Why Portland Matters

Five weeks ago I would have told you it doesn’t. Home against Portland is always a game we should win, but this season it shouldn’t have made much of a difference. But tonight, it really does.

The Galaxy have started the season 1 and 3. We were eliminated from the CCL by a Toronto team that now can’t seem to buy a game (granted they had Frings back then). It has only been a few games, but we are in grave danger of setting a pattern that could very well doom the season.

Tonight is an opportunity to change direction. Portland is the second worst team in the conference right now (second to us unfortunately). We are playing at home. Our guys have now had a few weeks to get used to each other. Most of our guys are healthy and it looks like Beckham will play. On paper, this game is ours.

If we win, we show that we can do what we are supposed to. We show that the best team on paper can be the best team on the field. Then it is on to continue proving that true.

But if we lose. Oh, if we lose. A loss means the magic is gone. It means whatever force propelled us to the championship last year has been spent. It means the first 7 games (counting CCL) were not a fluke, but part of a disturbing pattern.

I remain, as ever, hopeful. I think we will win tonight. I think the rest of the season will be a fight, but one that our boys are ready for. It is so often the case in MLS that the team that takes home the cup is not the one who starts the best, but the one in best form going into the playoffs. I still believe that can be us.

Let’s just hope the boys don’t disappoint us.

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Category: Player News