The LA Galaxy received another boost to their Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs chances on Wednesday evening.
A 3-2 win at the San Jose Earthquakes in the latest California Clásico put the Galaxy on 28 points, five points out of the ninth-and-final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Further, LA have played two fewer matches (24) than the teams in slots 10 through 12 – Austin FC, Sporting Kansas City and the Portland Timbers – and one fewer than ninth-place FC Dallas, giving them plenty of opportunity to close the gap. And with Wednesday's win, they're now 5W-1L-4D in their last 10 matches and have earned back-to-back wins since emerging from the Leagues Cup break.
Maybe a late-season push above the line, in spite of long-term injuries to veterans Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and Martín Cáceres, as well as off-field controversy and a historically-poor start, is brewing in the buildup to Decision Day on Oct. 21?
"This is kind of reminiscent of last year," said LA defender Raheem Edwards. "We needed points towards the end of the season. So we treat these games, or these last 12 games that we have, we treat every game like a final."
Injuries, "ebbs and flows"
LA took a 1-0 lead through Tyler Boyd (16'), part of what head coach and sporting director Greg Vanney called a "terrific start" through the first 20 minutes.
That said, the Galaxy boss noted his team grew "arrogant" and "cocky" as the match went on, eventually conceding twice in quick succession near the half-hour mark on an own goal by Lucas Calegari and Jeremy Ebobisse's close-range finish. They eventually course-corrected to score twice in the second half, through Riqui Puig (50') and Dejan Joveljić (61'), to claim three points at PayPal Park for just their second away win in league play this season.
"I thought the game had its ebbs and flows for sure, but I thought we played fantastic early," Vanney said. "We went through a tough stretch. We had to come back from it on the road – we did. And then we grinded and saw some things through at the end."
The game featured several injury concerns for the Galaxy involving their Designated Players: Douglas Costa exited in the 35th minute, while Riqui Puig left in the 80th minute.
The prognoses varied, as Vanney said Costa had a dislocated shoulder that was put back into place and the club will "reassess" the Brazilian star's status in the coming days. Meanwhile, Puig is "okay" after "feeling something in his quad," Vanney said.
Up next: Houston
Next up, the Galaxy return to Dignity Health Sports Park to face a red-hot Houston Dynamo FC team (10:30 p.m. ET | Apple TV - Free). The Dynamo are on a three-game winning streak and sit fourth in the West (38 points), well positioned for a first playoff appearance since 2017. They've also qualified for the 2023 US Open Cup Final.
With 10 matches remaining, the margin for error is thin with the Galaxy trying to make up ground in the playoff race. Yet Vanney expressed confidence in his team's current state – especially as summer transfer acquisitions Diego Fagundez, Michael Barrios, Edwin Cerrillo and Maya Yoshida find their footing.
"I think we're in a good spot. We know based off the start and the challenge we had early, that we've got a little hole to dig ourselves out of, that's clear," Vanney said. "But I think we found our foundation to build off of a little while ago. ... We've added some players in this window to increase our depth and the quality of our group. So we're ready for this final stretch."
