The LA Galaxy changed the course of Major League Soccer forever when they signed David Beckham. The Carson team had the ambition – and audacity – to sign arguably the most recognisable player of his generation and it helped establish them as the league’s marquee franchise for the best part of a decade.
Now, though, the Galaxy are a shadow of their former selves. They have been left behind. This season saw Gregg Vanney’s team finish second bottom of the Western Conference where they missed out on a playoff place for the third season in the last four. Once a dominant force in MLS, the LA Galaxy are no longer even a dominant force in their own city.
By Graham Ruthven, MLS Expert
Los Angeles FC have set a new standard at the top of MLS. Not only have they won two Supporters’ Shields and a MLS Cup in just six seasons in the league, reaching a second MLS Cup final this year, LAFC represent their city in a way the LA Galaxy never did. For a club founded less than a decade ago, there is a remarkable authenticity about everything LAFC do.
Nothing the LA Galaxy did in 2023 felt authentic, nor was it successful. They started the season in conflict with their own fans who protested the continued employment of club president Chris Klein and technical director Jovan Kirovski, two figures widely blamed for the poor quality of the team on the pitch.
Klein was suspended by MLS for violating salary and budget rules during the 2019 season, but was inexplicably handed a new multi-year contract by the Galaxy. Supporters protested by boycotting the team’s first fixture of the new season to express their discontent. The club didn’t care.
Galaxy fans were right to be concerned. Their team started the 2023 campaign with a seven-game winless run and had just two wins under their belt by the start of June. An uptick in form over the summer hinted at better times to come, but a serious playoff challenge never materialised as the LA Galaxy finished the season with another six-game winless run.
Riqui Puig still managed to make an impact, scoring seven goals and assisting four more, but not even the former Barcelona midfielder could drag the Galaxy into the post-season. Javier Hernández started just seven games due to injury and while Billy Sharp offered some cutting edge after joining from Sheffield United, but what does it say about the LA Galaxy that a 37-year-old English Championship specialist became a key figure?
Not so long ago, Dignity Health Sports Park was the natural destination for superstars looking for a new MLS home. Now, though, Inter Miami, LAFC and Toronto FC are ahead of them in the line for the likes of Messi, Gareth Bale and Lorenzo Insigne. Puig was a statement signing, but the club has otherwise lacked ambition recently.
They have lacked direction too. You don’t need to spend big and sign big-name players to succeed in MLS. Indeed, FC Cincinnati and the Columbus Crew have shown what can be achieved with a clear vision and a coherent plan to go with it. If the LA Galaxy are no longer able to compete at the top end of the transfer market, this should be the direction they take.
2024 has to be different. The impending departure of Hernández and Douglas Costa as Designated Players will free up some salary budget for the LA Galaxy to rebuild their squad with six further players out of contract at the end of the year. Klein is also gone and so the hope is a new leadership group and front office will have better ideas.
Chucky Lozano has been linked with a move to Carson, but the Galaxy might be wise to focus on building a stronger defensive foundation before they target another attacker – the LA Galaxy conceded more regular season goals (67) than any other team. This is where the rebuild should start.
MLS is now a different league in to the one the LA Galaxy dominated with three MLS Cup wins in just three years between 2011 and 2014. Back then, star power was often enough to guarantee success, and the Galaxy had plenty of that with Beckham, Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane on their team. Now, though, the landscape has shifted and the LA Galaxy must adapt.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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