Second place in the Western Conference still is within reach for Minnesota United when the Loons visit the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday on MLS Decision Day.
Minnesota (16-7-10, 58 points) cannot finish lower than its current fourth-place position in the West. The Loons can move into second or third place by beating the Galaxy, and if second-place San Diego FC (60 points) also loses to the Portland Timbers and third-place Los Angeles FC (59 points) loses or draws against the Colorado Rapids.
The postseason is far out of reach for the Galaxy (6-18-9, 27 points), who just are trying to avoid a last-place finish. It has been a stunning fall for a Los Angeles team that won the MLS Cup last season, and the Galaxy’s playoff run included a 6-2 rout over Minnesota in the West semifinals.
“We’ve got to exorcise the demons a little bit,” Loons head coach Eric Ramsay said.
Beyond just the revenge aspect, Ramsay also wants to see his club adopt a postseason mindset in the regular-season finale.
“This week has got to feel like it’s going up a level in terms of concentration, demonstrating that every player has got a point to terms of trying to get into the team [or] stay in the team,” Ramsay said.
Minnesota is 8-2-6 on the road, with the third-most (30) away points in MLS. Los Angeles is 6-8-2 at home, with all six of the club’s victories coming on its own field.
The Galaxy began the season with a 16-match winless streak (0-12-4), which included a 2-2 draw against the Loons in St. Paul on March 22.
Since the winless drought, Los Angeles has posted a more respectable 6-6-5 record in an attempt to salvage something from a disastrous season.
“When you win a championship, that’s legacy. When you finish at the bottom, that’s also a legacy that you don’t want,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said after last Saturday’s 2-1 win over FC Dallas. “I don’t know what matters, if it’s the Western Conference or the table or whatever, but I know that I don’t want to be at the bottom of anything.”
–Field Level Media
