THE MATCHUP: TFC road win a Galaxy far away?

The TFC management team hard at work

LA GALAXY (1st) VS. TORONTO FC (10th)

Home Depot Centre - Saturday 10:30PM EST

TV: SPORTSNET ONTARIO & PACIFIC---- RADIO: THE FAN590

If there is one team in the league that the "Road Weary-ers", Toronto FC, would least like to play - it's the Los Angeles Galaxy. The Reds, who are so different on the road than they are at BMO Field have to travel to Tinseltown (well suburban Tinseltown) to take on the strongest and hottest team in MLS. LA may be an exciting town, home to megastars like Judge Reinhold and Lee Majors but not the starring role Preki will want at the moment. Hopefully the team had a top-notch Hollywood in-flight movie like Meatballs Part 2... or Down Periscope.

Before this season began, Galaxy was a club full of question marks. Their Designated Player/ fashionista/ creative grooming enthusiast David Beckham was ruled out for the season with a major injury; meanwhile Landon Donovan had to be coaxed back from England after a very good loan spell with Everton. The team, that by all means should have won the 2009 MLS Cup, looked shaky but somehow manager Bruce "Huckleberry Hound" Arena has managed to fuse together the league's most dangerous squad.

Donovan has returned to the US in improved form and is a step above most MLS defenders while feeding passes to striking phenom Edson Buddle. The Galaxy striker has a league leading 9 goals and has worked his way onto the US Men's National Team (if only TFC had someone like Buddle... cough - Mo - cough). In addition to LA's potent offense their backline has been outstanding. Keeper Donovan Ricketts has only had two goals put past him thanks in big part to a defence anchored by super-sophomore Omar Gonzalez and solid veteran Todd Dunivant (cough - Mo sucks - cough). Toronto will have to be at their offensive best to get anything past Galaxy's wall.

For Preki and his men, the recent good form will have to be built upon if they expect a result. Points are needed in this match if this squad isn't to lose confidence and momentum. Considering that next week's match will be without main cogs Dwayne De Rosario and Julian de Guzman, who will be away on Canadian International duty, points may be at a premium. Preki will not be able to attempt another experiment where he rests his starters but fatigue from Wednesday's Montreal match and the long flight will come into play late in the game.

This match and indeed the next one will again highlight the lack of depth on 5 Year Plan FC. The burgeoning Chad Barrett - O'Brien White strike partnership is starting to pay dividends but is far from reliable and needs help. You know - kind of like that striker New York is going to sign... Thierry something. If TFC's road woes do continue, there is one minor silver lining: the strange development of some of the more sheep-esque Toronto supporters who are claiming that Mo is suddenly "not so bad" will surely return to the proper "Mo Must Go" setting. I'm sorry, a couple of wins compared to 5 years of mediocrity doesn't re-fill the Kool-Aid. Like the aforementioned Lee Majors - Mo Johnston is indeed "The Fall Guy".

LANDO CALRISSIAN IN DISGUISE SAYS: 0-0 Draw

THE RANCOR MONSTER SAYS: 3-0 Los Angeles

HEADLINE: "TORONTO'S ROAD FORM FROZEN IN CARBONITE"

Smooth on attack.