So your team loses a nail biter to New York and you want to get the team back on track. What would you do if you were the Galaxy? How about play a pointless exhibition game in Canada, in order to ensure that your players are tired for their important division game on Sunday. It seems over the last two years that the Galaxy front office has put off the field success before on the field results. Decisions such as the Vancouver Whitecaps exhibition game and the grueling pre-season tour are evidence of this. FC Dallas have to like their odds coming into this game.

Priority number one for the Galaxy this weekend: Stop Kenny Cooper. The Kenny Cooper match up should be treated similar to the Jozy Altidore one from the week prior. Both strikers boast large frames and good pace. The difference? Cooper is on form, Jozy is not.

The best way to stop Cooper is to deny him service. Unfortunately for the Galaxy there is a lot of talent in the midfield for Dallas supplying Cooper. Juan Toja had a great start to the season before picking up a knock a few weeks back. He should be back to full form this week, which means Joey Franchino will have to step up and slow the ball every time Toja gets a touch. Look for Joey to get physical early with Toja and try to get his head out of the game from the start.

The other midfield threats are Arturo Alvarez and Dax McCarty. McCarty is out with a hernia injury, and that is huge for the Galaxy. This FC Dallas team has fed on McCarty’s energy through the beginning of this season. He really is the engine of the midfield. So if McCarty is the engine, what does that make Alvarez? He would be the 22″ rims, flashy as hell, everyone wants some, but they don’t necessarily improve the ride. No player finished last season with more upside than Arturo Alvarez. Yet to start the 2008 campaign, he has struggled to find a way to impose his style of play on opponents as he did last season. His two goals and 2 assists are nothing to scoff at by any means. But there is no reason, that on a team that has him surrounded by quality like Toja and Cooper, that Alavarez shouldn’t have similar numbers as Robbie Rogers in Columbus. He has that ability. On a day where he could match up against a slow footed Greg Vanney, Alvarez may see a fun afternoon.

For the Galaxy the biggest question mark going into this game is Landon Donovan. The league’s leading goal scorer didn’t make the trip to Vancouver and is listed as questionable on the teams injury report. The fact that he is making the trip to Dallas at all, is probably a sign that he will play. Also perhaps making an appearance Sunday is Ante Jazic. He saw time against the Whitecaps and may see some time off the bench against Dallas. This is a welcome sight for Galaxy fans who have watched their defense concede a league’s worst 15 goals.

My Homer Prediction: 2-2 Tie

My Homer Lineup:

Cronin

Klein - Roberts - Franklin - Vanney

Beckham - Mickey D - Fran-drink-o - Randolph

Donovan - Flash Gordon

Popularity: 25%