It’s a Sunday Southern California soccer showcase in MLS with two games involving the Galaxy and Chivas USA on the schedule after a weekend of action so far that featured the unexpectedly early debut of Clint Dempsey with the Sounders in Toronto.

If the Galaxy aren’t licking their lips at the prospect of meeting a Dallas team in freefall at this juncture of the seaon (live at 5 p.m. on ESPN2), returning from a break in MLS action with influential players approaching game fitness against a club  just one point below them in the standings, then something is wrong.

Chivas USA, however, continue to plod along with very little return in another MLS season spiraling into irrelevance and without defensive inspiration Carlos Bocanegra tonight in Carson there are few signs things will be any different against a resurgent Rapids.