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LA Galaxy Vs. Toronto FC, 2012 CONCACAF Champions League: TFC Bringing Fresh Legs To Play Vulnerable LA

Mar 13, 2012, 9:32 PM UTC

The LA Galaxy had to be feeling good about the way the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal tie with Toronto went. They didn't get a win, but they got a draw and did it with two away goals, putting them in a pretty position for the second leg. They got to return to the Home Depot Center needing just a 0-0 or 1-1 draw to advance. All was well in Galaxy-land, but then Saturday happened.

LA hosted Real Salt Lake in their MLS opener on Saturday with a lineup very similar to the one they played in Toronto last week. Unsurprisingly, the players tired late, the defense faltered and LA lost. Arguments about whether or not LA should have been the only MLS team in the Champions League to play last weekend aside, the Galaxy knew their schedule and still played a bunch of tired players.

“I thought we still could have won this game, and I think this game is on me,” Arena said after the match on Saturday. “It’s my fault, I think I should have used fresher bodies. We hit the wall and made mistakes attributed to fatigue. The travel, the two games, this added up to being a pretty tired team over the last 20 minutes and I take full responsibility for that.”

That is all well and good, but now what is Arena going to do? He is either going to have to play players who are even more tired or dip into his reserves, which he doesn’t really want to do. LA isn’t looking so great now.

Meanwhile, Toronto had the weekend off and are as fresh as can be. They proved that they could unlock the LA defense last week when they scored a pair and generated several other chances. Their speed bothered LA and they found space in the midfield to run at LA’s defense. They know they can score and now they will be doing it on fresh legs versus LA’s tired legs. Things aren’t so comfortable for LA anymore.