The assignment is simple for the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The top playoff seed in the Western Conference is theirs for the taking, but to clinch it Saturday night, they need at least one point against Austin FC in Carson, Calif.
A Galaxy win combined with a loss or draw by rival Los Angeles FC against Sporting Kansas City would secure the No. 1 spot. A draw would be enough for the Galaxy if LAFC were to lose their match.
The Galaxy (18-7-7, 61 points) have won three of their last four fixtures, including a 3-1 decision Wednesday night in Colorado that saw Riqui Puig come up with a brace that snapped a 1-1 second-half tie. That’s on brand with the team’s success, as they are second in goals and tied for first in shots on target.
Coach Greg Vanney is enjoying coaching this group of players.
“We want them to be a contender for championships and hopefully, we can close this thing out in the West,” he said. “Things with this group are good. They’re hungry and want to be successful.”
The 1-2 punch of Puig and Gabriel Pec has driven the explosive attack. Pec (28) and Puig (27) are the first pair of MLS teammates to reach 27 goal contributions since Robbie Keane (33) and Landon Donovan (29) for the Galaxy 10 years ago.
While the Galaxy eye the top spot, Austin (10-13-9, 39 points) needs a near miracle to reach the playoffs. It must win the last two matches, hope for two Portland losses and log a goal differential of at least plus-18. Otherwise, it will sit at home for the postseason.
A recent five-match winless streak (0-3-2), which was snapped Wednesday night via a 1-0 win in Portland, has put Austin into this predicament. But coach Josh Wolff wants his team to keep pushing in the face of steep odds.
“If there’s a collective willingness, we’ve shown we can beat anybody,” he said. “It has to be extremely committed by the group and you’ve got to take care of your opportunities at the other end, too.”
That’s what they did on April 27 in the teams’ only meeting this year, earning a 2-0 home win behind early goals from Diego Rubio and Jader Obrian.
–Field Level Media