Am I the only one that is feeling a bit uneasy about what is to come for the Galaxy in the next two weeks?
I know the Galaxy have an MLS best 58 points, have lost just three games in league play all year to go with 16 wins and are unbeaten at home. But, similar to what has unfolded in CONCACAF Champions League play, it is not just about how you start. It is equally important how you finish and I would hate to see six months of hard work in league play, start to trickle away in the final month of the season.
LA still have two games remaining in group play of Champions League while five games remain heading into the weekend in MLS play. In both scenarios, the Galaxy must finish strong in order to finish off their impressive starts to each campaign.
As a result, it’s my opinion that the next four games will be the toughest stretch LA will face the entire year. That stretch begins at Columbus, before returning home to face Morelia in the Champions League next Wednesday. That will be followed by what is expected to be one of the biggest games of the year, a Western Conference showdown with Real Sal Lake on October 1 and then a trip to New York on October 4 to face a Red Bull team that is hanging on for their playoff lives right now.
Needless to say, Bruce Arena’s team will no doubt earn a bit of time off during the upcoming international break.
For now, let’s do what Bruce Arena has preached ever since the season began and take this one game at a time, beginning with Saturday’s game in Columbus. The Crew have won just one game in their last five and defending has been an issue, giving up 14 goals in those matches, including a 6-2 defeat at the hands of the Sounders a few weeks back. Injuries, rookie mistakes, uncharacteristic goalkeeping miscues and diminished returns from players that have been regular contributors in the past have all been issues for the Crew.
Despite all of that, Columbus still find themselves in the top spot in the East with 41 points, one better than Sporting Kansas City, though that could change by the time Silviu Petrescu blows his whistle to start Saturday’s game at Crew Stadium.
One of the bright spots this year for the Crew has been Andres Mendoza, who leads the Crew with 11 goals. The Peruvian is an athletic and powerful forward that can score from any spot in the final third of the field. The Crew striker is also pretty technical with the ball. He can show you the ability to use a good touch in tight space and combine with other players when needed. Despite being 33-years-old, Mendoza also possesses the one element that can give LA problems at times… speed.
So what about the Galaxy? Even though LA has had limited success in the past at Crew Stadium, I anticipate the team arriving with a sour taste in their mouth following the loss in Costa Rica on Wednesday. The same could have been said ahead of last week’s game against Vancouver following the loss to Morelia in Mexico, so the Galaxy have shown that they can quickly recover from a loss, put it behind them and put forward a professional performance.
In fact, the Galaxy have lost just six of their 35 games in all competitions this year, falling three times in MLS, twice in the Champions League and once in the Open Cup. In the game immediately following those losses, LA are 4-0-1, outscoring opponents 9-2 in those five games.
As a result, I expect that the Galaxy will bring the same type of fight to Columbus and take the frustration it had to endure in Alajuela out on the Crew. This is an opportunity to make a statement to the rest of MLS that even though the Galaxy have lost two straight in CONCACAF play, it is still the elite team domestically.
One player that I know is itching to put in a good run this Saturday is Frankie Hejduk. Once the defensive cornerstone of the Crew, Hejduk was cast aside by head coach Robert Warzycha during the offseason before joining LA. Still a big fan favorite in Columbus, Frankie might get some quality minutes on Saturday night due to the fact Sean Franklin is injured and Bryan Jordan put in 90 minutes on Wednesday.
Wouldn’t it be a perfect Hollywood ending for the former Crew captain to return to his old home and help his new team walk away with three points and maybe even get his name on the scoresheet in the process!
While that last part might be asking too much (sorry Frankie), I fully expect the Galaxy to put forward a professional performance, and take care of the task at hand before returning home to take on Morelia on Wednesday.
But like I said…one game at a time.
