“It was a hard fought match. The first half wasn’t very good. The second half showed the character of our team. I give all the credit to K.C. They are the best team we have played in MLS so far.”

Interesting point Becks. Unfortunately, your team defeated us 3-1. And while I applaud your respect for the Wizards, it’s still a tough pill to swallow.

Game five of the six of the epic, season-defining road trip has now been played and KC has struggled, with only five points from those games. It’s been a combination of bad luck and one or two moments of poor defending that has really cost them. Offensively, Lopez and Conrad are tied for the team lead in goals, which isn’t a great sign. I am not expecting the goals to be pouring in, but a few more would be nice.

Bottom line is that it will be a relief once the final road game is played. With the way the MLS works, the Wizards are far from danger when it comes to missing the playoffs. It is a bit early to go there. However, the East is strong, and 11 points has them in fifth place, just two ahead of DC, who probably won’t be struggling the whole season. They are eight off pace of first, behind Chicago, Columbus, and New England.

It’s not time for playoff talk or any kind of lamentation. There is a lot of soccer left to be played and I think this team can sort things out over the next few weeks. Like I said earlier, the season will come down to the defense. Conrad has played well, but Chance Myers, Michael Harrington, and Tyson Wahl are all inexperienced, and the team can only go so far. If the clean sheets are there, the goals will come. More to come later in the week.

The second half was all Galaxy, as goals from Buddle, Donovan, and Beckham took advantage of defensive blunders. First, Tyson Wahl tripped up Landycakes in the box, and he calmly netted the equalizer after completing his long pre-PK routine. The second goal was reminiscent of last week. Things got mixed up in the middle, leaving Edson Buddle wide open down the left to tuck it in past Hartman. The last goal will probably seen again and again, as Beckham knocked it in from about 70 yards after Hartman had come up for a corner kick in stoppage time. Bad luck, and the final scoreline might as well read 2-1.

From a KC perspective, the return home to the CAB can’t come soon enough. Only one game remains, and that is against Real Salt Lake, a team that is struggling away from home. Unfortunately, that game will be at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Utah, and the sixth game in a row on the road for KC. More thoughts on the game and what’s been bothering the Wizards tomorrow.

Highlights courtesy of MLS posting things on Youtube:

The Galaxy, while soft at the back, have boasted a ferocious attack so far this season. They’ve scored 19 goals in eight games already, and they’ll be facing a KC backline that have performed well so far this season. Captain Jim has done his best to keep a young group defenders on their toes, and combining with some excellent play last week by Hartman, nearly had a clean sheet – which would have been their first since the Chicago game. A clean sheet this week will be no small task, especially with the possible return of Carlos Ruiz. Even Edson Buddle scored a hat trick last week, and if that happens again the Wizards will be in trouble.

While the Galaxy attack doesn’t worry me, the troubling thing has been scoring. Claudio Lopez has emerged as more of a set up man than a finisher, and this hasn’t worked out well so far, as Conrad is the leading scorer. Carlos Marinelli showed what he brings last week, and the Lopez/Marinelli combination should be able to break down a weak LA defense. The only question is, can they outscore LA?

In terms of injuries, the only player still out is Lance Watson. Jonathan Leathers remains over in France with the U-23 team, who lost to Ivory Coast 1-0 yesterday. Leathers didn’t play.

Thoughts and insights from the players below:

MLSnet preview here, Fox Soccer here.

Prediction: I see the Wizards grabbing a couple of goals, but the Galaxy will crack KC more than them. Los Angeles 3, Kansas City 2