What Went Wrong for the LA Galaxy — And How They Fixed It

Six months after their record sixth MLS Cup in December 2024, the LA Galaxy were dead last in the Western Conference. Their 2025 campaign produced a 7-18-9 record, 30 points, and a 16-game winless streak that rewrote the history books. This is how LA Galaxy fell apart and fought back toward 2026.

The LA Galaxy’s Dramatic Fall After Their MLS Cup Success

The 2024 Galaxy scored 69 goals, finished second in the West with 64 points, and beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 in the MLS Cup Final. Riqui Puig delivered 17 goals and 20 assists from midfield, numbers that had pundits calling him the league’s best player. That squad had balance and depth.

Then, the MLS salary cap rules gutted the roster. Championship bonuses counted against the 2025 cap, forcing GM Will Kuntz into a fire sale. Dejan Joveljic, the Cup Final match-winner with 19 regular-season goals, went to Sporting Kansas City. MLS Cup MVP Gaston Brugman was shipped off to Nashville, and Mark Delgado landed at LAFC. Captain Maya Yoshida accepted a pay cut from $839,000 to $526,000 just to stay.

The Historic Struggles of the LA Galaxy in the 2025 MLS Season

The Galaxy opened with a 0-2 home loss to San Diego FC. Through eight games, they had three points and six goals. Their winless streak stretched to 16 games — the worst start in MLS history. The low point came on May 10: a 7-0 demolition by the New York Red Bulls. By season’s end, the Galaxy sat 14th in the Western Conference with zero away wins.

Key Reasons Behind the LA Galaxy’s Poor Results

Three problems hit at once: a devastating injury to their best player, a squad stripped of depth by cap rules, and a defense that leaked goals from the first whistle.

Injuries to Key Players and Missing Stars

Puig tore his ACL in the November 2024 Western Conference Final. His $5.78 million salary sat on the books while he contributed zero minutes, burning a Designated Player slot. Joseph Paintsil missed the opening stretch with a thigh strain, Marco Reus battled fitness issues throughout and missed 13 league matches, and Gabriel Pec dealt with injury spells and a red card that disrupted his rotation.

Offensive Production Collapse

The 2024 Galaxy averaged 2.03 goals per game; in 2025, that dropped to 1.35. Only Paintsil reached nine league goals, and through 12 games, the team’s expected goals sat at 12.93. Without Puig’s threading passes and Joveljic attacking the box, every attack looked labored and forced.

Defensive Instability and Costly Errors

The LA Galaxy conceded 66 goals, up from 50 in 2024, with the league’s worst aerial duel rate at 39.1%. Clearances came late, the press broke down, and penalties conceded from rash challenges exposed the porous back line.

Tactical and Structural Issues in the LA Galaxy System

Coach Greg Vanney cycled through 10 midfield combinations in the first 14 games. The formation shifted between 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3, but nothing stuck. Without a playmaker, counters became predictable. Opponents sat back, forced the LA Galaxy into slow possession, and punished them on the break. The bench couldn’t change games.

How the LA Galaxy Adjusted Tactics and Squad Roles During the Season

Vanney swapped wing positions for Pec and Paintsil, pushing them into direct roles. He tested a two-striker setup with Ramirez and Nascimento, and three-at-the-back with advanced wing-backs. The tactic shifted from patient possession to vertical, transition-based play. The club backed Vanney with a contract extension through 2028 during the winless streak.

Important Players Leading the Galaxy’s Recovery

Paintsil delivered a brace against Vancouver and a hat trick in a 4-1 win over Sporting KC. Joao Klauss produced a hat trick in a 7-3 demolition of St. Louis City. Reus hit 1.06 goal contributions per 90 over his final 13 appearances, becoming an El Trafico specialist. Captain Yoshida headed home a 97th-minute equalizer against LAFC on July 19, the latest goal in the rivalry’s history.

Lessons the LA Galaxy Learned From the 2025 Crisis

Relying on Puig to carry the creative burden left the squad exposed when injury struck. Selling Joveljic and Brugman saved money but destroyed competitive balance, and the congested MLS schedule exposed a bench too shallow to rotate. The front office committed to deeper rosters with less dependence on a single star.

Early Signs of Improvement in Recent Matches

The streak snapped on May 31 with a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake. From Matchday 17 onward, the Galaxy earned 26 of their 30 points.

The 2-2 draw against LAFC was the most telling result of the turnaround. Both teams scored late, and while the LA Galaxy vs LAFC stats reflected a tight, even contest, the Galaxy’s ability to stay level in El Trafico signaled that the worst was behind them.

The 3-0 shutout of Vancouver Whitecaps FC on July 4 was equally encouraging — Vanney finally had a settled wing pairing, with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs LA Galaxy lineups confirming Paintsil and Pec as first-choice starters on either flank.

August added another chapter to the LA Galaxy vs Inter Miami timeline when Messi came off the bench to transform the game and help his team secure a 3-1 victory. That Inter Miami vs LA Galaxy match underlined how much ground the Galaxy still needed to cover at the top end of the table.

Road form stayed mixed: the Austin vs LA Galaxy series brought two losses, and the LA Galaxy vs Portland fixtures yielded one of six points. The LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders clash in the Leagues Cup semifinal was a different kind of disappointment — a single-elimination exit that felt premature for a team that had just rediscovered their form. The loss ended what had been a promising run in third place.

What the LA Galaxy Need to Compete Again in MLS

Defender Jakob Glesnes anchors a rebuilt back line, Klauss scored in three consecutive matches, and Justin Haak and Erik Thommy add midfield depth. The painful reality is that Puig underwent a second surgery in January 2026, ruling him out until 2027, forcing a second straight year without their best player.

Prediction for the LA Galaxy in the 2026 MLS Season

Most analysts project the Galaxy between fourth and sixth. American Soccer Now predicted them as high as third, calling them the most improved team in the conference. Through early April 2026, the Galaxy sit at one win, two losses, and two draws.

With Glesnes solidifying the defense and Klauss up front, a playoff spot looks realistic. A seventh MLS Cup will require Puig’s return and another window of smart business.

By Mohul Bhowmick

Updated: 22 Apr 2026, 16:30