If the Houston Dynamo or the Los Angeles Galaxy are going to salvage something from their respective seasons, it may have to begin with their meeting on Friday night in Texas.
Despite recent improvement following a 16-match winless run to open the season, the Galaxy (3-14-7, 16 points) enter the weekend last in the Western Conference and 13 points back of ninth-place San Jose for the potential final West playoff spot.
Houston (7-11-6, 27 points) is currently 11th but in worse recent form, earning only two wins and scoring multiple goals only once in its last eight MLS games.
Dynamo manager Ben Olsen is still wary of a Galaxy roster mostly intact from last year's MLS Cup title run.
"It's been difficult as of late," Olsen said. "And it's another opportunity against a good opponent. We can't be fooled by where they're at in the standings. They're still the champs, and when you watch them, you can't believe that they have as (few) points as they do."
The long-term absence of 2024 Galaxy team MVP Riqui Puig has been a major factor in the Galaxy's struggles, and he is still yet to return from a torn ACL suffered late last November.
But the Galaxy and Dynamo are also hurting because of inefficient centre forward play.
5 days ‘til @LeaguesCup kicks off ⌛
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Christian Ramirez is LA's most productive scorer in terms of goals per 90 minutes, but he only has four total tallies this season after making 12 of his 22 appearances off the bench.
Houston striker Ezequiel Ponce's seven goals in 22 starts is fractionally worse on a goals-per-minute basis.
The Galaxy only have four more chances to get their first away win of 2025. But they may catch one break: forecasts that are unusually mild by Houston summer standards, with highs expected only in the upper 80s.
Even so, it's likely to be the hottest conditions the Galaxy have faced this season.
"I think the name of the game is efficiency," LA manager Greg Vanney said. "You can't go into just walking soccer. You have to change speeds at the right time. You still have to choose your moments when you're gonna press, when you're gonna stay together."