The Galaxy opened their second three-game week with consecutive home wins over the Houston Dynamo and FC Dallas.
Saturday’s final game is on the road against the Chicago Fire, a team near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The Galaxy (7-2-7, 28 points) enters Saturday in second place in the Western Conference.
“The group’s target was nine points this week,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “So there’s a lot to play for.”
Having the chance to complete the sweep wouldn’t be possible without a couple of performers that Vanney singled out Wednesday.
First, Diego Fagundez, who has moved into the starting lineup with Joseph Paintsil sidelined with a hamstring injury.
“I have to give a lot of credit to Diego,” Vanney said. “I know he doesn’t have a lot on the scoreboard, but he does so many little things in our team on the defensive side … and helping us to keep possession and move things to the next spot and he’s like such a good systematic player for us. Diego is really good at helping the team function, and to make sure that guys get in the right places and for him to have his impact on the game. I think guys are stepping in and stepping up.”
Then there is Mark Delgado, who was initially scheduled to have a limited role in Wednesday’s 3-1 win over FC Dallas. The original starting lineup had him on the bench, but after Gaston Brugman felt some discomfort in his knee during warm-ups, Delgado was pressed into action and went the full 90 minutes.
“We were kind of rotating through that (midfield) group a little bit, but he (Delgado) had to quickly get thrown into action there last minute,” Vanney said. “And a night he was going to have less minutes, he ended up going 90. So guys have to adapt and be ready.”
A win against the Fire would give Vanney his first three-game winning streak with the Galaxy
“We would like to win four, five games in a row,” forward Dejan Joveljic said. “But first we have to win three and then we’ll see.
“We are in second place. So it’s good but can be better. So yeah, in the playoffs, I would like to start first game at home. So that means we have to be in top four teams, but of course our top goal is to be first.”
This is the Galaxy’s 17th game of the season, officially reaching the halfway mark of the season. The game is also the last before a two-week break. The Galaxy will return June 15.
“I think for us and for all the staff and the team, playing two games at home, it’s really important and also to get the six points,” midfielder Riqui Puig said. “Now we go to Chicago with another mentality, and I think that we need to take the nine points.”
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NOTES
The Galaxy announced Friday that Puig had signed a contract extension through the 2027 season …Jalen Neal will join the U.S. men’s Olympic Team training camp after Saturday’s game. The U.S. U-23 team plays against Japan on June 11 in Kansas City.
GALAXY at CHICAGO FIRE
When: 5:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Soldier Field; Chicago, Illinois
How to watch: Apple TV (MLS Season Pass)
