It isn’t often in Major League Soccer, you get consecutive games against the same opponent, but that’s the case this week for the Galaxy and FC Dallas.
The teams met last Saturday in Texas, with FC Dallas winning 2-1. This week, they’re facing off again. This game was originally scheduled for late August, but was moved due to the Galaxy’s advancing to the Leagues Cup semifinals.
Both teams have different goals at stake.
FC Dallas is currently in eighth place in the Western Conference and with a win, would qualify for the playoffs.
The Galaxy are simply trying to avoid finishing in last place.
“Nobody certainly wants to finish bottom of the league,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “So I think that has to be part of our intensity and our mindset and our commitment to the game and to our fans and to everything.
“Just to get out there and bust our (a****) and put our highest level out there that we can and at the same time, we’re not risking anybody this week to try to get ourselves up the ladder. We’re going to try to bring some guys along and still going to try to focus on the things that we want to focus on these last two games, but I’m sure certainly the commitment, the effort, the intensity, our intentions, all of those have to be to go out and get results and win games.”
In the 34-game MLS era, this Galaxy season is in the record books as the worst for the franchise. The 2017 team earned 32 points. With two games remaining, the current Galaxy are on 24. In the 2020 Covid-shortened season, the Galaxy earned just 22 points in 22 games.
A win or draw would move the Galaxy off the bottom of the league for the week, heading into next week’s regular-season finale against Minnesota United.
“I think overall, I think we’re a better team,” Galaxy midfielder Diego Fagundez said. “I think at the end of the day, we need to show that.
“Now we turn it around and play them again and we need to make sure that we play aggressive. We’re at home, and we need to win these last two home games just to leave the year with something positive.”
Fagundez closing in on history
Aside from avoiding last place, the next thing to watch for is Fagundez and his approach toward MLS history and the 80-goal, 80-assist club.
With his goal in last Saturday’s 2-1 loss against FC Dallas, Fagundez currently has 79 goals and 79 assists.
He would join Landon Donovan, Diego Valeri, Jaime Moreno and Preki as the only members of the exclusive club.
Joseph Paintsil and Ghana closing in on World Cup
Joseph Paintsil will miss Saturday’s game due to World Cup qualifying with Ghana.
Paintsil came on as a late sub in Ghana’s 5-0 win against Central African Republic Wednesday and recorded an assist.
“We hope and wish we win our first game and go through to the World Cup,” Paintsil said.
Ghana currently leads Group I with 22 points.
Youth products away on national team duty
Both Harbor Miller and Ruben Ramos Jr. will be out of Saturday’s game due to international duty. Miller and Ramos are in Spain with the U.S. U-19s, along with Pepe Magana Jr. and Dylan Vanney.
Also, Riley Dalgado (U-20) and Aaron Medina and Vicente Garcia (both U-17s), are also in Spain.
Enrique Martinez and Mateo Tsakiris were called into a U.S. U-17 domestic camp.
FC DALLAS at GALAXY
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Dignity Health Sports Park
How to watch: Apple TV+ (season pass)