A rebuilt LA Galaxy; back on top of MLS with a push from their fans

12/08/2024 09:12 AM

Last season began with LA Galaxy fans boycotting home games in protest of sanctions brought on by then-Club President Chris Klein and the overall trajectory of their historic club.

Less than two years later, Klein is long gone while his replacement, Will Kuntz, has rebuilt Galaxy in the vision of their fans with heavy offseason investment which has paid off in lifting a record sixth MLS Cup in front of a raucous, sold-out Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday afternoon.

LA Galaxy are back

"I think this is kind of the stamp that we're back," said Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney. "This year this team has proven from the quality of soccer and the group and the quality of players, style of play — all those things that this group has shown has shown that the quality is there and the quality is back but at the Galaxy it's about winning championships and I think going into this week that was the thing. We've proven I think that we're back as an organization and now it’s to prove that we're back as champions and we're on top again. These guys did it. They cemented their legacy in what is a club with incredible history and legacy. I'm proud of them. It will bond them together as a group forever."

From a loving adversary in 2023, the fans quickly shifted to one of the Galaxy's biggest assets in 2024, propelling them to an unbeaten record at DHSP (17-0-3).

"It shows to our fans across the world and everywhere else that they're getting what they expected and what they were hoping for and they should be proud of themselves and the group for all the support and interaction this year. The environment and the atmosphere in our stadium all year has been amazing," Vanney praised. "We went unbeaten all the way through the season here in this stadium. I think that's a collaboration between the support, the atmosphere, the players, and the energy that is being put out there."

Before dreams of a championship became realistic again, investment was what the fans were expecting and eventually created by pushing Klein out of the club. As soon as Kuntz took the reigns, Galaxy was back to spending big in the summer with the additions of designated player (DP) wingers Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil for a reported combined fee of $19m.

Just as the fans envisioned, such investment immediately led directly to the sixth championship they so desperately craved after a decade of drought.

"When the DP spots opened up we didn't necessarily go look for guys with big names and huge careers already that are kinda behind them. We went for guys that are hungry, super talented, athletic, and fit our style of play," Vanney explained. "The guys that came in with Gabe and Joe, to start with them. Their ability to adapt to this league quickly and just have incredible seasons is not always the case for young players who come from the outside into our league. They hit the ground running and had huge seasons."

Together with Dejan Joveljić and ACL-stricken Riqui Puig, the quartet became the first four players on the same team to score 10+ goals in an MLS season. As it turns out, that potency was simply too much for the rest of the league to handle in the postseason.

On top of LA

Going hand-in-hand with a return to the top of MLS, Galaxy has shifted the headlines away from the shiny new team in downtown LA which has recently dominated the news cycle and back to the original LA club a few miles south.

Since LAFC joined the league in 2018, the new kids on the block finished with a better record in all but one season while lifting four major trophies. But in 2024, after being pipped to the top spot in the West on Decision Day by the Black and Gold, Galaxy put together the highest-scoring MLS playoff run ever (18 goals) to catapult themselves back into the Hollywood spotlight.

"When there is something new it's the new thing, right? But how long can they stay relevant?" queried midfielder Mark Delgado. "It’s up to them, right? But history says it’s like the LA Lakers and the LA Clippers. We know who the real ones are and we're always going to come out on top eventually. We already had five stars and we just added a sixth to that. We're the first to six stars."

Ironically, Galaxy’s success has come in significant part through former members of their bitter rival.

The goalkeeper who won LAFC their only MLS Cup with an MVP performance in the 2022 penalty shootout, John McCarthy, crossed the El Trafico divide this season and brought the championship mojo with him for his second league title (and third MLS Cup appearance) in the past three seasons. Meanwhile Kuntz, the former LAFC assistant general manger, locked that deal down for Galaxy as he has with a number of astute acquisitions beyond flashy DPs since his appointment as their general manager a year ago.

"Galaxy are one of the most historic clubs," McCarthy said. "LAFC has been around for a couple years and they’ve had some tremendous success in the years they've been around. For the history of LA Galaxy, it's awesome to win. Today the Galaxy is on top. We deserve it."

In case there was any debate on that sentiment, midfielder Diego Fagúndez reminded everyone that there is only one true determinant of supremacy.

"Who has the most cups? LA Galaxy," Fagúndez reaffirmed. "That's all you need to know."