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By Dylan Butler
CONCACAF.com
The LA Galaxy was feeling pretty good about its chances to reach the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals. And then came the weekend.
After earning a 2-2 draw last Wednesday in the first leg of its quarterfinal series against Toronto at the Rogers Centre, the Galaxy was going home with a 24-match unbeaten streak.
While Toronto took the weekend off, Los Angeles returned to The Home Depot Center, surrendered three goals in the final 17 minutes and lost its Major League Soccer season opener 3-1 to Real Salt Lake.
Manager Bruce Arena is promising changes for Wednesday's second leg.
"We were tired. You could see it in the start of the game, our guys didn't have the energy we needed to have," Arena told MLSsoccer.com. "Probably could have changed half the team easily. We'll have to make changes against Toronto."
Los Angeles is encouraged by two critical away goals from the first leg, including Landon Donovan's equalizer in the 89th minute off a David Beckman corner kick.
"We've got a few days to recover and try to prepare ourselves for the game Wednesday because it's a big game," Beckham said. "We need to win. We need to progress."
The Champions League match is the third of four in 12 days for the Galaxy, which has D.C. United set for Sunday.
"These first few games are about recovering and getting ready to go so there's not going to be time for practicing the next couple of weeks," Donovan said. "We need to get through these games, get as many good results as we can and then we have time to rest and recover."
Toronto FC, which played Los Angeles to a pair of regular-season draws last year, are encouraged by the return of midfielder Julian de Guzman. The Canadian international, as well as Nick Soolsma, missed the first leg with a suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards.
"Julian is a guy with lots of experience and he can definitely have a good effect on our roster," TFC coach Aron Winter told MLSsoccer.com.
Guzman is confident Toronto, can win at The Home Depot Center, using a 3-0 victory over FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park in the group stage as an example of the club's resolve. It also has won five of 11 career meetings against the Galaxy including two of five at HDC.
"We can keep up with those guys," de Guzman said. "We just need a victory…People didn't expect us to get a win in Dallas and we did."
