CARSON, Calif. – To quote Jelle Van Damme, it’s now “money time” for the LA Galaxy.
Los Angeles ended their 2016 MLS Regular Season with a scoreless draw with FC Dallas on Sunday at StubHub Center. The draw completes an up-and-down campaign for the Galaxy, who end the year with a 12-6-16 record and a third-place finish in the Western Conference.
Bruce Arena’s men now must turn their attention to their MLS Cup Playoff Knockout Round match where they’ll host Real Salt Lake on Wednesday at StubHub Center. Salt Lake dropped to the sixth spot in the West following their 2-1 defeat to Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday.
“[They’re a] good team. We played them twice this year, beat them at home and had a tie on the road,” Arena told reporters. “Always a good team, obviously a team we’ve seen before in the playoffs. We expect a tough match. I know they had a good one with Seattle [Sunday]. As always any team you play in the playoffs, they’re going to be ready to play.”
The Galaxy won the season series between the two sides in 2016, winning the match at StubHub Center, 5-2 way back in April and then earning a 3-3 draw at Rio Tinto Stadium in September. While Arena’s squad head into the playoffs unbeaten in two matches, Salt Lake ended the season on a skid by going winless in their last eight, with their last win coming on August 26.
The Galaxy have met Real Salt Lake in the playoffs in five of the last eight seasons. In 2011, 2012, and 2014, the Galaxy bounced Salt Lake from the postseason en route to an MLS Cup title.
“It’s pretty obvious where their strengths are. Kyle (Beckerman) is one of the best players in the league. [Javier] Morales is as good as it comes. We know their back line well. They’re a good team. There're no two ways about it. This is a game that’s going to be a real tough test; we know that.” Added defender A.J. DeLaGarza, “We’ve got to put some goals away and defend well. Salt Lake’s a good team; we got to be ready.”
Despite the challenge that awaits LA, forward Landon Donovan insists that the Galaxy will be ready to face RSL with their season on the line on Wednesday.
“We’re playing at home, and we expect to win, and that’s all there is to it,” Donovan said. “It’s going to be a really hard game, but we feel like we have a group of guys that can win the game.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog atwww.LAGalaxy.com/Insiderand contact him atLAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com