The more exciting portion of the MLS season is now upon us. The pointless MLS All-Star Game is behind us, and teams will now focus on the more important task of qualifying for the playoffs.

Arguably, no other team in the league has as much pressure to make the playoffs and perform well than do the Galaxy. The arrival of David Beckham has drawn the attention -- and criticism -- of many soccer fans, reporters and analysts from all over the world. His arrival has also greatly increased expectations of the team.

Unlike last year, Beckham has been fortunate enough to escape injury thus far, allowing him to play in nearly all of the Galaxy's games this season. But, this too has served as a source of additional pressure. Failing to make the playoffs with a healthy Beckham on the pitch would be disastrous for the blue-and-gold. Add to this the fact that MLS officials awarded this year's MLS championship game to the Home Depot Center.

What could be better for MLS than having its best known player compete for the league championship in front of a home crowd? The drama would seem befitting for a team based in L.A.

The first step towards that goal is Sunday against FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas. The two teams last met on May 18, but with the Galaxy missing some of its stars. Nevertheless, it was a memorable game for Galaxy forward Edson Buddle that hot afternoon, scoring three goals en route to a 5 - 1 beating of Dallas. A surprising scoreline against a team believed to be tough on defense.

Two months later, things have changed for both teams. Dallas has struggled since then and only the lowly San Jose Earthquakes have fewer points in the conference standings.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy have put in some good performances which took them to the top of the conference standings, but have recently fallen into a bit of a slump, slipping to second, with only 2 points between them and the fifth place Colorado Rapids.

A victory would put the Galaxy back up on top of the conference standings. More importantly, it would help them break the streak of 5 games without a victory and restore some of the team's confidence.

This Sunday's match is unlikely to resemble the teams' previous meeting. The Galaxy come into the game with all of their big guns. Forward Carlos Ruiz is likely to be making his first appearance against his former mates and Ruiz isn't quite known for having the friendliest personality on the field. He is likely to be wanting to put a hurt on his old team by putting in a goal or two.

While Ruiz' presence may prove to be a positive, rookie standout defender Sean Franklin is questionable due to injury. Recently signed Eduardo Dominguez will likely make his Galaxy debut and take up some of the defensive duties.

Dallas will test that defense mostly through All-Star forward Kenny Cooper, but more noteworthy is that the team's other notable figures such as Dulio Davino, Juan Toja and Arturo Alvarez are either unhappy, performing sub-par or on their way out. The team's chemistry may make it difficult for them to generate a lot of offense, but teams always seem to be motivated when L.A. pays a visit.

In addition, Dallas will be hungry to get out from the bottom half of the conference standings to make a run for the playoffs. Beating Beckham's Galaxy would serve as a great piece of motivation for the rest of their season. The Galaxy will need to match Dallas' intensity if they want to leave town with a victory.

Simple enough on paper, but not quite the same on the pitch. Add to this the fact that the Galaxy big guns haven't played together all that often this year. The lack of play could become a source of disorganization for the Galaxy offense and the team may actually be less potent than the one that beat Dallas in May.

This could prove to be a very interesting and exciting game, possibly revealing some of Galaxy head coach Ruud Gullit's strategy for the playoff push. Make sure you catch it and support the Galaxy!

GO GALAXY!!

Photo by puck90 via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr