For the LA Galaxy, there's no two ways around it: The team's 6-2 loss to Real Salt Lake last weekend was devastating. Soon enough, it'll be apparent whether the loss was a knockout blow or just a jarring haymaker.
RSL have now separated themselves six points ahead of the Galaxy; Seattle and Portland are three points ahead, each with two games in hand; 7th-place Vancouver are two points ahead with a game in hand.
With just six games left in their season, and stuck in a poor run of form, the Galaxy's outlook appears bleak.
In fact, the Galaxy are winless since July, going 0-3-3 in their last six games, conceding 18 goals in the process. Two of those results were back-to-back home draws to Minnesota United and Colorado Rapids. Key players Jonathan dos Santos, Giovani dos Santos and Romain Alessandrini have recently missed time, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored once in four starts since their last win.
Defensively, the team has been in shambles all season, as only Orlando City SC (61) has conceded more goals than Sigi Schmid's side (54) in MLS play.
“Everybody talk about the playoffs. The way we play now, we don't even deserve playoffs,” Ibrahimovic said three weeks ago, and it hasn't gotten better.
But it's not over yet.
“We have to embrace that pressure,” Servando Carrasco said this past weekend. “We are the Galaxy. The expectation is to be in the playoffs. We know that we have a huge challenge.”
The Galaxy will need a few favors in other games, but, first and foremost, they'll need to return to winning ways. Their schedule isn't easy, but it's now or never, starting Saturday, Sept. 15 when they travel north of the border to face Toronto FC (7:30 pm ET | TSN - full TV & streaming info).
TFC are in an even more dire predicament than the Galaxy, creating a loser-leave-town feel to the match. It's the only time the two sides will face each other in 2018, and Toronto whipped the Galaxy 4-0 in their lone meeting last season.
From there, the Galaxy return to the West Coast for crucial home matches against Seattle and Vancouver. LA were victim of a 5-0 drubbing against the Sounders a few weeks ago and drew the Whitecaps 0-0 in March. Ibrahimovic didn't feature in either match.
Assuming their playoff hopes are still alive in October, they'll close out the season with two of three games away from the StubHub Center.
They face Sporting KC (10/6) and Minnesota (10/21) on the road and play Houston Dynamo at home on Decision Day. In three games against those opponents this season, the Galaxy are 0-2-1.
The Galaxy's playoff predicament is far from ideal, but it also sets up a potential Hollywood finish.
