New Stars Shine Bright for the Galaxy & MLS

While the Los Angeles Galaxy are sitting atop the Western Conference this season, it's hard to pinpoint just one month this year that has been their most successful and biggest one to date. In June, the team won four in row featuring three consecutive shutouts.

Arguably, May was just as epic with the LA Galaxy experiencing a six-game unbeaten streak that entire month. A pair of wins at home against Dallas FC and the Houston Dynamo followed four straight draws.

This month ranks up there, too, as being pretty historic. Records have been set and the Galaxy have turned this season around large in part to the debut of two international stars, Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil.

Signed through the 2028 MLS season, Pec comes to the league from Vasco da Gama (Brazil). In 168 appearances with this club, he scored 25 goals. In his first season with the Galaxy & MLS, the 23-year-old already has 13 goals in his freshman year with the league.

To further highlight Pec's accomplishments and contributions this season for the five-time MLS champions, he has recorded 12 assists to date to compliment his scoring. This level of personal success must be contagious as teammate and fellow-newcomer, Painstil, can also relate.

The winger from Ghana has been playing internationally for his home country since 2017. He has made over a dozen appearances but yet to score. That is not the case this year in the States.

Paintsil made his debut alongside Pec. In 26 games this year, he has scored 10 goals and logged as many assists. Never before has the league seen a pair of teammates from the same team score ten goals or more while also assisting on that many or more.

"The measure for our group is going to be the capacity to compete in the playoffs, to show that maturity, and to keep trying to build to that legacy for this group. It's not just the regular season, not to minimize it because I think it's big. But I think it's also us learning as a group how we can become a championship-type of team."

- Greg Vanney, Head Coach of the LA Galaxy

The Los Angeles Galaxy are now off until Wednesday, October 2nd when they travel to play the Colorado Rapids. This is another matchup of two playoff contenders looking to end the year with the league's greatest prize.

Earlier in the season, the Galaxy won 3-2 against the Rapids. Paintsil added a goal and an assist in the game as Pec contributed to two assists, himself. The LA Galaxy sit idle while they are eight points ahead of Colorado as the Rapids will also play Minnesota United FC this Saturday ahead of the October 2nd showdown.