The club is ready to turn heads in the long-awaited 2021 opener.
A myriad of continues to circulate as to how the Galaxy will perform this upcoming season. In a recent preseason MLS analysis, some experts feel that the team will end up in the bottom half of the table. This, of course, is speculative, and rightly so, as the Galaxy have trended toward mediocrity for the past few seasons.
This time feels different, though. For Galaxy fans, the club has taken some steps in the right direction with the new coaching staff and some interesting names added to the team to turn the tide to finally reach a deep playoff run.
Two primary questions will be asked, and the team is likely judged by this 2021 season.
Will Greg Vanney Make the Difference?
So far, it certainly seems that way. Since his arrival, there appears to be an obvious boost in morale, and the team looks to be more alive. This has been evidenced by how the team has been interacting with each other, not to mention the fairly decent preseason performances. In contrast to last season, the team looked at times as if they were in complete disarray. That was not felt this time.
It will be anticipated that Vanney will want to move the ball up-field and use the new acquisitions (Vazquez, Grandsir, Cabral) to create offensive movements and ultimately feed to the ball to the Chicharito, rather than bringing the ball up the flanks and simply sending in mindless crosses in the box which plagued the team last year.
How Will Chicharito Fare This Season?
As the club’s biggest star and highest-paid player in the entire league, all eyes will be on him. Contrary to the constant backlash that the striker has received from both MLS fans and Mexican fans and media, the man had a tough year last season dealing with numerous personal issues with health and family.
He has verbally acknowledged his faults and has stated his readiness and willingness to make this a much better campaign on numerous occasions. Not to mention he is healthy and has improved his fitness.
If the Galaxy can continue to build off of the positive momentum they are experiencing and finally reach a point where the team is cohesive enough to trust one another on and off the field, they have the potential to make an impact and turn heads this season.
Featured Image: Corner of the Galaxy
