Galaxy Must Defeat Austin FC to Keep Playoff Hopes Alive

Los Angeles sits in 10th place in the Western Conference after Wednesday's midweek action. The club needs a win on Saturday to survive.

The Galaxy host Austin FC at Dignity Health Sports Park at 2 p.m. on Saturday. It is the penultimate game of the regular season. The match is decisive for the club's postseason future.

Los Angeles holds a record of 10 wins, 11 losses, and 11 draws for 41 points. A draw or loss against Austin, combined with results from other teams, will end the Galaxy's playoff aspirations. A victory keeps them in the hunt for the play-in game or the seventh seed.

Coach Greg Vanney said the schedule offers a final chance to climb. The team plays Real Salt Lake on Nov. 7 in the season finale. Vanney noted that other teams staying closer to each other in the standings could help Los Angeles jump higher.

"It's the time of year where you got to feel the playoff tension a little bit and the results are the results. You gotta get them," Vanney said.

Forward Robert Taylor emphasized that the outcome is entirely within the team's control. Taylor spent part of the 2025 season and the start of this year with Austin FC before joining the Galaxy. He said Austin is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs after Wednesday's results.

Taylor warned that playing a team with nothing to lose can make the opponent more difficult. He urged the squad to prepare for a tough game rather than assuming an easy victory because Austin's season is over.

"It's in our hands still," Taylor said. "We just have to win the next two games in order to get to the playoff spot. We have to choose all of our 100 percent focus on this Saturday and focus on nothing else."

The Galaxy have struggled to convert leads into wins this season. The team has drawn seven games in which they scored first. Vanney identified game management as the key factor. He said the team must make better clearances and avoid penalties when teams open up their defense.

"Turning those into three points and not just one point is critical," Vanney said. "It's the time of year when the kitchen sink will come at you, and we've got be able to handle it."

The squad will receive reinforcements for the match. Forwards Hirving Lozano and Kyogo Furuhashi are returning from injuries that sidelined them against Austin FC earlier in the season. Midfielder Marco Reus, who missed the El Trafico draw with LAFC on Sunday due to illness, is also back in the lineup.

Vanney called the returns of these players massive. He said having Taylor, Lozano, and Joseph Paintsil provides more capacity to impact the game. The Galaxy play Austin FC, who are 8-14-10 with 34 points, on Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will be available on Apple TV.