CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy travel to face the Colorado Rapids on Sunday (2:00 pm ET, ESPN, ESPN Deportes | TSN5 in Canada) in the second leg of the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Semifinal knowing two things for certain.
They have a one-goal lead to protect, and they must account for the altitude in Colorado.
“[We have to] just play well,” said Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena after practice. “They’re a good team at home. Obviously defending is important, but we’ve have to be a team that can keep the ball and create some chances as well.”
After last Sunday’s semifinal first leg, Rapids head coach Pablo Mastroeni was relatively upbeat about only being down one goal knowing the environment the Galaxy would be stepping into. The Rapids are undefeated at home in 2016, where they have a built-in advantage from the thinner air.
Mastroeni didn’t get the 9:00 pm start he jokingly hoped for, but even on a temperate afternoon the Galaxy have to push through their bodies adjusting to the altitude. This, while the Rapids push for a goal to have all to play for in the series.
“There’s nothing you can do unless you spend two weeks training at altitude and getting used to it,” said Landon Donovan. “For us it’s a mental thing, and I don’t put much into it. It’s not easy, you get out of breath faster, but we’re all very fit. At this point in the season we can handle anything.
“We’re prepared for it, and we’ll be okay.”
With the team holding off travel until Saturday, there likely won’t be any serious training in the thinner air. It’ll be a smash and grab job, but the circumstances could be an encouragement for Arena to stick with the lineup that has worked well so far in the playoffs.
That would mean another starting eleven without stars Robbie Keane or Steven Gerrard, as the partnerships between Alan Gordon and Giovani dos Santos as well as Sebastian Lletget and Baggio Husidic have proven fruitful.
“I don’t know yet [about any changes],” said head coach Arena. “We’ll figure that out at the end of today. We wanted to look at some players, see how they were feeling.
“We obviously have the ability to make some changes and not impact our team in a negative way, it would only be in a good way.”
Regarding the central midfield duo of Lletget and Husidic, Arena was high on how well they’ve worked together thus far.
“Their styles complement each other,” said Arena. “Baggio’s more of a thinker on the field, Sebastian’s more of an athlete in that position. I think that complements each other’s styles.”
