With the World Cup underway, here’s a column of some of the most important moments of this summer’s World Cup. With inspiration from The Mismatch, my favorite basketball podcast, here are the things I’ve loved about the days’ round of matches, and things I’ve loathed watching. It will be a tournament ot remember, have this be your morning companion as well (Until the LA Galaxy is back in action).

Love: Raul Jimenez’s World Cup moment

The emotion on the face of striker Raul Jimenez showed how much the moment meant to the 35-year-old.

He suffered a fractured skull injury in 2020, and doctors told him it was a miracle that he was able to keep playing soccer. He was a top striker in the Premier League at the time, but his long recovery period took the form out of him. Jimenez was never able to reach that level again. He also recently lost his father, who would’ve enjoyed seeing his son lead the line for Mexico.

It was surprising for me to learn that Thursday’s match was Jimenez’s first-ever start at the World Cup for the former Fulham striker. Henry Martín getting starting minutes in Qatar will never make sense to me, but that’s probably my anti-Club America bias showing.

Nonetheless, no other player on Mexico’s squad deserves that moment. Jimenez has worked hard to get back to being a reliable Premier League goalscorer. It’s clear the quality is still there with his ability to not just finish chances but also provide great hold-up play on the ball.

Loathe: Hydration Breaks

“The game is gone.”

“Utter Woke Nonsense”

Those are the phrases that came to mind during the new mandatory hydration breaks at the World Cup.

It’s not that players are getting these moments to refuel and hydrate in the North American summer, but rather the real intentions of these three-minute breaks.

Even Stevie Wonder could see that these breaks are solely for more advertainment money and for broadcasters to profit from selling these slots in the middle of the action. It would be great to see some replays or maybe see the coaches talking to their players.

In the opening game, Fox missed some game action once it came back from the commercial break. It also happened in the South Korea – Czechia match.

Adding this element to games is just unnatural. It’s going against the soul of the game. Shout out to Telemundo for not putting commercials and keeping the feed on the game.

Love: Erik Lira

Who doesn’t love a number six who gets into tackles and is a no-nonsense kind of player?

That’s pretty much who the Cruz Azul midfielder is.

He won the ball back to set up Mexico’s first goal and added that element of physicality to disrupt South Africa’s moment in possession.

He’s a player who will likely get a move after the World Cup. He’s above Edson Alvarez in Javier Aguirre’s eyes, which is no small task.

Loathe: Red Card Chaos

This might be the one and only time in my lifetime where there were more red cards than goals in a game.

Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane got reds for South Africa, and Cesar Montes completed the trifecta by getting sent off in the final minutes of the game.

Personally, I hate seeing red cards. They change games by making the match more pragmatic. The game becomes predictable, and one side usually plays in slow surrender.

South Africa was always going to lose this game, but I’d like to see them keep trying and playing with the ball. It’s the football purist in me to want to see both teams go at it equally.

Loathe: What’s LAFC done to Son

It was a sad sight to see Heung-Min Son struggle in South Korea’s 2-1 win over Czechia. The once elite attack was visibly a step slower and not as sharp in the final third.

It’s no surprise when you realize that he’s not found the back of the net in MLS play. His only goals this year have come in the Concacaf Champions Cup. It’s a sad sight to see him struggle this much, given he’s the main focal point for his country.

I’ll be keeping my eye on if this is just who Son is on the world stage, or maybe this was the tune-up match he needed. In-Beom Hwang is stepping up to be the hero for Korea as he recorded a goal and an assist to get the come-from-behind victory.

Clip of the Day

South Africa had its “Deer in Headlights” moment in the opening match of the World Cup.

They struggled to play out of the back, the body language from their players was bad, and two red cards set the negative tone to start the tournament.

Here is a clip from South African TV where the pundits are literally speechless.

@sportytvMood in South Africa right now 🥺🇿🇦 🇿🇦 Get your World Cup Pass now and watch all 104 FIFA World Cup 2026™ matches on SportyTV YouTube Channel! #FIFAWorldCup #Bafanabafana #sportsontiktok #africansports #footballtiktok

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Prediction of the Day

The USMNT will beat Paraguay 3-0. I have a feeling in my body that Friday will be a special day for U.S. Soccer.

This has been four years in the making. It’s an opportunity that this national team knows it must not squander.

According to reporting from Japanese outlet Football Zone, Maya Yoshida will be heading to Mexico in a “support role” ahead of Samurai Blue’s first World Cup stage games.

The Japanese team recently arrived in Mexico and is training in Monterrey to prepare and acclimate to the temperatures they might deal with during the tournament before heading to their base camp in Nashville.

Yoshida recently joined the team for its final match in Japan ahead of the FIFA World Cup. He played 15 minutes and received a farewell from the players and fans at Japan’s national stadium.

The 37-year-old defender is not on the team’s roster for the World Cup. Football Zone reports that he will be joining the team to aid in preparations for the team. Japan is in Group F with the Netherlands, Tunisia, and Sweden.

The LA Galaxy defender is no stranger to what it is like to prepare and play in Mexico. He’s played in Mexico in the last two seasons as part of the LA Galaxy’s Concacaf Champions Cup campaigns. Yoshida played in Toluca this season and in Monterrey last season as LA bowed out of the tournament.

His arrival comes at an interesting time for the Samurai Blue. It’s been reported that the Japanese have shown discontent with the quality of pitches at Tigres’ facilities. Videos of the team training and the lackluster conditions of the fields. Multiple outlets have reported that the team was close to leaving the country altogether.

C.F. Monterrey, the other team in the city, offered Japan their facilities, which are regarded as one of the best in Mexico. “El Barrial” is the base camp for the Tunisian national team, but it will temporarily host Japan’s fitness camp.

When Maya Yoshida walked off the field at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, it was the lowest moment of his career. Japan had topped its group, which included Spain and Germany, and played some great football in that tournament. But it was Yoshida, who captained the side, who dealt with the defeat the hardest.

He missed a crucial penalty in the Round of 16 shootout against Croatia. Japan’s dream of being a dark horse at the tournament came to an end. Yoshida was defeated and struggled to contain his emotions when talking to the media after the game. You can hear him struggle to get the right words out when asked to describe the moment.

That moment was the last time Yoshida represented his country at the international level. Aside from winning the 2011 Asia Cup, Yoshida’s time with the Samurai Blue hasn’t been filled with success. It’s been filled with heartbreak and moments of silence reflecting on what could’ve been.

Ending on positive terms in football is rare. The game is cruel, and not every player can have the fairy tale ending that you would see in movies.

Take former LA Galaxy player Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez. He’s Mexico’s all-time top goalscorer and hasn’t suited up for El Tri since 2019. At the club level, Chicharito’s missed penalty in the Liga MX Playoffs for his boyhood club Chivas is currently the last kick of his career. That moment is potentially the last time he could kick a ball as a professional.

However, Yoshida is getting one last moment with Japan. He’s represented the country in 53 international friendlies, 43 World Cup Qualifiers, 15 Olympic fixtures, 15 AFC Asian Cup contests, an Asian Cup qualifier, and three Confederations Cup group stage matches.

Yoshida was invited for one last match with his home country ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Samurai Blue faced up against Iceland at the National Stadium in Japan. He spent the last week in training sessions with his old teammates and seeing the next generation of Japanese football put on the shirt of the national team.

There is no more deserving player than Yoshida to have this moment. His time with the LA Galaxy has shown the dedication, professionalism, and class that have followed him through his career. He’s captained LA through tough seasons but has also been the leader in its 2024 Championship campaign.

After 14 minutes of action against Iceland, Yoshida came off the pitch one final time for his country. Both teams gave the 37-year-old a guard of honor, while the home crowd gave a standing ovation. In the capital of his home country, Yoshida got a hero’s goodbye.

Yoshida then passed the captain’s armband to Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo before leaving the pitch. Then one final applause with the crowd before walking back to the bench.

Unlike other moments in his career with Japan, this is a moment for Yoshida to cherish. The tears are of joy and thankfulness rather than regret and agony. The applause for one of the pillars of Japanese soccer is well deserved for Yoshida.

The LA Galaxy walked off the field Saturday night frustrated by the result, but not necessarily by the performance. That distinction mattered inside the locker room afterward.

For long stretches of a 1-1 draw against the Houston Dynamo at Dignity Health Sports Park, the Galaxy looked like a team finally starting to understand itself. The movement was sharper. The counterpress was aggressive. The attacking relationships looked more natural. And for perhaps the clearest stretch all season, Greg Vanney’s vision actually resembled a finished product.

But the same issue that has hovered over the Galaxy’s uneven first half surfaced again: good stretches still are not consistently turning into wins.

“We left some points on the table,” Vanney admitted postgame. “The formula is coming around, and now we’ve got to put those two things, good defensive play, good on the ball, and put it together for 90 minutes on a consistent basis.”

That theme followed the entire night.

The opening 35 minutes may have been some of the Galaxy’s best possession soccer of the season. Vanney’s decision to push Joseph Paintsil and Gabriel Pec into more direct downhill running opportunities immediately changed the tempo of the match. Houston struggled to contain the speed and constant movement, especially whenever Marco Reus drifted underneath the attack and Erik Thommy started connecting play through midfield.

Thommy, in particular, changed the rhythm of the game.

“He’s one of those players who has legs, wisdom,” Vanney said. “He moves with the ball. He moves off the ball. He creates activity and motion on the field.”

The effect was obvious almost immediately. The Galaxy repeatedly won second balls high up the field, with Edwin Cerrillo and Elijah Wynder jumping passing lanes to fuel quick attacking sequences before Houston could settle defensively.

“The big thing for us is we have been harping on playing more as a team,” Wynder said afterward. “Everybody is pressing together. When we get the ball, everybody is moving into the attack together.”

That collective movement finally produced the breakthrough in the 30th minute.

Cerrillo clipped a perfectly weighted ball over Houston’s back line to Miki Yamane, whose driven ball across the six-yard box eventually found Paintsil for what initially looked like an offside goal before VAR overturned the call. The reaction inside the stadium reflected how deserved the moment felt. The Galaxy had completely controlled the match to that point.

Paintsil’s goal, his third of the MLS season, also extended the Galaxy’s scoring streak to 24 consecutive matches, the longest active streak in MLS.

But the response afterward revealed where this team still has room to grow.

Houston never looked particularly threatening in the first half, yet one moment completely shifted the energy of the match. Guilherme’s stunning strike from outside the box in the 41st minute erased the Galaxy’s lead against the run of play and immediately changed the emotional texture of the night.

Vanney’s halftime message centered on rediscovering the aggression and control that defined the opening half, but instead the game increasingly turned into a test of resilience.

That part, at least, continues improving.

Jakob Glesnes highlighted afterward how much harder the Galaxy have become to play against during the last month and a half, especially defensively.

“We have been one unit and we have been working harder together,” Glesnes said. “We have been harder to play against.”

That defensive structure helped the Galaxy survive several dangerous second-half moments, including a critical recovery tackle from Glesnes near the hour mark and another strong performance behind them from goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski.

Glesnes credited Marcinkowski’s form for stabilizing the group defensively.

“It is giving us confidence when you know that if you f--- up a time or two, you have someone that is saving you behind there,” Glesnes said.

Still, the Galaxy never fully regained the attacking rhythm they carried early. Houston controlled longer stretches of possession, and the match increasingly felt like it could swing either direction entering the final 20 minutes.

Yet even while struggling to control the game, the Galaxy still showed flashes of the attacking identity Vanney believes is emerging.

Cuevas provided energy off the bench. Harbor Miller immediately injected pace in transition. Late chances from Matheus Nascimento, Pec and Reus forced multiple difficult saves from former Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Bond as the Galaxy pushed for a winner.

But the finishing touch never arrived.

Instead, the Galaxy enter the World Cup break sitting at 5-5-5 and a goal difference of zero, frustrated by another home draw yet increasingly convinced their trajectory is improving.

“I’m pleased with how we’ve played over the last six to eight games,” Vanney said. “I think we found a formula that we can really build on with this group.”

The LA Galaxy hit a new low in 2026 with a 3-1 loss to Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday night. It was a flat that Greg Vanney reached for quite the metaphor to describe it.

“I felt like we didn’t even get out of our hotel rooms,” said the Galaxy head coach. “We just didn’t come and meet the intensity level of the game.”

It was that kind of night at Children’s Mercy Park. SKC, winless at home all season heading into the match, barely had to elevate their game to dismantle a Galaxy side that looked disorganized and slow during this midweek match.

All three SKC goals came from LA’s inability to protect the ball in dangerous areas and their failure to recover defensively when possession was lost.

The opening goal started with Edwin Cerrillo losing the ball in midfield, and SKC broke immediately, with Calvin Harris finding space between the lines before his cutback found Capita at the far post to finish. The second came just before halftime as Dejan Joveljic, the former Galaxy striker, capitalized on a one-on-one opportunity against J.T. Marcinkowski with a composed chipped finish. It was the third time Joveljic has scored against his former club in four appearances.

Harris completed his dominant evening in the second half, finishing after a darting run into the box to make it three. It was the first time SKC had scored three goals in a single game all season. Both of their wins this season have now come against the Galaxy.

Gabriel Pec’s consolation in the 88th minute kept LA’s scoring streak alive but changed nothing about the final picture.

Vanney was direct in his assessment of where the game was lost. “They set up to play against our mistakes. We made plenty of them in the build. All three of their goals come off losses of possession that turn into transition attacks,” he said.

“I thought we were sloppy with the ball. I thought we were low on the intensity level. We just weren’t moving as fast as they were… we were behind the speed of it for most of the game.”

The first goal shone a spotlight on Edwin Cerrillo, whose loss of possession directly led to SKC’s opener. It was not an isolated moment. The 25-year-old has been inconsistent with the ball throughout the season, and Vanney acknowledged as much when asked about it.

“I think it’s been hit and miss, to be honest,” said Vanney about Cerrillo’s form. “In terms of presence and ball recovery and some of the things getting us out of situations going forward, it’s been up and down. Not consistent enough.”

It’s a significant admission about a player the Galaxy relies on heavily in the center of the park. LA’s system depends on midfield control and ball retention to keep opponents organized and create the patterns of play. When the midfield leaks possession in dangerous areas, the entire structure unravels as Wednesday night demonstrated.

There was a subplot to the evening that deserved more than the result allowed. Erik Thommy was making his return to Kansas City, the club he called home for the past four seasons, and brought with him the kind of familiarity and respect that comes with genuine history at a place.

The German midfielder didn’t let sentiment cloud his reading of the performance. His verdict was blunt.

“It wasn’t our best game. 80 to 90 percent is not enough. We need to be at 100 to compete and to win games,” said Thommy.

It echoed Vanney’s message of not bringing intensity to the game. There is little to no

There is no time to dwell on the result for the G’s. The Galaxy travel to Seattle on Saturday to face a Sounders side sitting third in the Western Conference following a win over San Jose. It is exactly the kind of hostile road environment that exposes teams low on confidence and cohesion.

Thommy made clear what the standard needs to be. “Energy-wise, commitment-wise, we need to be much better than today in Seattle, because Seattle is going to be a really, really tough away game for us.”

The Galaxy showed they can raise their level when they want to. Wednesday night proved they still haven’t found a way to do it consistently like the elite teams in MLS.

The voice of Marco Reus holds a lot of weight in the LA Galaxy locker room. The former German Player of the Year wanted to get a message across to the team that could jumpstart the six-time MLS Cup champions in 2026 and make them evolve.

“There was a moment where (Reus) kind of brought everybody in and got a little bit mad at us and said, ‘We need to be more dirty. We can’t just always play nice.’ And I think the team has done a good job of really listening to that,” said Justin Haak following the Galaxy’s 1-1 draw with Vancouver.

The increased physicality and aggressiveness is noticeable from the G’s in the last few games. The Galaxy backline is playing a bit higher than usual, players are ready to press, and the squad is built for combat in the midfield trenches.

“We don’t need to play out of the back. We don’t need to be such a pretty team,” said John Nelson following Wednesday’s training.

“If we need to press and be a bit dirty, then so be it. That’s what we need to do. And we’ve shown that the last few games,” he added. “I would say the trainings have been a little more intense, a little more better, more clarity… you can tell we’re just fighting more, our press is better. We just want that little more.”

This style of play is a shift in LA’s usual methods that involve heavy possession and breaking down opponents through patterns of play. The aesthetics of this style of play can be better for the viewer, but the results lately for the Galaxy have not been guaranteed.

“When ideas are clear and it’s easier to press, man on man or whatever we’re doing, you can play better. Guys know where the press,” said Nelson.

One of those players who’s elevated their game in this style is Uruguayan midfielder Lucas Sanabria.

“I think the mentality of the group and how we’ve approached the last two games has really kind of put the game into what I would say is Lucas’ wheelhouse,” said Head Coach Greg Vanney.

Sanabria’s tenacity for duels and pressing is what made him stand out during his time at Nacional in Uruguay’s top-flight. Those attributes are coming to life in the last couple of weeks alongside his development with the ball at his feet.

“The way these last two games have played out really kind of suits his greatest strengths. And so it’s part of the reason why we have been rethinking about what our pressing looks like to try to put our guys in the best positions to be successful,” said Vanney.

It’s also Sanabria’s teammates seeing him take that leap.

“It’s really good to see Lucas doing more of that,” said Nelson about Sanabria’s aggressiveness.

“He’s playing with more confidence. So it’s not just him too. It’s just the team, the liveliness and the press guys wanting to win,” he added.

With a three-game road trip this week, LA is likely to play behind the ball more rather than with it. LA heads to Atlanta, then to Kansas City, and then finalizes the trip by facing Seattle.

“Every game is an opportunity for us to try to take points,” said Vanney.

“We have two teams that aren’t the highest in the standings at the moment, but you have one who’s starting to find a little bit of their form, and Kansas City as a place has always been a challenge for us,” he added.

“We want to try and get at least seven points out of these next three games. Then at home in the fourth game with Houston, it’s a for sure win. That’s my mentality. That’s our mentality,” said Nelson about the upcoming road trip.

With injuries taking a toll on roster selection and building a rhythm as a team, the Galaxy needs to evolve to survive. Especially with its upcoming road trip.

Speed kills.

It’s a phrase used so often in sports that it risks losing its meaning. But watching Joseph Paintsil for 90 minutes, the words take on new life. It comes as the FIFA World Cup looms, and Paintsil could be part of the most prestigious tournaments in sports.

Since returning from his hamstring injury, Paintsil has become one of the most important players in the LA Galaxy’s attack. The team looks different with him on the pitch, as his threat on the counter is harder to defend against in the open field.

Greg Vanney doesn’t mince words when describing what Paintsil brings to G’s since his return from injury.

“What he gives us is he’s fast as hell, and he can run behind anybody from anywhere at any moment,” said the Galaxy head coach. “It gives you something that the opposition really has to respect. It gives you something that the opposition is fearing at all times.”

That fear factor is not abstract. It changes how opposing defenses set up and how deep their lines sit. Paintsil’s pace gives the G’s an extra dimension and elevates the ceiling of the team.

What separates Paintsil from a one-dimensional speedster is his understanding of space and movement. His goal against FC Dallas was a perfect example as his perfectly timed run and positioning allowed him to exploit exactly what the defense was giving him.

In this moment, Paintsil reads that situation. He changes his run to attack space and get on the end of a through ball from Glesnes. You can see in real-time how Paintsil reads the situation and adjusts his body to make that run. The only thing missing is the finish from Elijah Wynder.

On his goal against Vancouver, Paintsil credited the combination with Lucas Sanabria as something the two had worked on in training, a pattern built on understanding how the Whitecaps want to play and attacking their buildup.

“The ball that Lucas gave me is something we learned, because we know how they want to play,” said Paintsil. “All I have to do is always be in between the keeper and the center back. My positioning with Lucas’s pass and the goal I scored was something amazing. Kudos and a very big thanks to Lucas for the assist.”

Being the fastest player on the field comes with a price. Paintsil is fouled and targeted by opponents who know they can’t beat him. Adding more physicality and strength towards Paintsil, the main way players look to combat his pace. It’s a pattern he has learned to recognize and manage. He was the most fouled player in LA’s match with Vancouver, and that’s not counting calls he didn’t get.

“They always try to frustrate me. The only thing frustrating me is just to kick me and try to make fouls, to always complain and mess with my mind,” said Paintsil to reporters. “

I know that’s what they are going to do kick me and try to get in my head. At the end of the day, I just let it go, focus on the game, keep it flowing, and try to help the team. That is the most important thing for me.”

It’s a maturity that has developed through experience. Paintsil has learned that reacting to provocation only takes him out of his game. Staying focused, staying disciplined, and letting his feet do the talking is the approach that serves him and the Galaxy best.

The hamstring injury that kept Paintsil sidelined in the early weeks of the season was not his first. It’s a recurring issue he has had to learn to manage carefully during his LA Galaxy career.

“I feel good now. I’m having my 90 minutes,” he said. “I’ve been having these hamstring injuries every season. Now I just need to know how to go about things and try to always keep fit.”

The World Cup looms large over this stretch of the season for many players across MLS, and Paintsil is no exception. Ghana’s qualification for the tournament means the biggest stage in world football is less than a month away, and the stakes have never been higher for him personally.

With Carlos Queiroz now taking charge of the Black Stars less than a month ago, it’s clear Paintsil is doing everything to stand out. Scoring goals is the best way to stay on the radar, especially since Queiroz has had no time with the Ghana national team.

“My focus is just to focus on the team, give everything for the team. If I’m performing in the team, why not?… I’m more focused on what is now than later,” he said about the upcoming World Cup.

“I would love to be there — Inshallah, by God’s grace, I think everything will be possible,” he said. “If I go, yes. If I don’t go, I still give thanks to God.”

A motivated Paintsil is a good thing for LA, and the Galaxy will keep benefiting from having one of the fastest and most dangerous wingers in the league back in top gear.

The LA Galaxy let the lead slip and settled for a 1-1 draw at home against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night. It’s a result that will feel far more like two points dropped than one gained.

Thomas Müller was absent from Vancouver’s matchday squad due to illness, removing the much-anticipated subplot of his reunion with Marco Reus. Despite that, both teams brought intensity from the opening whistle, and the match had the feel of two sides who desperately needed the three points.

The Galaxy didn’t waste any time after the halftime break. A poor ball from Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka was intercepted by Lucas Sanabria, who fed Joseph Paintsil in behind the defense. The Ghanaian finished confidently for his second goal of the season.

LA held the lead for the majority of the match but couldn’t see it out. In the 82nd minute, Sebastian Berhalter delivered a perfectly placed cross onto the head of Mathias Laborda, who nodded home to level the score and silence Dignity Health Sports Park.

Vanney had anticipated Vancouver throwing numbers forward late and had added an extra center back to the lineup just before the free kick. The equalizer came anyway.

“We were about as big as we could possibly be in that moment, and we’ve got to be able to deal with that situation even though it happened,” said Vanney.

The Galaxy’s best chance to win it came in the 86th minute. Jakob Glesnes played a perfect through ball for Paintsil, whose cross into the box found Elijah Wynder in space but the midfielder couldn’t get clean contact, and the ball went wide without troubling the goalkeeper.

Everyone in the stadium knew what had just slipped away. It was the moment that should have made Wynder the hero of the night. Instead, it became another difficult chapter in a stretch of games where his form and confidence have visibly dipped, his minutes decreasing with each passing week.

“It was one of those great opportunities to salvage three points. We just didn’t get it done,” said Vanney.

When reporters asked Paintsil about the moment, he used his answer to go to bat for his teammate without hesitation.

“We just wish the best for him. He is a really amazing player and he can do more, he can do better, he can do extremely great,” said Paintsil.

“We believe in him. Everybody believes in him. Nobody puts any blame on him. Even if someone puts the blame on him, I’m going to fight. Because even the best players in the world miss chances. So if he misses chances, that doesn’t mean he’s not a good player. He’s an amazing player. He needs to focus on himself and believe in himself and just keep going.”

The frustration in the dressing room afterwards was palpable.

“The feeling in the locker room was not what we expected,” said Paintsil. “We wanted this victory, especially for us and for the supporters. Unfortunately, this is football. We just need to raise our heads and focus on the next game.”

If there was a silver lining on the night, it was the performance of J.T. Marcinkowski. A point-blank save in the 19th minute was the defining moment of his evening. It kept the Galaxy level at a critical juncture and maintained the confidence in the group. According to FotMob, Marcinkowski prevented 1.72 expected goals across his five saves on the night.

Vanney acknowledged that earlier in the season, those saves hadn’t been coming at the right moments.

“I felt early in the season, if I’m being honest, we probably needed a save or two here or there and it might have preserved us a couple of points,” he said. “In his last stretch of games, J.T has been able to pick up one or two of those.”

The conversation around the goalkeeper position feels settled after this performance. Marcinkowski’s shot-stopping, leadership, and composure in big moments are exactly what Vanney has been looking for from the position all season.

“JT has proven that he brings us stability, maturity, and the odd save that you need in tough games,” said Vanney. “If he’s doing that, then it’s his position to keep.”

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.