Many Questions for Galaxy
Three questions hover over the Galaxy’s Major League Soccer regular-season finale tonight against the Wizards at Kansas City:
* Can the Galaxy win by the necessary two goals and thus earn the Western Conference title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs?
* Regardless of whether it wins, loses or ties, who will the Galaxy face in those playoffs, starting next week -- Colorado, Dallas or San Jose?
* Does striker Carlos Ruiz have the goals in him tonight to become the first player in MLS history to be the league’s leading scorer three seasons in a row?
The answer to the first probably depends on the answer to the last. Ruiz sat out last Saturday’s 2-0 victory over the Dallas Burn because of a strained left hamstring.
He was well enough by Wednesday night, however, to score the only goal for Guatemala as it clinched a place in the final round of regional qualifying for the 2006 World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Honduras in Guatemala City.
Ruiz flew back to Los Angeles on Thursday, then joined the rest of the Galaxy in Kansas City on Friday. How quickly he can recover from the lingering effects of the injury, the midweek game and all the travel will tell the tale.
Ruiz comes into the match with 11 goals this season, tied with five others for the league lead -- Pat Noonan of New England, Brian Ching of San Jose, Eddie Johnson of Dallas, Damani Ralph of Chicago and Edson Buddle of Columbus.
Goals are all-important tonight. The Galaxy already has secured at least second place but a win by two goals or more would give it the title and a first-round playoff series against the fourth-place finisher.
Just who will finish third, fourth and fifth in the Western Conference depends on two other games today.
The Colorado Rapids can wrap up third place with a win or a tie at Denver against the Columbus Crew, which has a 17-game unbeaten streak.
The defending league champion San Jose Earthquakes can overtake Colorado if the Rapids lose and the Earthquakes beat the Burn at Dallas. The loser of the Dallas-San Jose match will miss the playoffs; a tie puts the Earthquakes in.
*
GALAXY TONIGHT
at Kansas City, 5:30 PDT, Channel 9
Site -- Arrowhead Stadium.
Radio -- KMPC (1540), KMXE (830).
Records -- Galaxy 11-8-10, Wizards 13-9-7.
Record vs Wizards -- 0-1-2.
Update -- The Galaxy leads the all-time series, 16-14-5, but the Wizards have a 10-4-1 edge at home and they need only a tie to win the Western Conference. Galaxy defender Tyrone Marshall is suspended for one game and will sit out the match.
