As we head into the final weekend of regular season action in Major League Soccer, lightning and thunder rain down over the City of Angels as Bruce Arena's Los Angeles Galaxy are caught in what has essentially become a two-team race with Jason Kreis's Real Salt Lake for the MLS Supporters Shield.

"We still control our own destiny," Galaxy captain Landon Donovan said. "Next weekend means everything."

For the Galaxy, a win against Schyllas Hyndman's FC Dallas on Sunday, Oct. 24 will clinch the Shield, regardless of what happens in Commerce City, Colorado between RSL and Gary Smith's Colorado Rapids on Saturday, Oct. 23.

"We were expecting really to win the game [on Saturday, which LA lost 3-1] and then it would be all done with and going into the playoffs," Galaxy midfielder Chris Birchall said. "But it doesn't really happen the way we expect things to go."

"With Salt Lake winning, it really puts Dallas out of winning the [West]. They’ll still be coming here with confidence. They’ll probably want to win the last game before going into the playoffs. But we know if we win, we win the Supporters Shield, same as [last Saturday]. We’ve just got to go out, try to be confident and win the game." 

Three scenarios can clinch it for the Galaxy:
1. Real Salt Lake loses,
2. Los Angeles wins, or
3. Both teams draw.

Simple math, right?

"It's changed from having more of a relaxed week to a not intense one but one that we have to be up for," Galaxy midfielder David Beckham said on the change of pace. "It's important that we now concentrate this week, put this game behind us and hopefully win next week."

"It's in our own hands. If we do our own job – if we'd have done our job [against Colorado], we'd have ended up topping [the table]. At the end of the day, we've got one more game to put it right and it's down to us."

Los Angeles defender Sean Franklin admitted just as much that the Galaxy had their work cut out for them.

"It's either first or second next weekend," Franklin said. "We want to be in first place next week so regardless of that result – we're not really worried about that – we're worried about what we've got to do next week and that's get three points against Dallas."

Currently, the Los Angeles Galaxy are 17-7-5 (56 points) and take on an FC Dallas side (12-3-14, 50 points) who fell to Real Salt Lake 2-0, effectively knocking them out of Shield contention.

In the previous meeting between the two teams at Pizza Hut Park on May 20, a 17th minute goal by Mike Magee proved to be all the difference in the Galaxy's 1-0 victory. Los Angeles is expected to see an improved Dallas side to go with a battle of MLS Goalkeeper of the Year candidates in former LA netminder Kevin Hartman and current Galaxy keeper Donovan Ricketts.

It would take a goal explosion from the San Jose Earthquakes Chris Wondolowski or other scoring aces like the New York Red Bulls Juan Pablo Angel, Colorado's Omar Cummings, Toronto FC's Dwayne De Rosario or the Philadelphia Union's Sebastien Le Toux to catch Buddle, who now has a league-leading 17 goals this season. Buddle is on pace to garner the Budweiser Golden Boot, given to the league's leading scorer at the end of the regular season.

As for assists, Donovan leads the way with 15 assists. At the rate Buddle and Donovan are going, they are slated to join the combos of Mamadou Diallo (26 goals) and Carlos Valderrama (26 assists) from the 2000 Tampa Bay Mutiny and Alex Pineda Chacon (19 goals) and Diego Serna (15 assists) from the 2001 Miami Fusion as the only sets of teammates to lead the league is goals and assists in the same season.

Aside from setting up the first goal of the match against FC Dallas, however, the Galaxy's No. 10 was a non-factor and will need to dominate by spreading the ball around to other options in the midfield, such as Beckham, Birchall, Juninho and Dema Kovalenko. The Galaxy must be able to finish their chances because they have become a side susceptible to making opponents pay for their mistakes.

Kovalenko and defender Gregg Berhalter are still nursing injuries but did play last week against the Rapids.

The backline of Berhalter, Omar Gonzalez, Sean Franklin and A.J. De La Garza will have to anticipate the inability of the Galaxy attack to capitalize because if they get beat on the transition, the 24th could be an evening to forget. The coaching staff will look to see if Todd Dunivant and Leonardo can get healthy on Sunday.

As for the Big Cat from Montego Bay, Ricketts's goals against average has ballooned to 0.89. Still, he holds a 17-7-4 record to go with 76 saves, 11 shutouts and a 76 percent save percentage.

If Ricketts plays the full 90 minutes on Sunday against FC Dallas and allows one goal or less, his GAA will not rise above 0.91, setting a new club record for the lowest single season GAA in club history.

Currently, the Jamaican international has allowed 25 goals in 28 games so far this season and would see his GAA rise to 0.93, 0.02 higher than Hartman’s club record, if he allows two goals in the game. Also, should the Galaxy allow less than four goals on Sunday, they will set a new club record for the fewest goals allowed in a single season, breaking the record of 29, which was also set in 1999.

FC Dallas is led by one of the most storied goal scorers in league history in Jeff Cunningham. He leads the Hoops with 11 goals this season. David Ferreira, however, is the man to watch for FC Dallas. Ferreira is second on the team in goal scored with eight, and is their main provider with a club-leading 13 assists (also second-leading overall in MLS).

Other key offensive threats for the Hoops include Brek Shea (five goals, four assists this season), who has earned some national team time, Milton Rodriguez (five goals this year), Atiba Harris (three goals and two assists) and Dax McCarty (two assists this season).

It will be up to FC Dallas's defense—lead Heath Pearce, Jair Benitez, George John, Ugo Ihemelu and Daniel Hernandez—to contain and disrupt the possession that the Galaxy will get when they earn their touches. "Parking the bus" has been effective against Los Angeles's questionable shot selection and inept finishing, and Hyndman's crew will look to exercise more of the same.

Hartman has made a solid case to be Goalkeeper of the Year. He currently has a 10-1-8 record to go with a 0.62 goals against average and a 78.9 percent save percentage.

Can this Galaxy team make amends for letting their fans down? That is the question they will be asking themselves as they take the pitch one last time during the regular season. This should be a done deal, but it will not be easy.

Kickoff is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 24 at 5:00 p.m. PT and will be televised by Fox Sports West.

Youth Academy Update

Once again, the Los Angeles Galaxy Youth Academy sides were in action. That is, the Under-14 sides were. The A squad defeated Cruz Azul USA Academy 7-0 while the B side trounced West Covina FC 12-0. With both sides 5-1, they trail Cosmos Academy West 96, who are 6-0-0 in the Cal South LA Futbol Circuit.

Next Saturday, the A squad take on West Covina, while the B squad face Cruz Azul USA Academy.

After taking the week off, the Galaxy Under-18s and Under-16s return to action on Saturday, October 23 against the Seattle Sounders Academy. Kickoff for the U-16s is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. PT while kickoff for the U-18s is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. PT.

And on Sunday, October 24, the Galaxy U-18s and U-16s will clash with Crossfire Premier. As with Saturday's contests, kickoff for the U-16s is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. PT while kickoff for the U-18s is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. PT. All matches for this weekend are at the Home Depot Center and, as always, are free to the public.

Brave the rain, brave the elements, and bring your friends and loved ones. You don't want to miss the Young G's in action.

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