2023 LA Galaxy: Off-field drama contributed to team’s poor season

To say that 2023 was an eventful year for the LA Galaxy would be an understatement.

There was plenty going on surrounding the Galaxy during this past year. However, most of the events were happening away from the pitch, but it would be naive to say the ramifications of those events did to have an effect on the team’s performance on the field.

The drama began even before 2023 started, as the team was penalized by the league for its attempts to manipulate the contract of Carlos Pavon, who played for the Galaxy during the second half of the 2019 season as well as all of the 2020 season. The Galaxy attempted to classify Pavon as a non-designated player, as all of its three DP slots were filled, but the league soon discovered that the Pavon’s salary was well out of its yearly max salary range, and the Galaxy did not have enough allocation money to pay down Pavon’s salary to a point that he could be classified as non-DP player. As a result, the Galaxy were fined $1 million, lost an additional $1 million in general allocation money, and were prohibited from signing any international players during the Winter transfer window.

Apparently enraged by the latest misstep by the front office, the Galaxy’s three main supporters groups, the Angel City Brigade, the LA Riot Squad and the Galaxians, decided to launch a boycott of the team’s home games until then-team President Chris Klein was dismissed from his role. The three groups would have to wait a little while for the boycott to take effect, as the Galaxy’s season opener, schedule to be played February 25 at the Rose Bowl against and LAFC squad that had won the Supporters Shield and the MLS Cup title back in 2022, was rained out, and the boycott took effect on March 18 against the Vancouver Whitecaps. The ACB eventually returned for its May 4 match against the Colorado Rapids, but the team’s struggles continued. Finally, on May 30, with the Galaxy sitting with a woeful 2-8-3 record, Klein was fired.

The team made an effort to turn things around on the field, brining in players such as defender Maya Yoshida, and forward Billy Sharp, and trading for midfielder’s Diego Fagundez and Edwin Cerillo. While the new acquisitions had their moments, their presence was still not enough to prevent the Galaxy from missing the playoffs for the third time in four years with an 8-14-12 record and its 36 points was better than only one team, the Colorado Rapids.

Already the Galaxy are moving to ensure a more positive 2024 season. The team has hired a new General Manager in Will Kuntz, and are moving on from two of its Designated Players, striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, who missed the second half the season due to a torn ACL suffered in the US Open Cup, and Brazilian midfielder Douglas Costa, freeing up two Designated Player spots. More moves are certainly expected as the January transfer window prepares to open up.