If there’s something the LA Galaxy has done well this season is react to bumps in the road.
It is something the team and the front office have had to deal with since before the season started.
At the beginning of the season, the supporters filling the stands decided to boycott home games until changes were made to how the LA Galaxy ran things. The front office called the bluff and lost 7 games to begin the season. After the game’s outcomes didn’t take place, the front office decided to fire Chris Klein and hire Will Kuntz as the senior vice president of player personnel.
Throughout the season, whenever the Galaxy showed signs of improvement on the field, the team had to deal with injuries. Since the beginning of the season, the Galaxy have lost:
Martin Caceres, Gaston Brugman, and Javier Hernandez; these players are starters and left a wide gap in the lineup right when the Galaxy found their rhythm.
As a result, Kuntz’s next moves needed to be smart and vital to the team. During the transfer window, Kuntz secured filling in the holes that the injuries caused in the lineup. He signed Maya Yoshida to fill in for Martin Caceres. He brought the midfield some backups by trading for Diego Fagundez, Michael Barrios, and Edwin Cerrillo. With these players, he will deepen the depth at midfield.
How Can The New Players Help
Jalen Neal will continue to grow under the mentorship of Yoshida, a veteran of the game with 126 international caps with Japan’s national team.
With the addition of Fagundez, Barrios, and Cerrillo, the midfield is well-rounded with offensively driven players like Fagundez.
His presence can uplift the lackluster and inconsistent performances of the Galaxy’s offense. Currently, the team’s goal leader is Tyler Boyd, and it’s missing the presence of Hernandez.
Cerrillo’s addition to the lineup also helps secure the defense and midfield.
Can these changes help the team make the playoffs?
The Galaxy find themselves 7 points out of a playoff spot with 12 games left in the season. As a result of their early dismissal from the Leagues Cup, they also have a wide gap in between their next game on August 20th.
The gap gives Vanney enough time to integrate the new players into the system they are running.
What’s Coming Up For The Galaxy
Will it be enough for the Galaxy to make it into the playoffs? Here’s a list of the teams they will be playing:
- Real Salt Lake @ Home
- Chicago @ Home
- San Jose, Away
- Houston Dynamo @ Home
- St. Louis @ Home
- LAFC, Away
- Minnesota @ Home
- Austin, Away
- Portland @ home
- Seattle, Away
- Minnesota, Away
- FC Dallas @ Home
The good news is the Galaxy have 7 games out of the 12 remaining at home. They will have the full support of their supporters, who seem to be satisfied with the changes made after the Klein situation.
The bad news is the Galaxy will play 8 teams out of the 9 in playoff contention. Every game from now on needs to be played with the same intensity as any playoff game. Vanney needs to manage perfectly; his margin of error is small.
The Galaxy has the opportunity to do something no one in the league expected them to do, make the playoffs.
It is possible.
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