Not your average John in this Galaxy

The Los Angeles Galaxy are having an incredible regular season in 2024. No one can argue that.

The were one point away from being the top seed in the Western Conference after being in the bottom of the standings a year ago.

General Manager Will Kuntz made moves such as signing Joseph Paintsil and Gabriel Pec prior to the season. Kuntz gave head coach Greg Vanney a new goalkeeper in John McCarthy who replaced Jonathan Bond.

While one John replaced another, there is another newbie to the LA Galaxy roster. Although he has been playing in the league since 2019, the 26-year-old defender has found a new home for the third time in as many seasons.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mr. John Nelson!

Six seasons ago, Nelson was drafted 10th overall by FC Dallas. After three seasons, he not only switched teams but conferences altogether.

FC Cincinnati brought in the talents of Nelson in the 2022 season. He saw his playing time increase significantly. He played 24 games, starting 14 of them while logging 1,204 minutes.

In the three years with FC Dallas, he only appeared in 30 games and started just 18 of those contests for a total of 1,710 minutes, Nelson had only tallied one assist while never scoring during his tenure with his original MLS club.

Last year, St. Louis City SC was the number one seed in the Western Conference. Nelson had switched teams once again. In his lone season with St. Louis, the six-year veteran was on the field for a career high 1,268 minutes while playing in seven less games than the season prior.

A part of the Los Angeles Galaxy roster, the league saw him appear in 23 games, starting 12 of them. His passing improved drastically (88.3%) as it was a 15.7% improvement from the year before.

Nelson has not scored a goal in MLS history after playing in 76 regular season games. He played in two postseason contests for FC Dallas in 2020. In his first playoff game with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

On Saturday, Nelson found the back of the net for the first time in his professional soccer career. The strike came from a shot early on in the second half. Miki Yamane assisted on the play as he but the ball in play from the ensuing corner kick.

He played strong in the opening game of the first round series against the Colorado Rapids. Nelson's passing percentage was above 90% as he played in the game's first 80 minutes. Julian Aude checked into the game for him at that point.

The home fans at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California were able to witness his greatness. No longer is Nelson should no longer be considered an average defender. Much less, he should not be looked at as just another average 'John.'