The LA Galaxy are a good team, but they’re even better at home. In 16 games at StubHub Center, the Galaxy have only lost once — and they’ve won a dozen.
That home field advantage isn’t lost on Landon Donovan. “We’ve done a great job of making this a fortress,” said Donovan, after Wednesday’s practice. “It’s even more impressive when you understand that this is every team’s biggest game of the year. When you factor that into the equation – that you always get their absolute best – it makes it even more impressive.”
“We’ve done a great job of making this a fortress.”
—Landon Donovan
It’s an advantage LA will look to tap into on Sunday, when they kick off a two game series against the Seattle Sounders. The pair of matches, one home and one away, will determine which team closes out their season with the best record — and a trophy to go along with it. But overcoming Seattle won’t be easy:
“There’s not many teams in our league that consistently wreak havoc the way they do,” Donovan pointed out. “The way Clint [Dempsey] and Oba [Martins] play, sometimes it’s almost like they’re playing against cones — they’re just passing the ball back and forth, running straight through the middle of the field and creating chances.”
Right now, LA and Seattle are dead even in overall points. But Seattle’s won more games, and those wins are what MLS turns to as a tie breaker.
The Galaxy can’t afford to lose. They can’t even afford to settle for two draws. They need a net positive out of these games, if they’re going to take home the Supporters’ Shield.
“There’s not too many people who would doubt that these are the best two teams in the league,” said Donovan. “We’ve both proven it over the year.”
But, at least on Sunday, he can count on that home field advantage:
“The energy, and just being here in LA, have always been good for us. We’re always prepared, we always get a good week of training here at home. And we feel prepared when we go into the game.”