On the ninth anniversary of one of America's darkest hours, Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy and Robert Warzycha's Columbus Crew clash in one of the most anticipated showdowns this season at the Home Depot Center.

Omar Gonzalez's equalizer against the Chicago Fire on Saturday at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois could be the spark plug the team needs to refuel their chances to win the Supporters' Shield.

“We’ve played with more intensity today, it was a better performance," Arena said on the draw. "Our last two to four weeks the performance wasn’t good. Our performance today was much better than it’s been."

The possibility of David Beckham returning to the field for this match is something the team can't pass up, especially captain Landon Donovan.

“We need to liven things up a little bit,” Donovan said earlier this week. “When David gets back—I think David will help a lot. We need some fresh energy.”

Donovan knows all too well the inevitability of parity playing a key role in the race for the Shield and the postseason.

“It usually happens this time of year in MLS," Donovan said after Saturday's match. "Teams that get out fast have a tendency to get complacent and then everyone else is fighting for playoff spots.

"It’s going to keep getting tighter and tighter, and that’s what happens when everyone else has the same salary to spend. It’s normal, but we expect it every year. This year is no different.”

The Galaxy and Crew are both 13-5-5 (44 points) and are at the top in the Western and Eastern Conference standings. While Real Salt Lake also has 44 points, a 12-4-7 record places them in second place heading into the week's matches.

Edson Buddle's 13 goals and Donovan's 12 assists are still best in the league. But their lack of production, combined with an underperforming backline, has seen Los Angeles's lead in the overall standings evaporate within the course of two months and change.

What will be a key talking point heading into this week's contest is the uncanny ability for its defenders to make costly fouls in their opponents' attacking third. In all honesty, Gonzalez should have paid the price with Chicago earning the victory, but his act of redemption will result in nothing more than a slap on the wrists from the coaching staff.

Still, the Galaxy must avoid giving up fouls near the penalty box and mark their men. Donovan Ricketts has done his part with a 13-5-4 record, 57 saves, a 0.77 goals against average and a 77 percent save percentage. However, he cannot do it alone, and it cannot be stressed any further: this defense must rise to the challenge.

And so should the offense. The Buddlevan Connection is still getting its wires fixed, and time is running out as the rest of the league catches up. Beckham's return could be the spark plug the Galaxy needs to get their season back into form.

For Columbus, the Crew come off a 1-0 win against D.C. United. Guillermo Barros Schelotto will be a target for the Los Angeles back line to solve.

This season, Schelotto leads the team with seven goals and eight assists. He can score, and he can also play the provider to other options in the Crew arsenal like Steven Lenhart (five goals this season) and Emilio Renteria (four goals this season).

On defense, look for Andy Iro, Chad Marshall, Frankie Hejduk and Danny O'Rourke to pack the house tight against the Galaxy forwards and midfielders.

A key factor in the outcome of Saturday's contest is Columbus goalkeeper Will Hesmer. With a 13-5-5 record, a 71.6 percent save percentage, a 0.87 GAA and 63 saves to his name, Hesmer is as competent a keeper as you will see in MLS. Keep an eye out for the Crew's No. 1.


Prediction:

Originality and creativity on offense are what separate decent teams from MLS Cup challengers. For the Galaxy to fall with the ranks of the latter, Bruce Arena has to draw up a variety of looks that are more technical, less direct, and high on creativity and originality.

We have been seeing too much of the predictable from this Los Angeles Galaxy side, and if we were to see this again on 9/11—especially with David Beckham making a possible return to the lineup—LA will lose this important contest.

I'm putting my money on the Galaxy playing with the two intangibles on their side right here.


Los Angeles Galaxy 2, Columbus Crew 1

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT and will be televised on tape delay by Fox Sports West at 9:30 p.m. PT.

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