The Columbus Crew returns to Lower.com Field after a disappointing 2-2 draw against Orlando City SC on Saturday, which saw the home side control the majority of the game but have to settle for just a point after being up 2-0 at halftime. The LA Galaxy comes to Columbus for a midweek MLS match.

The Galaxy sits in 13th place in the Western Conference with nine points through 11 games this season. Despite the poor numbers, LA has is trending in a positive direction, beating rival San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 in the team’s previous game and playing better overall as a team over the last few weeks. The Galaxy come to Columbus with a relatively healthy team with only three players that haven’t played many minutes this season ruled out due to those injuries.

Can the Crew rebound after the disappointing tie to Orlando City? Our Massive Report Staff gives their predictions for the game against LA.

Drew McDaniel

Both the Columbus Crew and the LA Galaxy have matches Saturday and U.S. Open Cup games midweek next week. The Galaxy enter a three-match away stretch and, due to all this, may travel light to Columbus. The Crew should take advantage of this opportunity to pick up some points. Since Lucas Zelarayan was rested last match day, expect him to play a major role in Columbus’ march to victory over the Galaxy.

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Adam Miller

The Black & Gold welcome the LA Galaxy to Columbus on Wednesday night in a sneakily important match for both sides. Each team is dealing with match congestion and their main rivalry match in the near future. Thus, I expect each team to put out a rotated squad on Wednesday night. Because of all of this, I expect this to be a relatively dull affair. That being said, both sides need a win as LA looks to build off the team’s first MLS victory this season and the Crew hasn’t won in four MLS matches. Both teams will score but the Crew will come out on top thanks to a Cucho Hernandez brace.

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Patrick Murphy

Given this is a midweek match in the middle of a congested schedule for both the Crew and the LA Galaxy, the outcome is tough to predict. There’s no telling what kind of lineups either team will put out with an eye on what’s coming on the schedule in the next week.

From a Black & Gold standpoint, there’s not much excuse for dropping more points at home. This is a team that started how at Lower.com Field and has let its foot off the gas. Columbus needs to refind that home form on Wednesday night and take advantage of what I expect to be a weakened Galaxy roster.

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Caleb Denorme

If there is ever a game to get back on track, this is the game for the Crew. The LA Galaxy has struggled this season, only managing nine points to this point. That, paired with being at home and having a relatively strong starting lineup, means the Black & Gold need to take all three points. Not allowing Chicharito Herandez to poach will be the top priority for a Columbus defense that has made mistakes in the past few games. On the offensive side, the Crew needs to turn the dominance into goals. Cucho Hernandez needs to get on the scoresheet and start a hot streak like he did last year for the Black & Gold to feel good going forward.

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Collin Johnson

It’s been a tough few weeks in league play for the Crew but there are two opportunities to get back to winning ways. First, there is a match against the LA Galaxy. Columbus hasn’t played the Galaxy since 2019, so there will be a lack of familiarity here for both sides. LA is also in the middle of a very difficult fixture schedule with Wednesday’s match in Columbus, a match Saturday at D.C. United, and then a U.S. Open Cup tilt against rivals LAFC on Tuesday. The Black & Gold have a similarly clustered schedule but have the benefit of two matches in Ohio and one in nearby Pittsburgh. Assuming the Galaxy rest some players and the Crew plays a near full-strength team, with the return of Lucas Zelarayan, there will be no excuses on Wednesday. A win is mandatory. 

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Ryan Schmitt

The Crew has played extremely well the past few game weeks despite the poor results, which is ultimately what happens with a new coach and a young team. With a few transfer windows and more time, this issue will get resolved much quicker. For now, however, fans wait. Especially being at home, the Crew need to and will get a win against the LA Galaxy.

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