The reigning MLS champions LA Galaxy have got their new season off to a poor start. Marco Reus & Co. surprisingly lost 2-0 at home to San Diego FC.
The euphoria among the 25,224 spectators was great after last season’s title. That’s why they had imagined the start at the Dignity Health Sports Park on Sunday quite differently: LA Galaxy surprisingly lost 2-0 to San Diego FC. Previously, the champions had remained unbeaten in their own stadium for 21 consecutive matches – and thus also in the entire preseason. The last home defeat dated back to October 21, 2023.
Galaxy had a 15-game winning streak at Dignity Health Sports Park. However, all that was no longer worth anything at the start of the MLS. “We just looked uncoordinated, and that perhaps means we weren’t prepared for where we need to be with the new additions we’re trying to integrate into the team. We didn’t look like a team that just won the championship,” criticized head coach Greg Vanney.
The offense around Marco Reus, who was taken off the pitch after 72 minutes, also failed to deliver on almost everything. “I felt like we were a little bit off in our positioning for a lot of the game, where we need to be and when we need to be there,” Vanney analyzed: ‘I felt like we weren’t very dynamic in the front half of the pitch and when we did get forward, we didn’t really convert possession into attacks.’
San Diego’s new signings inspire
The offense lacked “momentum” that “we’ve seen in the past.” The three Galaxy debutants Christian Ramirez, Lucas Sanabria and Elijah Wynder also failed to impress.
Quite the opposite on the opposite side of the Danish right-back Anders Dreyer, who came from RSC Anderlecht to the MLS, who scored both goals (52nd/90. + 3). The prominent assist for the 1-0 was provided by Hirving Lozano, who joined from PSV Eindhoven in January. Dreyer and Lozano stormed the Dignity Health Sports Park alongside former Mainz player Marcus Ingvartsen.
