The Galaxy say it’s not time for scoreboard watching just yet.
However, with just seven games remaining, while others have eight and the Seattle Sounders have nine, it might be getting close to it.
The Galaxy enter the week above the MLS Western Conference playoff line with 33 points. The crowd below them is rapidly approaching. There are only three points separating ninth and 14th place in the West. The Galaxy also have Saturday’s opponent, the Colorado Rapids (11-12-3, 36 points), within their sights.
“I think for us, it’s again, one game at a time,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “We need to set ourselves up to win the game. These games are 90 minutes, they’re not 10 minutes. We need to be confident in what we’re doing and how we’re doing, that over the course of 90 minutes we can win.
“That’s one of the things I think was really important about Minnesota. We got ahead, we ended up behind, but we played consistently through the game.”
Trailing 2-1, Vanney subbed in Marco Reus and Joao Klauss and the Galaxy ended up winning 3-2. The victory moved the Galaxy (8-10-9, 33 points) into eighth place.
“We can’t look at the standings too much because there’s a lot of mixture of how many games every team’s played. We all play each other, so the table is going to take shape, but it’s not going to take shape until a month down the road,” Vanney said. “We have to do our own business and we got to take care of, especially the home games, we need to really take care of … the away games are opportunities, but if we can get the three points in the home games, we’re going to be in a really good position.”
Four of the Galaxy’s final seven games, including Saturday, are at home. All except two – at St. Louis CITY SC on Oct. 11 and at LAFC on Oct. 25 – are against opponents currently in the playoff crunch between eighth and 14th place.
“Colorado is a very important game for us,” Galaxy midfielder Pablo Ruiz said. “I think the confidence is great (after the win in Minnesota). A win will put us in a better position for the playoffs.”
International duty
Hirving “Chucky” Lozano will miss Saturday’s game due to his call-up to the Mexican national team. Mexico kicks off its international window trio of games Saturday against Colombia in Baltimore,.
Harbor Miller will be available Saturday, but will depart after the game to join the U.S. U-20s in Spain for a camp, starting Sunday. Academy product Enrique Martinez will join Miller.
Also headed to Spain is academy product Eric Preston, who will join the U.S. U-19s, and Vinny Garcia and Aaron Medina, who will join the U.S. U-17s.
The Galaxy will host Cruz Azul on Oct. 4 and then return to MLS play after the international break with their game in St. Louis.
COLORADO (11-12-3, 36 points) at GALAXY (8-10-9, 33 points)
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Dignity Health Sports Park
How to watch: Apple TV