Editorial — The start of the MLS season is just around the corner. This means that teams are finalizing their rosters for the upcoming competition. For the LA Galaxy, that means expectations will begin to arise for certain players.
With a highly competitive squad, manager Guillermo Barros Schelotto will be looking to some of his more senior players to lead the lines. I picked five detrimental players for the LA Galaxy for this upcoming season.
1. David Bingham
Expectations will be high for former USMNT goalkeeper David Bingham. Since his arrival from rival team San Jose, Bingham has yet to reach fans expectations. In the two years that Bingham has been with the LA Galaxy, he’s let in a total of 119 goals. This means that in the past two years Bingham has conceded more goals with the Galaxy than he did in all his time with the Earthquakes, which was six years. With a third year now on the horizon, Bingham will have to prove to not just the team, but the fans, that he merits to be the Galaxy’s number one under the sticks.
2. Daniel Steres
Daniel Steres might be a player not many would expect to be on this list. Steres will play a fundamental part to this LA Galaxy defense. Since Steres has been with the team since 2016, he is the most experienced center back. Last year, he broke out into the starting XI. He featured in a total of 30 games last year, showcasing how important he is to the defense. While Steres isn’t a high caliber center back known around the world, he is at this moments Galaxy’s best choice at the back.
3. Jonathan dos Santos
A player who’s slowly become a fan favorite at the LA Galaxy, Jonathan dos Santos will be the most important player for Barros Schelotto. He will be what holds this team together not just in attack, but in defense as well. The most important thing dos Santos will be task with is staying fit and healthy for this season. As the Galaxy really have no substitute that can do as much as dos Santos can. The Mexican international has proven to be vital for the Galaxy, stepping into the role he was meant to always fill. Because of this it will be no surprise that he will get the captain’s armband for this season. While attention will be on the Galaxy’s attack trio, dos Santos will be what fuels said attack.
🐆 @jona2santos 🐆 pic.twitter.com/TaBAE1vBcA
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) February 25, 2020
4. Cristian Pavon
The Argentinian winger is arguably the best player on this Galaxy side. Young and full of potential, the 24-year-old has quite the responsibility for this upcoming season. Alongside Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, Pavon will tasked with scoring goals and setting them up as well. That’s something he did quite well last season in the short amount of games he played with the Galaxy. Starting 11 games, Pavon scored three goals and provided eight assists. Most of the Galaxy attack will go down his wing and how he handles the pressure will determine how well he does in the season. Not to mention, Pavon holds quite the reputation as being one of Argentina’s most highly regarded prospects.
5. Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez
Probably the most popular and most instrumental player for the LA Galaxy, Javier Hernandez will have a world of expectations this season. Known as “Chicharito” he will be the poster boy for this team and face of the attack as well. The way the team plays will suit him and his poacher playing style. However, it’s not to say that he won’t offer anything when it comes to building up the attack.
A player who leads by example, the Mexican international will try to inject that passion and drive he has for the game to his teammates. In regard to goals, Hernandez will have big shoes to fill left behind by Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Ibrahimovic scored a total of 52 goals in his two years with the Galaxy. Chicharito will need to make an impact of the same caliber to be able to get out of Zlatan’s shadow.
