The LA Galaxy enters the playoffs as one of the clear favorites to win the championship after scoring a total of 64 points during the regular season and finishing second in the Western Conference.
The first-round series will be a best-of-three matchup, starting Saturday night at home against the seventh-seeded Colorado Rapids.
According to MLS, midfielder Mark Delgado said:
“There are always expectations when you are at the LA Galaxy given the rich history of the club. However, with the team’s success this year and how good we have the potential to be, we are excited about the club’s rich history. It puts more pressure on us.”
The story of the LA Galaxy’s 2024 season revolves around its formidable offense. Franchise players Gabriel Peck and Josef Paintsil joined the team last winter, complementing Riqui Puig and Dejan Jovezic.
This dynamic quartet amassed an impressive total of 54 goals and 45 assists during the regular season. In the summer, the Galaxy added German national team icon Marco Reus, further increasing their firepower and scoring a total of 69 goals, the third-most in the league.
Head coach Greg Vanney said.
“I’m very happy with this group, considering the changes we made at the beginning of the year, the situation we’re in and the challenges we faced last season. We’ve rebuilt the team in a sense. We’ve got two new players. It’s incredible to watch this group come together and win 19 games, along with our franchise players and some key new positions.”
After a disappointing decision day loss to Houston Dynamo FC, 2-1, the Galaxy ceded the conference lead to LAFC. However, there is a possibility that this setback can turn into a blessing.
If the Galaxy beat Colorado, they could face either Real Salt Lake or Minnesota United, who have not lost this season, before facing LAFC in the Western Conference finals in the relaunched version of El Traffico.
Regardless of their next opponent, LA Galaxy will be hoping 2024 is the season that ends their title drought.
Coach Greg Vanney insists the LA Galaxy are not satisfied with just qualifying for the playoffs. Instead, he has expressed confidence in the team’s potential to compete for a championship title.
With the playoffs approaching, the Los Angeles Galaxy are poised to reclaim their spot at the top of MLS and are ready to add another trophy to their illustrious history.
