MLS

• Columbus targets Supporters' Shield against L.A.

  
  

  Columbus, OH (Sports Network) - With its first playoff berth since 2004 wrapped up two weeks ago, Columbus turned its focus to the best record in Major League Soccer and could reach that goal this weekend.

  The Crew (15-6-5) are unbeaten in seven straight - a stretch including six wins - and could clinch the Supporters' Shield for the league's best regular season record with a win over Los Angeles on Saturday.

  If Columbus beats Los Angeles at Crew Stadium, it needs New England and Chicago to either lose or tie and for Houston to lose this weekend to wrap up its first Shield since 2004.

  "For the team right now, it's a matter of maintaining first place," Crew coach Sigi Schmid said. "We want to get home field in both rounds of the playoffs, and we'd like to grab the Supporters' Shield.

  "It would be just another honor and feather in the cap for how well they've played all season." "We're not going into any game right now looking for a tie," said defender Chad Marshall, one of just three remaining players from the Crew's last playoff team in 2004. "We want to win every game and get that Supporters' Shield." Columbus leads the Eastern Conference by eight points and has continued its run without star Guillermo Barros Schelotto - who has missed the last three matches with a hamstring strain.

  Schelotto is probable to play this weekend and if he remains out, Columbus will also have to adjust to playing without Frankie Hejduk - who along with Duncan Oughton were the other players around in 2004 - and not having Schmid.

  Hejduk and Schmid were ejected in last weekend's 1-0 win over New England - the Crew's second win over the Revolution in their last four games.

  Still, the short-handed Crew have an edge on the struggling Galaxy.

  Los Angeles (7-11-8) has just one win in its last 14 matches and has the worst record in MLS. The Galaxy are last in the Western Conference but amazingly just five points out of third place and a guaranteed playoff berth.

  Los Angeles lost 3-1 to Chicago last Thursday, and needs a win this weekend to remain in the playoff chase. L.A. has missed the playoffs the last two seasons, and coach Bruce Arena knows the Galaxy - who haven't posted a shutout in their last 14 games - face an uphill climb.

  L.A.'s David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Eddie Lewis - a trio of international stars - will be available but the team has struggled with and without them. The trio could miss the club's next game against Colorado to be with their national teams.

  The Galaxy had success against the Crew earlier this season, tying 3-3 on June 21 when Donovan scored a pair of goals. The U.S. star leads MLS with 19 goals.

  The first step in remaining in the playoff race for L.A. is solving a Columbus side that is 9-2-2 at home so far this season. Even a win this week, for a team that's just 2-6-4 on the road, may not be enough to save a dismal year over the final four weeks.

  "Obviously we are a little bit behind the 8-ball," Arena said. "Likely we need to win three of them if we are going to have a chance. I feel confident we are going to make a great effort to get there."

  10/03 15:24:44 ET