Lineups:

Efrain Alvarez gets the nod to start for LA.

Vancouver make a few changes for their final game of the year.

The LA Galaxy will wrap up the 2020 MLS season when they take on the Vancouver Whitecaps in Portland for a Decision Day clash Sunday afternoon.

Put simply, both teams are already eliminated from playoff contention and are playing out the string here, meaning there will be no national attention on this game unless something truly incredible happens. This could be the final game with interim head coach Dominic Kinnear in charge for LA, and/or the final game in a Galaxy jersey for Cristian Pavón, or not. All that will be decided later, here’s one final chance for the Galaxy to ensure they don’t finish the season in last place in the Western Conference.

The motivation is similar for the Whitecaps here: Finish strong, with some dignity and regroup for next season. I think Marc Dos Santos will keep his job as Whitecaps head coach, but you never know, and their roster will have to undergo changes in the offseason. Having said that, making their “home base” for the last couple months in Portland (due to coronavirus restrictions in Canada preventing travel from the United States) is totally rotten luck, and that’s got to be a rather valid excuse for at least some of their struggles this year. In contrast, the Galaxy don’t really have that to fall back on.

As Kinnear said, this game is the latest chance for the Galaxy to impress and that’s absolutely accurate. Some LA players are playing for their jobs, and a strong performance will not paper over the cracks on a bad season, but at least they could end on a good note. We’ll see if they can do that Sunday afternoon.

Odds:

According to our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook, as of Saturday evening, LA are (+114), the Whitecaps are (+200) and a draw is at (+280). So the Galaxy are slight favorites, but it’s close to a toss-up.

How to Watch:

Sunday’s match between LA and Vancouver will be televised locally on Spectrum SportsNet and streamed in the rest of the United States on ESPN+. The broadcast is scheduled to start at 3:30 pm PT with kickoff to follow.

Come chat about the game with us in the comment section below!

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