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All I Want for Christmas from the LA Galaxy

All I Want for Christmas from the LA Galaxy is an improved defense and midfield. In 2015, the LA Galaxy struggled to maintain a consistent lineup. They suffered from injuries, international duty absences, and roster changes. At first, all three sections seemed fairly well assembled. As the season progressed, none performed well.

Midfielders

In the midfield, the Galaxy lost Landon Donovan and Marcelo Sarvas. Donovan retired. Bruce Arena traded Sarvas to the Colorado Rapids. He tried to sign Sacha Klejstan. Stefan Ishizaki also returned home to Sweden. The team has yet to fully recover.

In the season’s beginning, Jose Villarreal played well. He tried fill the gap. Unfortunately, injuries sidelined him. Baggio Husidic also helped improve the team. Yet, injuries later benched him.

Yes, Arena signed Steven Gerrard and Giovani dos Santos, but the midseason signing proved futile—Gerrard the most. The Galaxy tends to sign older players to boost popularity. Hence, the nickname “Retirement F.C.”

Gerrard failed to impress me. He underestimated MLS’s difficulty. Unfortunately, his situation closely resembles David Beckham experience. His performance barely helped the team. He seemed to be nothing more than a popularity stunt. Gerrard’s time is limited because of his age, so he might never fulfill expectations.

Dos Santos, still in his prime, supported the Galaxy more than the Englishman, but still contributed less than expected. I thought he might be the final piece to the puzzle. Yet, he also suffered injuries. He might only need more time to familiarize himself with the league.

Sebastian Lletget transformed into the best new player of the season. He became a crucial member. He scored goals, assisted them, and developed a strong relationship with defender Robbie Rogers. His support helped the Galaxy go to the playoffs.

Defense

The defense struggled from the beginning. Omar Gonzalez spent extended time with the United States National Team. Afterwards, his performance lacked terribly. His mistakes led to goals against the Galaxy.

I think very highly of him, but he disappointed many this season. Players naturally experience slumps. Klinsmann left him off the roster probably as a result.

Yesterday on December 22, the LA Galaxy announced its most recent off-season roster change.

Omar lost his Designated Player status when the Galaxy signed dos Santos as a DP. The Galaxy then used five years of TAM to lower Omar’s salary. He needed a new contract or they to trade him for the 2016 Season. I think they made the best decision to trade him to C.F. Pachuca.

Leonardo earned the Best Defender of the Year status. This award shows how the rest of the defenders played in comparison. They definitely need to improve for 2016.

2016: A Christmas Gift

I have higher hopes for the 2016 MLS Season. Gerrard and dos Santos will be in better shape and more used to the league to actually make a difference. Lletget, hopefully, will continue his skillful contributions. With Omar gone, the Galaxy can now bolster its defense with a better center defender. They already signed Dave Romney and Daniel Steres. The 2015 Season showed that it’s more than just high-profile players that boost a team to league champions. The Galaxy will need better teamwork, structure, and lineup consistency to win the 2016 MLS Cup.

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