What to keep an eye on in the LA Galaxy's final two games of the season

There is plenty to watch for as the LA Galaxy season comes to an end

Photo Credit: LA Galaxy

The LA Galaxy won’t make the postseason but that doesn’t mean shouldn’t stop paying close attention to what’s going on the field.

This season has been a wild roller coaster ride and the team has been playing every game like it’s their last. While their elimination might turn people away from watching their last two games, I believe it’s one of the most interesting times to see what happens on the pitch.

There is no pressure on the Galaxy, they can be who they want to be. Coach Greg Vanney wants the season to end well as their final games are at Dignity Health Sports Park.

“I just think that we have to see this out in a very, very professional manner for our fans, for our club, for also the character that the group has shown during the season,” said Vanney after Saturday’s game in Minnesota.

“I think there will be some opportunities for guys inside of this as well to gain some experience here at the end of the year that can hopefully serve them well in preparation for a new season. But there’s also going to be some guys that have an opportunity to continue to help the team be stable and perform and play well down the stretch.”

Here is what I’m going to be keeping my eye on in these games to close out the 2023 campaign.

Cuevas Time

Following the injury to Calegari earlier this season, the right back position’s depth was going to be tested. 33-year-old Kelvin Leerdam has been the backup since he signed in 2021 and has made 29 appearances for the G’s. The arrival/return of Mauricio Cuevas this season has added an extra element of competition on the backline.

The 20-year-old has made seven appearances for the Galaxy - four of those have been starts. Despite a small sample size of minutes, you can see why LA wanted to him back to the States.

His playstyle is very similar to Julian Araujo - a full back who likes to get forward, make overlapping runs, and can whip in a decent ball into the box. Cuevas is still very raw as his one-on-one defending needs to be tuned and needs more playing time to deal with in-game pressure scenarios.

Leerdam will be on international duty with Suriname which means we’ll likely see Cuevas start during the Galaxy game against Real Salt Lake.

One of the player options the Galaxy front office will have to assess is Leerdam. This current campaign is the last guaranteed year of his contract but the club has the option to extend him for the 2024 season. Cuevas is the future of the position and the only right back guaranteed to return next season given that Calegari is on loan.

Cuevas was recently called up to the Pan-American games in Chile for the U.S. The games start on Oct. 20 however, the Galaxy’s last game of the season against Dallas is on the 21st.

Striker Goals

It’s always fun to remind yourself that Billy Sharp (6) has more goals than Lionel Messi (1) in MLS play. However, the 37-year-old has cooled off from his initial start to life in MLS.

Since his hat trick against Minnesota on Sept. 20, the Englishman has been unable to find the back of the net. In the last three games, he’s recorded six shots with only one on target.

Sharp will be one of the players that the club will assess in order to extend his contract for another season. While he was brought to the club to add depth to the striker room, he’s also brings the intangibles of being a veteran voice and bringing a strong mentality to a squad with key players on the younger side.

The games against Real Salt Lake and FC Dallas are opportunities to get back on the scoresheet and finish the season strong just months after arriving in America.

Dejan Joveljic’s 2023 campaign has been quite frustrating. After a season becoming LA’s super sub, he’s been unable to replace that form in a starting capacity.

The Serbian hold a G-xG tally of -3.3 - the sixth worst in MLS. He’s getting good spots and getting chances but his finishing has been inconsistent all season long.

For the last two games of the season, Joveljic needs to recoup his confidence in front of the net. When he’s feeling himself, the young forward is a menace to the opponent’s backline and doesn’t second-guess himself.

Winger Auditions

The Galaxy massively improved their winger depth for this final stretch of the season but will have to make decisions on who to keep.

The only wingers with a contract for the 2024 season are recently acquired Diego Fagundez and prospect Jonathan Perez.

Tyler Boyd, Douglas Costa, and Micheal Barrios will have their futures decided this winter.

With Costa, it feels like he’s close to leaving given his age and availability concerns. He’s recorded two goals and seven assists in 17 appearances this campaign - the most goal contributions since his 2017-18 season with Juventus. He’s been a key contributor in the second half of the season but that might not be enough to earn him a new deal with LA.

It was a surprise to see Tyler Boyd be a major part of the Galaxy’s goal tally. He currently has seven goals this season - the most in his career in league play. Boyd is tied with Riqui Puig for the most goals this season, the club’s top scorer this season will be decided on the last game of the year. Winning that will give Boyd even more leverage at the negotiation table this winter.

The Galaxy’s acquisition of Micheal Barrios added much-needed depth on the bench. He’s played just 114 and recorded one goal. At 32 years of age, it will be interesting to see if he stays around in LA. The Galaxy acquired him for just a first-round draft pick and potentially $50,000 in General Allocation if performance incentives are met.

Perez was signed to a four-year contract extension this past winter and is a player the club is hoping to develop. He still needs to learn more tactically but you can see he’s got promise when he plays. I expect him to get more time off the bench and give Vanney a larger game sample size of him with the first team.