Four games into the 2022 MLS season, the Los Angeles Galaxy has shown who they are.
And Saturday’s 1-0 loss at home to Orlando City courtesy of a Facundo Torres header confirms it.
LA Galaxy lacks ideas and goals in 1-0 loss
They are a team capable of giving Los Angeles Head Coach Greg Vanney good, but not great performances with plenty of possession and goal opportunities but not many actual goals attached.
They are a better team than last year to be sure, but the simple fact the Galaxy isn’t finding the net regularly has led to its 2-2 record after four games.
Four games they certainly could’ve won.
Four games where they had the goal opportunities to do so.
But if anything, at least the Galaxy is consistent and stuck to the script Saturday.
They looked dangerous early in the match and produced three corner kicks in the first eight minutes of the match, pegging Orlando City back in their own final third.
The pressure was telling and should’ve brought a goal for Los Angeles, only for their defensive Achilles heel to pop up once again.
The Galaxy let themselves down three different times defensively after outplaying Seattle on their own turf last week and against Orlando, an inability to transition and cover a lethal counterattack was their undoing.
Lions open the scoring. Poor defending to not pick him up as he runs into the box. pic.twitter.com/d7HcYrrmBn
— Last Word on LA Galaxy (@LWOS_LAGalaxy) March 19, 2022
“I mean, it became… again, last week, we lose the game on an execution on set pieces. This week, we didn’t manage a transition well, which then gives the away team a 1-0 lead,” Vanney said of the play that led to the Facundo Torres headed goal off the Ercan Kara cross. “And, he puts in a perfect cross, and a great finish. And now, all of a sudden, in a game, that we’re, again, we’re in control of, even though it was relatively early, we’re down 1-0. And we’re uphill.
Not for lack of chances…
Another game that we just don’t execute in the final actions and we showed vulnerability.”
Despite being “uphill” as Vanney said, the Galaxy outshot Orlando 20-6 the rest of the way, but just 3 of those shots were on frame. In the halftime interview, he mentioned Orlando only having one chance that led to goal. Orlando put their chance away, however, as the Galaxy continued to spurn theirs.
Victor Vázquez had a few chances.
Javier “Chicharito” Hernández had a few good looks at Orlando’s goal as well.
Raheem Edwards, perhaps the best Galaxy signing of the off-season, continued to get forward and had a few opportunities too.
While Galaxy DP Kévin Cabral should definitely be disappointed to not see his name attached to a few goals as he had perhaps the best of the Galaxy goal opportunities.
Galaxy midfielder Sacha Kljestan made no excuses for the team. He spoke of the team’s inability to convert chances, a problem he blames on lack of execution.
“More execution just of the final play, where we were just a half-step late or early or just the final touch was like a half touch off tonight. It was just not very clear and precise in our execution in the final play today,” Kljestan told assorted press after the loss.
“It can be frustrating, but on the bright side, we controlled all four games through possession so far. We have yet to face a team that is controlling more of the ball than us or controlling the midfield. So that‘s a very big positive for us because that’s the way that we want to play.”
Kljestan might have a point, but Galaxy fans will take little solace in good performances with a lack of goals; even less in a lack of wins.
They’ll have two weeks off now to figure out the execution part of the game plan before the next El Tráfico on April 9 against LAFC.
The Galaxy better soon, or four games that should have gone the L.A.’s way, might turn into five.
Photo Credit: Kevin Cabral and the Los Angeles Galaxy had plenty of goal chances but no goal and no three points at home against Orlando City. Photo with LA Galaxy permission.
