Houston Dynamo Aim to Halt LA Galaxy’s Top Seed Drive

The Los Angeles Galaxy will travel to Texas with hopes of clinching the top seed in the Western Conference during their decisive match against Houston Dynamo at the Shell Energy Stadium on Sunday. Both teams have secured spots in the Major League Soccer final series, but the stakes remain high as LA Galaxy seeks to maintain its lead in the standings.

Currently sitting comfortably atop the Western Conference, LA Galaxy needs just a win or draw to solidify their top-seeded position in the playoffs. Their primary rivals, Los Angeles FC, could snatch the top spot if Galaxy falters and LAFC triumphs over San Jose, relying on a goal differential to break any potential tie.

The Los Angeles team enters the match with strong momentum from a three-match winning streak in which they have tallied a total of 15 goals in their past five league fixtures. However, their performance away from home has been inconsistent, with three losses in their last four road games.

Meanwhile, Houston Dynamo aims to improve on their current fifth-place standing and could surpass their points tally from the previous season with a favorable result against Galaxy. Diminished in strength due to multiple injuries and a recent suspension, Houston’s defense will be missing key players including their Argentine right-back, who was sent off in their recent defeat to St Louis City SC.

In their last encounter with LA Galaxy, Houston suffered a 2-1 loss on the road earlier this season, adding pressure to the home side to avenge that defeat in front of their own supporters. Despite their ups and downs this season, the Dynamo have proven difficult to beat at home, boasting an unbeaten streak of matches at the Shell Energy Stadium, aside from a single August loss to Toronto FC.

Both teams have absences due to injuries and suspensions which could impact their lineup choices. Galaxy’s Julian Aude will miss the game after accumulating too many yellow cards, while Marco Reus remains doubtful due to a thigh strain.

Houston Dynamo’s potential lineup includes Clark; Dorsey, Sviatchenko, Bartlow, Schmitt; Carrasquilla, Artur, Raines; Aliyu, Ponce, and Kowalczyk. For LA Galaxy, expect McCarthy; Yamane, Garces, Yoshida, Nelson; Cerrillo, Brugman, Puig; Pec, Joveljic, and Paintsil to feature in the starting eleven.

This crucial match could see LA Galaxy secure their desired outcome, although uncertainties remain due to their erratic away record and Houston’s competitive edge on home turf. Expectations and tension run high as the Western Conference regular season culminates this weekend.