John McCarthy signing with the LA Galaxy sparks a must-watch goalkeeping competition this preseason
With LA signing 2022 MLS Cup hero John McCarthy, the Galaxy now has three starting-caliber goalkeepers heading into the preseason.
The LA Galaxy is adding depth to their goalkeeping room as the club signed John McCarthy to a two-year contract through the end of the 2025 MLS season. McCarthy, 31, has played in Philadelphia, Miami, and more recently LAFC. He was the hero in LAFC’s triumph over the Philadelphia Union coming off the bench for the injured Maxime Crépeau and saving shots in the penalty shootout.
“John brings a wealth of experience, ranging from playing in the USL to being the MVP of an MLS Cup Final, that is invaluable,” said LA Galaxy General Manager Will Kuntz via press release. “He is a veteran leader who will add depth and competition at the goalkeeper position and we are excited to add him to our group.”
One of the LA Galaxy’s liabilities during the 2023 season was poor goalkeeping. According to FBRef.com, LA ranked at the bottom of multiple goalkeeping categories such as post-shot expected goals minus goals allowed (PSxG-GA), save percentage, and clean sheets. The club’s lack of consistent quality was one of the reasons LA’s defense gave up the most goals during the MLS season.
This offseason, LA parted with backup goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann after four seasons with the club and triggered the purchase option of 22-year-old Novak Mićović to make his stay with the SoCal club permanent from FK Čukarički in Serbia.
With Mićović, the Galaxy wants to develop him into an elite goalkeeper in MLS. In his end-of-season presser, Vanney said, “I think [Mićović] has shown me and our and our goalkeeper crew and staff that he does have high potential, and at some point, there has to be a leaping off point for him where he just starts to gain that experience to go with his potential with his quality.”
He appeared in four games across all competitions for the LA Galaxy in 2023 while also playing for LA Galaxy II in MLS Next Pro. There isn’t much of a sample size to properly assess his game but the Serbian’s long-range passing and reflex saves stood out in 360 minutes of playing time.
After a full season acclimating to a new country and league, 2024 feels like the perfect stepping stone for Mićović to compete as the number one this preseason. Instead of arriving at the end of the transfer window like he did last year, he’ll be with the team from the start to compete for the number one spot.
It feels like Bond’s time with LA Galaxy is coming to an end with two goalkeepers being added to the roster. After three seasons with the club, it’s simple to categorize Bond as an average to below-average goalkeeper in MLS - the stats point this out as well.
When looking at Bond’s stats since 2021, he’s spent every campaign in the bottom 10 of the PSxG-GA category. His best save percentage was back in the 2021 campaign where he registered 73.4% - ranked 11th best in MLS. Since his inaugural campaign, his save percentage has gone down every year (68% in ‘22 and 64% in ‘23. Take a look at this graphic that compares the percentile ranks between Bond and McCarthy last season - Bond clearly ranked lower in most categories.
Time will tell how long he stays on the team but he is part of the LA Galaxy’s preseason preparations for 2024. Given his salary of $525,833.00 according to the MLSPA Salary Guide, Bond isn’t performing at the level expected of him (for example, McCarthy made $121,667.00 last season).
The preseason matches have another layer of intrigue with McCarthy’s addition. His signing doesn’t do much to raise the Galaxy’s ceiling but does raise their floor in the goalkeeping department.