The Vancouver Whitecaps need a break, and not just in front of goal, after a busy start to 2015, already playing 17 matches in all competitions, with seven in May alone.
The good news for the 'Caps is that, in the midst of a tough five-game road stretch, a break is coming soon. But before they can enjoy a bye week and a few days off to rest and recuperate, Vancouver face a not-so-easy Saturday trip to the StubHub Center to face the LA Galaxy (10:30pm ET; TSN2 in Canada, MLS LIVE in the US).
After a strong start to the season, Vancouver have stumbled a bit in the weeks since their head-turning 2-0 win against the Galaxy at BC Place at the start of April, three points that saw them move to the top of the Western Conference standings. In the subsequent 10 games, however, they've managed just three wins and 11 points.
"Form is a brilliant thing," Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson mused to reporters on a conference call from LA on Friday afternoon. "I listen to a lot of managers throughout the league and they talk about form, hitting form and dropping form, how it's about staying positive and things like that.
"But when you're not in form, it's important you stay in the pack. LA Galaxy talk a lot about how they haven't played well at the start of the season but they're in a good position. We've done very well at certain times at the start of the season and done okay. We're in the pack. That's where you want to be."
The danger for Vancouver is that with three losses in their last four games, they risk not just falling into that pack but being overtaken by it if they can't turn their fortunes around soon.
"I think everyone knows how tight the Western Conference is," Robinson added. "I'm sure there will be times where teams are at the top and teams are outside the playoff positions. That's the reality of the parity of this league. Once you lose a game, it's important that you try and break that streak.
"We lost on Wednesday [against Montreal], unfortunately, but it is what it is. We don't get too down about it. We don't get too excited when we win a game and we just focus on our next game. This next game is important to us because we do have a break and we want to get something from it."
History does not favor the Whitecaps. They have yet to win or even take a point at StubHub Center – and they’re not the only ones struggling in Carson, where LA currently sit on a 23-match unbeaten run during the regular MLS season. It’s an impressive streak, but Robinson's message to his players is a clear one.
"We know it's a difficult game, as LA's home record proves," he said. "Not many teams go there and win. My challenge to the guys is can we be the first team that goes there and wins in 20-odd games? Eventually records do come to an end, so why can't we be the team?"
