Once we were rivals

Thinking back to the Sigi Schmid era of Seattle Sounders soccer there was one team, and one team only, that stood in the way of greatness – the LA Galaxy, his former team.

The 2010, 2012, and 2014 playoffs stopped against LA. Galaxy were the better regular season team in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2013. The West was owned by Beckham's boys and a set of roster rules that let them exceed cap structures while rewarding their horrific pre-Sounders seasons with two of the best defenders in league history.

To win the West, Seattle had to beat LA. No season was that more apparent than in 2014 when Sounders v. Galaxy defined the Shield race and the quick rematch in the playoffs ended a quest for a treble.

But now, the Galaxy drift happlessly.

They are no longer the team targeted by Beat LA. They've become the Clippers to the Lakers.

Occasionally relevant, in the Brian Schmetzer era the Galaxy are more likely to miss the playoffs than they are to be a threat. They don't just miss the playoffs – they fail massively. Three times they've finished 20th or worse in the Shield standings with each of those being 10th or worse in the West.

Facing the Galaxy three times in short order is familiar ground for Sounders fans.

But it's not a rivalry any longer.

The Carson team isn't relevant. They aren't perennial contenders. They aren't threats to take the West, and most seasons they aren't threats to make the playoffs.

It took decade-long mismanagement for the Galaxy to crash out of relevance. Tonight's match is a sign of how irrelevant a holding MLS Cup champion can be – Galaxy can be eliminated from playoff contention with six matches left in their season.

Even their miraculous qualification for the Champions Cup shows how meaningless the team has become. They lost to Seattle, as is now typical. In MLS play the Sounders are undefeated in the last 10 home matches against LA. At home Galaxy are a bit more threatening, going 3-3-0, -3 in the last six competitive matches they've hosted.

The rivalry is gone. Purged from the soul through utter dominance over the past decade.

All that remains is Seattle Sounders, a team of champions.