On Jan. 1, Galaxy coach Greg Vanney despatched a textual content to his greatest participant, wishing him a glad new yr. The subsequent day Riqui Puig responded, but his reply didn’t alter the resolutions Vanney had made for 2026.
Puig, who missed all of 2025 due to a torn ACL in his left knee, advised his coach he wanted another surgical procedure, one that may sideline him this season as properly. Yet after the shock wore off, Vanney and common supervisor Will Kuntz determined to stay with the plans they took into the offseason relatively than blowing them up as a result of Puig would again be sidelined.
“We wanted to reinforce the back line. We needed to look for a [striker]. We’ve done both of those things successfully,” Vanney mentioned. “The difference is that we don’t have Riqui’s qualities, which I think over the course of last year we learned a little bit about ourselves and how to deal with it.”
Indeed, after going winless of their first 16 video games — the worst begin ever for a reigning MLS champion — the Galaxy found out easy methods to play without their playmaker within the second half, going 7-6-5 in MLS and beating three of Mexico’s high groups within the Leagues Cup.
They carried that momentum into the preseason this yr, going 3-1-1 in opposition to MLS groups with two shutouts, 15 objectives scored and 7 allowed.
The Galaxy will begin taking part in for retains Thursday when it opens CONCACAF Champions Cup in Panama in opposition to Sporting San Miguelito. They begin their MLS season three days later in opposition to New York City FC at Dignity Health Sports Park, a part of a dash that may see them play 4 occasions in two nations in simply 9 days.
It shall be one thing of a new-look Galaxy with three new starters in middle again Jakob Glesnes, midfielder/middle again Justin Haak and striker Joao Klauss. The crew gave up 66 objectives final season, one off the franchise file, and the addition of Glesnes, a former league defender of the yr, and Haak, give the Galaxy each depth and chunk on the again.
Klauss, who came visiting from St. Louis City two weeks into coaching camp in alternate for $2.375 million, will take Puig’s designated participant spot on the roster and, maybe, his focal spot within the crew’s offense.
“He’s a guy with confidence. And you can tell he’s so good,” mentioned defender John Nelson, who performed with Klauss in St. Louis. “He’s a beast in the air. Has good feet for a big man too. So the fans should be really excited.”
Klauss joins a crew at an necessary crossroads. In 2024, the Galaxy received a file sixth MLS Cup, tied a modern-day franchise file with 19 wins and have been undefeated at Dignity Health Sports Park. Last season they received a franchise-low seven video games, have been winless on the street and missed the playoffs.
So which crew will present up this yr? The lack of Puig, who could be probably the most irreplaceable participant in MLS, will definitely sting. But the Galaxy have already realized easy methods to deal with that. Now they need to do it once more.
“We’re not going to be the exact same team that we would be if Riqui was roaming the midfield,” Vanney mentioned. “We’re stronger in a lot of other positions. That’s going to help this team because in the second half of [last] year we were competitive with everybody.
Joao Klauss, who played for St. Louis City last year, will be one of three new starters for the Galaxy this season.
(Jeff Roberson / Associated Press)
“So if we get stronger in our defending, get more goals from our nine position, we [can] make progress.”
Only two gamers — defender Julian Aude and goalkeeper Novak Micovic — stay from the roster Kuntz inherited when he joined the crew because the senior vice chairman of participant personnel in April 2023. And the newest additions add to the depth Vanney might want to climate a withering schedule.
If the Galaxy make it by means of to the second spherical of the CONCACAF event, they’ll play 9 video games within the season’s first 4 weeks, touring by means of 4 time zones to 3 states and three nations.
As a end result, Vanney most likely will play the early MLS video games with one lineup and the CONCACAF video games with another.
“The games are going to happen so fast, it’s something we’ve definitely been pondering,” he mentioned.
The vagaries of the schedule are one thing that figures to hamper MLS groups all season. The league will play the primary 15 video games of its 34-game schedule by late May, then pause seven weeks for the World Cup. When play resumes in mid-July, groups will play their ultimate 19 video games in 3½ months.
“The schedule, we can’t control. We have to manage it,” defender Maya Yoshida mentioned. “It’s not easy but this is part of MLS and we already know how to deal with it.”
As the top of final season confirmed, the Galaxy have realized easy methods to play without Puig as properly. Now they only have to try this once more.