Galaxy-Fire Game Could Be a Prelude to Playoffs

In one of Major League Soccer’s more controversial trades, the Galaxy last spring sent goalkeeper Jorge Campos and midfielder Chris Armas to the expansion Chicago Fire.

The loss of crowd favorite Campos and midfield workhorse Armas was viewed skeptically at the time, but no one can argue with the Galaxy’s 23-8 record entering its regular-season finale against Chicago today at the Rose Bowl.

Nobody can say that Campos and Armas have not been keys for the Fire, which is 20-11.

The 5:30 p.m. game could be a homecoming for sorts, but for one thing: Los Angeles and Chicago are expected to meet in the conference finals. Because of that, mind games are being played.

Neither Campos nor Armas will play against their former team.

Fire Coach Bob Bradley has rotated his goalkeepers and today it is Zach Thornton’s turn in the nets. Campos will be on the bench.

Armas will not even be here. He was left in Chicago.

Because of that, he will not become the fourth player in MLS history--and the only one this season--to play every minute of every game.

Armas’ streak of having played in every minute (4,960) of 44 consecutive MLS games over two seasons also comes to an end.

“The streak isn’t that significant,” Bradley told the Chicago Sun-Times. “The idea is not to play every minute of every game. The most important thing now is to be 100% for the playoffs.”

Galaxy Coach Octavio Zambrano believes the trade was a good one, even though he was loath to lose either Campos or Armas.

“We can’t feel incredibly joyous that we lost those two players,” he said, “but at the same time we have to look at what we gained.”

The Galaxy got goalkeeper Kevin Hartmann and midfielder/defender Danny Pena, who had been lost to Chicago in the expansion draft, and freed up enough money under the salary cap to acquire forward Carlos Hermosillo.

If Los Angeles gets past the Dallas Burn and Chicago ousts the Colorado Rapids, the teams will meet in a three-game series for the Western Conference title and a place in MLS Cup ‘98, the Oct. 25 league championship game at the Rose Bowl.

That series would bring the trade into clearer focus. For now, the teams are trying to hide their hand from each other.

“You can’t show everything,” Zambrano said. “You shouldn’t. But at the same time you have to make a statement. So it’s important to consider those two issues when you go into a game like this.”

Translated, that means the Galaxy will try to win, but not necessarily try to do everything it can to win.

The same goes for Chicago. Bradley has been promising to use Campos as a forward, but so far has not done so. Today presents another opportunity.

Chicago sources said Campos would play in the second half today.