Oct 18, 2009 - 12:58 AM
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Los Angeles (11-6-11) at Houston (12-8-8), 3:00 p.m. EDT
Both the Los Angeles Galaxy and Houston Dynamo have already secured postseason spots, but neither club has given up on its hopes of earning the top seed in the Western Conference.
If one of the teams can earn three points from Sunday's matinee in Houston, it could dramatically improve its chances of home-field advantage in a potential West final.
Last-place San Jose helped both clubs' quest by earning a 2-all draw at Chivas USA on Saturday, leaving Los Angeles and Houston just one point behind first-place Chivas with two games left in the regular season.
Seattle is also tied with the Galaxy and Dynamo with 44 points, but the Sounders have just one remaining match.
Houston (12-8-8) controls its own destiny, as it closes the season at Chivas next Sunday, but while Los Angeles would also be in good position with a victory, Galaxy coach Bruce Arena downplayed the importance of the top seed.
"We sure as heck want to win the games that we have remaining," Arena told the league's official Web site. "But at the end of the day it seems like everyone is going to be playing each other anyway. The biggest factor is certainly whoever makes it to their conference final, then they'll have home-field advantage. I'm sure not looking that far ahead."
The Galaxy (11-6-11) haven't played since beating Chicago 1-0 at home Oct. 2, when Landon Donovan's 11th goal of the season provided the difference and helped the team eventually clinch its first postseason berth since 2005.
They beat the Dynamo 1-0 on June 28 - without Donovan and before David Beckham's return to MLS - and Houston will have to be wary of the productive duo.
"Landon is the best player in this league, and I don't think anyone is going to dispute that," Dynamo defender Eddie Robinson said. "And I think when David Beckham is taking it serious, he is right there behind him."
Los Angeles would love to prove it can win in Houston, where the Dynamo are 8-1-5. If the clubs finish second and third in the West, they'd face off in the first round of the playoffs.
While Houston has been busy with CONCACAF Champions League and Dynamo Charities play, the team has played just one MLS match since Sept. 19 - a 1-all home draw with Kansas City on Oct. 4.
That point clinched a fourth straight playoff berth, an impressive achievement considering the Dynamo played the majority of the match down a man after forward Cam Weaver received a red card.
Weaver, the sixth Dynamo player to be ejected in the last eight games, will be suspended for Sunday.
"It is not helping us, and I talked to the guys," Houston coach Dominic Kinnear said. "... Some you can't control. But some are not good, and it is not fair to the guys that are still on the field and playing. I am disappointed in that."
The Dynamo will also be without midfielder Corey Ashe, who was injured against the Wizards.
While Houston will certainly be trying for the West's top spot, the team was eliminated from the playoffs in the first round after winning the conference crown in the regular season last year. The previous two seasons, the Dynamo settled for the West's No. 2 seed but went on to win back-to-back MLS Cups.
From the Bleachers
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LOS ANGELES: 0
HOUSTON: 0
Final
Oct 18 5:00 PM -
LOS ANGELES: 0
HOUSTON: 0
Halftime
Oct 18 5:00 PM -
LOS ANGELES: 0
HOUSTON: 0
End of Regulation
Oct 18 4:53 PM -
LOS ANGELES: 0
HOUSTON: 0
Halftime
Oct 18 3:53 PM
