The LA Galaxy recorded its second win at home following a 2-1 win against Real Salt Lake on Sunday. The victory breaks a three-game stretch without a win across all competitions.

Marco Reus opened the scoring in the ninth minute of the match with a free kick. The German recorded his third goal of the season as he continues to be one of the most important contributors on the team.

LA played with aggression in the first half and looked to be physical in duels across the pitch. However, RSL found its moment to get one back minutes before the first half. A shot from Zavier Gozo hit the post and then hit the back of keeper J.T Marcinkowski and into the back of the net.

The second half provided a drop off in intensity for the Galaxy. But mostly due to personnel changes.

Jakob Glesnes came off at halftime for Edwin Cerrillo. The plan was for the Norwegian to play just 45 minutes in his return to the pitch. Cerrillo would then just last 22 minutes before coming off early due to what Head Coach Greg Vanney called “knee lockups”.

LA was given the golden opportunity to take the lead after Sam Junqua brought down Wynder in the box. Reus took the penalty and finished it into the bottom corner to score his second of the night in the 85th minute.

“Guys have given everything in my opinion, and to just kind of dig as deep as they did today to get that one across the line is massive for that locker room and for those guys,” said Vanney postgame.

Reus Shines in Primetime

“(Reus) just brings something that nobody else on the field brings for us, and we need that. I think it elevates the opportunities for Joe and Gabe, and it helps in our midfield to give us something that is an experience that I don’t think we have with the rest of the group,” added Vanney.

Reus took the spotlight in the primetime matchup with his two goals. He’s the most technical player on the team and showed his individual quality during Sunday’s match.

“The other guys are grinders. They’re hard workers. They’re facilitators of the game. But Marco is the creative guy who sees something different, who has the technique and all those things,” said Vanney.

Reus finished the match with two goals, three chances created, and 38/41 passes completed on the night. The individual performance was sublime, but Reus was solely focused on the team’s result.

“I don’t care honestly,” said Reus about scoring two goals on the night.

“What I care about is winning, and I don’t care if I score, I don’t care if I give assist. I just care about my team to win games, and that’s why I’m here,” said the former German player of the year.

Rebuilding the Fortress

“You can feel it in the locker room,” said goalkeeper J.T Marcinkowski about what the win meant to the Galaxy.

“We’ve talked a lot the past few days of determination, battling, being able to fight for one another on the field. I think our performance tonight really embodied that and showed us kind of that’s the least that we can do for every single game going forward,” he added.

LA has had a disappointing stretch of home games since their victory over Charlotte FC on Matchday two. Losses to Sporting Kansas City and Minnesota United in league play and then elimination to Toluca in Concacaf Champions League are not the ideal results to build Dignity Health Sports Park into a fortress.

“It wasn’t necessarily the prettiest game by any means, but we kind of knew that going in with the way the Salt Lake plays and the way they set up their team. We really wanted to outwork them. We wanted to be the aggressors, set the tone. I thought the performance was really solid,” said Marcinkowski.

The aggression was noticeable on the night. Players swarmed after the opponent and looked to make RSL deal with pressure. The physicality was shown through fouls on the night.

Reus was happy with the intensity with which the LA Galaxy came out during the game. Despite playing three games in the span of eight days, the Galaxy looked ready to match the physicality and intensity RSL would bring on the night.

“I told the guys that we just can’t go out and just play. We have to play dirty at some point in different situations on the field, and we did it, especially in the first half,” said Reus. “The second half, the energy goes down a little bit, and then we were not struggling, but we were always aware of situations where they could be dangerous. At the end, it was just a mental win.”

The LA Galaxy’s next test comes in the form of the Vancouver Whitecaps. Reus will match up against one of his oldest rivals and fellow former German player of the year, Thomas Müller.

As the curtains fell and confetti filled the air, Cobi Jones looked at the new statue of him at Legends Plaza. The LA Galaxy and U.S. Men’s National Team icon now sits with David Beckham and Landon Donovan as the figures forever immortalized in bronze.

Many ex-teammates such as Alexi Lalas, Carlos Ruiz, Eric Wynalda, Landon Donovan, and Robin Fraser — who had coached Toronto FC the night prior — were in attendance, along with current LA Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney, to witness the moment.

Jones spent his entire MLS career with the LA Galaxy. He was one of the faces of the franchise in the early years of the club’s history, even scoring the team’s first-ever goal. He originally had been working toward a degree in environmental science, but soccer called, and he never looked back.

“For a kid that wasn’t planning to play soccer past high school, that was told in high school that he was one of the worst players that someone had ever seen... those are just a few of the things that had to happen to make this dream work,” said Jones to reporters.

The early days of MLS were not easy. The league was new in a country where soccer was not the marquee sport — the NFL and NBA dominated the American sports landscape, and the question wasn’t whether MLS would thrive, but whether it would survive at all. Jones is grateful the league made it to a point where players can even think about being immortalized by their clubs.

“In those early years, I don’t think anyone thought of statues for soccer players. I mean, we were just trying to grind it out and survive, day to day, wondering if the league was going to be here next year,” said Jones.

He paused and smiled before continuing. “Eventually we had that success. Now, many, many years later, all of a sudden we’re on more stable ground and then statues start coming and all that happens.”

For Jones, the recognition carried a meaning that went beyond the bronze figure unveiled in front of him. He had wondered, quietly, whether the contributions of his era would be remembered by a fanbase that had grown up watching a very different version of the league.

“You kind of think, well, my time has passed,” he said. “But I was very pleased to hear that, no, they remember what you’ve done from back in the day.”

There is no debate among those who were there from the beginning about where Jones stands in the club’s history.

“For me, Cobi is the legend of this club, respectfully to all the guys who have statues out there,” said Vanney. “He’s been here since day one. He’s played every game. His whole career was here. His blood, sweat, tears everything was about LA Galaxy and the city of Los Angeles.”

That sentiment extends deep into the fanbase. For a generation of Galaxy supporters, Jones is the name that comes to mind first before the Beckhams and the Donovans, before the championships and the Hollywood glamour the club is known for.

“Cobi should’ve got it a long time ago,” said LA Galaxy fan Rigo Cardenas. “When you think of LA Galaxy, you think of Cobi Jones. He deserves it more than anyone else.”

Cardenas grew up watching Jones during the years the Galaxy played at the Rose Bowl. His family loved Jones so much they named the family dog Cobi. He is one of many Galaxy fans of his generation who hold Jones in that regard. For Cardenas, Jones is the original, the one who was there before any of it was guaranteed.

Vanney tied the timing of the statue unveiling to the Galaxy’s performance on the night against Real Salt Lake, drawing a connection between Jones’s career and the club’s 2-1 win on Sunday.

“I felt like today’s performance was kind of an embodiment of who Cobi is,” said Vanney. “Which is just find a way to keep persevering, keep getting it done, and success will find you when you keep earning it the way he did.”

Even the making of the statue carried Jones’s personality. Getting the iconic dreadlocks right was a priority and no small task.

“Each individual dreadlock had to be done separately in bronze to make sure it looked the right way,” Jones said with a laugh. “The last thing I wanted was for it to look like worms coming out of the top of my head.”

The result is a statue that captures not just the player but the person, the dreadlocks and speed that LA Galaxy fans grew accustomed to over the years.

“They killed it. The hair, the number 13, how it pops out its amazing,” said Cardenas while looking at the new statue.

With Legends Plaza now home to three statues, the conversation inevitably turns to who deserves to join them. Jones didn’t hesitate with his answer.

“I’m going to go for Carlos Ruiz,” he said. “He was so pivotal in us getting that first championship. He was magic inside the box and inside the 18.”

For now though, this moment belongs to Jones. The kid who wasn’t supposed to play past high school and wasn’t a college hotshot when he first joined UCLA. Now he’s a cherished member of the LA Galaxy history and forever one of the icons fans will see when walking into Dignity Health Sports Park.

“As I’ve told him many times. He’s earned it. He deserves it,” said Vanney.

“Now, for me, Legends Plaza is a little more where it should be.”

The LA Galaxy has been placed on FIFA’s Registration Ban List, but the club expects the matter to be resolved before it causes any significant disruption.

Sources tell The Galactic Tribune and TotalLAGalaxy that the dispute centers on a financial matter involving a former LA Galaxy player. The player in question spent three seasons with the club.

A registration ban prevents a club from signing new players both domestically and internationally until the outstanding amount is settled.

In a document obtained by The Galactic Tribune from the FIFA Legal Portal, the governing body outlined the terms of the ban: “A ban from registering new players internationally and nationally has been implemented by FIFA on (LA Galaxy). The registration ban will remain active until the amount due is paid and for a maximum duration of up to three entire and consecutive registration periods.”

The LA Galaxy was placed on the list as of April 21.

The club responded to The Galactic Tribune with a statement indicating the situation is already moving toward resolution. “We challenged the legitimacy of the terms and have since reached a resolution. We expect the ban to be lifted well before the next transfer window,” the club said.

This is not unprecedented in MLS. The Philadelphia Union faced a similar situation in January 2025, when they were placed on the FIFA registration ban list over a $700 payment dispute involving José Riasco. That ban lasted less than two months before both parties reached an agreement, and Philly was removed from the list.

The Galaxy’s situation is expected to follow a similar timeline. The club returns home on Sunday for a crucial MLS matchup against Real Salt Lake.

The LA Galaxy’s road trip ended with a 2-1 loss to the Columbus Crew on Wednesday night and a blow that could reshape the rest of their season.

Head Coach Greg Vanney confirmed postgame that Joao Klauss will undergo surgery to repair ligaments in his foot and won’t return until after the World Cup break. Losing the Brazilian striker removes LA’s most reliable offensive weapon this season at the worst possible time, with the Galaxy winless in four of their last five and desperately needing points at home this weekend against RSL.

After a two-hour weather delay, goals from Daniel Gazdag and Diego Rossi put Columbus in control of the match. Gabriel Pec scored his first MLS goal of the season in the 86th minute to cut the deficit but it wasn’t enough. LA’s fourth loss of the season leaves them behind the rest of the top of the West.

Columbus dictated the terms from the opening whistle. LA struggled to build any rhythm in possession as the Crew’s press suffocated the Galaxy’s midfield, winning the ball back quickly and preventing any sustained buildup through the lines.

Vanney acknowledged his side couldn’t match the intensity required. “They were moving faster around the field than we were. They were moving in numbers, staying connected, closing things up,” he said.

The Galaxy’s response was too passive throughout. Rather than anticipating the press and moving the ball at pace, LA looked reactive and hesitant, which has been a recurring theme in their road performances this season.

“There’s times when we’re walking and we need to be jogging, times when we’re jogging and we need to be sprinting,” said Vanney. “We need to increase our intensity level and speed, especially in a game when a team is aggressively pressing like that.”

It wasn’t until Pec’s late goal that the match began to shift in LA’s favor but it was too little, too late.

The Klauss news casts a long shadow over the coming weeks. The striker’s combination of physicality and technical quality gives Vanney a profile he simply can’t replace like-for-like in the current squad.

“You lose that nine up there who gives you a couple things, both with the ball and without the ball, and we just have to adapt and deal with it,” said Vanney.

Against Columbus, LA used Marco Reus as a false nine in an attempt to play through the press. Julian Aude also left the match early with an injury, adding to an already stretched roster that is missing Erik Thommy and Matheus Nascimento.

With the frontline depleted, 19-year-old Ruben Ramos Jr. made his second career start for the Galaxy. The La Puente native is one of the most promising products of LA’s academy in recent years, as the striker who led the club’s youth teams to success in the MLS Next Cup and is now being asked to start contributing at the senior level.

He played 62 minutes as a left-sided attacker and was honest in his postgame assessment about his performance.

“I didn’t have a great game today, but I’ll put that responsibility on me. I just want to improve. I’m a young guy, so I just want to improve, learn and just get out there and do my best,” said Ramos.

With Klauss sidelined for an extended stretch, Ramos is likely to become a familiar face in the coming weeks. That is both a challenge and an opportunity for a player with plenty to prove.

The road trip is over. Now comes defending your home turf.

With just one point from a possible six on this trip, Vanney made clear that the Galaxy must turn Dignity Health Sports Park into a fortress if they want to stay relevant in the Western Conference race.

“We’ve got to take points at home and then the road points that we take can be somewhat bonus, but we’ve got to make home a place that we’re taking points on a consistent basis,” he said.

RSL comes to town on Sunday night. It’s a moment to prove that DHSP can still be a fortress for the G’s.

Football is a game where one tactical switch can win or lose the match.

It rescued a point for the LA Galaxy on Saturday night and avoided what could’ve been a demoralizing loss to start a tough road trip. The 2-2 draw with FC Dallas isn’t the ideal result, but given the circumstances of the match, the Galaxy will take it.

For the second straight MLS match, the LA Galaxy lined up with a back three and played in a 3-4-3 shape to start the game. After 38 minutes, LA was down 2-0 due to Maya Yoshida's blunder and Dallas taking advantage of the G’s failing to mark runners in the box.

Following the second goal, Head coach Greg Vanney reverted to a 4-3-3 shape – one that LA is extremely comfortable with. The Gs looked livelier on the ball, and it made it easier for the team to get past the press of FC Dallas. In the 30 minutes LA played in the 3-4-3, it was clear that this system isn’t going to work in the long term.

Let’s dive into the blueprint for why the back three hindered the LA Galaxy in Dallas.

Why the Back 3 Failed

The front three of the 3-4-3 have very different roles compared to the 4-3-3. For starters, Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil didn’t play as wingers but rather as half-space number 10’s that had the freedom to combine.

This means it was very important for the back three and midfielders to progress the ball into attacking areas and give the front three the opportunities to combine and open spaces. This means Edwin Cerrilo and Lucas Sanabria were too key to ball progression. They determined the moment the ball was played to either the wingbacks or dual 10’s.

Dallas understood that and allowed for the two midfielders to get touches on the ball and block passing lanes in order to force turnovers off bad balls.

In this clip here, watch how Dallas looks to cut off passing lanes the moment that Cerrillo gets on the ball. His pass is cut off, and Dallas forces LA to play a hopeful long ball to create offense.

A lot of responsibility is on the two central midfielders to keep possession and get the ball moving towards the goal. A key aspect is understanding the movement of the wing-backs and two 10’s playing the half-space. When there is no chemistry when it comes to anticipating your teammates’ run, that’s where the game gets sloppy.

That’s what happened in this play here. Sanabria anticipates Pec to come inside toward him, but instead, he makes a run in behind, and Dallas wins the ball with momentum. You can even see Vanney at the bottom of the screen showing his displeasure with that lack of understanding.

Here’s the other thing about this playstyle: it takes away from the dynamism of Pec and Paintsil.

When both players are forced to play more technically and focus more on combining with the midfield, it takes away the vertical threat they possess, which is still one of the best in the league.

This moment here is why Vanney pushed away from this system in the first half.

Gabriel Pec gets a touch of the ball with his back to the goal rather than moving forward. I know for a fact this is where Vanney doesn’t want to see Pec in possession.

He loses the ball easily because of the Dallas press ready to engage in the midfield, and it leads to a goal. Aside from this being another goal for Dallas, seeing Pec in position with the ball must’ve been the final straw for Vanney playing in this system.

Getting the most out of Paintsil

With Paintsil, playing as 10 or in the half space is not the way to get him to impact games. He excels in motion and dribbling forward. He has the pace to beat any defender, and his runs in behind are his specialty.

When you force Paintsil to slow down and play in tighter spaces rather than attack open space, he becomes pedestrian. Compared to Pec, Paintsil just lacks the technical ability to be great in combination play and play under pressure.

For Sanabria’s goal, Paintsil takes on his man and is constantly moving towards the goal with and without the ball. Sanabria does well to score, but this shows how important it is to get Paintsil moving with the ball towards the goal.

For his goal, this is a classic attacking space finish. The Galaxy force movement between the Dallas backline and Paintsil reads the moment to attack a gap in the backline. With LA starting to combine down the right more, Dallas starts to float more towards that side. Paintsil roams near the top of the box and Pec players a killer ball for Paintsil to finish with a powerful shot.

Paintsil was the reason for LA getting a point from this game. He’s dynamic and gives the Galaxy attack that extra dimension in the moments he’s playing into space rather than within it. It’s hard to envision Paintsil having this same effect had Vanney not made the tweak to revert to the usual formation.

Joseph Paintsil had emptied the tank when he fell to the floor in the 70^th minute of the LA Galaxy’s road match.

The 28-year-old was instrumental to the LA Galaxy’s 2-2 draw against FC Dallas. It looked like LA was going to deal with a heavy road beating, but the Ghanaian winger helped the G’s fight back with a goal and an assist on the night. The only thing that stopped him on the night was fatigue.

Paintsil’s last appearance in MLS was back on March 8^th in Colorado. He has felt something in his hamstring early in the second half and requested to be subbed out. Hamstring injuries are no joke, especially for speedy wingers like Paintsil.

“The rehab process was really smooth. I was feeling OK in the fourth week, but there was a little thing that was still annoying me, so I just gave it a little bit, one more week and a few days. Because the most important thing is for me to be healthy and to have no pain so that I can come in and give what I need to give,” said Paintsil to reporters.

Taking that approach was key to getting him back to his normal self when he returned to the pitch. Paintsil is one of the fastest players in the league, and it helps add bite to LA’s counterattacking moments.

“Even though I was injured, I came back and I just kept running. It’s just part of me and I just need to keep going because I think they also need that type of energy in the team…we have the three DP’s now, I think it’s a whole lot of options now,” said Paintsil.

For Head Coach Greg Vanney, Paintsil’s return gives him reliability on the left wing. Harbor Miller is a raw player, and Erik Thommy had filled in before his injury midweek.

“Joe makes a huge difference. I mean, the chances that Joe gets just with his quality and velocity. All those kinds of things it changes the group,” said Vanney.

“It’s great to have Joe back. It’s not easy for him to come back and play 60 or 70 minutes, however long he played tonight. I’m sure he was pushing through it,” said defender John Nelson.

“I love playing with him. Obviously, he provides a different element to the game with his speed, beating guys one-on-one. It was good for him to get a goal and be confident. Really good for me on the left side and really good for the team to have him back,” added Nelson.

Paintsil’s goal came in combination with Gabriel Pec. The Ghanaian made a stellar run through the back line and put quite a bit of power on his shot to beat Michael Collodi.

His goals and assist on Lucas Sanabria’s goal are Paintsil’s first goal contributions this season. It's key for him to keep this good form to stay on the radar of the new Ghana head coach, Carlos Queiroz. Paintsil had regularly been involved under Otto Addo’s tenure.

“It’s amazing that we have a new coach, a new coach who can bring more energy to the team, a new coach who does everything possible for us to also get into whatever we want to get into in the World Cup,” said Paintsil.

“I just think I just need to keep going and just focus on the team and whatever will happen in the future, only God knows. I’ll just need to do my part.”

The LA Galaxy’s focus is purely on MLS following elimination from Concacaf Champions Cup earlier in the week. Paintsil reiterated that he feels confident in the group bouncing back and climbing the MLS table. When most are doom and gloom about the LA Galaxy, his perspective is quite different.

“I think now there is no pressure. Now we just need to take one game at each time and just keep going. Because now we don’t need to change anything. We just need to take one game at a time and try to win most of the game so that we can be in the playoff, and then we can, we can do whatever that we have to do in the playoff.”

The next match on this road trip is in Columbus on Wednesday night. It’s a key point in the season where the LA Galaxy will decide what kind of team it wants to be.

The LA Galaxy’s match against Austin FC on Saturday is quite the awkward one. An early 11:30 am kickoff between two middle-of-the-pack teams in the Western Conference. Plus, this game is sandwiched in between the Concacaf Champions Cup series against Toluca.

Nevertheless, the Galaxy needs results in league play. A loss to Minnesota United last week means more pressure is on LA to start climbing up the table and not lagging behind other clubs. It doesn’t help that LA hasn’t won in Austin since the 2022 season.

I asked Phil West of Verde All Day some questions about this Austin FC to gauge where the team is this season, and about players who could cause the LA Galaxy some trouble in this game. His insights provide some details on what kind of game we can see at Q2 Stadium.

If you’re interested in more of my LA Galaxy thoughts, I also answered some of Phil’s questions about the G’s and more thoughts on LA’s chances of getting a result against Toluca on Wednesday.

Alex Ruiz: How’s Austin FC’s season been so far? Is it living up to expectations or somewhat disappointing? What’s giving you hope for this season?

Phil West: It’s been weird! On one hand, they’re playing more expansively overall, and looked positively inspired and electric in their last two matches, which were draws, but draws against LAFC (holding that offense to no goals and being unlucky not to score) and Inter Miami (with Galaxy fan favorite Guilherme Biro hilariously scoring the first goal in the ballyhooed Nu Stadium opening and with Verde going up in the second half before Miami threw millions of dollars of substitute forwards into the match to get the equalizer).

Also, though, they’ve been so injury-plagued in the early part of the season that I’ve christened a group of what should be their starters, including Brandon Vázquez and Owen Wolff, the “Frail Four.” Wolff, who should have stepped in to be Austin’s version of Riqui Puig after making a considerable leap last season, had sports hernia surgery at the start of last season, and hasn’t played yet with a slower-than-expected recovery. (He’s going to miss this one as well.) By May, barring further injuries, we should see Verde at full strength, but it’s certainly affected how things are going so far.

Which is, if you’ve checked the standings, 11th place in the West, getting just one point per match thus far.

Ruiz: The LA Galaxy bogeyman is the low block. LA has struggled to break down teams that sit low defensively and find themselves in a vulnerable position on the counterattack because of that. Is that how Austin FC approaches matches, or can you see both teams being open and wanting to play with the ball? Who is the biggest threat on the counter that could give LA problems?

West: Austin FC head coach Nico Estévez has done well to create game plans that keep his team in games, and I expect that he’ll do the same here. He’s not afraid to situationally shift from a back four to a back five, and though Joseph Rosales is being deployed mostly as a winger, his defensive skills have raised the whole team’s floor, and he can lead counters as well — on Saturday, Verde took the lead when Rosales stripped Lionel Messi of the ball in Miami’s final third, then found Myrto Uzuni (who has been playing more as a connector lately in a two-forward system with a veteran you know named Christian Ramírez who just happened to be available on waivers), who found Jayden Nelson (another great offseason addition giving Verde some needed speed).

Those are players to watch, as is Facundo Torres, who came off with injury at halftime last week and could see some minutes. Though Austin’s largely relied on set pieces this season thus far, counterattacking is something they should do more.

Ruiz: Having watched Austin, what is something that teams have been able to exploit against Verde? As someone with an outside perspective, what “scares” you about the Galaxy ahead of this matchup.

West: I actually just wrote about this: This team is prone to occasional costly defensive lapses, and this season, they’ve been happening late in matches. They’ve given up five goals so far in the final half hour of matches — four of those in the 82nd minute of later — that have turned two wins into draws and two draws into losses.

That’s six points shed in a competitive West, and with those points added back, they’d be in 6th right now instead of 11th. Give them two more points from the RSL loss as one of RSL’s two goals was an own goal, and that’s 14 points, and Austin’s in fourth.

The combination of those late-game lapses and a forward like Joao Klauss is going to make things very nervy for Austin fans if the hosts are clinging to a one-goal lead or a draw late.

Wednesday night in Toluca was equal parts encouraging and alarming for the LA Galaxy. That is honestly a pretty accurate summary of the LA Galaxy’s 2026 season so far.

A 4-2 defeat on the road against arguably the best team in Liga MX is not a result to be ashamed of. Two away goals in hand, a fighting second-half performance, and a Gabriel Pec who looks like a completely different player in this competition. There is something to work with heading into the second leg at Dignity Health Sports Park. It’s not a lot, but the situation could be much worse.

Toluca dominated possession in the first half, and LA looked extremely sloppy when organizing attacks. It was on full display how much more organized and in sync Toluca looked compared to the G’s.

The Galaxy’s backline remains a genuine liability. Toluca’s Paulinho was clinical, a hat trick from a poacher who punished every lapse in concentration and every moment of defensive disorganization. The same defensive fragility that has plagued LA through its winless run in MLS didn’t disappear just because the competition changed.

So the Galaxy finds itself in the midst of an identity issue. Is this team going to be good enough to get results and take advantage of the moments to kill the game, or is this squad going to have another underwhelming season where chances are wasted and with a backline made of straw?

The most encouraging subplot of this Concacaf Champions Cup run has been the resurrection of Pec. The Brazilian winger, who won Newcomer of the Year in 2024 and looked lost for much of 2025, has rediscovered something in this competition. He’s scoring, he’s creating, and he’s playing with the kind of freedom and confidence that made him one of MLS’s most exciting players two years ago.

Head Coach Greg Vanney praised the Brazilian’s energy on the night and the importance of building confidence. Pec’s performances in MLS have been far below the standards he set in his inaugural season. But he’s giving LA life in this competition.

The hope now is that this form carries over. The Galaxy need Pec to bring that energy into MLS play, not just in continental competition. If he can, LA’s attack looks genuinely dangerous. If he can’t make that transition, the discourse about his consistency will keep going.

Two away goals is a lifeline in the series. It means the second leg at home is very much alive, and that Toluca cannot simply sit back and defend. It will be interesting to see how much of a “home” atmosphere LA will have at Dignity Health Sports Park next week. Not only will the game start early with a 6 p.m. kickoff time, but Toluca has a strong fanbase that will show up to a game like this.

But the reality the Galaxy has to keep a clean sheet, or close to one, while scoring at least twice against a Toluca side that dominated large portions of Wednesday’s match. That is a tall order for a defense that has been leaking goals all season. Some of the goals Toluca scored were mostly players being at the right places at the right time to punish LA. Without Jakob Glesnes, there is more chaos and simple mistakes that multiply in every game that he remains injured.

This series is bigger than just a trophy. It is a referendum on what this Galaxy team actually is. It will define the LA Galaxy for 2026. It will either add gasoline to the fanbase discord or calm down the talks of Vanney’s job security and discussions of major changes.

Win the second leg and advance, and suddenly the narrative shifts. A team that looked rudderless in MLS has beaten one of CONCACAF’s elite clubs. Momentum is a real thing in soccer, and a quality home victory could be exactly the spark this group needs heading into a brutal stretch of road games (The hope is LA can parlay that type of form into MLS regular season matches).

Lose, and the spiral deepens.

The boos that rang out against Minnesota United will get louder. The questions about this squad’s ceiling will become harder to dismiss. Discussions surrounding Vanney’s job will start picking up more.

April promised to be the month that defined the Galaxy’s season. That promise still holds. Next week’s second leg is now the most important game LA has played in a long time.

Show up, Galaxy. It will define who you are.

The LA Galaxy’s season continues to lack direction following a 2-1 loss to Minnesota United on Saturday night.

Anthony Markanich opened the scoring in the first half for the Loons. He beat Mauricio Cuevas to the ball and finished his one-on-one chance against J.T Marcinkowski in the 51^st minute.

Marco Reus scored his second goal of the season in the 57^th minute to bring the game level. LA broke down the low block of the Loons to create that high-quality chance.

It would be the away side that found the winner. Kelvin Yeboah scored a tap-in goal after a giveaway from the LA Galaxy and poor defending on the ensuing attack.

The Galaxy extends its winless streak to three games. Boos rained down as the final whistle blew and players headed to the locker room with no expressions on their faces.

Another Goalkeeper Saga

Vanney made it clear in his lineup that Marcinkowski is the starter now. The LA Galaxy is going into its second season, where Novak Mićović has been replaced early in the season.

The 28-year-old made two saves on the night but conceded two on the night. It wasn’t a spectacular night for Marcinkowski.

In his press conference, Vanney didn’t commit to one goalkeeper.

“I think they're two very different goalkeepers, and so I'm not committing at the moment,” he said.

Mićović had started MLS matches, while Marcinkowski played the games in Concacaf Champions Cup. Now it’s been reversed with Marcinkowski starting the last two league matches.

“I think I possess great leadership within the locker room. I think I can help the backline with my communication. I think at the end of the day it's just about making saves,” said Marcinkowski about what makes him stand out as a goalkeeper.

“At the end of the day, it’s just about making saves… that’s what you’re paid to do, and that’s what your role is,” he said.

Cheap Goals

It was a night to watch the LA Galaxy’s backline concede soft goals. The lineup of Julian Aude, Justin Haak, Emiro Garces, and Cuevas is as close as you can get to the strongest possible pairing given the current availability.

"When teams score goals, we have to make them earn the goals. They can't be simple goals... We can't give up soft goals. We've got to be cleaner about that,” said Vanney about the goals allowed.

Cuevas was beaten by a long ball and couldn’t catch up to Markanich. This gave the Loons a high-quality shot that the team took advantage of. The second goal saw a giveaway in the team’s own half that led to Minnesota scoring with not much defensive pressure.

"We want that to be the opposition, not to be us, right? And I think our failure to take care of the ball in good ways is putting more physical challenges on us,” added Vanney.

The Galaxy invested heavily in the backline this offseason. Allowing goals of this caliber isn’t a good sign.

“I hate losing”

It was blunt and direct from Reus at the post-match press conference. The former German Player of the Year has only known winning during his half-season in 2024, which ended with an MLS Cup. This stretch of results is clearly weighing on him.

“I hate losing. I hate losing so much, and it pissed me off today, and the other games too, when we are not winning,” he told reporters.

Reus pointed to a lack of basic collective effort as the underlying problem.

“It’s simple basics in soccer, helping each other in difficult moments, even when you don’t have the confidence on the field yourself, but just to show up, to give an option for your teammate if he’s in a difficult situation,” he said.

With Toluca on the horizon midweek, the Galaxy have little time to dwell. But the questions surrounding this team are growing louder.

“We are the guys on the pitch, and the coach can always decide something and change something, of course, but at the end, we are on the pitch, and we make the decisions. So that means that we have to be more focused on us, on our game, and that can only be if we are doing it together,” said Reus.

The LA Galaxy is preparing to get back into the swing of MLS and Concacaf Champions Cup this week.

A home matchup with Minnesota United on Saturday, followed by a visit to Toluca for the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal. The month of April will be the month to shape how the Galaxy will be viewed by its fans and across the league.

Sitting in 10th in the Western Conference with five points, the LA Galaxy will need to start accumulating points or else be left in the dust as MLS clubs keep adding distance in the standings.

Ahead of this busy month of April, I had the pleasure of talking with Dax McCarty, former MLS player and current analyst for MLS on Apple TV. He added his analysis on the LA Galaxy and a variety of topics.

Here’s my Q&A with MLS on Apple TV analyst Dax McCarty:

Alex Ruiz: What have you been doing during the international break? Obviously, two week break in between the last time you were on MLS studio shows?

McCarty: Yeah, I honestly, I’ve been trying to watch as much international soccer as I can, just to try to get my bearings on the World Cup.

Who was going to fill out those last six places in the World Cup, which was pretty incredible. A lot of drama, a lot of tears, shed both happy tears and sad tears. For some countries that made it, and some countries that didn’t. On top of that, try to get moved into a new house. So, going through a move as well. It’s been a very eventful, very chaotic two weeks.

Ruiz: Real quickly, just your thoughts on how the US Men’s National Team did in those two games?

McCarty: I thought it was a disappointing window for the U.S. Men’s National Team. I thought that the players that Pochettino called in made sense. A lot of guys in good form over in Europe, some players not in the best form. But I really like the balance. I hoped we would see some consistent lineups in some consistent tactical solutions from the U.S. Men’s National Team, just to kind of give us a preview of maybe what we’ll see in the World Cup.

And I feel like I left that window with more questions than answers now, and so a couple of things I came away with.

Christian Pulisic, he’s got to play better if our attack is going to look as dangerous as it can be. I think Christians club form is obviously struggling a little bit as well. And so he’s got a couple of months to get back on track, to start scoring goals again, and to start being the confident, dangerous player that we know he can be. But if he’s not, if he struggles, then our attack struggles generally. I really feel that way.

And Chris Richards importance at center back, I don’t think it can be overstated just how big a figure and how important he is.

I just want to see a little bit more clarity from our U.S. Men’s National Team. A lot of questions still to be answered, and a couple of months before World Cup, it doesn’t fill me or our fan base up with a lot of confidence.

Ruiz: Moving on to the LA Galaxy. What are your overall thoughts, your analysis of the team so far during its first couple of games this season?

McCarty: It’s been a little bit hot and cold, if you will, a little bit inconsistent. And I would kind of air almost more on the side of it’s been a little bit more inconsistent than I would have liked to see from a Greg Vanney-coached team.

On the positive side, some of the new additions have hit the ground running and looked fantastic. Obviously, Joao Klaus has been excellent, and then when Jakob Glesnes has been able to be on the field, he’s been a real calming presence to that back line, and so his injury is extremely unfortunate. I think Vanney is trying to come up with solutions to replace him and to try to figure out what the solution is in the back.

I think Justin Haak has been okay. I don’t think he’s been great. I think that he needs to show a little bit more and show why he was one of the most sought-after free agents on the market, and I would like to see him get a consistent run in the midfield. I know he’s versatile, I know he can play center back, but Haak and Cerrillo, I think provide you a little bit of that steel, a little bit of that protection in front of the vulnerable Galaxy back line that I think they’ve been missing.

When all their attackers are fit and healthy and on the field, they look really dangerous in the attack. So as long as Reus, Pec, Paintail and Klaus are on the field, I think the Galaxy are going to be really dynamic, dangerous group, but there’s a little bit of a fall off after that.

I think Erik Thommy hasn’t been great. He’s been a little inconsistent. They’re not getting a ton out of Sanabria at this moment in time. I think Wynder has been a pleasant surprise in midfield, but generally, I think that you need Glesnes back healthy, play Haak in midfield if you want to get the best out of this group.

Ruiz: You know better than anyone how important it is to have a is to have a stable midfield. The Galaxy this year has rotated lineups every single game because of the Concacaf Champions Cup, and they’re likely going to do that again as they enter this stretch of the season in April. How much does it affect the player’s point of view to not know if you’re going to be starting every week and kind of having different teammates every game?

McCarty: That’s part of being a professional athlete, that you have to be adaptable. You have to be able to adjust to what the coaching staff sees fit and how they’re going to manage all these different competitions.

As a player, I always wanted to play every minute of every game. It didn’t matter if it was three games in a week, I always felt up to it, and that was, of course, in my younger days.

Greg Vanney has to manage those rotations in those minutes. I mean, that’s clear. And I think they should put a big emphasis on Concacaf Champions Cup. The Galaxy, if you remember, qualified in the dreadful season they had last year. It was pretty much the only positive was that they were able to qualify for the Concacaf Champions Cup. They’ve looked really good in the Concacaf Champions Cup, but of course, now they come up against what many people consider one of the best teams in the competition in Toluca.

So you’re going to have to find ways to get guys sharp before that game, but also make sure guys are getting rest. So a player like Marco Reus, for example, he’ll want to play every minute of every game. But I think going into this game against Minnesota United, you try to get him 60 good minutes and then take him off so he still has fresh legs for that Toluca game. But as a player, you want to play every single minute. And I have no doubt that the big players on the Galaxy are going to want to play

Ruiz: Moving on to the Galaxy’s game this weekend against Minnesota. What do you think are the keys to the match? And also, who do you think needs this win more, the LA Galaxy or Minnesota?

McCarty: Both teams not in great form to be honest. Minnesota United going on the road, obviously, to a team against the Galaxy who haven’t looked great, it’s still a big challenge for them. You could make the argument that Minnesota needs this win significantly more and needs this game. I mean, they’ve really struggled the last couple of weeks. Conceded nine goals, obviously the six-goal thrashing at Vancouver, which can happen, but they’ve only scored one goal in the process.

They’re still trying to get James Rodriguez up to speed and acclimated. But look, Rodriguez started both games for Colombia during the international break, and he went over 60 minutes in both of those games. I think give your Cameron Knowles, you've got to get James on the field from the start. I just don’t see how this Minnesota United team is going to find chances from the run of play.

Obviously, they lost a big piece in Robin Lod. Joaquin Pereyra is back, and he’s still a very dangerous player, but they just haven’t looked like they have many ideas in the final third. So, especially against the Galaxy attack, which looks pretty good so far, Minnesota is going to have to score goals. So I want to see James Rodriguez on the field from the beginning, that midfield match up with James, and then whoever’s on the other side of the ball, whether it’s Cerrillo, Haak or Wynder, those Galaxy midfielders are going to have to be very alert at all times, because James, he might float in and out of the game. But very similarly to Marco Reus, he can hurt you if you give him time and space in the middle of the pitch.

Ruiz: One player we haven’t really talked about a lot, Gabriel Pec. He’s been really good in Concacaf Champions Cup play, but lackluster in MLS play. Do you still view him as a player that can get double-digit goals and assists, as we saw in his season in which he won Newcomer of the Year, or is that kind of maybe something that doesn’t come to the forefront anymore?

McCarty: There’s no question that he still has that quality and that ability. Gabriel Pec was one of the best players in MLS two years ago. So that doesn’t just disappear overnight.

He had a tough year last year, just like everyone on the Galaxy did. I think it was a down year across the board. And when your team is struggling and you’re a creative player, and you’ve got big pressure on your shoulders, and nothing seems to be going your way, it can wear on you. And so I think Pec looks refreshed this year, and like you said, he struggled a little bit in MLS play, but he’s been dynamic and dangerous and Champions Cup play. I think that’s the good part about being in multiple competitions, that you don’t really have a lot of time to think about bad performances. You’ve just got to go out on the training field, recover and then get ready for the next game.

When I have attacking players that may be showing some signs of inconsistency, I always want more games. I want more games to be able to get them more reps and get them on the field and get them confident.

I have no doubt that Pec can get back to the level we saw two years ago. He’s still a very talented player. And once you get all your pieces together and once you see everyone on the field together for a couple of games, he’s only going to get better. So if I were a Galaxy fan, I wouldn’t worry about Pec; he’ll be just fine.

Ruiz: For the game this weekend, the theme is Landon Donovan night. I just wanted to ask you if you’ve had the chance to maybe read his book yet, which he just released, and also what does he mean to MLS and US Soccer in your eyes?

McCarty: Landon is one of the greatest players that this country has ever produced. I can make the argument, and I do make the argument that he’s the greatest US Men’s National Team player of all time. Obviously, it’s close 1A and 1B with him and Clint Dempsey, Christian Pulisic right up there in terms of attacking talent that we’ve developed, just they just had an ability that very few players had in the final third.

Landon was a very selfless player when he was on the field. It’s why he’s got just as many goals as the top goal scorer and then leads the US Men’s National Team in assists. So he was a player who raised the bar every time he stepped on the field. He took a lot of pride in representing our country, and still to this day, one of the best players we’ve ever produced.

I haven’t had the chance to read his book yet. I do want to read his book, I’m sure it’s very thoughtful and provides a lot of great insight into US Soccer during his time there, and obviously, his childhood and his upbringing.

But I just moved into a new house, so maybe Landon can send me a housewarming gift of his new book. How about that?

The LA Galaxy’s quest to get a road win will have to continue following a 1-1 draw against the Portland Timbers on Sunday.

Kristoffer Velde scored the opening goal with a low-driven shot in the 13th minute, getting past JT Marcinkowski, who made his first MLS start of the season.

The turning point of the match came in the 20^th minute as Portland’s Kamal Miller was given a red card following a VAR review. His tackle on the Achilles of Joao Klauss was what led referee Drew Fischer to send off Miller.

With the man advantage, the Galaxy’s momentum grew and eventually found the equalizer. In the 30th minute, Klauss scored his fifth goal of the season as Marco Reus’ sublime control in the box set up the Brazilian striker to get a quality look in front of goal.

Despite being up a man for 70 minutes, the Galaxy couldn’t find the breakthrough to lead the match. LA controlled the game with the ball and outshot Portland 22 to eight in the match.

Looks from Klauss and Gabriel Pec during the second half could’ve been the breakthrough, but they were unsuccessful. The draw is not the ideal result for the LA Galaxy. With a man advantage and Portland surrendering the ball, the G’s squandered a chance to get all three points.

“It’s a huge opportunity lost,” said Head Coach Greg Vanney to reporters.

“The amount of time that we were up and we were into some really good positions and we don’t take advantage of some of those situations.”

Midfielder Edwin Cerrillo added to that feeling, saying, “We played up a man for like 60 minutes, and even with 11, we should be expected to win... every time we don’t do so, the feeling is disappointment.”

“I think if we’re just okay with tying today and getting something away from home just because we had a long week, I think that sets the standard way too low for us,” said Cerrillo.

The Timbers played in a low-block for most of the game and forced LA to be calculated in breaking the team down. This is something that Vanney wants to see his players improve on.

“When you play against a lower block, the spaces are so, so thin, and the time edges are so small,” said Vanney. He emphasized in the press conference that the players need to focus on being less selfish and capitalize on these moments as a unit.

“When we get into the final action, it doesn’t have to be me who makes the play, it has to be us who makes the play. It has to be the best guy in the best position who has the best chance to help the team be successful.”

“Sometimes it’s about sacrificing yourself on a run to create space for the next guy, and recognizing that I’m the guy that needs to sacrifice myself in the situation….these are details when you play against a lower block that are much more important,” added Vanney.

Reus led the team with seven chances created in the match. His wealth of experience going up against teams in low blocks is something Vanney highlighted to reporters.

“This is a game where you need a Marco Reus, because he does understand how to manipulate time and space and make good decisions and how to deceive on a pass... or feed the ball at the exact, precise moment that someone needs it."

“He's not going to beat people on the dribble and go on these runs and really, really speed up the game. But he is somebody who can find a pass, show quality, do all these kinds of things that are unique to him,” added Vanney.

The Galaxy is now winless in three regular-season games heading into the international break. Cerrillo made it clear that those types of results aren’t enough, even though the season is still young.

"We know we're the Galaxy, and we have to hold each other to a higher standard,” he said

“That mentality is what we have in the locker room."

Everyone has had that moment: standing in front of the mirror and realizing something needs to change. Maybe it’s eating a little better, getting back into the gym, or making a few adjustments to the wardrobe along the way. It’s not a full-blown crisis, but it’s a moment of honesty, a chance to recognize what needs fixing before it becomes a real problem.

For the LA Galaxy, Saturday night’s loss to Sporting Kansas City felt like that kind of moment. The season isn’t lost, and there’s no reason for panic just yet. But the performance was the kind that demands reflection. Is this going to be another season where opportunities slip away, or can LA refocus and turn this campaign into something more?

The frustration comes from the circumstances surrounding the result. Sporting Kansas City entered the match still searching for its first win of the season, a team looking for answers and a spark. Instead, it was the Galaxy who walked away from the night with more questions and growing doubt among the fanbase.

To be fair, it’s always more difficult when key players are missing. Designated Players like Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil are difference-makers, and their absence matters. But even without them, the Galaxy still had the edge in talent. On paper, much of LA’s roster would be starting for Sporting Kansas City.

And it’s not as if the Galaxy were completely outplayed. LA finished with over 60 percent possession, fired off 18 shots, and generated an expected goals figure of 2.09. Performances with numbers like that usually end with three points, not a frustrating night that leaves a team staring back at itself in the mirror.

None of this means the Galaxy’s season is heading toward disaster. It’s far too early for that kind of conclusion. But it does highlight the thin margin between a team that simply has talent and one that consistently delivers results. Nights like this force a team to ask whether its standards are truly as high as it believes they are.

“It’s very difficult to accept today,” said Maya Yoshida when speaking to reporters after the match.

“Today especially, we played well and dominated the game. We almost doubled them in passing, but finishing is the most difficult and important part of soccer.”

The Galaxy certainly had its chances. Matheus Nascimento found himself with a quality look at goal in the 82nd minute, only to see his effort denied by SKC goalkeeper John Pulskamp. Just minutes later, Justin Haak rose for a header in the 85th minute, another opportunity that hinted at an equalizer but ultimately failed to trouble the goal.

For stretches late in the match, the momentum felt like it was building in LA’s favor. The Galaxy were pushing forward, creating chances, and searching for the moment that might rescue a point. Waves of attacking soccer, with the home crowd helping to make SKC feel cornered.

And that’s part of what makes the result so frustrating. This wasn’t a match where the Galaxy were overwhelmed or clearly second best. It was a match where the opportunities were there, but the finishing touch never arrived.

That’s soccer purgatory. Being good enough on the ball and making the other team feel like second best, but getting nothing from the match. No goals to show domination, and attacks that clearly are not being executed efficiently.

At the same time, it would be an overreaction to treat this as a crisis. MLS seasons are rarely smooth, and even the league’s best teams stumble along the way. One result in March doesn’t define the trajectory of a season. What matters far more is how quickly a team recognizes the warning signs and adjusts before they become habits.

Orlando City made the drastic choice to move on from Oscar Pareja after just three games. In that case, the front office believed moving on from its most successful coach in club history was the only way to start moving forward. I don’t believe the Galaxy is at that stage with Greg Vanney yet.

Finishing, in particular, is already becoming one of the recurring talking points surrounding this Galaxy side. Possession and chance creation mean little if they aren’t paired with the composure needed in front of goal. It’s been a theme of LA during Vanney’s tenture and fans are starting to turn up the heat, whether it is justified or not (that’s up to you to decide).

I wrote earlier this season that this campaign will be legacy-defining for Vanney. The expectations are justifiably higher following a terrible 2025 season and Vanney becoming one of the highest-paid coaches in the league. So far, this season has seen him use a different lineup in every match. How long until LA sticks to one starting XI?

It’s not all on Vanney either. Neither Pec nor Paintsil has yet to truly carry this team. They have the talent to be the guys, but it happens in spurts rather than every week. Marco Reus scored LA’s lone goal of the game. It will be interesting to see how much he can contribute as the season goes on.

Elijah Wynder, Lucas Sanabria, and Edwin Cerrillo need to elevate the midfield and not plateau the team’s pace. Haak is yet to really solidify a spot in the middle of the park or as a center back. Nascimento hasn’t been a spark off the bench that can create a game-changing moment.

This isn’t meant to be a harsh critique of these players, nor am I saying they can’t be good. No player will be perfect all season long. What matters is how they can bounce back and change narratives. Every player on the Galaxy has the talent to make this a top team in MLS. Right now, the club doesn’t seem close to being part of that group. The LA Galaxy's expectations are high, which is why the fans want to see better. That is why I am writing this; another season similar to 2025 would be catastrophic.

The season won’t be defined by one result in March. There is still plenty of time for the Galaxy to find its rhythm and prove who it really is. But sometimes a single night is enough to force a moment of honesty.

The mirror is there now for the Galaxy. What matters is what they do after looking into it.

The LA Galaxy suffered its first loss of the 2026 season at the hands of the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night. LA’s 4-1 loss was highlighted by a Gabriel Pec picking up his second yellow card of the match.

The Rapids’ Derren Yapi opened the scoring in the first half, but LA equalized via Joao Klauss’ goal in the 56^th minute. LA struggled to build a rhythm with the ball in the first half but eventually got a hold of momentum following Klauss’ fourth goal of the season. The Galaxy was moving the ball with confidence and had retreated the Rapids’ defense line considerably.

With Rafael Navarro sprinting into the LA’s half of the pitch, Pec (already on a yellow card) decided to slide in from behind to win the ball. It was a poorly timed tackle on Navarro, who was not a threat to the goal in the slightest. Pec received his first career red card and walked off the pitch. Head Coach Greg Vanney was feet away from the moment and expressed his disappointment in Pec’s decision to aggressively win the ball back.

“Gabe got into a situation where he was chasing and he has to know he’s on a yellow card and he can’t take that kind of risk and that kind of tackle. He has to keep running and run the guy into a one vs two and we can recover the ball,” said Vanney.

“He’s got to make a better decision because the decision becomes a second yellow and that becomes we lose all momentum.”

It was clear that LA was building into the game and starting to gain a foothold away from home. Colorado is one of the hardest road trips each year, and for a second, it looked like it was ready to flip the script.

From the start of the second half until Pec’s red card in the 60^th minute, LA outshot the Rapids 8 to 0. Better passing and an understanding of how to break down the Rapids were developing in real time.

Defender Jakob Glesnes reiterated the loss of momentum LA suffered in that moment.

“We have to get better at finishing the games with 11 guys. On away games like this, it’s tough to get points in, especially the first point, and then we’re down 1-0. I felt like we had momentum in the second half when we scored the goal,” said Glesnes.

“We are trying to survive out there, but then when they get 2 and 3, then I feel like we have to stop the bleeding because then the game is almost already finished,” he added.

The moment of match control was key, considering winger Joseph Paintsil left the match early due to a non-contact injury. Vanney was unable to confirm the severity of the injury in his postgame press conference. But without him and Pec, their abscesses blunted the Galaxy’s attack.

Colorado recorded seven shots (three goals) compared to LA’s three shots (none on target).

“It’s not fun to just chase the ball, but again it’s better to just let it play around us and just kill the game off. It is not a good feeling to sit here now after conceding 4 goals, especially like, we have been really good in the first games,” said Glesnes.

The Galaxy’s focus shifts to Wednesday’s Concacaf Champions Cup first leg matchup versus Mount Pleasant at home. LA will host Sporting Kansas City in its next MLS regular-season match.

It was the first time in over a month that the LA Galaxy had a full team training session.

The G’s endured a stretch of four games in the span of 10 days to start the campaign, but now had a full week to prepare for its next game in Colorado.

“It’s been a long preseason, a tough preseason... it’s hard to get, like, a rhythm in the trainings. So this has been a good week, and we also know it’s an important week, because we have a lot of games coming up now in front of us,” said defender Jakob Glesnes.

The Galaxy’s 3-0 win over Charlotte FC on the weekend lifted the mood for the squad after an underwhelming start to the season. Glesnes told reporters that the win over Charlotte was a massive morale boost for the team.

“You could just feel it after a game, like how important it was to just get it over the line and also feel like the atmosphere in the locker room after a win like that,” he said. “That’s what’s driving us as soccer players. We want to have those moments every weekend.”

The former MLS Defender of the Year told the media his transition from Philadelphia to Los Angeles has been easier than expected. Glesnes told a story about how his son doesn’t want to move back to Philly and is enjoying his first few months in the Golden State.

This week was important for recovery and getting ready for another stretch of multiple games. LA will face Mount Pleasant of Jamaica in the next round of the Concacaf Champions Cup – meaning this is the club’s upcoming schedule:

Mar. 7 at Colorado

Mar. 11 v. Mount Pleasant (CCC)

Mar. 14 v. SKC

March 19 at Mount Pleasant (CCC)

Mar. 22nd at Portland

It’s going to be another test of LA’s fitness early in the season. Head Coach Greg Vanney says he’s happy with the energy levels and approach from the group after the first set of games.

“Credit to the players, because they came in with a great foundation and fitness level to start. We pushed them harder from a physical perspective, because they had a real offseason,” said Vanney.

“It was the fourth game in 10 days, and we put down a really good shift. Physically guys looked, looked really strong. Our numbers were very strong, in the GPS side of things,” added Vanney.

The Galaxy players didn’t show signs of fatigue, nor did the energy levels fall off a cliff in the victory of Charlotte. A surprising but delightful sight for Vanney.

“The fourth games are tricky. I’ve been around this league a long time, and the fourth game in a short time period can be really difficult. And our guys came out with wonderful energy right at the start and put the game into a really good position within 15 minutes,” he told reporters.

This new stretch kicks off in the state of Colorado. Dicks Sporting Goods Park is 5,280 feet above sea level, which is the highest elevation of any stadium regularly used by MLS teams.

“Played it with Philly once and always a tough place to go to,’ said Glesnes. “The altitude can play a role. But again, the most important is how we prefer ourselves now into this game.”

Vanney recounted his first experience playing in Colorado, saying it felt like his “brain and feet were on two totally different pages”.

For Vanney, the key to coming away with three points on the road is keeping that defensive mentality and taking advantage of the moments that come in the attack

“We’ve got to stay compact as a group. We’ve got to travel the field together... move the ball fast and build speed into our attacks, get our attacking guys on the run.”

Despite the challenges that come with playing at altitude, the Galaxy will head into Colorado with confidence after finally finding a rhythm together on the training ground. With a demanding stretch of league and continental matches ahead, maintaining that energy and momentum will be key for the G’s to build on its first win of the season.

The concept of inertia is simple: “An object in motion stays in motion”.

An example of this was provided by the LA Galaxy in its 3-0 over Charlotte FC on Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park. Gabriel Pec specifically brought this concept to life with his performance by moving the Galaxy attack forward.

In the lead-up to this campaign, I wrote a column about the importance of Pec to this team’s success. I wrote:

“Being the ‘face of the franchise’ means taking over when the team needs it the most. It means taking responsibility in big games and keeping the heartbeat of the team going, even in the hardest moments of the season”.

LA’s first three games of the season will not be memorable in the slightest. A lackluster 180 minutes of soccer against San Miguelito in the first round of Concacaf Champions Cup and a home-opening draw against NYCFC that saw little to no action from the G’s.

The football was slow and predictable. LA didn’t look like it could string together one clinical attack. Questions were starting to mount in just one week.

Going back to inertia, someone needs to set the motion and keep the tempo going. A catalyst is necessary to create infectious energy.

Pec was a threat on Saturday night when he was running towards the goal, being direct with pace rather than being part of the buildup. This method is how he was successful during the 2024 season and how he terrorized Charlotte on the night.

The second goal of the night is the exact scenario where head coach Greg Vanney wants to Pec to be in the final third. Lucas Sanabria plays a ball over the top for Pec to run onto rather than receive the ball facing his own goal. The Brazilian is aggressive with his run to the endline and shows the quality to make the perfect pass to the far post for Joao Kluass to tap in.

“It’s about us finding Gabe in finishing actions. And when I say finishing actions, it’s working in behind the back line. It’s on the move towards the goal. It’s not standing. It is in stationary positions and trying to play make from standing positions,” said Vanney earlier this season about what he wants to see from Pec.

“We need to get Gabe active and on the move… and find him building speed and being a finisher, finisher of plays, and not a guy who is always like trying to create plays,” added Vanney.

This clip is a great example of what Vanney is talking about. Here, Pec operates as part of the possession sequence, but his movement off the ball leads to him getting a shot off in a dangerous part of the box. He doesn’t score, but his movement singlehandedly allows LA to get this shot off. There is no playmaking here from Pec, just movement to get in the finishing positions Vanney wants to see from him.

This graph from Sofascore.com shows Pec’s carries during the match. He’s moving with the ball forward often. His passing is stagnant -which is to be expected from inverted wingers- but he’s progressing the ball into the most dangerous parts of the box.

If he’s not moving with the ball into the final third, Pec becomes completely ineffective in the attack. This is why Vanney continues to reiterate how important it is for Pec to move and be a finisher.

Pec’s heatmap from the match against NYCFC, compared to this past weekend, provides an excellent visual source of how different his impact in the final third was. NYCFC did well to limit his touches in the middle third compared to Pec getting used to touching the ball near the penalty box against Charlotte.

Pec’s volume of touches increased, but more imporantly, it was closer to the goal compared to the week prior. Obviously, the game states of both games were completely different, but it shows LA made progress to get Pec moving closer to the goal.

The Galaxy saw everyone in the starting XI play a role in this victory. This type of rhythm is key to getting the attackers moving and not shying away from attacking situations.

Seeing Pec operate in this manner brought LA to life. It showed the flashes of brilliance of the 25-year-old Brazilian that are needed to navigate through a long season. As long as Pec stays in motion, he will be any opponent’s most dangerous threat.

The Galaxy earned its first win of 2026 convincingly, making quick work of Charlotte FC in a three-goal outburst on Saturday night.

LA wasted no time, getting on the board in the 8th minute by way of a quick Lucas Sanabria rebound past Charlotte’s Kristijan Kahlina. Sanabria found himself in the perfect spot on the edge of the six-yard box after Gabriel Pec’s shot from distance bounced off the post.

João Klauss would soon make his mark in this match. Tapping in a beautifully threaded ball from Pec in the 11th minute, and then completing his brace just two minutes later on a solo run up and into the box, leaving Kahlina frozen.

A quiet second half would follow. The G’s remained the more dangerous of the two sides, dominating over two-thirds of possession with the occasional threat of a fourth goal that never fully materialized.

Klauss Strikes Again

Klauss made the right first impression on opening weekend with a debut goal that would’ve been enough for the win if not for a late penalty.

On Brazilian Heritage Night at Dignity Health Sports Park, the Galaxy’s newest No. 9 picked up right where he left off with a brace.

As head coach Greg Vanney emphasized postgame, Klauss’ impact stretches far beyond the scoresheet.

“Yeah, he works his ass off. That’s what I love about him,” Vanney said. “When everybody behind looks at the guy in front who is working like he’s working, you have no choice but to work with him. He never takes shortcuts.”

That mentality has been contagious. From the opening whistle, Klauss pressed Charlotte’s back line relentlessly, forcing rushed clearances and triggering the wave of pressure that led to turnovers in dangerous areas. The Galaxy’s third goal came during that chaos, a product of a side that smelled blood early and refused to let up.

Maya Yoshida echoed his coach’s praise, highlighting Klauss’ leadership and professionalism.

“He’s a very good, experienced player and a team player as well,” Yoshida said. “For the strikers, the first goal is very difficult, and he already scored three. I hope he can continue like that. That’s what we were missing last year.”

If this version of Klauss persists – relentless defensively, clinical in transition – the Galaxy may have finally found the tone-setter they lacked up front a season ago.

Growth In The Midfield

Elijah Wynder and Sanabria didn’t just control the center of the field against Charlotte, they showed tangible growth within Vanney’s system. The rotations were cleaner. The spacing was sharper. The timing was automatic. And that didn’t happen by accident.

“There’s a lot more that goes into it than you see from outside the field,” Wynder said post-match. “Everybody knows when the ball goes in one spot where they should be. When you’re new to that, you’re a step behind and it can mess up the whole rotation.”

That “step behind” feeling defined much of 2025 for both Wynder and Sanabria. Adjusting to Vanney’s positional demands – knowing where to be before the ball arrives, understanding the defensive triggers, reading when to rotate versus hold – is not simple. Wynder admitted last year was “a big learning curve,” going from the way he previously played into the Galaxy’s structure.

But Saturday was evidence of comfort.

Wynder, returning from a preseason injury, looked sharp in his first real minutes of the campaign. He covered ground, connected play quickly, and showed composure under pressure. When he exited in the second half, Vanney met him with a long hug – not just encouragement, but affirmation. The 22-year-old finished the game with 100% pass accuracy (38/38) and kept his composure when the ball is at his feet.

“He saw that I wanted to keep playing more,” Wynder said. “He was just telling me, I’m coming back from injury, just minute restrictions.”

There’s also a clear chemistry building between Wynder and Sanabria. The two arrived at similar times, endured similar adaptation curves, and have spent extra hours working together after training.

“There’s definitely a kinship there, I love Lucas,” Wynder said. “We do a lot of work together — tactical work after trainings together.”

That work showed. The midfield didn’t just move the ball – it dictated tempo. It protected the back line. It fed the wingers early in transition. And most importantly, it looked cohesive.

For a team trying to reinvent itself defensively while maintaining attacking firepower, that comfort in the middle may be the most important development of all.

Putting Games To Bed

​​For a club haunted by squandered leads throughout 2025, a three-goal cushion inside 15 minutes felt almost surreal.

The real test, however, wasn’t building the lead – it was protecting it. Last season’s Galaxy too often allowed opponents to claw back into matches, whether through defensive lapses or a collective loss of focus. On Saturday, the halftime message from Vanney was clear: the job was only half done.

“This game is far from over,” Vanney told his team. “How we win the next 15 minutes is to keep the game at zero. That’s how we win.”

The second half lacked the fireworks of the first, but it carried a different kind of importance. Charlotte FC searched for a lifeline – a set piece, a turnover, a moment of doubt – and found none.

That defensive commitment began at the front. Klauss continued pressing. Pec tracked back. The midfield trio of Sanabria, Edwin Cerrillo, and Elijah Wynder controlled the center of the pitch, limiting clean entries and forcing hopeful attempts from distance.

“A good defending team doesn’t give games away,” Vanney said post-match. “If you can get on top of a team and be a solid defending team, the guys we have in transition are special.”

The Galaxy still created chances – Pec curling just wide in the 57th minute, Paintsil narrowly missing at the back post, and a tight offside decision denying Nascimento a late fourth – but the priority was discipline.

For a group looking to shed the scars of 2025, this was growth. No panic. No momentum swings. Just a professional, composed closeout that buried the game by giving Charlotte “nothing to believe in,” as Vanney put it.

The Galaxy will hope to keep this momentum going into next week, as they head to Colorado for their first road test of the MLS season. A matchup that will also test the squad’s depth, as this kicks off a run of five games in 16 days.

The LA Galaxy advance to the next round of the Concacaf Champions Cup on the away goals rule following a scoreless draw with Sporting San Miguelito. The SoCal side will face Mount Pleasant FA at home on March 11.

The return leg lacked speed and dynamism at the start of the first half. Aside from a Joseph Paintsil goal that was reversed following a VAR review, the Galaxy didn’t have many quality looks at goal.

The buildup was off tempo and LA’s speed in possession was lackluster. Playing against a low block for a majority of the match is going to make the game more difficult, but the Galaxy’s inability to move up a gear was on full display. With San Miguelito unable to create chances themselves, the Galaxy was content to force them to bunker down.

The second half was the same story, not much to really build on and LA was unable to truly threaten San Miguelito consistently. The lone moment of adrenaline was a scrap between both teams in the final minutes of the game. Matheus Nascimento, who was an unused sub, received a red card to end the match.

LA finished the match with 73% possession, 13 shots (three on target) and 11 corner kicks. Compare that to San Miguelito, who recorded 27% possession, seven shots (none on target) and three corner kicks.

“Individually (San Miguelito) are very good defenders. Even in combinations, I thought their guys stayed close together for the most part. They were really committed to the defending aspect of it. If we were truly tied and needed to win the game, I would have done things differently,” said Head Coach Greg Vanney postgame.

“You don’t need to expose yourself to go try to score goals, especially as the game progressed. When you’re ahead and not giving up really much on the defensive side, I chose to keep it a little more stable and a little less exposed. Could we have maybe created a few more chances? Maybe, but it’s a knockout situation and you have the advantage.”

The low block the visitors played made it hard to break down, and it required the LA Galaxy to take more risks despite having the advantage. Not being able to score and get the home crowd going is something Vanney mentioned postgame.

“We need a little humility early in the season that we have some things that we need to continue to improve upon…. guys are frustrated because they wanted to score goals and they wanted to create,” said Vanney.

LA will move on quickly as it prepares to face Charlotte FC on Saturday night. The Eastern Conference side tied 1-1 with St. Louis City SC in its first match of the MLS season.

The Galaxy’s season kicked off on Sunday night, but not with a victory over NYCFC. LA records a 1-1 draw with NYCFC despite playing the final 25 minutes a man down.

João Kluass scored his first LA Galaxy goal two minutes into the match. Marco Reus found the Brazilian forward in the box, whose one-time finish brought the fans to life at Dignity Health Sports Park.

Emiro Garces put the LA Galaxy in a tough spot in the second half. The Colombian received his second yellow card of the game following a VAR review, which awarded a penalty for NYCFC. Nicolas Fernandez buried the penalty kick to draw the match.

With a man down, LA struggled to string a meaningful attack or break down the visitors. The Galaxy starts the season with back-to-back draws ahead of another matchweek with two games.

Midfield Struggles

The Galaxy usually tends to hold the majority of possession, but this match was the exception. LA finished the game with 35% possession, the lowest tally in the Greg Vanney era. Before the red card, LA was hovering around the 37% mark, and then the game favored NYCFC.

“Between Jakob (Glesnes) and Emi (Garces) and Miki (Yamane), who were kind of in the start, and then (Haak and Sanabria), who were in midfield together, haven't spent much time together. So I didn't feel like they were necessarily really working off of each other. So I just felt like we were making a lot of bad reads as it goes to starting our attacks,” said Vanney postgame.

LA restored to long balls in the air when creativity was hard to come by. Goalkeeper Novak Micovic led the team with 8 passes into the final third. Only the LA Galaxy and Toronto FC had their goalkeepers lead their respective teams in that category. Lucas Sanabria (6) and Marco Reus (5) were the other leaders in that category for LA.

“If you don't use the ball well, you're going to defend a lot… if you're losing balls between your lines, then you're going to defend low a lot. And that became it."

This was a classic case of the Galaxy not being ready in possession and not in sync when it came to patterns of play. These types of struggles make it harder for the Galaxy to be on the front foot.

“My job is to make things easier for them”

Klauss made a good first impression in front of the LA Galaxy fans on Sunday night with a goal two minutes into the match. A quality first-time strike showed his lethal instincts in front of goal and brought life to the home crowd.

“When we get better with the ball, I think you're going to see even better Klauss for us on the attacking side, and better connections with those groups,” said Vanney postgame.

“There's a lot to be excited about with him on top. I think getting that first goal in the first game is great for his confidence."

The 28-year-old striker recorded an assist in LA’s 1-1 draw with Sporting San Miguelito last Thursday and now has his first goal for the club.

“I've been in the league for three years and everybody in the league dreamed to play for Galaxy. So in my first game in front of the fans and with 85 seconds or something I score my first goal, it was magic,” said Klauss.

Aside from his goal, Vanney praised his work rate on the defensive side and his commitment to running without the ball. He hopes that the level of defensive intensity is contagious for the rest of his team.

“When your striker is leading you in those kinds of ways, you have to commit and go with it. I think one of two things is going to happen: He's either going to stop working, or the rest of the group is going to keep up. And for me, the rest of the group is going to need to keep up,” said Vanney.

Klauss made it clear he is a team player above all else. He isn’t looking for the spotlight; rather he wants to set the stage for his teammates to be the main attraction.

“I think my job is to make things easier for them. I think they are the stars. I think they will create the most for the team. My job is to make things easier for them,” he said of playing with Paintsil, Pec and Reus.

“It’s very easy to create connection with them. It’s been good from day one, and I’m really happy with that.”

Penalty or not?

The moment that changed the match was the penalty call in favor of NYCFC. Garces received his second yellow card of the match following the VAR review.

“Initially, in the run of play, I thought penalty. When I watched it back, I'm not as convinced as I was when I saw it in the run of play, just because I couldn't tell if the player runs into Emiro because they're both kind of angling towards the ball,” said Vanney about the play in the 60th minute of the match.

A pool reporter question was submitted about the play, and this was the following response from the match officials:

“After review, LA Galaxy #25 Garces committed a foul on NYCFC #7 Nico in the penalty area while challenging for the ball which denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. There was no foul contact prior."

Vanney told reporters that Maya Yoshida was getting ready to come into the match for Garces moments before the foul occurred.

“We actually had Maya standing right next to me ready to go in for him. I just needed one more stoppage and it was happening. So, yeah, unfortunately the timing was the timing,” said Vanney.

Garces will miss the club’s next MLS Regular Season match on Saturday against Charlotte FC.

The 2026 MLS season is a legacy-defining season for LA Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney. It is Vanney’s first season under his new contract (which reportedly makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in the league) and second season without star playmaker Riqui Puig. This upcoming season will set the tone for how this new stage of the Vanney era kicks off.

Vanney’s won a championship for his former club, but the MLS landscape moves fast. He’s had up and down seasons in charge of the Galaxy, one of which includes arguably one of the worst seasons in LA Galaxy history.

The news of Riqui Puig’s second ACL surgery ruling him out for the 2026 season sets up the upcoming campaign much differently compared to last season. The major question is whether Vanney can navigate the club near the top of MLS again.

Vanney can’t endure another lost season like 2025. In any other league in the world, Vanney would’ve been removed from his head coaching job following a 16-game winless start last season.

To Vanney’s credit, the LA Galaxy played much better in the second half of the season, but it was too late to make up the ground of 16 games without a win. 2026 presents the perfect opportunity to rewrite narratives or watch his seat grow increasingly warmer as the season progresses.

It’s common for MLS teams to spend most of their capital on the attack. People want to be entertained with goals, and it makes it easier to sell players for bigger transfer fees in the future.

The LA Galaxy did that in 2024 with around $20 million spent on Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil. It resulted in one of the best attacking foursomes in MLS history, with Paintsil, Pec, Puig and Joveljic having stellar campaigns each. Most of the LA Galaxy’s major investments under Vanney’s tenure have been attackers (Kevin Cabral, Douglas Costa, Pec, Paintsil, Puig). Now that has shifted to the defensive end for the first time.

Historically, defense has always been one of the inconsistencies of Greg Vanney's teams.

I have previously written:

“In his 10 full seasons as a head coach (2020 season not counted due to COVID shortened season), six of Vanney’s teams have finished in the bottom four of goals allowed in their respective conference. Toronto FC in 2016 and 2017 are the two times Vanney’s squads have finished the season with the least number of goals conceded in the conference.

In his five seasons in charge of the LA Galaxy, the squad has finished either at the bottom or the second worst in goal allowed three times. There is a multitude of reasons for this but nonetheless, the common denominator is that Vanney’s teams aren’t consistently sound defensively.”

The 2023 LA Galaxy tied a club record 67 goals allowed. The 2025 season saw LA allow 66 goals to hit the back of the net. These aren’t just bad numbers; they’re historically bad.

It’s no surprise that LA spent the early portion of the offseason targeting quality defenders. Jakob Glesnes is a former MLS Defender of the Year winner and Justin Haak was the most coveted defensive free agent this offseason.

This is the type of investment and ambition that every MLS team wishes it could achieve on the defensive side of the ball. Not to mention LA has young defenders like Emiro Garces, Julian Aude, Mauricio Cuevas, and Harbor Miller that looked poised to take a leap in 2026.

It’s on Vanney for the Galaxy to at least be an average team on the defensive end. His most important task is to find the right backline that can develop into one of the league’s best. This level of investment is for the backline to be developed into an immovable object by the time the regular season comes to an end, and the playoffs start to take shape.

Vanney’s success in MLS is tied to two players: Sebastian Giovinco and Riqui Puig. Both players played for a European giant and had the talent to take MLS by storm.

Giovinco made Vanney’s Toronto teams eternal following a domestic treble during the 2017 season. The Italian raised the ceiling of Toronto and allowed for the Canadian side to become a respected team in MLS after years of being an afterthought.

When Puig joined the LA Galaxy midway through the 2022 MLS season, his acquisition sparked LA’s attack and there were glimpses that the G’s could be contenders for silverware.

The Galaxy was eliminated in the playoffs, heartbreakingly following a loss to LAFC. The 2023 season was a disaster with off-the-field issues and injuries stopping LA from building any positive momentum all season long.

It all came together in 2024 with Puig fully showcasing his ability to lead a team to a title and cement himself as an all-time LA Galaxy player.

With Puig out for another season, someone must step up and be the player to lift the ceiling of the team.

Players such as Elijah Wynder and Lucas Sanabria are expected to take a leap in their sophomore season with the club. Pec and Paintsil had underwhelming moments last season, but they get a clean slate in 2026. Matheus Nascimento will return for at least half of the season, and the acquisition of Joao Klauss brings that MLS experience (two seasons with double-digit goal contributions). Veteran Marco Reus has that game-changing ability, but it is highly unlikely that he will be relied upon for a whole season.

This is where the pressure comes onto Vanney to get it right this season.

His coaching and tactics need to get the best out of the current roster without Puig. He couldn’t do that last season; now this is a second chance to get that right. The front office has added more depth that is battle-tested in MLS play.

With the Galaxy’s 1-1 draw with Sporting Miguelito in the Concacaf Champions Cup, there is a bit of disappointment in the result. LA lacked dynamism in the first half and Vanney called his team “stagnant” in the press conference. This result isn’t the end of the world but not the ideal way to start the first game of the season. If not for Joseph Paintsil’s second-half goal, there would be more pressure from the fanbase to end LA’s first week of meaningful games.

When Vanney’s back is against the wall, he’s found ways to escape that and let the results do the talking.

In 2024, there was a vast amount of pressure on him to lead the team back to winning after a horrible 2023 season for the club. Vanney would end the season creating one of the best attacking frontlines in MLS Cup playoff history and winning MLS’s ultimate prize.

Before that season kicked off, I wrote a column like this one back in 2024. I questioned if Vanney was the right guy to lead this team to success. Was he just a bridge for another manager to get the best out of the Galaxy? I expressed concern that his time with the LA Galaxy could come to an end that season.

Despite those two horrible seasons, Vanney’s found a way to keep his squad invigorated. Not once in my time covering the LA Galaxy have I gotten the feeling that the players were starting to turn on their manager. Vanney’s been able to navigate his group into getting better despite the circumstances they dealt with at the start of the season.

How this new chapter of Vanney’s LA Galaxy tenure will begin is the mouthwatering story of the season.

The rain in Southern California isn’t halting the LA Galaxy’s preparations for its start to the Concacaf Champions Cup and MLS Season. The club will face San Miguelito in Panama on Thursday and open the MLS campaign on Sunday against NYCFC.

“Very excited,” said Edwin Cerrillo about the upcoming season. The 25-year-old joined the presser right after his training session in the rain.

“Obviously, we had a long off-season, a lot to think about, a lot to be motivated for. And I think this year with more experience, just eager to get started.”

LA’s 2025 season is one that the players and coaching staff are moving on from completely. 2026 provides a blank canvas to get back to chasing success rather than being left behind from the start.

“We are doing a lot of running on the field that isn’t always so much fun but we need to put that effort going into Thursday. And again, like I said, play with the chip on our shoulder. We have lots to prove,” said Cerrillo.

The LA Galaxy’s preseason at the Coachella Valley Invitational ended with a 3-3 draw against Real Salt Lake. LA finished with a record of 4-1-1 and a goal difference of +8. Gabriel Pec led the team with three goals in the preseason.

“Right from the beginning. Guys came in fit and focused. So we were able to push them,” said Head Coach Greg Vanney about the preseason preparations.

Vanney noted how the team had its main group of players early and was training together as early as possible. With four games in the span of 10 days, the fitness of the squad is a top priority.

“We’re going to have a busy schedule as we did early last year. And from the start, I think we kind of set the standard. Now, we did set the standard in which we’re going to need everybody, whether we rotate, whether we have different game plans, everybody needs to be on their toes,” Cerrillo told reporters.

“Four games in 10 days is a challenge any time of the season, much less the start of the season when you’re still trying to get your whole group durable… We need to manage it. We need to try to be efficient and smart about how we go about things,” added Vanney.

LA’s coach ruled out Chris Rindov, Issiah Parente, and Erik Thommy for the matches this week and ruled Elijah Wydner questionable.

The upgrades to the defensive sector of the pitch are the most notable tweaks on the roster. Jakob Glesnes and Justin Haak come with a positive reputation in MLS, and LA is banking on them to be a key part of a successful season.

“We knew that was big part of last year, letting goals in too easy, and I think we’re going to come out with the strong mentality of keeping our goal on zero and letting Gabe, Joe and the guys up top do their thing,” said Cerillo

“Defensively… being really proactive and being aggressive in the right ways at the right times, to be able to dictate some of the games with our defensive work, and not always having to do it just with the ball,” said Vanney about the defense.

“It’s just the defending part of it is from front to back, and it’s making sure that in every situation, we have everybody connected and working together inside of the defensive effort. It’s not about an individual player coming and changing us defensively,” added Vanney.

Having a strong defensive structure as a team rather than relying on the talent in the backline is what Vanney wants to see. He’s emphasized this concept of work rate across the pitch during his entire tenure with the club, which has had mixed results.

“It’s going to be about our front guys helping to create clarity for the guys behind them, through their work rate and through their connection defensively. It is going to be about the guys in the back, obviously, having to make individual plays to either recover balls or contain situations,” said Vanney

The Galaxy isn’t only preparing for San Miguelito or NYCFC. Its trying to reset the tone for the entire year. After a 2025 season they’d rather forget, 2026 is a chance to respond. The start of the season is about proving that this team learned from last year and is ready to move forward and get back into contention for trophies.