What went wrong with the LA Galaxy defense in 2023

The LA Galaxy allowed the most goals in MLS during the 2023 MLS regular season, why that's the case

Photo Credit: LA Galaxy

67 goals allowed in a season is not acceptable and isn’t a recipe for finding success in soccer - the LA Galaxy experienced that in 2023.

LA’s weakness this season was the gradual decline in the backline due to factors within and out of their control. Major injuries and player regression led the Galaxy to lose their defensive consistency in the final stretch of the season.

In their last nine games, LA allowed 28 goals. For context, the Seattle Sounders allowed 32 goals in a 34-game season.

The LA Galaxy will have to assess and make decisions on the future of a handful of players on the backline during the off-season. If LA can reorganize and properly find out who to move on from, it will go a long way to build a solid defense for what’s expected to be a bounce-back 2024 MLS season.

Constantly changing

You will hear this from every coach and player; having a consistent lineup helps strengthen a team’s chemistry, especially defensively.

I did some research and looked into how many different backline combinations the Galaxy trotted out this season. Martin Caceres, Calegari, and Jalen Neal ended their season on the sidelines due to injury while other players had their fair share of injury problems. In total, there were 22 different backlines in a 34-game regular season.

The used backline this season was Jonathan Bond, Julian Aude, Martin Caceres, Jalen Neal, and Calegari. They played a total of five games together in 2023.