LA Galaxy vs St. Louis City

Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson is the venue as Western Conference giants Los Angeles Galaxy take on surprise package St. Louis City in an exciting Major League Soccer contest.

LA Galaxy’s mini-revival came to a premature end as a dismal 0-0 home draw against Houston Dynamo last time out knocked them down from a two-match winning MLS streak, leaving them five points adrift of the playoff line in the Western Conference. Another failed attempt to pick up three points could cut the ground from under their feet and potentially lead to a third consecutive MLS season without playoff qualification. Greg Vanney’s men need all the help they can get to weather the storm, and a five-match league unbeaten run on home soil (W3, D2) looks like a decent source of inspiration. Galaxy’s new-found defensive resilience is another reason for optimism, with Vanney’s side registering back-to-back MLS shutouts at home after failing to do so in their previous six such fixtures.

In the meantime, St. Louis City’s debut MLS campaign has all the makings of an unprecedented success, with the visitors coming into this round atop the Western Conference in spite of an underwhelming three-match form (W1, L2). Six points clear of second-placed Seattle Sounders and with a game in hand, Bradley Carnell’s lads would make a giant step toward securing a top-table finish in the regular season if they can end a two-game winless H2H record against Galaxy (D1, L1). However, after losing their last three MLS outings on hostile turf by a combined score of 7-2, St. Louis City would be wise to keep their feet on the ground. With City’s porous backline managing just two clean sheets on 13 MLS travels this term, Galaxy’s frontline could be in for another day in the office.