If the Galaxy wasn't the MLS Cup favorite heading into the playoffs -- and for many they were, after winning the Supporters' Shield as regular-season champ -- there's no question they're the team to beat now after another impressive triumph over Seattle in the opening round of Major League Soccer's playoffs.

L.A. gave a comprehensive performance for the first hour of its 2-1 victory Sunday night at the Home Depot Center, a scoreline that meant a 3-1 aggregate victory and a berth in next Sunday's Western Conference final against FC Dallas, also at the HDC.

The Galaxy was the lone higher-seeded team to win an opening-round home-and-home series, and if they're not in the Nov. 21 MLS Cup final in Toronto -- if they're not parading the trophy around BMO Field when it's over -- then something has gone wrong.

L.A. was top-seeded for the postseason. FC Dallas, the No. 3 seed in the West, knocked off Real Salt Lake, the defending MLS Cup champion and the second-best team by record in the league. Colorado, which finished fifth in the West, beat Columbus, the Eastern Conference's second-place team. And San Jose, the lowest seed for the playoffs after finishing sixth in the West, overcame Eastern Conference champ New York on the Red Bulls' home field.

Real Salt Lake was the pick in a lot of places to win it all -- they were my pick -- and with the Utahns and Red Bulls gone, the path appears clear for the Galaxy. Except that there is great parity in MLS, and anyone can beat anyone … with the possible exception of Seattle beating the Galaxy. L.A. went 4-0 in league play against the Sounders this year, outscoring them, 10-2.

Landon Donovan doesn't agree that the Galaxy are now the team to beat.

“We're very aware that the other three top seeds lost, and we didn't want that to happen [in our series],” he said. “But all those [winning] teams are playing the best in the league right now, and that's why they're here.

“I think we all said Colorado was playing as good as anybody going into [the playoffs]. San Jose has something about it that's working right now. And, certainly, Dallas beating, in my opinion, the second-best team in the league in a two-game series says a lot about them.”

Says Galaxy coach Bruce Arena: “None of these games have favorites, obviously. … These games are hard to play in, as evidenced by this past week. We know [the conference final is] going to be a real tough game. I don't think there are any favorites. If there were favorites, none of them are around from the favorites I heard about. So I guess there aren't any favorites. We're all going to hang in there and plug away.”

The Galaxy closed its regular season two weeks ago with an impressive, come-from-behind 2-1 victory over FC Dallas, a must-win (or at least must-tie) game to win the Supporters' Shield.

“That helps a lot,” Donovan said. “It's valuable that they played that game like it meant something for them, and so we know exactly what it's about. Mentally, there's a little bit of an advantage knowing wee beat them, and they've got to come here to play us. That's why we worked so hard all year to have a chance to play this game to go to the Cup at home.”