Alas! The soul of Dignity Health Sports Park is coming back. Angel City Brigade announced they would return to Dignity Health Sports Park for the LA Galaxy home game against Colorado. The announcement comes after the Galaxy earned their first win of the season.
With confidence on their side after a win and one of the groups of supporters in the house, the LA Galaxy are in business.
During their 2-0 win over Austin FC, Greg Vanney’s starting formation included two forwards up top for the first time this season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYbclZrAxhQ&t=68s
Vanney went with a 3-5-2 formation, with Hernandez and Joveljic up top.
Analysis of the Forwards
Due to injuries to Hernandez, Joveljic started most of the games as the lone forward up top. Having Hernandez at the top with him allows both of them to create space by drawing attention towards each other.
Hernandez scored his first goal of the season against Austin FC. Leading up to the play, two defenders covered Chicharito while Joveljic roamed the area alone. After a ball ricocheted towards him, Joveljic passed the ball to Hernandez, who took a step ahead of the defenders to finish and open the scoring.
This was the first goal scored by a forward in the season. Having two players up top frees up one of the players, as the other attracts the defenders’ attention. Joveljic is yet to score, but once he gets comfortable with Hernandez, these two attackers will help the LA Galaxy climb out of the bottom of the standings.
Analysis of the Midfielders
Meanwhile, the middle of the field is perfect. Julian Aude and Tyler Boyd are controlling the wings of the midfield. Brugman, Puig, and Delgado in the middle are moving the ball forward quickly, helping with the transition.
The second goal came after a corner kick by Austin FC. The ball was headed away by Neil and found its way to Delgado. Moving up with Joveljic and Puig running aside him, the ball was crossed to the far end of the field to Puig, who finished the touch and scored his first goal of the season.
With so many midfielders in the field, it allows them to attack even more. With this lineup, the LA Galaxy has created more plays up front than the 4-5-1 formation used at the beginning of the season.
Douglas Costa is currently coming off the bench, and his speed is up this season. His presence off the bench deepens the lineup, allowing Vanney to keep the pace even after resting some of the starters.
There’s no need to analyze the backline. Jalen Neil is in full control and is developing into the team’s future.
Right before the end of the international transfer window, the LA Galaxy signed Gino Vivi and Mauricio Cuevas. Vivi will help support the midfield, while Cuevas will bolster the backline and improve the team’s defense.
This formation is the one Vanney should stick to, allowing the players to get comfortable with it and wait for the results to help the team out of the bottom. I just hope there’s room for Efrain Alvarez. With so much potential from him, it feels like he’s on his way out.
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