With just four games remaining in the regular season left for the Los Angeles Galaxy, time is running out if the defending MLS Cup champions are going to make the MLS Cup Playoffs.
After Saturday's disappointing scoreless draw with the Colorado Rapids, Landon Donovan was quoted as saying the team now had "nothing to lose." But just how far does a team go to get wins?
That's the question Galaxy head coach Frank Yallop must ask himself as he prepares his team tactically to finish out the season. Mathematically the Galaxy need to make up six points to make the playoffs. With four games remaining, that means 12 points are on the table. Realistically L.A. will need to win all four games to ensure a spot in the postseason, and that's something the Galaxy players know.
"If we win our last four, maybe it's this point from Saturday (against Colorado) that puts us through because we didn't lose," said Donovan. "It's hard to think that way. We don't have time now."
Los Angeles doesn't have the luxury of being able to play not to lose. They need wins. In order to win, they need goals, a commodity that has been in short order the last two weekends for the Galaxy.
"It's hard. You don't want to lose the game but you need to win the game," said Donovan. "You want to throw numbers forward and take chances."
That's the position the Galaxy are in. They are backed into a corner, but throwing numbers forward leaves them vulnerable to counterattacks. Chicago, the opponent Saturday night for Los Angeles, has a slew of young talented forwards that will keep the Green-and-Gold wary.
"Our tactical outlook has been to win games at all costs," said Pete Vagenas this week in training. "At the same time we can't go out and put ourselves down 3-0 at halftime and say we're just committing guys forward."
At this point, every team the Galaxy play the rest of the way will know what they need to do, and will prepare accordingly. For Los Angeles to be successful they will need to find a balance between going forward and cautious defending. But Yallop said that's not really that much of a change from the last several weeks.
"Tactically I think we've tried to attack and go at teams anyway," said Yallop. "It's a fine line between going gung-ho and crazy in games where we're going to throw people forward to try and score and get something out of the match."
Just one defending MLS Cup champion has failed to reach the postseason the following year -- D.C. United in 2000 after winning the third of their championships. To avoid being the second, the Galaxy must walk a razor's edge between desperation and self-destruction, as the tactics involved in getting wins will leave them vulnerable defensively. It's an unenviable position to be in, but at this stage of the season, it's the reality of the Galaxy's situation.
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
