Columbus-Galaxy Preview

By: Laurie | September 30th, 2007

Billy Witz of LA Daily News has an interesting article titled, “Don’t look now, but the playoffs are within reach for the Galaxy.”

Suddenly, the Galaxy, who have won as many games in the last three weeks (three) as they had in the previous five months, can jump back into the playoff chase today at 2 p.m. with a victory over Columbus.

Curse you, Galaxy players! Your three-games-without-a-loss streak has forced me to feel a spark of hope again when I had finally, at last, managed to sink into blissful, apathetic numbness. This means that the inevitable losses will actually hurt again.

Damn. It’s kind of like the guy who doesn’t call for months, and then when you’re finally over him, well, guess who’s on the phone.

(Not that I ever, y’know, experienced that myself in my younger and singler days. I’ve just…um…heard.)

So what’s up for today? The game is at 2:00 p.m. Pacific, but will apparently be broadcast, delayed, at 5:00 p.m. on FSN. Or that’s what 100 Percent Soccer says, and I a) trust him and b) am too lazy to research it myself. So 5:00 it is. It’s also on as it’s being played on HDNet, ClbSN and MLSLive.

The marginally good news is that the Crew are also plagued by injuries. Nothing like the Galaxy, of course. NOBODY is as plagued as the Galaxy. But at least our report isn’t lines and lines longer this time. (And does it make me a horrible person to be glad that some Crew guys are injured? Don’t answer that.)

INJURY REPORT:

COLUMBUS CREW – OUT: DF Chad Marshall (concussion); MF Brad Evans (L hip flexor strain); MF Brandon Moss (L knee ACL reconstruction); DOUBTFUL: DF Rusty Pierce (L hamstring strain); QUESTIONABLE: MF Guillermo Barros Schelotto (R hamstring strain) …

LOS ANGELES GALAXY – OUT: DF Chris Albright (R hamstring); MF David Beckham (R knee); MF Kelly Gray (L calf); QUESTIONABLE: FW Edson Buddle (L hamstring); DF Quavas Kirk (L foot); DF Abel Xavier (L knee); PROBABLE: FW Alan Gordon (L foot); MF Kevin Harmse (R knee); DF Ante Jazic (R ankle); MF Peter Vagenas (L quad); DF Kyle Veris (R hip)

So when is Abel Xavier going to be back? Has anybody heard?

And here (oh, happy day) is your link to the Game Guide. I think it’s showing the same starting lineup as Thursday, but I’m guessing we’ll see Kevin Harmse back in the mix somewhere. And Kevin’s suspension has wiped his slate clean — no more threat of suspension after a yellow card — so expect some hard tackles and bruising play. The excitement and tension level does tend to pick up when he’s on the field and playing all out. Go, Kevin!

And…well…sigh… Go, Galaxy. I guess a little more hope wouldn’t kill me.