Guillermo Barros Schelotto says LA Galaxy must be "smart" and "calm" before hosting Seattle Sounders after two defeats that left his team on the outside of the playoffs looking in.
Galaxy were beaten 2-0 by both Colorado Rapids and Real Salt Lake and fell to 10th in the West.
But prior to a draw with San Jose Earthquakes that preceded those setbacks, Schelotto's side had won four in a row since the MLS is Back Tournament - including two derby successes against Los Angeles FC.
"I think we need to be smart," Schelotto said. "If we think only about the last two games where we lost, that's not so smart. You have to look at the last seven games. We beat LAFC, Portland, San Jose. We win one game, get three points and we move up three positions.
"The tournament is very even, everyone is there, everyone is ready to climb the table. We need to think we're building a team, we keep working every game and get some points. That is the way.
"We need to be calm. It's a bad moment, but we need to be calm even in a good moment. The word is calm."
He added: "The next game will be very hard, very difficult.
"It's good to know we are going against Seattle, the last champions, in first position. We know how important this game is for all of us."
Seattle are top of the West, but Brian Schmetzer is not thinking about a Supporters' Shield challenge after a 1-0 defeat to rivals Portland Timbers, who moved level on points at the summit.
"We lost a massive, massive opportunity to put some room between us and the other guys in our conference," he said. "Once we solve that one, I'll start talking about Columbus."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LA Galaxy - Sebastian Lletget
All of Lletget's four goals and two assists this season came in the Galaxy's four-match winning run. Having failed to inspire the team through their subsequent struggles, the midfielder will look to return to form this week.
Seattle Sounders - Jordan Morris
With six goals and five assists this season, Morris was arguably Seattle's key man even before Raul Ruidiaz was suspended for this match. Morris is without a goal or assist in two following a dominant showing against San Jose.
KEY OPTA FACTS
- The Galaxy have won just one of their past nine MLS meetings with Seattle (D4 L4), including collecting just one point from the two matches in 2019. LA have not lost any of their past three home matches against the Sounders, however (W1 D2), holding Seattle to just two goals in those games while they have conceded 10 goals in their past three matches at CenturyLink Field.
- The Galaxy have collected just one point from their past three matches after a four-match winning streak from late August to early September. They have lost their past two matches after going unbeaten in their previous six (W4 D2).
- The Sounders lost for just the third time all season on Wednesday, falling 1-0 at Portland, as all three of their defeats have been by one-goal margins. You have to go back to May and June 2019 for Seattle's most recent losing streak as they have bounced back with a win following seven of their past nine defeats (D2).
- The Galaxy have failed to score in their past three matches, their first three-match goalless run since August 2017. The Galaxy have gone more than three matches without a goal just once in their history, failing to score in five straight in May 2006.
- Ruidiaz has scored six goals since the MLS regular season resumed last month, tied with Kacper Przybylko for most in MLS in that time. The absent striker has also scored three times in four career MLS matches against the Galaxy.
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