No offense meant to the LA Galaxy Defense

In defense of the back line for the Los Angeles Galaxy, the offense often has overshadowed the players in front of the goalkeeper. When your team scores 69 goals in a season, people pay attention.

The Los Angeles Galaxy scored the most goals in the Western Conference during the regular season. Their 69 were also good for third best overall in MLS behind only Inter Miami CF and Columbus Crew.

The five-time MLS Cup champions did not earn a top spot in the Western Conference Standings just based on how many times they found the back of the net. Improved play from their goalkeeper, John McCarthy, also factored into the team's amazing turnaround.

A season ago, the LA Galaxy a league high 67 goals. No other soccer club allowed more than 60 last year. With a goal differential of -16 in 2023, the LA Galaxy were nowhere near playoff contention.

That all changed in 2024!

LA Galaxy General Manager Will Kutz moved on from years of service from the team's previous starting goalie, Jonathan Bond. McCarthy has been a vast upgrade.

Head Coach Greg Vanney knew his team could not miss the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. The franchise has not won an MLS Cup, nor been to the Finals, since 2014.

They were a factor in the league's grandest game of the year nearly every other season in the first seven years of the league. If the Los Angeles Galaxy make it to their tenth appearance in the MLS Cup, their defense deserves a lot of credit.

In 2023, the LA Galaxy had just four defenders record more than 40 clearances. Jalen Neal, Martin Caceres and Maya Yoshida all came back this year.

But Kelvin Leerdam, who had a tie of the team high (57) with Neal a season ago, has left the team since. Chris Mavinga is also no longer a member of the LA Galaxy.

"Even in our set defending moments, we did a good job of keeping the ball out of dangerous areas. When they got to dangerous areas, we had bodies between them and the goal, and it was hard for them to get any clean looks on goal. I’m really pleased with the response over the course of this week and coming into this match."

- Greg Vanney, LA Galaxy Head Coach

This season, the defense relied heavily on their veteran defender, Yoshida. He had 81 clearances during the regular season while teammate Miki Yamane tallied 41.

Yoshida also played and started in all 34 games for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Yamane was right there with his fellow defender in terms of durability. He only missed one game, starting in all the other 33 games for the Galaxy.

In 2024, five players on the Galaxy finished the season averaging better than 90% passing accuracy that played in 20 games or more. The Galaxy had zero a season ago. None.

Sure, the Los Angeles offense is great behind Puig, Joveljic and company. However, the defense of the Los Angeles Galaxy is not to be slept on.