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The Los Angeles Galaxy continues to thrive in the Greg Vanney era.

The Galaxy head coach has successfully overhauled a roster that desperately needed it. 

In a projected starting 11 when all players are healthy, seven are new signings.

Of these seven, four are the Galaxy’s recently arrived Frenchmen. 

All four are under the age of 25, have bright potential to grow even more as players, and should they develop according to plan; the Galaxy will have either laid the foundation for a championship-contending squad for the foreseeable future or be in the driver’s seat when it comes time to negotiate their transfer elsewhere.

Although they have all taken a moment to get on the field for the club due to visa issues and some to acclimate to it as well, the new fab four are starting to show why they were signed.

After a summer in which Galaxy fans agonized over the slow state of transfers, Samuel Grandsir was the first to arrive in March.

Samuel Grandsir was the first of four French players to arrive to the LA Galaxy this off-season.
(Photo with LA Galaxy permission)

The former French youth international and Ex-Monaco player has made 12 appearances for the Galaxy so far. 

He served up a dime to Chicharito in the Cali Clasico that the Mexican striker just had to meet and push home for his only assist of the season and cruelly did not receive credit for his first Galaxy goal when it was ruled an own-goal. 

Grandsir has looked stronger game after game and in the last two matches vs FC Dallas and Sporting Kansas City, was an absolute menace on the right flank.

There were several chances he created that should have been goals in both matches while he was unlucky to hit the crossbar off a great individual effort against Dallas. 

It was his quick give-and-go with Sebastian Lletget that opened up space for the Galaxy’s second goal against FC Dallas. 

The man he opened the space for during that goal-scoring sequence was the Galaxy’s second French signing and newest designated player, Kévin Cabral.

The 22-year-old’s goal must have been a calming balm for him.

“I know he’s felt a little bit of pressure and been feeling sort of the mounting pressure of not finishing, not getting some of these chances put away that he’s wanted, and I had a little word with him yesterday about just relaxing and his mind,” Vanney acknowledged regarding Cabral’s lack of goals.

All that’s in the past, though, as Cabral finally got his goal.

Through eight appearances, the left-winger has the goal against FC Dallas and a great assist to Chicha for his second goal against the ‘Quakes. He has shown glimpses of how dangerous and unsettling for opposition defenses he can be, and like Grandsir, looks to be settling in a bit more each game.

While Galaxy fans hope their French wingers can score goals, they’ll want their new Center Back Sega Coulibaly to keep them out.

The former Ligue 2 defender was a regular for AS Nancy.

In his three full appearances, his experience and fearlessness were already helping an LA Galaxy defense that was among the worst in the league last year.

Unfortunately, an injury forced him to be taken off against FC Dallas and Galaxy fans will have to wait to see their new Sega and Derek Williams center-back pairing. 

In Coulibaly’s absence, the last of the fab four to arrive, Rayan Raveloson stepped up to cover the defender and got his first Galaxy goal.

And Vanney aside, he might just be the most astute Galaxy signing in recent memory.

Vanney shared that Raveloson “offers something that the Galaxy hasn’t had in recent memory.”

Whether it’s his ability to be composed on the ball, score a towering header, or step into a different position in just his second game for the club; Vanney’s pronouncement that Raveloson is different is spot on.

His fine performance earned him the first of surely many MLS Team of the Week honors.

The 24-year-old’s signing instantly opens up Lletget and Jona dos Santos to get forward where their quality can create goal-scoring opportunities.

But perhaps his greatest attribute has been the quickness with which he stepped right into the starting lineup and put up two impressive displays. 

But don’t sleep on his countrymen, though.

All four fantastic Frenchmen have shown the fanbase flashes of what they can do but have yet to play together.

When they get to share the field for the first time in the Galaxy starting 11, like the Beatles, the new Fab Four will be worth it.

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