2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 23
LA Galaxy vs. Seattle Sounders FC
Dignity Health Sports Park – Carson
November 4 – 8:00 PM PT
TV: UniMás, TUDN
The LA Galaxy will look to keep their slim postseason hopes alive when they take on a Seattle Sounders team trying to move back atop the Western Conference when the sides square off Wednesday night at Dignity Health Sports Park.
Under interim coach Dominic Kinnear, the Galaxy (6W-11L-3D) got the win they needed to stay alive on Sunday, defeating Real Salt Lake 2-1 at home. It.was just LA's second win in their last 12 games and they are 10th in the West at 1.05 points per game. The Sounders (10W-5L-5D) are third in the West at 1.75 PPG and are coming off a 3-1 loss to the Rapids. Seattle have won once in their last five,
This is the second regular season meeting, with the Sounders winning 3-1 in Carson Sept. 27 with Cristian Roldan scoring a brace and Jordan Morris adding a goal and an assist.
LA Galaxy
There's still a lot of work to do, and some help needed along the way, but the Galaxy are still in contention for the 2020 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs after beating Real Salt Lake 2-1 Sunday, a result that eliminated RSL. Giancarlo Gonzalez and Cristian Pavon scored a goal in each half for the Galaxy and Gonzalez made an acrobatic play to keep Corey Baird's potential equalizer from crossing the goalline.
Kinnear said his first goal was for the Galaxy to move out of last place in the West. On Sunday night, they checked that box just days after Guillermo Barros Schelotto was out as head coach.
"I think everybody was immensely disappointed," Kinnear said after the match. "What happened with the coaching change, I think anytime that happens, you have to have a feel for the situation and your involvement in it. Like I've said before, Guillermo is a very good coach, and a very good person, so anytime that happens to somebody who you spend a lot of time with, there's just a touch of sadness, especially when you have a little bit of responsibility. We all do with what's happened in the situation for the Galaxy this year."
According to ESPN's James Olley, the Galaxy have approached club legend Robbie Keane over their head coaching vacancy.
The 40-year-old has been an assistant coach with the Irish national team as well as English club Middlesbrough. He also spent time as the player/manager of Indian club ATK.
Seattle Sounders
Brian Schmetzer isn't sounding the alarm bell just yet, but his Sounders aren't exactly on a run of form he'd hope entering the postseason. A loss to the Rapids Sunday dropped Seattle from the top spot in the West and a 2-0 win over a rotated Vancouver team last Tuesday was their only victory in their last five matches. The defeat also eliminated the Sounders from Supporters' Shield contention.
Schmetzer pointed out how the squad's mood has not been an issue during the string of bad results, even though he made the decision not to make players available to media after the Colorado game.
“The mood of the team is fine,” Schmetzer said. “It was my decision. I just needed to give them some space. They’re talking, so I elected to do that. That’s my choice. ... They’re always willing to talk to the press and the media afterwards. There’s no issues there. I just need those guys to take a break and think about things.”
Schmetzer's contract expires after the 2020 season and there is yet to be an agreement in place for 2021. Both parties say they want Schmetzer to continue his tenure with the club in an interview with Paul Tenorio of The Athletic, but nothing is definite yet.
Series Matchup at Galaxy
- Galaxy: 6 wins, 23 goals
- Sounders: 4 wins, 19 goals
- 5 draws
