“One of the Most Disciplined Individuals in This Building”: Chris Rindov’s Emergence
It was a statement performance for the young defender, whose composure didn’t go unnoticed in his appearances for LA Galaxy
When Emiro Garcés limped off early against Orlando City, center back Chris Rindov was the next man up.
For many fans, his name was unfamiliar. For the Galaxy staff and players, it was a chance to see a steady presence they had been keeping tabs on all season at MLS Next Pro affiliate, Ventura County FC.
Head coach Greg Vanney summed it up after the match: “[Rindov] is one of the most disciplined individuals in this building, and I think he plays the game in a very disciplined way, in a very focused way…he earned himself another opportunity, and I thought he stepped in, and he did a nice, solid job.”
The question now is whether those opportunities will turn into something permanent. The 23-year-old is on a short-term loan from VCFC, which means he’s allowed to be included on four MLS matchday squads and only allowed to appear in a maximum of two MLS games per MLS rules. An individual player may appear in any number of non-league games, such as Leagues Cup, during the terms of his four Short-Term Agreements.
Earning Respect
In his limited appearances, Rindov hasn’t tried to be flashy. He’s been stable, reliable, and willing to do the dirty work. That’s exactly what stood out to Maya Yoshida, who praised his young teammate’s approach after lining up next to him in the second half of LA’s third-place match against Orlando City.
“I think he was very calm and concentrated,” Yoshida said. “Of course, the small details he has to include, but overall, the game against Colorado was very positive… And if you get right progress, potentially, he could be a very good player – but still a long way.”
That balance – calm but still learning – is what has kept Rindov on Vanney’s radar. The coach highlighted his “key clearances in the box,” his ability in the air, and his willingness to put his body on the line. Those are traits that matter to a team that has struggled with consistency at the back.
For Rindov, it’s about staying ready. “It’s really unfortunate for Emiro to go down like that,” he said following the Galaxy’s win over Orlando, “but at the end of the day, it’s next man up, and I was fortunate to step up and do what I did.”
The Long Road to LA
Rindov’s path to this point hasn’t been direct. After starring at Maryland, he entered MLS with Sporting Kansas City but barely saw the field in two seasons. What he did gain, he says, was practice against top competition.
“I didn’t really get too much playing time, but I feel like a lot of the practice there was good to set it up,” Rindov said. That foundation helped him adjust once he landed in Southern California with the Galaxy organization.
Ventura County became the proving ground. There, he wore the armband at times and played every week under the same principles as the first team. “We instill kind of the same values that we do as a first team,” he said. “So kind of building off of that and being comfortable in that system is the way it works here at Galaxy.”
Vanney noticed. “I’ve seen it all year in the second team,” the coach said. “He’s one of the real stabilizing forces to that group.” That stability has given him chances to fill in with the senior team, even if only on short-term deals.
For now, his contract status remains in limbo. “I don’t know,” Rindov said when asked about his eligibility for future matches. “I’ll check with them after this week, but yeah, we’ll see.”
It leaves his future open-ended, but his performances have positioned him well. As Vanney put it: “There’s definitely going to be an opportunity for him to continue to compete and show that he’s ready for the MLS level.”
Preparing for the Moment
What has set Rindov apart isn’t just what happens during the game. It’s the hours before kickoff, when he’s often the first player to arrive at the stadium. Against Orlando, he was warming up long before his teammates came out.
“Typically, if the game was, let’s say, two kick-off, I was here around twelve,” he said. “When I go on the field, it’s really a lot of visualization – just kind of getting into the main positions as a defender, defending corner kicks, then getting the ball on goal kicks, and obviously trying to score off the corner kicks. Being a bigger guy, aerial threat, I want to kind of visualize and see those things.”
It’s a habit he built at Maryland, carried to Kansas City, and has continued with the Galaxy. “Coming here on a second-team contract, you know, you’ve got to stand out in some way,” he said. “So I try to get there early, stay as long as I can, because at the end of the day my goal is to be a professional at the highest level.”
That mindset has caught the attention of both coaches and teammates. Yoshida called his preparation “very positive,” and Vanney said he sees in Rindov the kind of focus that creates longevity.
The defender himself frames it simply: “Greg really gave me a lot of confidence to go out there, play my game, play simple. At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter if it’s so pretty, as long as you guys win.”
The Galaxy didn’t lift the trophy in this year’s Leagues Cup, but Rindov sees the experience as another step forward – both for himself and for the team. “I think it shows the grit and obviously the quality that we have,” he said. “We can compete with anybody in this league.”
With veterans Zanka and Yoshida past their mid-30s and Emiro Garces seen as the long-term future of the position, Rindov’s emergence in this stretch gives the Galaxy front office a potential in-house solution to add more depth in the backline.
Rindov’s future may still be a question, but what isn’t is his positive impression on his teammates and head coach.