After two wild seasons, how do we judge the L.A. Galaxy in 2026?

Of all the teams in Major League Soccer, none has had a wilder two-season run than the L.A. Galaxy. In 2024, the Galaxy won the MLS Cup in grand style; in 2025, it went on a historic 16-match winless streak and finished well outside the playoffs. 

How, then, does one judge the Galaxy in 2026? Is it reasonable to hold it to the high standards of 2024 or the low standards of 2025? Or is there a better way to evaluate its progress than those admittedly extreme goalposts?

Galaxy coach Greg Vanney thinks there is. In his preseason news conference, Vanney laid out three clear principles of play that he aims to master with his 2026 Galaxy team.

But what are they? Why do they matter? And how did the Galaxy perform them in its season-opening 1-1 draw with NYCFC?

"Front to back" defending

The Galaxy conceded a whopping 66 goals throughout the 2025 season, more than every other team in MLS bar Sporting Kansas City. It's a sobering statistic and one that led the Galaxy toward a full defensive rebuild in the offseason — both in terms of personnel and mindset.

"For me, the defending part of it is from front to back," Vanney said. "It's making sure that in every situation we have everybody connected and working together inside of the defensive effort."

The Galaxy did well bringing this mindset to its opening game against NYCFC. Its attacking trio wasn't shy about settling deeper to assist its defensive partners. The gambit worked — the Galaxy held onto its one-goal advantage for much of the match and didn't falter after conceding a controversial penalty — but Vanney was quick to point out that it had negative repercussions on his team's attack.

"Gabe [Pec] was in the back line a lot," he admitted. "Which means it was very hard for them to penetrate us, but it was also very hard for us to get pressure to the ball sometimes."

The Galaxy is still working to find the right balance of defensive rigidity and offensive fluidity. Sunday's 1-1 draw with NYCFC was an interesting start, but the team has a lot more to learn about switching between phases of play.

Finishing attacks on the move; less playmaking from standing stops

When the goals dried up for the Galaxy in 2025, it was a lack of service to winger Gabriel Pec that caused it. The team struggled to find him while on the move, and Pec struggled to convert chances given to him from standing stops. Vanney entered the 2026 season desperate to flip that script.

"It's about us finding Gabe and finishing actions," he said. "Not standing in stationary positions and trying to play-make from standing positions. If we do that, it's going to be a long one for Gabe and for us."

The Galaxy kicked off its 2026 season well in this regard: It scored in the opening two minutes of its debut game thanks to a fluid, on-the-move sequence involving Pec, Joseph Paintsil, Marco Reus and new striker Joao Klauss.