Minnesota United eye potential leap in West in finale vs. Galaxy

Second place in the Western Conference still is within reach for Minnesota United when the Loons visit the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday on MLS Decision Day.

Minnesota (16-7-10, 58 points) cannot finish lower than its current fourth-place position in the West. The Loons can move into second or third place by beating the Galaxy, and if second-place San Diego FC (60 points) also loses to the Portland Timbers and third-place Los Angeles FC (59 points) loses or draws against the Colorado Rapids.

The postseason is far out of reach for the Galaxy (6-18-9, 27 points), who just are trying to avoid a last-place finish. It has been a stunning fall for a Los Angeles team that won the MLS Cup last season, and the Galaxy's playoff run included a 6-2 rout over Minnesota in the West semifinals.

"We've got to exorcise the demons a little bit," Loons head coach Eric Ramsay said.

Beyond just the revenge aspect, Ramsay also wants to see his club adopt a postseason mindset in the regular-season finale.

"This week has got to feel like it's going up a level in terms of concentration, demonstrating that every player has got a point to terms of trying to get into the team [or] stay in the team," Ramsay said.

Minnesota is 8-2-6 on the road, with the third-most (30) away points in MLS. Los Angeles is 6-8-2 at home, with all six of the club's victories coming on its own field.

The Galaxy began the season with a 16-match winless streak (0-12-4), which included a 2-2 draw against the Loons in St. Paul on March 22.

Since the winless drought, Los Angeles has posted a more respectable 6-6-5 record in an attempt to salvage something from a disastrous season.

"When you win a championship, that's legacy. When you finish at the bottom, that's also a legacy that you don't want," Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said after last Saturday's 2-1 win over FC Dallas. "I don't know what matters, if it's the Western Conference or the table or whatever, but I know that I don't want to be at the bottom of anything."

--Field Level Media