CARSON, Calif. -- The LA Galaxy started fast and held on tight to beat visiting FC Dallas, vaulting back atop the standings in both the Western Conference and Supporters' Shield races.
Their primary competition -- Vancouver Whitecaps, New York Red Bulls and Dallas -- have games in hand, but so many results elsewhere have gone LA's way during the three-game drought that ended with Sunday evening's 3-2 triumph that they're feeling pretty good about where they sit.
“There's one team with 50 points, and that's us,” head coach Bruce Arena proclaimed after the Galaxy got goals from all three of their Designated Players -- Giovani Dos Santos in the 11th minute, Robbie Keane in the 14th and Steven Gerrard in the 57th -- and held off a late Dallas charge. “We've got 50 in the bank. Someone else has to get that.”
The Whitecaps and Red Bulls are just two points behind in the Shield battle; Dallas, New England, and Columbus are another point back; and Seattle, D.C. United, and Sporting Kansas City remain within striking distance. Several of them have games in hand on LA (14-9-8), which wraps up the regular season with showdowns next weekend at Seattle, Oct. 18 at home against Portland, and Oct. 25 in K.C.
“I'd prefer to have the points on the board,” said captain Keane, who scored his 16th goal of the season and twice hit the crossbar. “I'll take the points on the board all day long than the games in hand. You have to win the games in hand.”
Too many foes haven't done so, failing to push well ahead during LA's three-game drought. Sunday's other big game, Seattle's 1-1 draw at Sporting, was a boost for the Galaxy whose points-per-game average is behind only the Red Bulls' and Vancouver's.
LA, which battled Seattle for last year's Shield until the final minutes of their showdown in the regular-season finale, seemed all but unbeatable while scoring 50 competitive goals from mid-June until late August. If they were far from perfect Sunday night -- Dallas was in contention until the finish, thanks to late goals in each half -- that they scored three fine goals and probably should have had more isn't the best news for their rivals.
“We started off, we were sharp, good movement from myself and Gio, good combinations,” Keane assessed. “It's always nice when you get an early goal and then you get the [second], and we certainly looked comfortable then.
“We give away that goal [to Michael Barrios in the 35th minute] to get them back in the game ... and of course, it's never good when you concede in the last few minutes [to Atiba Harris in the 86th], because they're just going to keep getting the ball and lobbing it into the box. But we defended well in that situation, and we managed to get the three points, which is the most important thing.”
Gerrard said the “most disappointing thing” was allowing Dallas to “get back into the game before halftime, but now the game's finished, and it's all about maximum points. Performances are second at this stage of the season, it's all about trying to do everything we can to win the Shield.”
Vancouver, New York and Dallas would push past the Galaxy were they to win the rest of their matches. That's out of LA's hands.
“We're in a good position, I think,” defender A.J. DeLaGarza said. “Today was a big game, not giving [Dallas] any points. And nobody has an easy schedule, I can tell you that. ... It's going to come down to the end. Maybe the last game again, like last year.”
