not have Wednesday.
They will be missing Steven Gerrard, Gyasi Zardes and Jelle Van Damme – all of whom are out with injuries – but the Galaxy could welcome back Robbie Keane, who had been away on international duty and has been recovering from a strained groin. Keane had what head coach Bruce Arena called “a good day” of training on Monday and may be available.
Baggio Husidic, who scored the opening goal in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over the Columbus Crew, didn’t underestimate the importance of the mid-week match.
“It’s a six-pointer, as we like to call it,” he said.
Rowe said the win over the Crew, which snapped a six-game winless streak (0-1-5) and marked the 200th career MLS victory for Arena, couldn’t have come at a better time with the regular season in its final weeks.
“It makes it fun again,” he said. “It’s corny to say, but you get back to that fun energy in the locker room. Guys are enjoying it. Getting a goal like Baggio’s and we’re able to hold them off at the end.
“It’s one of those where you just hope you can keep building on that energy.”
REAL SALT LAKE vs. LA GALAXY
Rio Tinto Stadium | Sandy, Utah
Wednesday, September 7 | Week #27 | MLS Game #272
6:30 pm PT (MLS LIVE, KMYU, TWCSN-LA)
Traditional Western Conference rivals square off in a late-season showdown at Rio Tinto Stadium. Both teams enter the game with wins in their previous outings, level on points and looking to jockey for positioning in the conference standings before the MLS Cup Playoffs begin.
The hosts had a bye last week, with a 2-1 win to clinch the Rocky Mountain Cup over rivals Colorado Rapids being their last result. Yura Movsisyan scored both goals in that game, as RSL are currently on a two-game winning streak. Unbeaten at home this season, RSL are in second place in the West, but are one of three teams currently on 43 points in the conference.
The Galaxy are playing on a short week, with a 2-1 win at home against Columbus on Saturday.Baggio Husidic and Giovani dos Santos provided the goals for LA, who sit in fourth place in the conference standings but are even on points with RSL.
This is the second and final MLS regular season meeting between the clubs. The Galaxy routed Real Salt Lake 5-2 on Apr. 23 in Southern California. Winger Emmanuel Boateng had a breakout performance in that match, with a goal and two assists.
