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MLS is a race to 34 matches, and right now the LA Galaxy sit 10 matches out from the finish currently sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference. They do have the advantage of two matches in hand on both Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids, so let's do like Brian Clough in a modern hotel bedroom and go over the fixtures and tables to see the path to the end for LA.
The Galaxy have two opponents they still have to face twice; the Seattle Sounders and San Jose Earthquakes. The first meeting with the Sounders was a 4-0 home victory for LA while the first Quake meeting was a 3-2 comeback victory for San Jose.
The other six remaining matches contain two Eastern Conference opponents, traveling to DC and hosting Montreal. Washington D.C. is the furthest road trip remaining; outside of that match the Galaxy do not leave the Pacific Coast for the rest of the year.
LA hosts the Colorado Rapids in the rubber match of that season series, and there are trips to Seattle and Portland. Including this weekend's road match, six of the Galaxy's remaining matches are at home and four are on the road.
The Galaxy currently have the best home goal differential in the league, so it's not unreasonable to imagine LA finishing out the home state with an unbeaten streak. That's 18 available points at home for the remainder of the year. Grabbing all of them would take the Galaxy to 55 points, within range of the Supporter's Shield.
Unfortunately, RSL also have a beneficial slate to end the year. Five of their eight remaining matches this season are at home, with all their remaining road trips on the Pacific Coast as well. They do have two more matches against the Portland Timbers, and as we saw last week those two teams love to score goals against each other.
If LA were to make a push for the Supporter's Shield, I'd imagine to see it in September. With only three matches, RSL only has nine points available in the month with only one match at home. LA's schedule is congested with CCL, but with Eastern Conference minnow FC United and two home matches RSL may need to be perfect through the month to keep LA and the other Shield contenders at bay.