CARSON, Calif. – It wasn’t three points, but it was a step in the right direction for the LA Galaxy on Saturday.
Los Angeles ended a horrid month of July with a scoreless draw against Seattle Sounders FC, snapping a five-game losing streak across all competitive competitions. Just a week after conceding four to the New England Revolution, the Galaxy appeared to be a more drilled side under new head coach Sigi Schmid as they stifled a red-hot Sounders squad.
Just days after a coaching switch, the Galaxy were pleased with the urgency they showed on Saturday.
“We probably produced our best performance of the day, so we have to kick on now,” defender Ashley Cole said. “We have to let him get his points across about how he wants to play and his method, and we’ve got a full week now to work on that.”
Part of the reason for the improved form is the return of several key contributors like Jermaine Jones from injury and Gyasi Zardes who rejoined the club after helping the U.S. National Team win their sixth CONCACAF Gold Cup.
With the team’s health beginning to come around and new midfielder Jonathan dos Santos set to be integrated into the squad any day now, the Galaxy feel there is a newfound momentum in the locker room.
“If you look at the starting lineup, we have a lot of players back. That’s a big factor. And of course, we’ve played together from preseason with the guys that are missing,” Cole said. “The other guys have done the job, but it was difficult for them at times, so now everyone is healthy, and hopefully in the back end of this season we can push on and get where we should be.”
The road does not get any simpler for Los Angeles who will now have a week to prepare for this Sunday’s clash with the Portland Timbers at Providence Park. Now with just 13 games remaining in the season, the Galaxy believe that they'll need to showcase their growth in Rose City.
“We have to stay together. We have to fight for each other. LA Galaxy are a great club," midfielder Romain Alessandrini said. "We deserve to win; we deserve to be in the playoffs for the fans and the club. It’s time to work hard, and we’ll see next week because we need to make sure to get a win.”
