Galaxy hosts Minnesota with a playoff berth on the line

3 years ago 263

In Greg Vanney’s archetypal twelvemonth arsenic manager of the Galaxy, the roster has undergone an overhaul.

The Galaxy brought successful 10 caller players, with an further 5 players moving up from Galaxy II.

With the each of the ups and downs that usually travel with a agelong season, the Galaxy (13-12-8, 47 points) arrives astatine Sunday’s regular-season finale astatine Dignity Health Sports Park inactive with a accidental to suffice for the MLS Cup playoffs.

Major League Soccer has the last day, dubbed “Decision Day,” divided into 2 blocks. All of the Eastern Conference games are played 12:30 p.m. and each of the Western Conference games are astatine 3 p.m.

There are respective imaginable situations that tin get the Galaxy into the playoffs. The simplest: Beat Minnesota United FC.

“For me, we started disconnected precise beardown astatine the opening of the year, we astir apt got immoderate results successful immoderate games that we called quality wins, wherever possibly we could person had antithetic results successful immoderate of those games, but we did great,” Vanney said. “Then determination were immoderate games down the stretch, wherever we went into that nine-game (winless stretch) wherever I felt similar astir apt we could person gotten much retired of those games and we didn’t.

“Somewhere we’re astir apt successful the equilibrium of wherever we are (in the standings), wherever we should beryllium … with that being said, we’re successful a presumption to power our ain destiny, astatine home, successful the past crippled of the season. Based disconnected our start, I’d similar to accidental we would person been a small much unafraid and successful the playoffs, but successful MLS, things ever thin to equilibrium retired implicit time. If your squad is not 1 of the elite, elite teams, past you’re going to equilibrium out, you’re going to spell done your streaks and your ups and downs, and we surely did.”

The teams person met twice, some successful Minnesota. The Galaxy won 1-0 connected Aug. 14, but was handily defeated 3-0 connected Sept. 18.

“This is fundamentally a playoff game,” helium said. “We’ve said that for respective games, but this is simply a play-in, playoff game. If you lose, you’re perchance done.

“That’s the world of it, which is simply a large acquisition for this group. And if you tin bash well, it’s similar the aged play-in games successful the past. Teams that won the play-in games, you ne'er truly wanted to look them successful the adjacent crippled due to the fact that they already had that emotion and acquisition nether their belts.”

There is besides a way to the playoffs if the Galaxy isn’t capable to prime up each 3 points.

If the Galaxy ties Minnesota United, it would request Vancouver to suffer to Seattle and Real Salt Lake to either suffer oregon necktie against Sporting Kansas City.

Or, if the Galaxy tied, past Vancouver would request to suffer and LAFC would request to request to suffer oregon necktie against Colorado.

The Galaxy tin decorativeness arsenic precocious arsenic 5th and arsenic debased arsenic ninth. The MLS Cup Playoffs are acceptable to statesman Nov. 20.

“Obviously I’m going to springiness everything to get those 3 points connected Sunday due to the fact that that’s what I’ve been doing,” Galaxy guardant Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez said. “Hopefully we tin get the 3 points and suffice straight without depending connected different results.”