Photo courtesy of the LA Galaxy
Victor Vazquez, left, followed head coach Greg Vanney to the Galaxy from Toronto FC.
Two words to describe the 2021 season for the Los Angeles Galaxy; mixed bag.
Coming off perhaps its worst season in 12 years, the Galaxy went through a major revamp. It started on the sidelines, as the Galaxy brought back Greg Vanney, who played for the franchise on two separate occasions, to be its head coach. It was a major coup for the franchise, as Vanney in five and a half seasons with Toronto FC, had built the Canadian side into a powerhouse, first by finally getting them to the playoffs in 2015, then by taking them to new heights, winning the MLS Cup in 2017 and appearing in the finals two other times (2016 and 2019).
Vanney was not the only new edition to the Galaxy in 2021, as he brought with him midfielder Victor Vasquez, a key player on those Toronto teams, signed striker Kevin Cabral as a designated player, and brought in other players such as Rayan Raveloson, Samuel Grandsir and keeper Jonathan Bond, all of whom would spend considerable time in the Galaxy’s starting 11 and make significant contributions, especially Bond, who established himself as the team’s No.1 keeper.
But perhaps it was a player who was signed by the club a year earlier that played a key role in the Galaxy getting off to a good start in 2021. Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, the star Mexican striker signed to a three-year $18 million contract in the winter of 2020 to be the next face of the franchise, had a disappointing 2020 season in which he scored just two goals, bounced back in a huge way this past season. Chicharito started the season off blazing hot, scoring 10 goals in the Galaxy’s first 10 games, and even after missing two-and-half months with a hamstring injury continued his scoring prowess once he returned, finding the back net seven more times to finish with 17 goals, two shy of the co-Golden Boot winners Valentin Castellanos of New York City FC and DC United’s Ola Kamara.
Photo courtesy of the LA Galaxy.
2021 was a season of redemption for Javier Chicharito Hernandez.
With all that, the Galaxy seemed to be back as one of the elite teams in MLS. When the Galaxy defeated Minnesota United on August 14, they stood at 13-6-2 and 41 points. Not only were they above the playoff line in the Western Conference, they were among the top four in the conference. The stars were aligning for an MLS Cup run, but little did anybody know that their downslide was upon them.
That downfall would come in the form of a winless streak that spanned two months and nine matches, a stretch where they went 0-5-4. Not even Chicharito’s return to the lineup on September 15 could get the Galaxy back the winning track, and the Galaxy suddenly found themselves fighting for their playoff lives. The Galaxy finally broke the streak on October 16 with a win against the Portland Timbers, then picked a second straight win on the road against the Houston Dynamo four days later to right the ship, but one final slump cost the Galaxy a playoff spot, as they went 0-1-3 in its final four matches, and the Galaxy’s late season collapse was complete.
The Galaxy now head into this offseason with some important decisions to make. First among them is a vacancy in the front office, as Dennis te Kloese left his position as General Manager to become the CEO of Dutch side Feyenoord. That decision figures to be an easy one for the Galaxy, as Vanney could be elevated to that role along with head coach duties, something he did while in Toronto. The Galaxy will also have a vacancy in its starting 11, as Jonathan Dos Santos, who was a key player in the Galaxy’s central midfield will be leaving the club.
Other moves are being made, with perhaps more to come. The Galaxy have already traded defender Daniel Steres (to Houston) and forward Ethan Zubak (to Nashville) and could soon be trading a mainstay in their midfield, as Sebastian Lletget is also rumored to be on the move, with the New England Revolution being the frontrunner to acquire the midfielder. Such a move would reunite Lletget with head coach Bruce Arena, who signed LLetget to the Galaxy in June of 2015.
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