Donovan Ricketts

By the time the Galaxy's charter flight from Seattle was scheduled to touch down in Los Angeles early Monday, much of what had happened hours earlier likely would be forgotten. Blame that on the convoluted rules governing the MLS playoffs, which gave the Galaxy little reward for its 1-0 win over the Sounders in the opening match of the Western Conference semifinals Sunday night. Or credit the team's veteran leadership, which has kept the Galaxy focused on the ultimate prize, the MLS Cup, while refusing to celebrate the incremental steps it will take to get it there.

Galaxy vs. FC Dallas When : 5 p.m. Where : Home Depot Center. On the air : TV: FS West; Radio: 1150, 1330 (Spanish). Records : Galaxy 17-7-5, FC Dallas 12-3-14 Record vs. FC Dallas : 1-0-0. Update: The Galaxy needs no worse than a tie in Sunday night's regular-season finale to win the Supporters' Shield, which goes to the team with the best regular-season record and carries with it home-field advantage through the first two rounds of the MLS playoffs.

Few members of the Galaxy want to get back to the MLS Cup final more than goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts. That's because few members of the Galaxy have more unfinished business to attend to there than Ricketts. The second-year keeper went to the sidelines because of a hand injury midway through the second half of last year's Cup final, which Real Salt Lake won when Robbie Russell beat backup goalie Josh Saunders in the seventh round of a dramatic penalty shootout. Could he have changed the outcome?

If the Galaxy is to go far in the MLS playoffs again this fall, it will have to dominate the matches it is supposed to win, play well against teams that pose a challenge and get lucky when those first two options don't work out. The Galaxy got a chance to work on some of that Thursday in a 1-0 win over a game Philadelphia Union before a record crowd of 18,779 at PPL Park on the banks of the Delaware River. First came the dealing-with-a-challenge part. For nearly a third of the match, the patient Galaxy seemed content to let Philadelphia be in control.

With $16 million worth of Major League Soccer salary on the field in the shape of only four players on Friday night, it figured that one of the quartet would make the difference. But the Galaxy's David Beckham ($6.5 million) and Landon Donovan ($2.1 million) and the New York Red Bulls' Juan Pablo Angel ($1.9 million) and Rafael Marquez ($5.5 million) did not play a leading role. Instead, it was the fastest man on the Home Depot Center field, New York's Dane Richards ($146,500)

With $16-million worth of Major League Soccer salary on the field in the shape of only four players on Friday night, it figured that one of the quartet would make the difference. But the Galaxy's David Beckham ($6.5-million) and Landon Donovan ($2.1-million) and the New York Red Bulls' Juan Pablo Angel ($1.9-million) and Rafael Marquez ($5.5-million) did not play a leading role. Millionaires are not always the money players. Instead, it was the fastest man on the Home Depot Center field, New York's Dane Richards ($146,500)

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. — Omar Gonzalez made up for his gaffe in a big way. With Chicago Fire fans still celebrating their go-ahead goal — set up by Gonzalez's foul — Gonzalez headed in a corner from Landon Donovan in the 90th minute Saturday to salvage a 1-1 tie for the Galaxy. "Most teams in the league would have lost that game," said Donovan, who blew two chances to score in the first half. "We kept fighting and got something out of it. " The draw ended a season-high two-game losing streak for the Galaxy (13-5-5)

Davy Arnaud scored one goal and created another Saturday night, and goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen made two exceptional saves as the Kansas City Wizards defeated the Galaxy, 2-0, at the Home Depot Center. The loss was the second in a row for Coach Bruce Arena's suddenly slumping team and the fourth in six games in what has been an abysmal August for the league leader. The Galaxy has lost seven of its last 11 games in all competitions, including the U.S. Open Cup, the CONCACAF Champions League and a friendly against Real Madrid.