CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy’s recent nine-day road trip did not go as the club expected as they came back home with just three points out of a possible nine. However, they’ll have the opportunity to rebound this week against Seattle Sounders FC.
Seattle sputtered out of the gates this season, but find themselves just two points back of LA in the standings due to their current six-game unbeaten run. In the same span, the Galaxy hold a 3-3-0 record, which, according to the players themselves, is unacceptable given LA’s lofty standards.
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Regardless of the records, matches between the two sides are always heated affairs and after going 1-2-0 on their road trip, the match against Seattle may be what the Galaxy need to get in gear again.
“They’re a tough team to play against. They have some good players and every time that we play against them it is always a competitive game. We expect no less on Sunday,” said LA Galaxy captain Robbie Keane, who scored three times in the club’s Western Conference Championship series in 2012. “It’s a good game for us to get back to winning ways after a disappointing result against Red Bulls...we’re hoping to get our confidence back again.”
The matches between the two sides are always high-octane affairs with plenty on the line as the two teams have met twice in the postseason over the past three years, with LA prevailing each time. When you add that intensity with the presence of big name players like Keane, Seattle’s Eddie Johnson, Mauro Rosales, and others then you have the recipe for an intense encounter.
“At the end of every year, it’s generally been us, [Real Salt Lake], and Seattle in some way or form. We play a lot of meaningful games, so the games are intense and they’re fun. They’re just two really good soccer teams,” said forward Landon Donovan. “I think you’re going to see a good game on Sunday night.”
Whether or not the heated nature of the Seattle game makes them a rival of LA is irrelevant for head coach Bruce Arena. The Galaxy head coach is quick to bat away any talk of Seattle being a rival, preferring to consider all Western Conference clubs to be rivals of the Galaxy.
But if the presence of the Sounders at The Home Depot Center sees his players raise their intensity level then Arena is all for it.
“I hope it is [heightened] because we have to play better than we played as of late,” said Arena.
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com
