What was thought to be a moment of glory has turned out to be a real nightmare for LA Galaxy. After the win in the MLS Cup in December, everyone was anticipating the team to stay consistent and fight for more championships. Life has been quite different, though. Injuries, departures of key players, and boring soccer have landed Los Angeles' team in hot water early in the season.
If the opening games of 2025 are anything to go by, fans really have a right to be concerned. Galaxy did not just lose key players, they cannot replicate the same competitive attitude that made them champions last year. Can it still be salvaged, or is the defending MLS champion on the verge of suffering from a disappointing season?
A weakened roster and accumulating injuries
To anyone looking from the outside in, Galaxy looks like a broken team. Riqui Puig, Joseph Paintsil, Miki Yamane, Matheus Nascimento, and Lucas Sanabria are all unavailable. And that doesn't even count the losses of Dejan Joveljić and Mark Delgado, two of last year's championship-winning team's most important players. What they have left is a band-aid team with no chemistry and no tactical answers.
Of all these disappointments, the one that stings the most is Puig's absence. It's not exaggerating to say that the Spanish midfielder was the brain of the team. All things flowed through him, from build-up to the pivotal moments in attack. Without him, Galaxy is lost.
Paintsil, signed as a key scoring threat, has yet to see the field to even demonstrate whether he can get it done. A preseason quadriceps injury excluded him from contention before he ever got a chance to gel with his teammates. And Yamane and the signings under the U22 Initiative plan have yet to get to top condition.
With that many injuries, head coach Greg Vanney has had no option but to improvise, but his solutions haven't succeeded until now. The team isn't tough, doesn't frighten opponents, and, worst of all, doesn't seem to be getting better.
A star with no effect
If the absence of some players is a problem, the failure of those on the field to make an impact is even more concerning. And nobody personifies that more than Marco Reus.
The Borussia Dortmund legend arrived with massive expectations, but so far, he has failed to deliver. Zero goals, zero assists, zero momentm Reus is out of sync, unable to make the impact Galaxy so badly needs.
To some, he was supposed to be the one who would fill the void left by Puig, but the German still can't find his place in Vanney's system. Slow, disconnected, and lacking in intensity, he has been a non-factor in the attack.
The question remains. Does Reus still have what it takes to lead a team? Or was his move to MLS just the final chapter of an amazing career already in decline?
A team with no identity and posing no threat
If there's one thing that defines Galaxy's start to the season, that is their lack of identity. As analyst Bradley Wright-Phillips pointed out, this team no longer strikes fear into any opponent.
They were intense, dynamic, and efficient at breaking down opponents last year. They're now predictable, lacking in attacking strength, and insecure at the back. They can't seem to control games, they don't have that authority, and there are no indications of that changing.
This game against St. Louis CITY SC is the turning point
With all of these problems, the game this weekend against St. Louis CITY SC is even more important. Galaxy needs a win, not just for the points, but to regain confidence and prove that they can still play.
The pressure increases on Vanney with each match. The team must respond, and in a hurry. If it doesn't, the reigning MLS champions could be in for a season far different from what they had hoped.
LA Galaxy is still capable of getting it together, but with every match without change, this crisis worsens into a pit. The time to react is now.