MLS Weekend: Depleted Galaxy heads into Seattle after string of blown leads

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Aug 18, 2018

A nine-game unbeaten streak moved the LA Galaxy into the top half of MLS's Western Conference, but recent results --  a 2-1 loss to Colorado and a pair of 2-2 ties to Minnesota United and Colorado -- suggest that things are still badly amiss with the Galaxy despite the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

In the three games, the Galaxy dropped five points by conceding goals in the 82nd minute or later. Those five points are the difference between the Galaxy being tied for first with FC Dallas and tied for fourth place with Portland.

“The last three games have been very irritating because we should win these games," said Ibrahimovic. "If you look at the table, if we took all the points that we should have taken, we are probably first or second in the whole league. It’s very irritating because we make basic things look very difficult."

More concerning is that those points dropped have left little room for error. The Galaxy is tied with Portland on 37 points, but it has played three more games than the Timbers. It plays at eighth-place Seattle on Saturday, but its lead over the Sounders, winners of five games in a row, will be down to two points with two more games played if it loses.

“Everybody talk about the playoffs," Ibra said after Tuesday's tie with Colorado. "The way we play now, we don't even deserve playoffs.”

The Colorado game was costly.

Already without injured Giovani Dos Santos (calf) and Romain Alessandrini (knee), Jonathan Dos Santos (calf) exited in the first half and Michael Ciani (hamstring) went off at halftime. Afterward, Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid said Giovani Dos Santos is out 2-4 weeks and Alessandrini will remain sidelined for 1-2 weeks. Jonathan dos Santos and Ciani also didn't travel to Seattle.

Also missing will be Ibrahimovic, who won't risk injuring his surgically repaired right knee on the CenturyLink Field turf.

"I think it’s a shame to play on turf because football was not created on turf," he said after the Colorado game. "But so far, I only played one game on turf in Portland where I played only 10 minutes, and that was the worst turf that I ever played on … that says it all."