CARSON, Calif. – Coaches and players often refrain from categorizing a game as a “must win,” but if any match deserves that description it’s Saturday’s Western Conference showdown between the LA Galaxy and FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium (6 p.m., Spectrum SportsNet, Spectrum Deportes) in Frisco, Texas.
Its implications are numerous. The Galaxy, for example, need a victory to nail down a spot in the MLS Cup playoffs. They also need a win to not only close the gap with FC Dallas in the West – Dallas leads with 53 points; the Galaxy are tied for second with Colorado at 48 – but improve their chances of securing the Supporters’ Shield, which signifies the best record in MLS. The Galaxy currently are in a four-way tie for third behind FC Dallas and Toronto FC.
But is it a must-win? Galaxy players weren’t sure they’d go that far.
“I wouldn’t classify it that way,” Landon Donovan opined. “I think we more than anything are pretty disappointed with how Sunday (a 4-2 loss to Seattle) turned out. We want to get better.”
Steven Gerrard actually took the “must-win” angle a bit farther.
“I think the MLS Cup is a must-win for this club,” he said. “It’s the bread and butter, the target at the beginning of every season.
“Every game, any game in soccer around the world, you ask any player and they’re going to say it’s a must win. I think the important thing is that we manage expectations and obviously the idea is to get in the playoffs.
“We’ve got the time to finish the season strong and reward ourselves with the best position in the playoffs.”
The Galaxy, who had a six-game (2-0-4) unbeaten streak snapped with the loss to Seattle, unfortunately don’t have time on their side. They have only three games left on the schedule, including Saturday’s match and continuing with a visit to Houston on Sunday, Oct. 16 and concluding with a rematch against FC Dallas on Oct. 23 at StubHub Center.
Saturday’s game actually is a rematch as well. The teams met in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals on Aug. 10 at StubHub Center, where FC Dallas scored two goals in extra time for a stunning 2-1 triumph.
That loss still doesn’t sit well with the Galaxy.
“We owe them one, if you like,” Gerrard said. “If you look back to the Open Cup game it was a very difficult result to swallow because I thought we were the best team on the day and never got what we deserved.
“We need to go and get maximum points and we can do that if we play well.”
FC Dallas, which is winless in three games, lost one of its best players, Fabián Castillo, to a controversial move to Turkish side Trabzonspor in early August, but head coach Oscar Pareja’s side has persevered to the point of owning the league’s best record (15-8-8). Michael Barrios leads the way with nine goals and Mauro Diaz has 11 assists.
Galaxy (11-5-15) head coach Bruce Arena has been impressed, to say the least.
“They’ve played very well,” he said. “They’ve gotten a lot of production out of their entire team. They’re a good defensive team as well.
“Obviously there are some special players in the attack. (Former Galaxy standout Carlos) Ruiz has been a good addition to their team; he’s done well. They lost a good player in Castillo, but they’ve managed to hang in there.
“They’re a good team.”
FC DALLAS vs. LA GALAXY
Toyota Stadium | Frisco, Texas
Saturday, Oct. 1 | Week #30 | MLS Game #311
9 pm ET (MLS LIVE, Spectrum SportsNet, TXA-21, TWCSC-TX)
- FC Dallas saw their winless run extended to three games with a second consecutive draw, following their goalless result at Real Salt Lake on Saturday evening.
- Robbie Keane scored a pair of goals, but the Galaxy had their six-game undefeated streak put to an end in a 4-2 loss to Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday afternoon, their first loss this season at StubHub Center. Keane now has 10 goals, reaching double-digits in goals for a fifth consecutive season; it was the 19th multiple-goal game of Keane’s MLS career, fourth all-time in league history.
- The teams are meeting for the first time this season, the first of a home-and-home series over the season’s final four weeks. The teams did meet in a U.S. Open Cup semifinal, FC Dallas taking a 2-1 win in extra time Aug. 10 at StubHub Center, Victor Ulloa scoring the late game-winning goals.
- The Galaxy have won the last two league meetings between the teams, once at each ground. The Galaxy’s win Aug. 15, 2015 at Toyota Stadium ending a two-game FCD home winning streak, their first victories at home vs. the Galaxy since 2011. The Galaxy are undefeated in Carson over the last eight meetings vs. FC Dallas in league play, dating back to the start of the 2010 season, going 7-0-1 in that time.
