Defender Lalas Abubakar feels the FC Dallas squad have forged a brotherhood that can carry them to the MLS Cup Playoffs, as they prepare to host the LA Galaxy on Saturday.

Dallas sit 10th in the Western Conference with three regular-season matches remaining, giving them a game in hand over the Colorado Rapids and San Jose Earthquakes in the play-in spots.

Eric Quill's team know that three victories from their final three games would guarantee a play-in spot as a minimum, while the automatic places are not yet out of reach.

Dallas are unbeaten in their last six games, drawing 2-2 with the Portland Timbers last week following victories over Austin FC and Colorado, and their form has centre-back Abubakar excited.

"We are like brothers from front to back, we push each other to do our best, and if someone doesn't do something right, we'll call them out on it, because we know that all of us, individually, can do better," Abubakar told Big D Soccer.

"Right now, we're all trying to stay honest with each other, because that's the only way. I need to be honest with myself and right now, we're just pushing each other."

The Galaxy, meanwhile, are only playing for pride at the end of a dismal MLS Cup defence, sitting bottom of the Western Conference, 14 points behind Dallas.

Greg Vanney's team also lost 3-2 to Liga MX side Toluca in the Campeones Cup on Wednesday, having led 2-1 with 88 minutes gone.

"It was like taking an uppercut at the end of the fight. The effort by the group for 95 minutes was excellent," Vanney said after that defeat.

"We had a shot across the bow when they scored on a set-piece, and we got an offside call on that one. That should have been the wake-up call for us. I feel like a lot of work got thrown into the bin in the last five minutes."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

FC Dallas – Petar Musa

Musa has scored in four straight matches, his third career streak of four or more consecutive league games with a goal. 

He is the third player to have three such streaks for Dallas in their MLS history, joining Maximiliano Urruti and Jason Kreis.

LA Galaxy – Joseph Paintsil 

Paintsil scored his first career MLS hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Sporting Kansas City last time out in MLS, becoming the 15th different player to score a treble for the Galaxy in regular-season play. 

Only D.C. United (17) has more players with a hat-trick in league history.

MATCH PREDICTION – FC DALLAS WIN

The LA Galaxy have 24 points in 31 matches (0.77 per match) so far this season. That means they must win their final three matches to avoid recording the lowest points-per-match average by a reigning champion in MLS history, with D.C. United's class of 2000 currently holding that unwanted record (0.94 – 30 points in 32 games).

However, that may be a tall order against a Dallas team who historically excel against the Galaxy.

Indeed, Dallas have won eight straight regular-season home matches against the LA Galaxy, tied for the club's second-longest home winning streak against a single opponent, after a run of nine versus the Chicago Fire from 1999 to 2006. 

This is the Galaxy's longest road losing streak against a single opponent in league play.

And after winning only one of their first 10 home matches of the regular season, Dallas have won four of their last six at Toyota Stadium (D1 L1), including the last two in a row.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

FC Dallas – 41.3% 

LA Galaxy – 32%

Draw – 26.7%