Man on a Misson: Maya Yoshida's potential last dance for club glory
The LA Galaxy's championship window is open and so is Maya Yoshida's window to win the first club trophy of his career
“I’m 35, I only have national team and Asia Cup titles. I don’t have club title; I want to achieve something special with [LA] Galaxy,” said Maya Yoshida during an interview with CBS Sports early in the year.
Yoshida's first season with LA Galaxy in 2023 felt like most of his club career - being on a team far from contenders for a trophy. The Japanese defender had just been part of a Shalke 04 side relegated from the Bundesliga before joining an injury-riddled LA Galaxy team that finished 13th in the Western Conference.
His press conferences often featured a serious tone and echoes of frustration with the defensive play. Fast forward to the 2024 campaign, Yoshida is showing his sense of humor with reporters in press conferences as he’s enjoying the best team success in his career.
The highest Yoshida has finished in the league standings is 6th place with Southampton during the 2015-16 English Premier League Campaign. With the LA Galaxy 4th place in the Supporters Shield standings and 2nd in the Western Conference - Yoshida has never been closer to a league trophy in his career.
Yoshida has felt heartbreak more than success in tournament play. His last trophy was the 2011 Asia Cup, where a 23-year-old Yoshida started in the final against Australia. Since then, he’s not achieved glory in tournaments but found heartbreak in knockout play.
In the 2014 World Cup, James Rodriguez danced around him to score one of the best goals in the tournament and eliminate Japan in the group stage.
At the club level, Yoshida and Southampton made it to the EFL Cup final in 2017 but lost due to a late game-winner from Zlatan Ibrahimovic. In the 2018 World Cup, Japan blew a 2-0 lead to Belgium in the Round of 16 to suffer one of the most hurtful eliminations in that tournament.
At the 2022 World Cup, Yoshida's last major international tournament, the defender missed a penalty against Croatia that eliminated Japan in a penalty shootout. What hurts more is that it was likely Yoshida’s final kick with the Japanese national team, as he’s not been called up by the Samurai Blue since that match.
“I am being tested now. You know, sometimes in life, people think, why did this happen, why. Why do these kind of things happen to me, and you think and think and think,” Yoshida told reporters following the Galaxy’s hurtful 2-1 loss to Houston on Decision Day.
At that moment, Yoshida reflected back on his career that’s seen him watch his opponents experience the joy of football instead of experiencing it himself.
“This kind of difficult moment is always a test. I will react and you will see how I react. I will contribute and go through the final and get the title. This is my target from now on."
A motivated man is a dangerous man, especially considering Yoshida’s discipline as a professional footballer.
The 36-year-old defender finished the MLS regular season playing 3,035 minutes, according to FBRef.com- the most on the LA Galaxy roster this season. The Japanese defender ranks third in minutes played across MLS among outfield players.
Yoshida’s been one of the LA Galalxy’s most consistent defenders this season. As shown in the graphic below, the Japanese defender ranks among the best defenders in the air and above average in shots blocked and clearances.
Games in the playoffs will be physical; strikers will fight to win balls and get shots off against Yoshida as the margins of victory get smaller. His presence and leadership are needed for this LA Galaxy team to put up good defense displays against the best teams in the Western Conference.
Yoshida’s physicality and aerial dominance will be relied upon often given LA’s young Center Backs, Jalen Neal and Emiro Garces, who tend to partner with the Japanese defender. Martin Caceres’ injury has made the depth in the backline thinner, but Yoshida has remained a keystone of consistency for LA.
Read More: Maya Yoshida leads Galaxy backline to seventh clean sheet of the season
Yoshida’s shown his fun side more often this season, but he’s still a commanding presence to his teammates. If you’re ever in a room with Yoshida, his aura is off the charts. He commands respect and is immediately the person to whom you listen to their every word.
Being the captain of the LA Galaxy is a role he takes seriously as he continues to strive for improvement as a team. Despite being over 5,400 miles from his homeland, Yoshida has made Los Angeles his home and cultivated a much-improved culture in the club that was needed to steer the Galaxy in the right direction during the post-Chris Klein era.
With the 2024 LA Galaxy being his best chance to erase the heartbreak of his career, he will put everything on the line to be the one holding the Galaxy’s sixth MLS Cup.
His mantra this season echoes achieving greatness - No great team loses two games in a row.