CHICAGO – The LA Galaxy are in the midst of the stretch run of the MLS Regular Season and determined to make a push up the table starting with their midweek clash against the Chicago Fire.
The Galaxy will wrap up their two-game Eastern road trip Wednesday when they take on the Fire at Toyota Park, four days removed from their disappointing 1-0 loss to New York City FC at Yankee Stadium. Last week’s defeat sent the Galaxy into fifth place in the Western Conference and seven points behind leaders FC Dallas, albeit with two games in hand.
After a flat showing in the Bronx, the Galaxy are determined to turn their fortunes around in Chicago.
“This is very important. We’ve got 10 games left to go, and we haven’t won in a while. It’d be good for our confidence to get this victory on the road before we get back to L.A.,” midfielder Nigel de Jong said after the team’s training session at the University of Illinois-Chicago. “We have to improve offensively to score goals and win games. We were struggling a bit against New York in the delivery into the final third. We just need to improve.
“We have to turn around very quick because we need good results.”
Chicago will be no pushover, however, coming off a convincing 3-0 road victory over the Montreal Impact on Saturday. The win was the Fire’s first victory away from Toyota Park since the 2014 season. Although Chicago has struggled to win away from the Windy City, head coach Veljko Paunović’s squad is 4-2-5 at home in 2016.
Los Angeles have controlled their series with the Fire at Toyota Park in recent years, however, with a 3-0-2 record at the venue since 2009.
“It’s a tough team to beat. They’ve had some troubles on the road, but they’re a tough team to be at home,” former Fire midfielder Jeff Larentowicz told LAGalaxy.com. “It’s a huge game. With 10 games left, every game is big. It’s one that we need to win.”
As the Galaxy look to make up ground in the race for the MLS Cup Playoffs, Larentowicz admits that the team needs to take maximum points from the Fire.
“I think that we’ve had so many draws, we just need to win,” Larentowicz said. “Victories are the focus.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog atLAGalaxy.com/Insiderand contact him atLAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.
CHICAGO FIRE vs. LA GALAXY
Toyota Park | Bridgeview, Ill.
Wednesday, August 24 | Week #25 | MLS Game #253
8:30 pm ET (MLS LIVE)
- David Accam scored a goal and added an assist, and Luis Solignac scored his first goal since coming to the club in a trade with Colorado, as the Fire put an end to their MLS-record road winless streak and their club-record road losing streak in a 3-0 victory at the Montréal Impact on Saturday. It was the Fire’s first league win since July 13, a span of six matches.
- The Galaxy saw their 10-game undefeated streak put to an end with a 1-0 loss at New York City FC on Saturday afternoon, with the defeat also ending a run of three consecutive draws. The Galaxy also had a 10-game undefeated streak in league play this season from March 19 to May 22.
- The Galaxy have not lost to the Fire since 2010, a 3-2 Chicago victory in Carson on Aug. 1. In the seven meetings since, the Galaxy have won five with two draws, including a 2-0 win on March 6, 2015 at StubHub Center in the only meeting between the teams last season.
- The Fire have not defeated the Galaxy in Bridgeview since 2008, with two draws and three losses in five home meetings since.
